The most important election of our lifetime

Addendum: He also said oil at $40/barrel isn't helping.

I live in Doglover's world too. Although my 403B is doing well, I sure do see myself paying more for less of everything! I see average people every day that are struggling like they never have before to make ends meet. I see prices going up, up, up and the value of a dollar going in the opposite direction.
Oddly enough, things reported by the media tell us everything is good and getting better, but real people are showing real signs of stress trying to cope. If you don't see this, you are looking at a certain demographic instead of real people in the real "big picture".
Reminds me of when I lived in the burbs 20 years ago, and believed that racism was a thing of the past.
Didn't occur to me that there was just no opportunity to see it from where I lived. Get it, McG?

Not that the economy is the only problem here, nor is it a big concern of mine. The economy will recover; it always does; it has to. My desire for a new president has to do with some other worries. Bush is just a crony rewarding his cronies with our money while stripping from us the essential fabric that is America: a nation of the people, by the people, for the people. It's time for the people to take it back, I should think!
I found this web site from when he and Gore were running. I've copied some of what comprises the "problem" with a "Bush America", but then noticed, at the end of the article, predictions regarding what a Bush presidency would be like.
Rather on spot, I'd say. Chillingly accurate, even. Check it out for yourself!
But first, some of the analysis during the campaign:

Bush obviously does not want to limit the money he gets from the deep pockets in the Republican Party in favor of any real democracy in our election process. (examples on web page)

In May of 1999 in what Bush refers to as his "biggest environmental achievement," a Texas bill, which purported to close loopholes that allowed 828 industrial plants to continue operating without obtaining air permits from the state, was actually drafted by the polluters themselves. These industries contributed at least $2 million to the George W. primary campaign.

Bush has received the most contributions of the presidential candidates from the slaughterhouse industry, factory farms and cattle ranchers. Bush has indicated that increasing meat exports to foreign countries, especially China, will be one of his priorities to solve our balance of payments problem.

Bush's own efforts to limit access to information in Texas and his attempts to shut down web sites that are critical of him even in a parody (gwbush.com), do not speak well of his understanding of the first amendment. He personally directing the Texas state police to arrest peaceful demonstrators blocking nothing is another indicator of his abuse of the first amendment.

Bush had many opportunities to speak out against the consolidation of the public airwaves into the hands of a few; if you look at the contributions he has received from the industry you can see why he has not.

Bush has supported all the Republican sponsored legislation which caused major clear-cuts and erosion in national forests. These practices cause a boom-bust economy in the effected industries; the bust cycle is usually much longer than the boom cycle.

George Bush Junior will be George Bush Senior with a greater debt to destructive large campaign contributors and with even less "street knowledge" than his father and more vindictive towards those who criticize him.

This news release of the near future says it best:
"WASHINGTON, D.C. January 2001 -- The Republicans now control all aspects of the Federal Government. Top issues this session are: prayer in school, flag burning, missile defense system (star wars), gutting pollution standards, repealing the endangered species act, overturning Roe v. Wade, and packing the Federal Courts with right wing evangelical judges and appointees." News release paraphrased from:
http://www.georgebush2000.com/preview1.html
http://www.knowthecandidates.org/ktc/BushAnalysis.htm
Not to mention that Bush has appointed former criminals to government roles!

I'll leave this with a quote from our buddy Karl:
KARL ROVE, Bush's long-time political guru and White House advisor:
"As people do better, they start voting like Republicans...
...unless they have too much education and vote Democratic,
which proves there can be too much of a good thing."

Ready for more?
Just before Memorial Day, Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi said, "Our active military respond better to Republicans" because of "the tremendous support that President Bush has provided for our military and our veterans." The same day, the White House announced plans for massive cuts in veterans' health care for 2006.

Last January, Bush praised veterans during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The same day, 164,000 veterans were told the White House was "immediately cutting off their access to the VA health care system."
My favorite in this category was the short-lived plan to charge soldiers wounded in Iraq for their meals when they got to American military hospitals. The plan mercifully died a-borning after it hit the newspapers.

In January 2003, just before the war, Bush said, "I want to make sure that our soldiers have the best possible pay." A few months later, the White House announced it would roll back increases in "imminent danger" pay (from $225 to $150) and family separation allowance (from $250 to $100).

