Global
AUSTIN, Texas -- This column is not about the presidential debate. It's about Other Stuff. Particularly eye-catching are the updates on the price of gasoline, your overtime pay, why the company most likely to hold the mortgage on your house could go broke, why you're getting peanuts from new tax cuts just passed by Congress and how the government is kicking hundreds of thousands of kids off health insurance while promising not to. Cheer all around.
-- The price of a barrel of oil went over $50 for the first time early this week, and the price of gassing up my vehicle, Truck Bob the Ford, is now $36 a pop. According to oil-ologists, this is on account of the unrest in oil-producing countries and rising global demand destabilizing world energy markets. Don't you love the jargon? The petro experts also say this ain't gonna get better.
-- The price of a barrel of oil went over $50 for the first time early this week, and the price of gassing up my vehicle, Truck Bob the Ford, is now $36 a pop. According to oil-ologists, this is on account of the unrest in oil-producing countries and rising global demand destabilizing world energy markets. Don't you love the jargon? The petro experts also say this ain't gonna get better.
I read your article about George Dumbass Bush being the biggest
environmental terrorist of all time (I agree) and his many other
too-long-to-list violations (I agree) but when you ran down a list of
history's bad guys, you did NOT list Christopher Columbus... why?
The Republicans have posted a "Debate Facts" section on their website. As is shown below, there is nothing factual about their claims.
1. Kerry On The Threat Posed By Saddam Hussein
Republicans charge that Kerry once supported and is now critical of the decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein and Iraq. This, in their minds, is a flip flop.
RESPONSE: A huge amount of information has been uncovered since 2002, including a great deal of evidence that the intelligence Bush used to the war was incorrect or even forged. Kerry and the rest of Congress voted on Bush’s bad information. Now that we know the justification for the war was invalid, it is by definition a mistake. As a Senator and as a Presidential candidate, it is Kerry's duty to use this information to improve our government's global policy -- to correct a mistake propagated by Bush and his cabinet.
2. Kerry Flip Flop On Iraq
RESPONSE: See point 1.
3. Breaking Debate Fact: Kerry Said President Has Lost Support Among Military Officials
Defending against this statement the Republicans publish nothing more than a list of names of Flag Officers.
1. Kerry On The Threat Posed By Saddam Hussein
Republicans charge that Kerry once supported and is now critical of the decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein and Iraq. This, in their minds, is a flip flop.
RESPONSE: A huge amount of information has been uncovered since 2002, including a great deal of evidence that the intelligence Bush used to the war was incorrect or even forged. Kerry and the rest of Congress voted on Bush’s bad information. Now that we know the justification for the war was invalid, it is by definition a mistake. As a Senator and as a Presidential candidate, it is Kerry's duty to use this information to improve our government's global policy -- to correct a mistake propagated by Bush and his cabinet.
2. Kerry Flip Flop On Iraq
RESPONSE: See point 1.
3. Breaking Debate Fact: Kerry Said President Has Lost Support Among Military Officials
Defending against this statement the Republicans publish nothing more than a list of names of Flag Officers.
Robert F. Kennedy was greeted with a standing
ovation on Wednesday at Campbell Hall on the OSU
campus. A Harvard graduate, Kennedy is a professor at
the Pace University School of Law, senior attorney for
the National Resources Defense Council, and chief
prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper Fund.
More than two hundred people came to hear him talk about his new book, Crimes Against Nature, and the Bush administration's irresponsible environmental policies.
Kennedy blamed the public's ignorance of President Bush's environmental abuse on the timidity of the national press and the White House Press Corps, whom he referred to as "stenographers."
More than two hundred people came to hear him talk about his new book, Crimes Against Nature, and the Bush administration's irresponsible environmental policies.
Kennedy blamed the public's ignorance of President Bush's environmental abuse on the timidity of the national press and the White House Press Corps, whom he referred to as "stenographers."
Long before the Florida election the CIA had been active in influencing
the American electorate.
We've witnessed the Iran Contra scandal and all those involved affect the outcome of elections in the nineteen eighties. Although the information acquired from this scandal was a bit more complicated than the average human listener had time for or attention span to understand, none the less the outcome was obvious.
The hostage crisis in Iran ended in a fallacy that undermined quest for a firm foundation of democracy in the United States. On this basis, the Republican Party maintained power for twelve years under the guise of a dogooder for the US populace. The same party oversimplified political ramifications of they're debt creating overextended government bureaucracy. Today we see a continuation of this bombastic upheaval of democracy being led by a military industrial complex.
We've witnessed the Iran Contra scandal and all those involved affect the outcome of elections in the nineteen eighties. Although the information acquired from this scandal was a bit more complicated than the average human listener had time for or attention span to understand, none the less the outcome was obvious.
The hostage crisis in Iran ended in a fallacy that undermined quest for a firm foundation of democracy in the United States. On this basis, the Republican Party maintained power for twelve years under the guise of a dogooder for the US populace. The same party oversimplified political ramifications of they're debt creating overextended government bureaucracy. Today we see a continuation of this bombastic upheaval of democracy being led by a military industrial complex.
The Israeli Tourism Authority, thinking of creative
ways to lure visitors back to the Holy Land, has taken
to organizing the high profile visits of Hollywood
stars and pop divas to mixed reaction.
