For Dems only.

[Texsox]

I believe he was capable of handling the job. I liked his early cabinet choices, his faith based initiatives, and a few other things.

[NorthSideSox72]

I believe he was capable of handling the job. I liked his early cabinet choices, his faith based initiatives, and a few other things.

If you haven't done so already, I'd read some of the Woodward books, particularly the first one (and remember that Woodward was not some outsider liberal, he was invited to the White House and well-respected there). He has been incapable of the job since day 1. And I also agreed with some of his early cabinet choices, but let's look at those. Powell was the best of the bunch, and he got run out of the building by the neo-cons. Rumsfeld, I am embarrassed to say, I actually agreed with at the time. But it became obvious very quickly he was not doing well, and Bush let him linger. Everyone else, well, look at what they turned out to be.

 

And remember, I voted for the guy. I thought he was better equiped that Gore to do the job right. Apparently, I was wrong.

 

One other thing - most Presidents, particularly 2-termers, get better at the job as time goes on. Amazingly, Bush has actually continued to be just as bad, and maybe even worse. He has lost control of much of his own leadership of the executive. He is, regardless of the type of "guy" he is, a horrible President.

 

[Texsox]

Maybe that is the past that surprises me, he has gotten worse. Perhaps it's a family trait. His dad just didn't run like someone who wanted the job.

[Balta1701]

I believe he was capable of handling the job. I liked his early cabinet choices, his faith based initiatives, and a few other things.

Tex, an important point you're missing is that things like the faith based initiatives, the whole "compassionate conservative" schtick, was merely that; it was a show. It was something to get elected. Even the guy who was the #2 person in the "Faith Based initiative" office for the first couple years of this administration has come out and said exactly that, in book form of course.

 

Some samplings of his writings:

“Tempting Faith’s” author is David Kuo, who served as special assistant to the president from 2001 to 2003. A self-described conservative Christian, Kuo’s previous experience includes work for prominent conservatives including former Education Secretary and federal drug czar Bill Bennett and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

 

...

He says some of the nation’s most prominent evangelical leaders were known in the office of presidential political strategist Karl Rove as “the nuts.”

 

....

More seriously, Kuo alleges that then-White House political affairs director Ken Mehlman knowingly participated in a scheme to use the office, and taxpayer funds, to mount ostensibly “nonpartisan” events that were, in reality, designed with the intent of mobilizing religious voters in 20 targeted races.

 

Nineteen out of the 20 targeted races were won by Republicans, Kuo reports. The outreach was so extensive and so powerful in motivating not just conservative evangelicals, but also traditionally Democratic minorities, that Kuo attributes Bush’s 2004 Ohio victory “at least partially … to the conferences we had launched two years before.”

 

...

In fact, when Bush asks Kuo how much money was being spent on “compassion” social programs, Kuo claims he discovered the amount was $20 million a year less than during the Clinton Administration.

 

The money that was appropriated and disbursed, however, often served a political agenda, Kuo claims, with organizations friendly to the administration often winning grants.

 

More pointedly, Kuo quotes an unnamed member of the review panel charged with rating grant applications as saying she stopped looking at applications from “those non-Christian groups,” as did many of her colleagues.

Saying "Where did Bush go wrong" or "What happened to him" is totally the wrong question, and it's the one that, out of all the others, the folks who ran this administration want you to be asking. To my eyes...this is exactly who they are. They got almost everything they wanted. This disaster...this is the result of these people and their policies...not someone hijacking anything. These messes...this is the net result of the kind of person George W. Bush is and the things the folks around him believe in. They just threw a few bones out there and focused on them so that the media wouldn't pay attention to the other messes, like say, bothering to plan for a war or anythign like that.

[BigSqwert]

Not sure where else to put this:

New Chipotle going green

GURNEE MILLS | 60-foot wind turbine OKd to power eatery

 

September 12, 2007

BY ED COLLINS News-Sun

A Mexican chain restaurant planned for Gurnee Mills has received a zoning height variance from the village to install a 60-foot, six-kilowatt wind turbine to power the building.

 

At Monday's Village Board meeting, architect Jon Buerg said his client, Chipotle Mexican Grill, plans to build its new north suburban Gurnee restaurant under the U.S. Green Building Council's certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

 

Chipotle, part of a national chain of restaurants, expects to produce enough electricity for its needs, and any surplus would be sold to ComEd.

 

Buerg said there is a growing movement for environmentally green buildings in this country, and companies are making power-generating wind turbines so cost-effective that even small businesses and residences can afford them.

 

Buerg said the proposed wind turbine will cost about $60,000 and pay for itself in 10 to 15 years.

