GOP chairman questions Democrats' ability to protect Americans

[sabra]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/politics/13843940.htm

GOP chairman questions Democrats' ability to protect Americans

WASHINGTON - Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, declared Friday that Democrats who have condemned the Bush administration's controversial eavesdropping program may not be suited to safeguard Americans against terror attacks.

"We do not and we never should question these Democrat leaders' patriotism, but we do question their judgment and we do question their ability to keep the American people safe," he said. "These are people we know love their country, the question is: Can they protect it?"

In a speech to activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mehlman suggested Republicans should make an election-year example out of Democrats who criticize the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program. He made no mention, though, of a growing number of Republicans in Congress who also have raised concerns about the wiretapping.

"Do Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean really think that when NSA is listening in on terrorists planning attacks on America, they should hang up when those terrorists call their sleeper cells in the United States?" he said, referring to the House minority leader and the Democratic National Committee chairman.

[Uben]

1. Uhhhhhhh?

Sept. 11th happened on their watch. They haven't much to stand on!

[mediaman007]

27. Is like, uhhh, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines not going to be

available anymore? Won't Democrats have access to the CIA, FBI and NSA?

I guess the comments might be true if Bush* and Cheney* went into Tora Bora and kicked some ass themselves. But since they are big pussies (chicken hawks) the argument won't hold water.

Bush* is a pussie...Bush* is a pussie...

[Roland99]

2. WTH is Meelyman going to protect us with? Talking points?

"You there! Mr. Terrorist. Why do you hate America? Stop hating us for our freedom and leave."

[colorado thinker]

4. Good one!

Ha, ha, ha! Can't you just see the terrorists stopping dead in their tracks and then running away from the talking points?

[Roland99]

45. Hey! They are some sharp barbs. Could put a terrorist's eye out!

[Botany]

3. Ken

Please run on this issue
* bin Laden still free
* Iraq now a terrorist breeding ground
* every year since 9-11 the # of terrorist attacks has gone up
* Red China now owns the note on the USA
* Our military has been wasted for nothing
* 55 returning vets from Iraq are running as Dems.
* bush is losing the war on terror

bring it on!

[DeadManInc]

29. You forgot "mission accomplished"

[leQ]

46. HERE! HERE! (eom)

[dubya_dubya_III]

66. you forgot

Rushing headlong into the ruthless destruction of Iraq without even so much as a meeting, summit or apparently even a plan, having totally ignored the implications of the ensuing anarchy.

Failing to have anywhere near the effective level of armor, even though there was never any rush to initiate any attack

Allowing outright political religious fascist parties to run and be established in Afghanistan, Iran and Palestine, and having the nerve to try to call that 'democracy'.

Creating hundreds of thousands of unnecessary new victims of occupation in Iraq, and monumental economic reparations.

Giving away billions to Halliburton with emergency no bid contracts, due to poor planning

Making absolutely no effort of any sort whatsoever to force Israel and Palestine to negotiate.

Lumping legitimate oppressed Palestinian freedom fighters struggling to regain their nationhood in with bloodthirsty 3rd party "terrorists".

Ignoring the root of the Islamic vs Judeo-Christian conflict which is the theft of a town named Jerusalem by fascists of a certain religion.

Disguising temporary, debt funded, phony, destructive and wasteful "war economy" productivity distortions pose as economic growth and progress.

Creating a byzantine government funded orgy of organized gambling for profit rackets to substitute for simple direct to the taxpayer Prescription Drug Assistance.

Being asleep at the switch throughout 911 and Katrina

Wasting two years trying to setup a Social Security ripoff

[Democat]

5. The media reports his every comment like it's breaking news

The liberal media sure loves this guy.

[MissWaverly]

6. Rerun, vote him off the island

You can't use old scripts from 01 and 02, and throw out the one about the kung fu shoe
bomber, you guys have jumped the shark, you better get someone like Hagel to start writing
your stuff. Even he is smart enough not to say that George Washington had electronic
surveillance. Didn't Gonzales ever read the back of the comic book.

[dubya_dubya_III]

87. George Washington was a 'terrorist' -- remember?

[MissWaverly]

92. yes, I doubt he would have appreciated

surveillance as he was rowing across the Delaware to surprise the Brits who were having
their Christmas grog.

[Rose Siding]

7. No Dem quote in there at all. When the DNC chair is quoted,

the repubs get a call and a quote in the piece, but the reverse doesn't seem to happen. The pseudo "balance" in this report is from Wilson, another REPUB!

[Patchuli]

8. I'd say Mehley Mouth has a nerve

questioning Dem's judgement! And for that matter, we were pretty freaking safe during Clinton's great 8!