In October 2003, the president told troops, "I want to thank you for your willingness to heed the important call, and I want to thank your families." Two weeks later, the White House announced it opposed a proposal to give National Guard and Reserve members access to the Pentagon's health insurance system, even though a recent General Accounting Office report estimated that one out of every five Guard members has no health insurance. What a nice thank you note.

A month before the war started, the White House proposed cutting $1.5 billion from funding for military housing. The House Armed Services Committee had concluded that thousands of military families were living "in decrepit and dilapidated military housing." Progressive lawmakers counter-proposed an amendment to restore $1 billion in
housing funds and pay for it by reducing new tax cuts Bush was proposing for the 200,000 Americans who make more than $1 million a year. Instead of getting $88,000 in tax cuts, the poor millionaires would get only $83,000. The House, with White House backing, voted the proposal down. (All thanks to Sirota.)

With the release of the 2006 budget, we're constantly finding instances of programs that Bush, the candidate, proudly claims to support, while he prepares to cut them drastically in order to pay for making his tax cuts permanent.

According to The Washington Post, the White House guidelines for the 2006 budget include a $1.7 billion cut for education, supposedly his signature program. That neatly wipes out last year's increase -- and, you may recall, the administration has never funded education at anything close to the figures in the original agreement with Sen. Ted
Kennedy. Teachers say the No Child Left Behind law should be called "No Dollars Left Behind to Pay for It." Head Start is to be cut by $177 million, and the highly successful nutrition program for women, infants and children is to be cut by $100 million.

Any time Bush goes out into the country and claims credit for, or praises the work being done by, some government program, it is an almost-certain kiss of death -- budget cuts follow.

Back to veterans. This year, the administration increased spending on veterans by $519 million. In 2006, it plans to cut veterans spending by $910 million.
Also on the list for substantial cuts are the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and police assistance and crime prevention programs.

When something like the West Nile virus gets out of control, can't you just envision the independent investigation committee that will have a look into that government failure?

Can we fire George Tenet again?

Rep. David Obey, D-Wisc., points out the House Interior Appropriations Committee had to cut $682 million from the White House budget proposal this year. The budget situation is now so dire that the latest Republican scheme is not to pass a budget at all this year (until after the election), lest people notice what is going on.

The White House's latest ploy is to claim that the 2006 guidelines it issued are just a mere wisp of a suggestion, nothing to be taken seriously. But the White House has already submitted legislation to impose spending caps that would continue the cuts every year thereafter until 2009.

Molly Ivins
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=17076

And the secrets and lies! Where to begin?
There are almost too many inquiries to count. There are several investigations of U.S. intelligence in connection with Iraq, the 9/11 commission is finishing its work, the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame investigation is proceeding, there are several panels looking at the Abu Ghraib scandal, investigators are examining who leaked what to Ahmed Chalabi, there is Halliburton dirt to be revealed and more. In normal times, any one of these would be enough to knock the pins out from under a president, but taken together it's a blitzkrieg. I hope. we shouldn't be taking this crap.

Im 68 and this is the most important election of my life so far. Both my 401k and my cds have taken a huge hit of about a negative 10% in value. If Bush is elected again Im sure ill lose much more value on my investments. And all social security programs will be a wreck in 4 more years under Bush if he dosent have to worry about reelection in the next cycle.

I agree that this is an important election, but not just for me, but for my younger Brother's child to be.

Should Bush be defeated we can begin the long process of unding the damge Bush has done to this country both domestically and internationally.

Should he be re-elected, I fear that my Brother's child may eventually find himself a soldier of some sort in a second American Revolution, one that pits the masses against a corporate-dominated government.

PS. Since I'm gonna be making about $12.50/hr at FXG in July, I may finally be able to afford to buy some hosting for my sites:)

I heard some Bush backers talking on the radio this morning and they were going on and on about how the unemployment rate is at an all time low (in this particular part of the country)

They failed to mention that while people may be working, they're working at jobs that no longer offer health insurance, vacation or sick pay.

It's turning into a country where employers hire independent contractors and temp workers.

The rich get richer.

The common man may have a job (or two or three), but not much of one.

Take a bow, Mr, Bush, your rich buddies are applauding your efforts.

and while he's bent over Gus, take the pitchfork you're holding.......

gus:

I've harped on this before.

As I'm a member of this group called "Underemployed".