 

Noise is not expected to be a problem, Buerg said, since the turbine will be at least one-third of a mile from the nearest residence.

 

The board granted the variance with a condition requiring Chipotle to remove the structure if the turbine becomes non-functional for for more than 90 consecutive days.

[NorthSideSox72]

Not sure where else to put this:

*applause*

 

I think the buy-back programs that energy companies are starting to try are a really good way to prompt people to install solar panels and what not. It just makes so much sense. You produce extra during the day and contribute it to the system when the system needs it most, and use some during the night, and get billed for the net usage. No need for giant solar or wind farms - just individual people and businesses doing this as an investment.

 

[Texsox]

Not sure where else to put this:

 

great advertisement as well.

[kapkomet]

If you haven't done so already, I'd read some of the Woodward books, particularly the first one (and remember that Woodward was not some outsider liberal, he was invited to the White House and well-respected there). He has been incapable of the job since day 1. And I also agreed with some of his early cabinet choices, but let's look at those. Powell was the best of the bunch, and he got run out of the building by the neo-cons. Rumsfeld, I am embarrassed to say, I actually agreed with at the time. But it became obvious very quickly he was not doing well, and Bush let him linger. Everyone else, well, look at what they turned out to be.

 

And remember, I voted for the guy. I thought he was better equiped that Gore to do the job right. Apparently, I was wrong.

 

One other thing - most Presidents, particularly 2-termers, get better at the job as time goes on. Amazingly, Bush has actually continued to be just as bad, and maybe even worse. He has lost control of much of his own leadership of the executive. He is, regardless of the type of "guy" he is, a horrible President.

I agree with most of your sentiment here - and I've said that before. However, I think the Democrats are 100% worse then W. on a bad day, only because they politicize EVERYTHING that W. stands for just on the principle of it.

 

Even with all of the stupidity, gaffes, etc. I think W. was/is a better choice then either the Goracle or John F. Kerry... which tells me that the office of the president is so far tainted in the respect department that it's hard to even feel good about it anymore. It's just sad.

 

I will give Obama some points for that - he seems much more interested in a positive image then any other candidate out there right now. (This probably belongs in the candidate thread, but I wanted to echo NSS's sentiments here, because it has been a point in which I've been trying to talk about for a while now.).

[Texsox]

^^^

Yet you still claim to be an independent??

[kapkomet]

You know something? That's part of why Obama is going to lose. He's not dirty enough. And again, that's even sadder of a testimony on what should be a proud office.

 

[Mplssoxfan]

I agree with most of your sentiment here - and I've said that before. However, I think the Democrats are 100% worse then W. on a bad day, only because they politicize EVERYTHING that W. stands for just on the principle of it.

 

Even with all of the stupidity, gaffes, etc. I think W. was/is a better choice then either the Goracle or John F. Kerry... which tells me that the office of the president is so far tainted in the respect department that it's hard to even feel good about it anymore. It's just sad.

 

I will give Obama some points for that - he seems much more interested in a positive image then any other candidate out there right now. (This probably belongs in the candidate thread, but I wanted to echo NSS's sentiments here, because it has been a point in which I've been trying to talk about for a while now.).

 

So only the Republicans are allowed to politicize everything?

 

[Balta1701]

In case you missed it...big moment in the case building against the longest serving Senator in the U.S., Ted Stevens.

Ex-Veco Corp. CEO Bill Allen admitted in court Friday that he had company employees work several months on a remodeling project at the Girdwood home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.

 

The former head of the oil field services company made the admission Friday while testifying in the federal corruption trial of a former state lawmaker.

 

Allen and former Veco vice president Rick Smith in May pleaded guilty to extortion, conspiracy and bribery of legislators.

 

Under cross-examination by defense attorney James Wendt, representing former state Rep. Pete Kott, Allen acknowledged that the more than $400,000 he admitted spending in the bribery charge was for other legislators - and for work done at the Girdwood home of Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate.

 

"I don't think there was a lot of materials," Allen said. "There was some labor."

 

The workers were Veco employees, probably one to four at a time, Allen said. He said the work on the home lasted for "probably a couple of months." Later, he said it might have been as much as six months.

 

The remodeling work in summer and fall 2000 more than doubled the size of the house, a four-bedroom structure that is Stevens' official residence in Alaska.

[Balta1701]

Paul Krugman starts a blog as the TimesSelect wall comes down.