I question the judgement of Mehlman in defending the Culture of Corruption these days!

[kurth]

9. Ken, shove your wiretaps up your ass!

And shut the fuck up, goddamned traitor boy.

[Wilms]

10. Sorry. I have to agree. Dems haven't protected us from Repubs. n/t

[jillan]

16. lol - great point! n/t

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Waste not want not Ken. n/t

[rodeodance]

12. nominated

[buff2]

13. Mehlman should STFU,already.

Someone should remind that partisan hack that we were attacked on our soil under BU$H'S watch and HE'S a republican! How safe were we THEN? The over 3 thousand that were killed could have been prevented if we had the President who was really elected....Al Gore.This is what we got when the supreme court handed the election to the most incompetent ignorant moron on this planet.Bu$h and his thugs IGNORED warnings about potential attacks. This is what pisses me off the most. They always blame the Democrats for THEIR failures.Nothing bad is ever their fault and anything good that the Democrats do, they take the credit.

I swear,these idiots never cease to amaze me.

[Laelth]

14. Oh, what's new?

Same old, tired, pathetic lie.

PUSTULES, I say. These REPUBLICAN'Ts are PUSTULES!

See. We can play the ad hominem game too.

-Laelth

[DemInDistress]

17. good description...PUSTULES..LIKE THE pus inside a nagging

zit...ty

[saltpoint]

15. Mehlman is essentially a fool. He's loud but he's muddle-headed.

He likes taking orders. Cheney or Rove cracks a whip and Ken bends down, bends over, and makes sure his handlers are happy.

Flinging propaganda like this on "national security" isn't selling anymore. Bush himself couldn't stir more support, even with the SOTU address and all that Republican cheering and applause.


The fox fooled the first gingerbread person, coaxing by degrees to a position on his very nose.

But subsequent attempts to lure other gingerbread persons didn't work. They remained on the bank of the stream laughing their asses off while the fox starved and drowned and was never heard from again.

[MissWaverly]

18. wrong he went and started a news station and was very happy

[saltpoint]

20. !! : ) / nt

[Piscis Austrinus]

71. He's a Christmas tie - loud and useless. n/t

[saltpoint]

73. Excellent and concise dismissal of Mr. mehlman, Piscis Austrinus.

Cheers to you.

:thumbsup:

[rodeodance]

19. well, at least it is not an AP story

BY JEFF ZELENY
Chicago Tribune

[Auntie Bush]

21. Dems need to quick start a meme that reminds Americans that

the Rethugs have failed at everything they have done...why the hell should we ever think on Rethugs can protect us. What have they done? Protected us from Katrina? Lost all the reconstruction money for Iraq and NO...that's what they have done. Has bush ever done anything right or successfully? I think not!!!

The only thing they are successful at is looting our treasury and making themselves wealthy.

[VP505]

30. That's part

of the problem, when the Repukes come out with crap like this the Dems HAVE to be prepared to counter with their own outline of how much less safe we are, how we have created that many more terrorists, how unprotected our borders are, etc,etc. What's it going to take to get the Dem leadership to quit taking the "ignore it it'll go away" posture???

[54anickel]

49. They would just have Poppy out claiming it's another "cheap shot" at

"Wonder Boy". :eyes: Remember Condi's statement before the 9/11 Commission - basically trying to put the blame on the Clinton Admin? Hell, she basically said that American policies have been wrong since before WW I and * is putting this country on the right track - "a war footing". :puke:

snip>

Historically, democratic societies have been slow to react to gathering threats, tending instead to wait to confront threats until they are too dangerous to ignore or until it is too late.

Despite the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 and continued German harassment of American shipping, the United States did not enter the First World War until two years later. Despite Nazi Germany's repeated violations of the Versailles Treaty and its string of provocations throughout the mid-1930s, the Western democracies did not take action until 1939.

The U.S. government did not act against the growing threat from Imperial Japan until the threat became all too evident at Pearl Harbor. And, tragically, for all the language of war spoken before September 11, this country simply was not on a war footing.



snip>

On an operational level, we decided immediately to continue pursuing the Clinton administration's covert action authorities and other efforts to fight the network. President Bush retained George Tenet as director of central intelligence, and Louis Freeh remained the director of the FBI. I took the unusual step of retaining Dick Clarke and the entire Clinton administration's counterterrorism team on the NSC staff.

snip to Blame Clinton>

We also moved to develop a new and comprehensive strategy to eliminate the al Qaeda terrorist network. President Bush understood the threat, and he understood its importance. He made clear to us that he did not want to respond to al Qaeda one attack at a time. He told me he was "tired of swatting flies."

