Walla Walla Walla Walla

If you have seen the movie Memories of Me staring Billy Crystal, you will know what the title means. As described: that is the background noise used for a crowded room full of people saying almost nothing of value. But as I have mentioned in previous posts, I want to instruct as well as back up anything that I may have to say. So: To murmur.

Let’s get down to business.

This may be philosophical and as Kevin Spacey said in Swimming With Sharks, I may be moving in a circular motion…

Sisyphus has been watching the Bush Administration with earnest for a long time. I must admit, I had believed that this occasion was inevitable. Sooner or later, we would be looking backward and realizing that we allowed something to happen that we should have known better. Such is life.

On Saturday I was driving into town and was listening to the radio and there was an interview with Cokie Roberts. She was speaking on the record about a recent visit to her hometown New Orleans. In this interview, by her research had come to the conclusion that there are still about 4000 people missing (not found, unaccounted for) from the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. At last count that I had heard reported there had been at least 1500 confirmed dead.

This is no allusion. This is no conspiracy theory. This is not a not a nursery rhyme or a children’s story. This has been considered by and far a disaster by everyone as well as one of the motivating factors that Stansfield and I discussed when starting this blog. I have a very good link to the story that was published by the New Orleans newspaper well before the hurricane hit describing what was needed on the Federal level to reduce the risk of a catastrophe.

It had been well understood the consequences of not getting the needed repair. Contrary to this report, the Bush Administration cut the budget and provided $0.06 for every $1.00 that was requested by the state of Louisiana for the needed repairs on the levee system. George W. Bush is considered the leader of the Republican Party, no matter how much of a piss boy he actually is. This directly creates a responsibility to the citizens of those communities that depended upon that funding. The direct result of his insensitivity to the results of the flooding in the surrounding area, the inability of the administration to focus and develop a scope of action also increases said responsibility and correlated into a dereliction of duty to the people of that region.

There are countless reports speaking about how hard it was to get the attention of the administration as the days stretched out and the people suffered. Although, Georgie boy does not happen to have a so called hurricane machine, he does have authorizing power to make sure the proper measures are taken to achieve a safe environment for Americans who come into harms way whether that be by choice or circumstance. I find him to have to be accountable for the survivors to be found and reunited with their families. I find him to be accountable to the people who lost a beloved and historic city. Yes, I stand by that number. My suggestion is look it up and tell me how many people are dead and/or missing in Louisiana and Mississippi. If you consider the president is not responsible for the care and welfare of the citizens of this country, that he need not be accountable for preventable circumstances then good luck to you.

People who join the military take an oath to defend this Nation or any other nation that we deem to protect. Those folks voluntarily apply; pass physical and mental tests to see if they are capable to effectively complete the tasks of warfare. They serve nobly and with great honor. General George S. Patton also stated, “No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country, He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country.”

I have a link to 51 misleading statements by the administration. This on its own will be played out in the press. I can not conceive of the idea that because people choose to join the military that means they deserve to die for misjudgments or improper qualifiers. Remember, that this is a war that was by choice. Osama Bin Laden did not work in cohesion with Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Those allegations have been disproved time and time again.

Also, I have the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 for perusal. I didn’t see anything about launching a war. It is considered fact that when Bill Clinton bombed Iraq, he destroyed what ever arsenal that had survived after the Gulf War. As well, I found a brief history of considered threats that concerned Iraq going back into the 1960s when Britain left Kuwait. For the last forty years this has been an ongoing issue, which had no direct link to the United States.

As well, it was this administration that before the attacks in New York and Washington was going to the UN to relieve some of the sanctions that where against Iraq at the time. If we were seriously concerned about a country that we already patrolled about half of with no fly zones, I think we should have been considering it then. I don’t agree that it was the most responsible choice to create this war. If Bush does not feel responsible for the death of almost 2100 service personnel, I hope he has a back up plan for the hereafter.

What we started in 1990 would have been much more compelling of an argument for the change in regime then. I have no interest in debating the validity of Saddam Hussein. When he used VX on his own people in the 1980s did we stop doing business with him? In fact, we never did stop doing business with him until we started dropping bombs on Iraq before the Gulf War. Literally up to the day, we were still accepting oil tankers in shipment. I don’t have to add it, but I will, the supply of bio and chemical weapons that he had, the information that he had access to had been American supplied.

