The Bush Nanny State

This from conservatives who rail against Big Government, say government should get out of people's lives, and rail on the "nanny state":

"White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said yesterday that President Bush views America as a '10-year-old child' in need of the sort of protection provided by a parent. 'This president sees America as we think about a 10-year-old child,' Card said."

See the whole article here.

Separated At Birth?

The evil Emperor from Star Wars and Sen. Zell Miller really do look alike...

GOP on "Winning" the War

Earlier this year, the Republican Party attacked Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) for saying that "the direction [of the Iraq war has] got to be changed or it's unwinnable." It was a far more harmless comment than President Bush who stated flatly this week that the War on Terror could not be won. Yet, here is what the GOP had to say about Murtha. Will they say the same about Bush?

“In a calculated and craven political stunt, the national Democrat Party declared its surrender in the war on terror...That position – that baseless, partisan, shocking position – is that American troops aren’t up to the job... It tells our enemies that if it’s unwinnable to us, it’s winnable to them.” – Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), 5/7/04

“In a world of instantaneous global communication, we need to be very sensitive to what we say…. We should be very careful not to encourage our enemies. This war is winnable, but if insurgents heard his words, it was harder to win than before he spoke.” - Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN), Floor Statement 5/19/2004

The GOP's Pulpit, Er, Podium

Check out the place where people speak at the GOP Convention. Is it a church pulpit or a podium?

Swift Boat Payoff?

William L. Schachte is one of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. He claims that he was on the boat when Sen. John Kerry was wounded and subsequently received his first purple heart. Kerry and others on the boat all dispute that he was there. And according to the Washington Post today, Schachte’s story may be motivated by his deep connections to the Bush administration.

SCHACHTE JUST SECURED A $40M CONTRACT FROM BUSH: According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Schachte has been a registered lobbyist for Fastship, Inc, which has been pushing for millions of federal dollars to develop is products. Schachte works at Blank Rome, LLP – a lawfirm that lobbies for Fastship. At Blank Rome, Schachte lists his specialty as “government contracts and defense contracts.” In February 2004, the Bush administration gave a massive $40 million contract to Schachte’s client Fastship.

SCHACHTE ORGANIZED VETS AGAINST MCCAIN FOR BUSH: In a 2000 letter to the editor in the Charleston Post and Courier, Schachte urged veterans to support George W. Bush (R) over Vietnam war hero Sen. John McCain (R) in the Republican presidential primary. [Source: Charleston Post & Courier, 2/17/2000]

SCHACHTE IS LONG-TIME FINANCIAL SUPPORTER OF BUSH: Schachte has given $1,000 to President Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns. He has also donated generously to other Republican Party candidates.

CLAIM vs. FACT: Bush & War on Terror

NOW:

"I don't think you can win [the War on Terror]."
- President Bush, 8/30/04

THEN:

"I have a clear vision and a strategy to win the war on terror."
- President Bush, 7/19/04

"People say, ‘Can you win the war on terror?’ Of course we can."
- President Bush, 5/14/04

"One of the interesting things people ask me, now that we're asking questions, is, can you ever win the war on terror? Of course you can…it's essential we win this battle in the war on terror."
- President Bush, 4/13/04

"We're going to win the war on terror."
- President Bush, 2/12/04

See here for more examples showing how unbelievable this flip-flop really is.

Florida Redux?

According to the Miami Daily Business Review, Gov. Jeb Bush's (R-FL) political appointee to head the Broward Elections Board has hired the same lawfirm whose head is the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Broward County, Florida. The partner, Justin Sayfie, was also previously a spokesman for Gov. Jeb Bush. The lawfirm will represent the "nonpartisan" elections supervisor's office in the upcoming elections, in one of the same counties where there were contested votes last election.

Another partner at the law firm, James Blosser, "was the local finance chair for Jeb Bush's 1998 gubernatorial campaign and is a top fund-raiser for President Bush's re-election campaign."

See the article here.