This new strategy was developed over the Spring and Summer of 2001, and was approved by the president's senior national security officials on September 4. It was the very first major national security policy directive of the Bush administration -- not Russia, not missile defense, not Iraq, but the elimination of al Qaeda.

Although this National Security Presidential Directive was originally a highly classified document, we arranged for portions to be declassified to help the Commission in its work, and I will describe some of those today. The strategy set as its goal the elimination of the al Qaeda network.


And there's that little trick they've continued to use ever since - declassify portions of highly classified docs. Roughly translated to "make shit up to cover our asses".

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/08/rice.transcript/

[dubya_dubya_III]

68. Is this how we caught Bin ladin?

[fshrink]

22. Against neo-fascists, that's for sure!

[nolabels]

76. Fake elections, fake president, fake money, fake wars just fake everything

I don't see my neighbors jumping up and down getting all excited about anything.
Mostly I think they, the frauds, have a big sell job ahead of them

[tularetom]

23. As RNC chair, Mehlwoman is going to be saddled with

the blame for what is looking more and more like a coming rejection of repub policis and fear mongering. So unless there is another terrattack that *co can use to once again scare the shit out of stupido-murkans, we won't have to listen to his screechings after November.

[Piscis Austrinus]

70. Well that was sexist!

LOL I'm kidding. I completely understand the sentiment, even if it degrades women. Really. Ladies - how would you like to be dropped to the level of that bottom-feeder?


Seriously, I prefer "Mehlworm." That takes him where he belongs - out of the primates and in with the multilegged, exoskeletal, icky-creepy types.

Peace
PsA

[roguevalley]

24. Personally I'm more worried about the shortcuts and sell outs that

closeted gays make than Osama. This man could stand up and do some good for gays and straights by being man enough to tell the truth. He won't. Nothing he says because of his hypocritical sleazy sleeping with the enemy self matters. he's as stupid and venal and cowardly as they come. I doubt that anyone would fall on their sword for him if they ever criminalized gays and marched them off. He'd find out just how loyal his side is.

[deacon]

25. After Katrina? After 911? After Iraq? what do they know about protecting

America? Nothing.

[ninkasi]

32. Yes!

After Kartina, how can the Pukes claim to protect Amerkica? There were no terrorists, no foreign fighters, there was nothing but the conservatives trying to keep Americans from help, because they could not figure out how they would profit. American citizens died in the aftermath of Katrina. American citizens died agonizing deaths, because Bush could not be troubled to cut his precious vacation time short.

American citizens died from a disaster which was foretold, which was predicted, and which should have been taken care of, or the aftermath taken care of, but wasn't. This is the way the Bush Administration will protect us. If you have money, you might be saved. If you are poor, and a minority, then fuck you. You don't vote for him, or donate money to him, so you are nothing to him.. There is no circle of hell too hot for him, and his cronies.

[Erika]

26. This is so funny! A bunch of Chickenhawks wondering

whether Dems can protect Americans. Hilarious. But rather silly but then you are talking GOP.

[sampsonblk]

28. Why Haven't We Asked this about THEM first???

Good question, wrong direction. I will vote for the Dem leader who is willing to publicly say "I was just thinking the same thing about Bush!"

[VP505]

31. Amen

to that!!!

[mitchum]

33. Water sports queen shilling for the bedwetter vote

[aquart]

34. My LTTE

Dear Editor:

In your article, "GOP chairman questions Democrats' ability to protect Americans," I note that you do not contact any member of the Democratic leadership for a response to Mr. Mehlman's outrageous slur. Was that an oversight?

Perhaps when Jeff Zeleny, the writer of the article, actually interviews a Republican rather than simply putting his name on one of their blastfaxes, he can ask exactly HOW MANY AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE SUSPECTED OF PLOTTING TO DESTROY THIS NATION? I would sincerely like to get the administration's estimate. Since thousands of us are having our privacy invaded by this illegal policy, I'd like to know how many of us they believe are plotting against the United States.

Oh, and he might also ask one of those chickenhawks why they sent our troops out without adequate body armor or enough troop strength or supplies? Since they're so great at keeping us all safe.

Then he could ask where billions of our dollars went. Oh, wait. I believe Sixty Minutes plans to tell us. It's certain this administration never will.

Well, then Mr. Zeleny could ask why this government could not keep Americans safe on the streets of an American city where they were left to die of dehydration and starvation, where they were left without help or hope or medical aid. (I lived through 9/11 and I am now more afraid of the weather and Bush than I ever was or will be of bin Ladin and his merry murderers.)