Also, since we are staying in the facts and it is a stupid thing to debate, yet, I find it appalling that it was even used in an a disagreement, but the term millions was used. I don’t feel that one is more important than two. Seriously, get some accurate information. Only a few nations have the highlight on their resume for killing millions of people, Iraq ain’t one of them.

The greatest number considered that I have been able to find is in the tens of thousands of victims that Hussein killed with VX. The sad and considerable fact is that we have done that much in the cause of liberation. Unfortunately, if any good comes from this battle of ideas, our damage will have a more lasting resonance. What happens by the hands of ones own country seems to be forgotten much easier. As it has been declared in the comment, the dead and missing from the hurricanes have little value. The minorities of this country know first hand about the consequence of the fight for freedom.

I must also remind those who are questioning the reasons of going to war. IF WMD was an end all, as some people declared. The UN inspection teams were unable to find any evidence while they were searching in the run up to the war. Bill Clinton did indeed declare that Hussein posed a threat to other nations in the area. He spoke that we might be considered a target. When he did bomb Iraq, they said he was wagging the dog. And as I mentioned, it is considered that Clinton did destroy anything that was left behind by Bush the elder.

I am still baffled at the claim that the Lewinski trial had anything to do with the 3500 people who lost their lives on 9/11/01.

I am concerned that information related to the military clandestine group called Able Danger had information that was ignored. I find it difficult to see any appearance of action related to information given to Bush in the lead up to the events of that day. I find it difficult to understand why he invited the Taliban to the Washington for anything. I find it ironic that the Caspian Pipeline has gone online before we have captured or killed Osama bin Laden. I find it curious that he is not ever mentioned when talking about the war on terror.

I can not say that Bush knew it was going to happen. I do know that he had information that something was indeed going to happen. I have seen no evidence as to what he did to prepare for or protect from the occasion. These are unanswered questions that the administration has refused to allow anyone to investigate. There may be only one reason why.

In concluding that, I believe that he can be held accountable for those people perishing. It did happen on his watch. Unless of course Clinton was really pulling the strings. I don’t think anyone will admit that.

So, to reiterate. No- I am not kidding. I am only paying attention. I am sure you will know what to do with the so called sand my head was in….

Here are some other important details….

They are still coming up with information down at Mac Dill.

This is a short history on torture; listen up Cheney, good ideas…

This is a current WMD report.

This is what Iraq had before the Gulf War. Some good information about WMD.

Here is some fall out and support for the war.

Information and statements from Rep. Murtha. What is the continued mission accomplishing?

A good opinion from the Post.

I was out scooped on this by Dan Froomkin, Damn you Froomkin!!! I thought I had something.

Good night and Good Luck.

OSU 21 Michigan 10.

Baby I’m Amazed…

Bob Woodward has pulled one out of his ass this time. I find it amazing, troubling and tantalizing that he has a secret source for the Valerie Plame Affair. I must say.

He has sat on political show after political show bland and as boring as ever, with his Gee aren’t I great attitude. Yet at the same time he knew who the source of the leak was.

I admit people change over time, some become more liberal and some more conservative. I would think that as one of the men who brought down Nixon that he would somehow steer clear of appearing to take a side. Perhaps guilt has made it way into his consciousness. Or as he says, the outing of the agent didn’t appear to create that much harm in the covert world. For all his brilliance though, it appears that he considers the information to be given him as to be matter of fact, didn’t everybody know Wilson’s wife was a CIA agent? I don’t exactly know how difficult it is to get a covert status. It seems that a secret clearance is hard to get unless of course you are Woodward.

All I can say is BRILLIANT!!

I can not help but use a war metaphor here, but I think we have really turned a corner!!

Bob Novak… your next!!!

He’s A Bum

no second chances

A number of years ago I went to a baseball game in San Francisco. I was in the right field bleachers. There was a group there that was tormenting the centerfielder for the Chicago Cubs. I wish I could remember his name. But they would chant…

Wha’sa Matter with So and So

Relentlessly; finally he turns around and they yell, “He’s A Bum!” I saw President Bush give an energy speech about a year ago; I wish I could’ve done it. The prevailing winds wouldn’t allow me to do it, but I did make eye contact with him and I must say, I think he got scared.