[Balta1701]

And...in the past day, the Republicans have successfully filibustered 2 bills; the bill that would give D.C. an actual vote in the House and a bill that would restore the Habeas Corpus rights removed from detainees last year by the Military Commissions Act. Both have had support > 55 votes (57-42 and 56-43). But under the new standard where the filibuster is not a horrendous instrument only used as a last resort but is in fact a requirement for every single bill coming out of the Senate...neither one has passed.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Balta1701

[FlaSoxxJim]

And...in the past day, the Republicans have successfully filibustered 2 bills; the bill that would give D.C. an actual vote in the House and a bill that would restore the Habeas Corpus rights removed from detainees last year by the Military Commissions Act. Both have had support > 55 votes (57-42 and 56-43). But under the new standard where the filibuster is not a horrendous instrument only used as a last resort but is in fact a requirement for every single bill coming out of the Senate...neither one has passed.

 

Silly, it's only a "filibuster" when evil Democrats do it. When Republicans do it it's simply "60 votes needed for cloture".

[kapkomet]

Silly, it's only a "filibuster" when evil Democrats do it. When Republicans do it it's simply "60 votes needed for cloture".

You got it!

 

Seriously, the way things are ran now, was never intended. Both parties do it and it's totally not the way things are supposed to be done.

[Balta1701]

And...in the past day, the Republicans have successfully filibustered 2 bills; the bill that would give D.C. an actual vote in the House and a bill that would restore the Habeas Corpus rights removed from detainees last year by the Military Commissions Act. Both have had support > 55 votes (57-42 and 56-43). But under the new standard where the filibuster is not a horrendous instrument only used as a last resort but is in fact a requirement for every single bill coming out of the Senate...neither one has passed.

And Senator Jim Webb's bill to limit soldiers to an equal amount of time away from Iraq as they spend in Iraq also goes down to a defeat....56 yes to 44 nay. So that's 3 bills filibustered in less than 36 hours by my count. By my count, this Senate minority has broken in 9 months the record for most bills filibustered by a minority in an entire 2 year session of Congress, and until the media calls them on it, they won't be slowing donw.

[StrangeSox]

And Senator Jim Webb's bill to limit soldiers to an equal amount of time away from Iraq as they spend in Iraq also goes down to a defeat....56 yes to 44 nay. So that's 3 bills filibustered in less than 36 hours by my count. By my count, this Senate minority has broken in 9 months the record for most bills filibustered by a minority in an entire 2 year session of Congress, and until the media calls them on it, they won't be slowing donw.

 

Must be that damn liberal bias I keep hearing so much about.

[Balta1701]

Excellent Vanity Fair piece looking back at the treatment of the 2000 Gore campaign and the assault on it by the liberal media.

[Balta1701]

An interesting catch in the latest Gallup polling data:

 

The approval ratings for this Congress, a Democratic one, are significantly higher among Republicans than they are amongst Democrats and Independents.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Balta1701

[FlaSoxxJim]

An interesting catch in the latest Gallup polling data:

 

The approval ratings for this Congress, a Democratic one, are significantly higher among Republicans than they are amongst Democrats and Independents.

 

As long as the Dems are still willing to allow themselves to get steamrolled, what's for the Republicans not to like?

[BigSqwert]

Excellent Vanity Fair piece looking back at the treatment of the 2000 Gore campaign and the assault on it by the liberal media.

Great read. I've passed it on to a few friends.

[Rex Kickass]

As long as the Dems are still willing to allow themselves to get steamrolled, what's for the Republicans not to like?

 

I wish Reid would grow some stones and shut the Senate down until he can get an up or down vote on something. If Reid can't get 60 votes to end debate on a bill guaranteeing troops half the rest they were guaranteed two years ago, he should force the GOP to actually filibuster and show the country what the Republicans are blocking.

[kapkomet]

I wish Reid would grow some stones and shut the Senate down until he can get an up or down vote on something. If Reid can't get 60 votes to end debate on a bill guaranteeing troops half the rest they were guaranteed two years ago, he should force the GOP to actually filibuster and show the country what the Republicans are blocking.

So what are they really blocking?

[Balta1701]

Ouch, the AP says Stevens is really going down hard.

The FBI, working with an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens as part of a public corruption sting, according to people close to the investigation.

 

The secret recordings suggest the Justice Department was eyeing Stevens long before June, when the Republican senator first publicly acknowledged he was under scrutiny. At that time, it appeared Stevens was a new focus in a case that had already ensnared several state lawmakers.

 

The recorded calls between Stevens and businessman Bill Allen were confirmed by two people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way. They declined to say how many calls were recorded or what was said.

 

Allen, a wealthy businessman and Stevens' political patron, agreed to the taping last year after authorities confronted him with evidence he had bribed Alaska lawmakers. He pleaded guilty to bribery and is a key witness against Alaska legislators. He also has told prosecutors he paid his employees to renovate the senator's house.