It's absolutely clear to me that if the attack on 9/11 had devastated the entire island of Manhattan, George W. Bush (who was busy saving his own ass that day) would have left the survivors to die exactly the way they died in New Orleans. Fortunately, our local infrastructure was intact and we saved ourselves.

Since Katrina, I am embarrassed every time I hear "9/11." The Bush government left Americans to die in America. And I am supposed to believe they will keep me safe?

Perhaps Mr. Zeleny can ask Mr. Mehlman my questions...or don't the Republicans take questions?

Sincerely,

[Erika]

36. How sad and true. n/t

[pitohui]

65. hooray for you

that is a good letter and i hope they print it

as a new orleans resident it brought tears to my eyes

sometimes i forget that people do care and they do "get it" even if our glorious leaders don't

[DBoon]

35. Sleeper cells in the US MY ASS!!

this is about spying on your political opponents for blackmail

[dubya_dubya_III]

79. Indeed why else would you not report who and why to a judge?

[Old and In the Way]

37. Well we definitely know where the location of one sleeper cell

prior to 9/11: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC.

As far as I know, nothing's changed.

[BenDavid]

38. I am sick and tired of these

reprobates saying democrats would not safeguard our country as well as they. Well kiss my ass and pass the sweet potatoes. When are the democrats going to grow a pair. Whenever one gets the chance to be on some tv political program let them begin by saying out loud and proud," I take a back seat to no one when it comes to safeguarding my country and safe guarding the rights of all Americans, and Ken Mehlman be damned for saying this. Now what is you would like to ask."

[deadparrot]

39. Wow, we couldn't see THAT coming from a mile away.

:eyes:

[truthisfreedom]

40. using hitler's methods again... and it will work if these charges go

unanswered.

our leadership should be screaming about the lawless thugs sacrificing real freedom to gain a little false security.

[LaurenG]

41. Lets get a letter out to him

and let him know that we the people will be taking our county back and WE will defend (just fine without republican input) our country and still have money in the coffers simply by not starting wars and bullying other countries. (#$^%$@+&^%^ ..thinking of choice words for all the bs coming from the right)

[LynnTheDem]

42. 911...Katrina...Iraq... Gee, repubs sure have done well.

Except for all the corpses, that is.

How's port security doing?

How's border security doing?

Got mass graves ready yet for the thousands of Katrina missing? The elderly being cut off their meals? The poor being cut off food stamps and milk subsidies and Medicaid?

[radfringe]

43. and the GOPers have run things so well....

Prescription program is a mess

Iraq is essentially in a civil war

The economy pretty much sucks for 'regular americans'

Libby just outed Cheney and other white house officals (yet to be named)

"Brownie" blames FEMA mess on Chertoff

There's a former intel-officer that says Iraq WMD threat was manipulated

The house and senate are caught up in Abramoff scandal

bush* is wagging sabers at Iran

Gas/heating fuel prices are killing us 'regular americans'

...and the list goes on -- so :eyes: yeah - GOPers are doing a heck'v a job

[phylny]

78. Your post brought something to mind, and this is sorta OT.

I think that the Democrats running in 2006 and beyond should pounce on the "heckuva job" tagline, which for all Americans has a negative connotation. All Americans heard * use that phrase, all Americans have seen what's happened in NO, and most Americans know that Brownie has lamented that * said it when it was so obviously false.

So, candidates should use it while stumping: "Heckuva job, George."

[Toots]

44. Uh Huh I Farted Uh Huh So What?

:shrug: The hole just gets deeper.

[wordpix2]

47. Meelymouth should talk to Murtha, who says, "Army is broken" thanks to *

I posted a new thread on this today

[Matariki]

48. THIS NEEDS TO GET TURNED ON ITS HEAD - RIGHT NOW!

Someone mentioned in another post that it seems to be a requirement for all Dems to preface their statement's with "We are as concerned about protecting America as anyone", etc. THEY NEED TO STOP DOING THIS - it is playing right into the Republican meme.

What they need to do is hammer on the fact that America is much less safe since Bush has been in office. An entire city destroyed due to his incompetence, greater terrorist activity in the world due to his ill advised war, the highest national debt ever, cut funding for education which undermines the future of this nation. And so forth.

[Piscis Austrinus]

69. Ding Ding Ding we have a winner!

I posted something below before I saw your comment... but I wholeheartedly agree with you.

This country is discontented. If the Dems in office would start to sound genuinely angry, I believe that many of the fence-sitters would catch the vibe, seeing that we really do have spines and stones (figuratively speaking).

Peace
PsA

[EFerrari]

89. 9/11, Katrina, Iraq. And repeat. n/t

[SillyGoose]

50. Yes, let's have a national discussion about good judgment.

And let's start that discussion with the Administration's approach to the threat of terror and al Qaeda prior to 9/11.