While looking up some of the references to, He’s A Bum, I ran across a script for Rocky. Laugh all you want, but Mickey says to Rocky, “you gotta be careful with this shot at the title. Like the bible says, you don’t get no second chances.”

It gave me a tickle.

I have never been so irritated at an administration. At least Reagan and Bush I had the air of competence. Clinton did too until he went finger waggin. Then I was pretty sure he was in a heap of trouble. This however is a dangerous road we are about to do battle on. I think it is fundamental to what we hope to expect for the next generation of governing. The Federalist made a big comeback in the late 1990s; I even went out and bought me a ninety or so year old version of it, perhaps this could shed some light on the character of a presidency that was so much at issue back then. I’ll dig into it later.

I have never felt so inclined as to speculate for impeachment of any elected official before. But this is a delicate issue, one that should not be jumped on because the fever of the crowd thirsts for blood letting and sacrifice. No, I quell that crowd and mull the overall decision. Would our team be better off without T.O.? I don’t really mean to take a pot shot at Eagle fans everywhere by making the comparison. But I am there. The big question is Would the United States Be Better Off Without George W. Bush As the President? See? It’s gone well beyond the moot points of being misled or lied to, or manipulated or instigated. It is about accountability in the cusp. It is what we must endure and recover from. A failed state is much more difficult to rebound from than a failed manager or coach or a reckless ball player.

The big question for the length of time since 1991 has been about character. We were led to believe that the character of this presidency would far surpass that of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Meaning that the perceived reality that a heart of gold will overcome the difficult odds that the nation faced. George W. Bush goes to a rally in Virginia for governor, shakes the man’s hand and tells the crowd that this man loves his wife, Vote for Him. What? Thanks for coming bud! No doubt good news for his wife, but is it good for the voters of Virginia? I don’t know.

I do think it is ironic that we take our time to complain non stop about the foolishness of an organization like the Eagles, an institution like the NFL and a sadist like T.O. but don’t seriously ponder the question of will the USA win the support of other nations for almost anything come the next time we feel there is a dangerous situation at hand? I am always hearing that people don’t watch certain sports anymore because of a strike shortened season, those bums make too much money and cry too much about how they are treated, etc etc. Well, what about now? The ex-playboy dry oil field finding want to be rounder DUI president is coughing up a bunch of complaints and unappreciative accusations to nearly 60% of the public opinion.

I have never seen an American President dealt with the way this one was dealt with in South America. I thought he might get a blanket party down there. He goes to Asia this week and to do what? Ask China to … buy more bonds? Be economically nice to us? Are you kidding me? He is going over there as weaker than any President in American history. He doesn’t have a leg to stand on. He has no leverage because he has been foolish with the stature of this country and anyone else who is willing to stand with us.

Let’s keep in mind this… before 9/11 he was not interested. After 9/11 he was concerned because, he really didn’t look good by it. Lately, they have been casting the blame on Cheney, which he deserves it, but, he is mostly being blamed by the White House whisper campaign that he is making George look bad. The flu vaccine last year? Didn’t care. This year… I think we get some legislation for the bird flu? Katrina? Please. Fuel prices? I’m glad he is faith driven but to me I believe he is getting his advice from the real Angel of Death (not the VP). I heard that there are still 4000 people missing in the southern region from the hurricanes, not counting the dead. There are almost 2100 dead in Iraq, not counting Afghanistan. There were around 3500 from 9/11. The number is in the 10s of thousands for civilian Iraqis. Heck of a job, W. That is almost 10,000 Americans. Innocent lives. All have been considered mishandled by this administration.

Do we wait for the housing bubble to burst? The energy strangle hold? How many people will die in fires this winter because of not being able to heat their homes properly? China to buy up all of our debt? North Korea and Iran to sign a deal? Wait until all our IT jobs go to India? Wait until Venezuela gets something going with China? Or are the most important items not yet considered? Who here in this administration has the imagination to consider it? Think about it?

Can Americans afford to wait any longer?