Earlier this year, Richard Gere arrived for a film festival, attended a seminar, had posters of his face plastered all over Israel and generally left with rave reviews especially from the female human rights activists. They didn't question the intentions of his visit or give him too much flak for not taking any public positions on human rights. They work on human rights every day of the year, but he was RICHARD GERE!
A few months later Chris Noth, Mr. Big, was on the pages of Haaretz being whisked away by helicopter to see the sights of Israel all paid for by the good folks at the Israeli Tourism Authority. In fact, they were even armed with pro forma statements about how much the visit would boost Israeli tourism.
Earlier this year, Richard Gere arrived for a film festival, attended a seminar, had posters of his face plastered all over Israel and generally left with rave reviews especially from the female human rights activists. They didn't question the intentions of his visit or give him too much flak for not taking any public positions on human rights. They work on human rights every day of the year, but he was RICHARD GERE!
A few months later Chris Noth, Mr. Big, was on the pages of Haaretz being whisked away by helicopter to see the sights of Israel all paid for by the good folks at the Israeli Tourism Authority. In fact, they were even armed with pro forma statements about how much the visit would boost Israeli tourism.
Terrorism is defined as using fear, or terror, to influence the political
decisions of an individual or group. Vice President Dick Cheney's flat
statement that the United States will be hit again if it elects John
Kerry is a nothing more or less than a terrorist threat. It is an attempt
to manipulate Americans of all political persuasions by fear. It is an
assault against democracy itself. The Vice President is holding a gun to
the head of the American electorate and threatening, either reelect my
boss and me or suffer the direst of consequences.
Osama bin Laden, meet Osama bin Cheney.
Osama bin Laden, meet Osama bin Cheney.
The recent polls showing a large Bush lead seem to be designed to either discourage Democratic voters and/or condition the American public for a Bush victory based on vote rigging. The methodology that seems to be in use by Gallup and most other polling firms connected to large corporations are greatly over weighted to give Republicans excessive representation and do not give sufficient weight to Democratic voters based on historical voting trend. Polls by independent polling organizations that are using properly weighted samples (like Zogby, Pew Research, Harris and others) are not showing a significant Bush lead and some have Kerry ahead!
While most political analysts predict the largest Democratic voter turn-out in history, Gallup is predicting in their methodology that Republicans will be 7-8% more of the total electorate than Democrats actually voting on election day. Based on the most recent elections, Democrats have usually been 7-8% more of the total electorate when the actual votes were counted. The swing in numbers using Gallup’s distorted methodology would tend to give Bush a “fake” lead in the neighborhood of 15%.
While most political analysts predict the largest Democratic voter turn-out in history, Gallup is predicting in their methodology that Republicans will be 7-8% more of the total electorate than Democrats actually voting on election day. Based on the most recent elections, Democrats have usually been 7-8% more of the total electorate when the actual votes were counted. The swing in numbers using Gallup’s distorted methodology would tend to give Bush a “fake” lead in the neighborhood of 15%.
Amid the rubble of CBS's forgery debacle, one consolation for type buffs has been the flare of interest in typefaces. There was hot debate for a day or two about when precisely Times New Roman might have been available for electric typewriters. Times New Roman is a very famous, much-used type, designed by the renowned typographer Stanley Morison in 1931.
After I left Oxford nearly 40 years ago, my first job was at the Times Literary Supplement, at that time lodged in Printing House Square in London. Morison had long connections with the TLS and, though retired, would still come in to browse among the new books awaiting dispatch to the reviewers, at that time all anonymous. He would open a book, hold it close to his nose and sniff. Sometimes he would grimace, mutter something about "poor glue" and cast the book from him.
After I left Oxford nearly 40 years ago, my first job was at the Times Literary Supplement, at that time lodged in Printing House Square in London. Morison had long connections with the TLS and, though retired, would still come in to browse among the new books awaiting dispatch to the reviewers, at that time all anonymous. He would open a book, hold it close to his nose and sniff. Sometimes he would grimace, mutter something about "poor glue" and cast the book from him.
AUSTIN --- Alice, we're in the Twilight Zone of Wonderland. Whee! John Kerry is disrespectful of our allies! Donald Rumsfeld thinks an election in three-fourths of Iraq is good enough. The No. 1 best seller in our nation is an untrue, vicious and ugly attack on a genuine, bona fide, certified war hero. Despite everything you have seen, read or heard about Iraq, all is tickety-boo over there, and anyone who says different is helping the terrorists.
More than a year after "Mission Accomplished," we have still not restored water or electricity in Iraq back to Saddam Hussein's pitiful standards. The electricity is out between four and 14 hours a day in Baghdad, there is no potable water because of pipe breaks and contamination, the garbage is uncollected, and sewage runs in the streets. A year after Congress voted to spend $18.4 billion reconstructing Iraq, only $1 billion has been spent, and most of that has gone to overhead, contractors' profits, security service, insurance and property losses. The jobs have gone largely either to Americans or other foreigners in Iraq, with little benefit to the Iraqis.
More than a year after "Mission Accomplished," we have still not restored water or electricity in Iraq back to Saddam Hussein's pitiful standards. The electricity is out between four and 14 hours a day in Baghdad, there is no potable water because of pipe breaks and contamination, the garbage is uncollected, and sewage runs in the streets. A year after Congress voted to spend $18.4 billion reconstructing Iraq, only $1 billion has been spent, and most of that has gone to overhead, contractors' profits, security service, insurance and property losses. The jobs have gone largely either to Americans or other foreigners in Iraq, with little benefit to the Iraqis.