From there we can move on to a discussion about how the Administration relied on faulty intelligence to institute a policy of pre-emptive strikes upon a country that had absolutely no connection to 9/11 and no WMDs.

Then we can have a discussion about the wisdom of sending soldiers into battle without the proper armor and equipment.

We should also talk about the benefits of planning a war that neglects to include exit strategies in those plans.

Let's also not forget to discuss the missing billions of dollars that vanished into Iraq's thin air.

We might as well have a little chat about covert agents and CIA front companies who work on WMD proliferation and the wisdom of exposing their identities to the world.

Finally, let's discuss why the Administration circumvented laws requiring warrants to wiretap. Its not really because there's too much paperwork, right, Ken?

:think: Having a national discussion about good judgment is a grand idea! Thanks for bringing this up, Ken. :think:

[BattyDem]

51. Hey Mehlman ... it's not about the wiretaps.

No one has a problem with wiretaps when they are done in a legal, court approved way. IT IS THE LACK OF A WARRANT THAT IS THE PROBLEM!!! There's no oversight; there's no way to make sure that the government is not abusing its power. If you don't see why that's a problem, then perhaps you would have been more comfortable growing up in the Soviet Union. :eyes:

[zanne]

52. We better get used to hearing this.

It's going to be the Republican platform for the November elections. They can't very well brag about anything else. I think we should really call their "courage" into question, every chance we get. Let's keep telling them not to let fear control their lives.

[sakabatou]

53. DNC Chaiman questions Rupublicans' ability to uphold the Consitution

I'd like to see that headline.

[dubya_dubya_III]

74. if they could just read it

[KeepItReal]

54. Dems in Military,FBI/CIA/NSA, Firemen, Policemen and Dog Catchers quit now

Because Ken Mehlman (who has been *none* of the above) says you don't know what the heck you are doing.

[flyarm]

55. ahhh well rethugs did such a "GREAT" job protecting americans on 9/11 and

Katrina..such a good job..lets see 3000 dead americans 9/11+ 4000(+) in Katrina...wow what an incredible job the * thugs have done...i feel safe already...

ohhh and about that war of lies..and the bullsyeye on your backs fellow americans..don't you worry a bit ...Chertof has your back.......

ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha oh i forgot ..he fucked up the Katrina hurricane..according to ..ya did a great job brownie!


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
how many warnings did * vacation through for 9/11..oh thats right..51...ohh i feel so safe!!

and wasn't it the head metorologist that gave *shy boy a video conference the night before Katrina ..and * did what on vacation..he went to Ariz birthday party..and then to the coranado hot;e to play golf..while people were having a swimming party in New Orleans...wow..don't you all feel as safe as i do????????????



fly

[JeffR]

56. Thread on the DNC response to this horseshit :

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2453582

And it was good.

[Catchawave]

57. Hey Kenny...STFU !

Sidebar: You, Scotty and Rove are what's wrong with Amerika, ya twit.

[madmark]

58. we know for sure that when a republican is president that

Al Quada can hijack multiple jumbo jet airliners and fly them into the buildings of their choice.

[mzmolly]

59. WHO was in office on 911 again?

My standard question to these BS remarks.

[lucca]

60. Hey Mehlman, the only thing that you, *bush

and the rest of his cronies are good at, is trying to instill fear in the American people.

That's all you have.
You have nothing else.

You are "not" noble....
You are disgraceful.

[raysr]

63. Why doesn't someone out

the little bastard? How many fundies know he's gay?

[librechik]

61. Like Shrimpy protected us on 9/11?

puhleeeze, Ken, go plug yourself in for awhile--your batteries are low.

[Up2Late]

62. Maybe we should take a poll of all those present at that "Conference" ...

...and see how many of them have ever tested "...their ability to keep the American people safe!" Maybe 5%???

Big words from a loud mouth Chicken Hawk, he needs to be added to this list:

<http://www.nhgazette.com/cgi-bin/NHGstore.cgi?user_action=list&category=%20NEWS%3B%20Chickenhawks>

[pitohui]

64. jesus christ my pet parrot could do a better job than the GOP!

i didn't notice under clinton that we lost whole cities and towns to natural disasters, nor did i notice that we lost the new york skyline to freakin primitives waving box-cutters

if they think the democrats are weak on defense and protection then the GOP should change their symbol from the elephant to the freakin hamster!

if the dems can't protect us, there is no hope, because the GOP is killing us

[dubya_dubya_III]

75. "In a state of emergency, any ass can govern"

Joseph Goebells, Der Angriff 1936

[Piscis Austrinus]

67. It is time for the Democrats to do to the Republicans

...what the GOP has been doing to us: hit us in our strong points and nullify them.

The GOP knows that national security is the only strong suit left for them to play.

They cannot run on the economy, because too many people in this country have lost jobs, lost wages, lost health care, and are paying more for everything with less to pay for it.

They cannot run on fiscal responsibility, because under the GOP hegemony of the past five years, our national debt has doubled and the yearly budget deficit has skyrocketed.

They cannot run on morality - ha! This is the party that gave us Abu Gharib, the K-Street Project, the Terri Schiavo circus, unwarranted wiretapping, cuts in education, attempts to cut Social Security, the Medicare boondoggle, and on and on.

They cannot run on new ideas. They have none that are beneficial to the American public.

It's always the same old thing - what's best for the top 1% is best for America. Fine. Let the top 1% vote for them. Hell, let the top 20%.

But for the rest of us, it's time.

(1) National Security
Why is Osama bin Laden still on the loose?
Why did we spend hundreds of billions of dollars invading a country where we know damn well he isn't?
Why are we wasting the time of talented intelligence and law enforcement personnel, who must sift through mountains of information gathered in wiretaps - almost all of which yield no usable data?
How did we let the #2 guy in al-Qaida escape from jail?
Why are we threatening Iran with possible military action when our forces are already very thinly stretched and very tired already, and when our debt and deficit are already massive?
What happened to the "cakewalk" in Iraq? The parades and flowers?
What about this insurgency, supposedly in its "last throes?"
How many terrorists really have been caught through the search of library records?
And so on.

(2) Morality
How come James Dobson has so much input into the selection of a Supreme Court Justice nominee?
Since when does government have the right to intervene in the decision of a husband to turn off the ventilator of his brain-dead wife?
Whose idea was it to torture prisoners in Abu Gharib and Afghanistan, using the exact same types of tactics? Surely low-level personnel a thousand miles apart wouldn't have independently developed such parallel methods?
Why did the U.S. invade a country that did not attack us, when the persons responsible for the September 11 attacks were still at large elsewhere?
Why was George Bush playing guitar in Arizona while people in New Orleans were drowning in the streets, and in their homes?
Why has FEMA decayed so precipitously?
And so on.

(3) Fiscal responsibility
Why does China hold almost $1 trillion U.S.?
Why have tax cuts been approved for the wealthiest people in this country as our budget deficit goes into low earth orbit?
Why has the oversight for the Iraq war been so poor? How did 8.8 billion dollars go missing?
Why is every program proposed by the Bush administration presented with a low-ball estimate of cost, when those costs have consistently well overshot those estimates once those programs have been enacted?
Why is the lack of fiscal responsibility in this Congress so evident that a senator seeking a $50 million pork-barrel "Bridge to Nowhere" budget item can actually stand and protest when his pet project is cut without being duly criticized by his peers?
How, and when, is the ongoing situation in the Gulf Coast going to be addressed?
And so on.

(4) Honesty
Why did George Bush tell a gathering in Buffalo that court orders were being obtained before wiretaps were done, when that has proven not to be the case?
Why is Bill Frist allowed to remain as Senate Majority Leader when he has such a clear appearance of conflict of interest?
Why is Tom Delay now on the House committee responsible for oversight of the Abramoff investigation?
Why was the K-Street Project ever allowed to get off the ground?
Why is Karl Rove still working in the White House, when it was promised that any individual involved with the leaking of Valerie Plame's covert CIA status was leaked to the media?
Why did we really go to war in Iraq?
Why has the Bush administration repeatedly changed its justification for that war?
And so on.

* * *

This is just scratching the surface, folks. It's an outline for our homework. We should all be familiar with these issues and with the surrounding facts. When attacks are made on us, we should be ready to show exactly what the lie is, where it is, and who's behind it. John Kerry's failure to do this was the primary cause of his defeat. Some of you don't believe he lost, and I can't say I disagree with you. But it should never have been close. John Kerry could have won over a lot of people simply by getting on a platform and giving the Swift-Boat ads a direct, harsh, and angry response.

And that's the heart of the matter: folks, it's time to be vocally angry, blunt, and direct. The real problem that the Democrats have, from what I see, is an unwillingness to go toe-to-toe with the Republicans and slug it out. The first punch that hits you hurts. But believe me, the first punch you land will make you forget all about that.

One of the reasons the American people, who by and large are dissatisfied with this administration's performance, have not come to the Democratic side in droves has been the lack of bluntness with which we have addressed the issues. We say that Bush is "less than truthful" or "disingenuous," when we should flat out say, "Bush is a liar," for example.

If we will find the stones and the guts to glare right back at the gormless rednecks, corporate fat-cat types, Reddi-Wip-brained SUV-driving soccer moms, knee-jerk gun nuts and holier-than-thou, full-of-shit bogus religious figureheads who try and shout us down, and respond with honest, angry truth, we may not beat all of them. But we will reach some, and we'll reach a lot more of the people who are still on the sidelines. People want to side with the truth if they feel that they can without regret. And in the current scenario, if we reach even 10%, the GOP would lose hold of every branch of government.

For myself... I live in one of the reddest areas of one of the reddest states in this Union. I have repeatedly been given the smug, contemptuous treatment that only a completely uninformed, brainwashed GOP Bushbot can give another human being. I am not a vengeful person, generally, and I hope God will forgive me for the immense satisfaction I have gotten every time I have been able to look one of those bastards square in the eye, and ask them, "how much does it cost to fill up that truck now?" or "Had any luck finding a job?" It's been even more satisfying to take my business away from one of those bozos. Believe me, I let them know when they've seen my last dime, and there are fewer of those dimes going around these days.

We can do this. We're smarter than they are, we're more honest, more devoted to this nation and its Constitution, and the truth is on our side. It's sitting right in front of us. Have the courage to take it.

And have the guts to tell the truth in as unflattering a manner as possible. Harry S. Truman once said, "I never did give anybody hell. I just told them the truth and they thought it was hell."

Peace
PsA
(Sorry so long)

[sweetheart]

72. the bunker men hunker and utter

If we could but see a presidential common sense,
Would we see then his tendency to rehearse,
a fantasy of security, backed by a gross incompetence,
or to keep the public dazed while klepto thieves nick the purse.
Driven typically by making slanderous talk of irrelevance,
as who cares by the time they've spammed another general poll,
tax endlessly financing wars escalation bully talk intentse.
we'll owe money, trillions they print me, reburied in republican fiscal hole.

What can be done to fix the bunker hunker guverment?
How does a repubulic recover its heart at such massive expense?
from a tiresome wiretap-tin klanging alarmist talk about defense,
as they walk away scot free, deceptively in less than 1000 days if that makes sense.
Justice is who appears to define the crime,
And no criminal war aggressor calls his perp divine.

[Piscis Austrinus]

81. Sonnet time at DU!

A dark oppression spreads on darkening lands.
Barbed, rusted fences divide poisoned fields
That riot in the care of wicked hands;
Growth roots in evil, and more evil yields.
Black leaves in acrid air drink vapid rain
Shorn of its freshness by the bitter wind
That pitilessly scours this blasted plain.
What these have broken, these refuse to mend;
And still, they will not turn. Soon comes the hour
Long hoped-for and long sought in word and song;
Yet time seems halt, with evil full in flower
And faithfulness in trial overstrong,
And with my last full breath ere my limbs cower,
My heart cries out: my Lord, my Lord, how long?


Overstated? Ask me again in ten years, if we don't get rid of these leeches on our body politic.

Peace
PsA

[phylny]

77. Boggles the mind.

"Do Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean really think that when NSA is listening in on terrorists planning attacks on America, they should hang up when those terrorists call their sleeper cells in the United States?"

(Pssst: I think that Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean think that the administration should wiretap and eavesdrop LEGALLY.)

[dubya_dubya_III]

80. In Imperial Christian-Fascist Cold War British America

USC 50 413 defies and negates our Constitutional restrictions upon illegal, criminal Letters of Marque, and, basically, in 1948 Senator LBJ saw to it that a Blank Check of Marque was made to appear "legal". This unconstitutional set of regulations stand to this day primarily because there is no person with standing to challenge the constitutionality of this criminal 'backdoor' article of global tyranny in a US court.

According to our Constitution, any single Letter of Marque (crime license grantable to a civilian 'privateer') for any illegal covert or overt purpose can only be issued by the full and open debate and vote of both houses of Congress for each and every individual and case where laws are to be broken to attain a military, domestic or foreign policy goal. NO EXCEPTIONS

Ever notice the MI6-CIA Mafia's 007 propaganda? Before America's 1948 surrender and capitulation to the Anglican(Episcopal) British MI6 Crime Empire, (with the goal of the absolute mercantile monopolist embargo of the Imperial Soviet Crime Empire) it had no imperial, religious-fascist, racist-eugenic tribal mafia warlord who they could call upon in secrecy to issue 'licenses to kill' (and the like). A method had to be devised to help the MI6-CIA Military Industrial Mafia's chosen Princeton Skull and Bones/Bilderberger approved "Presidential" candidates to behave in such manner after "election", in total and absolute secrecy without any effective means of Congressional oversight.

This anti-free market embargo was a 'sound' policy thet has been abandoned towards Imperial Fascist Red China because the Episcopalian Fascists' ultimate goal is and has always been the engineering of a globe-smashing Armageddon Battle in Isreal, over the global religious-fascist 'problem' of this silly pissing match over the fair administration of Jerusalem.

Only the DIA is a constitutional, covert foreign 'intelligence' apparatus, the private 'civilian' CIA and NSA 'agencies' are totally and completely unconstitutional instruments of worldwide lawless criminal subversion and global and domestic military industrial foreign policy tyranny

Perhaps it is necessary to retain some parts of this fascist criminal mafia for our security but the criminal CIA Mafia must be overseen by a far, far more powerful Congressional Committee who are in no way bound to secrecy in any and every regard, in order for this MI6-style military industrial tyranny to be even marginally in compliance with our Constitution's purpose and intent.

[goclark]

82. How Do You Spell Katrina!

They did not protect Americans on their own soil.

How can they protect us from others, give us a break Kenney Boy!

[ljm2002]

83. And our response should be...

...How dare he. How dare he take the subject of protecting Americans and politicize it. How dare he stand on the record of an Administration that did not protect us on 9/11, that did not aid its own citizens during the destruction of Katrina, that does not protect its own soldiers with adequate body armor or adequate Humvee armor or adequate treatment when they return home.

[Coastie for Truth]

84. COASTIE seriously questions the GOP's ability to protect America

<>
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<>

First, Kennie, read here and then read here Kennie, , third Kennie, read your own mandatory training,

You dudes screwed up - and people died.

You didn't follow your own Incident Command System/National Incident Management System -- but you are forcing the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and Campfire Kids, and Civil Air Patrol, and Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Red Cross and Salvation Army to study, learn, and follow your -- and you are forcing not just cops and fire fighters and rescue medics - but geriatric center social workers and librarians and meter maids to study and learn and follow

Clean up your own act - I live between the San Andreas and Hayward Faults, between the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek in the Alviso Spillway Flood Plain -- I pay my Condo owner's Insurance and my Flood Insurance and my Earthquake Insurance -- and I don't trust you or Chertoff.

BTW - I am a United States Coast Guard veteran (HazMat Officer in New Orleans), a Red Cross Volunteer, a FEMA-Community Emergency Response team member, and a Radio Amateur Civil Emergency HAM Radio Operator, and an Eagle Scout - and I have taken at least four times. And at this point I am arrogant enough to honestly say that I could do Chertoff's job better then Chertoff, and Brownie's job better then Brownie (but no way could I do Russ Honore's job or Thad Allen's job).

"Coastie"

Lieutenant, United States Coast Guard (Honorable Discharge)
Red Cross Disaster Assistance team Captain/Shelter Manager
Community Emergency Response Team Captain
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service - Extra Class Operator
Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America

[brentspeak]

85. That's right. The Republicans can boast about a president

who takes 30-day-long vacations in front of the world's TV cameras while terrorists are plotting to destroy American cities.

Who wouldn't feel safe with a president like that?:eyes:

[DavidMS]

86. Proposed TV ad responding to Mehlman:

Opens with a immage of Bush doing his aircraft carrier photo-op.

Naration: Bush told us that we had won in iraq.

Video Montage of explosions, fighting in iraq, etc.

Naration: But the fighting continues.

Video montage of Cheny, Rummy et all proclaming that victory is just around the corner. With Dates of each statement.

Naration: Its been 32 months and the fighting continues.

Video of Iraqis burning american flags.

Naration: Islamists won the election in Iraq and our sons and daughters are still fighting and dying in Iraq.

Closes on text: Where is the victory they promise?

[EFerrari]

88. Breaking news to Mehlman: Your boy hasn't protected Americans.

This dog won't hunt any more.

[truthisfreedom]

90. well, with cheney protecting Americans one at a time (gun in hand)...

i guess we don't have much to worry about, do we?

[Rex]

91. Forget Purple Heart band-aids! The RW shifts into lower gear.

That is the 'war cry' against liberals - they are in with the enemy, don't trust Dems. Divide and conquer. Napoleon would have loved Karl Rove (while he was useful).

[Justitia]

93. Uhhh, it's the GOP leaders who are SHOOTING Americans today!

"we do question their ability to keep the American people safe,"

While the Republican President of the Senate is shooting senior citizens for fun!

Dick shouldn't have gotten all those deferments, maybe he would have learned how to actually handle a weapon.

[EFerrari]

94. Just about shoots that meme!

:rofl: