DECEPTION & INEPTITUDE ... ENDEMIC

The first time could have been seen as an anomaly. It wasn’t.














The second time suggested a pattern. It was worse.


















The third time tells us it was all true.













My friends, when you have accomplished insiders at this level - and from distinct political angles - telling us that deception and ineptitude were/are endemic in Bush’s White House something is wrong. These aren't disgruntled former employees. They are disappointed Americans. We all are.

That 28% of Americans still think President Bush is doing a good job is beyond me.

- Mark

ICE POLICY AS "COSTUME DRAMA"

Interesting. Geraldo Rivera, who we might normally expect to jump on the "costume drama" he speaks of, is actually criticizing the incredibly stupid actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which operates under the Department of Homeland Security).

Driven by the most savage talk radio and cable news anti-immigrant propaganda campaign in our nation's history, the Department of Homeland Security has unleashed an unprecedented crackdown on undocumented workers ...

... Many hundreds of otherwise law abiding, hard working, family men and women have been arrested in recent weeks under circumstances more appropriate to operations targeting al Qaeda. With noise and fury, these heavily armed and armored SWAT teams from ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are surrounding a particular plant, then with great quasi-military flourish sweeping in to arrest and handcuff the 'aliens', bring them en masse to a hearing, conviction and sentencing, all pending deportation. These completely overdone costume dramas are targeting cowering economic refugees just trying to feed their families. They would be ridiculed as overkill and posturing by any real soldier or cop ...

What Rivera doesn't say (although he alludes to it) is that ICE apparently has nothing on the terrorist scare the Bush administration has been hyping, so they need to do something to show they are "protecting" America.

As is the case with much of what has happened under the Bush administration, the actions of ICE speak more to moral cowardice and political drama (or "costume drama"?) than to substance.

We're going to deal with immigration and the politically-driven policies of ICE on the program by the end of June.

- Mark

UNPREPARED?

- Mark

A CULTURE OF LIES?

Politico.com is reporting that former Bush White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan has written what looks like a "Mommy Dearest" memoir of the Bush administration. The books tells us that President Bush “veered terribly off course,” was not “open and forthright on Iraq,” and took a “permanent campaign approach” to governing.

The results, according to McClellan, is that "candor and competence" were sacrificed during Bush's presidency. In What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception McClellan explains that:

• President Bush relied on “propaganda” to sell the war (as opposed to hard evidence).

• The White House press corps was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war.

• Some of his own assertions from the briefing room podium turned out to be “badly misguided.”

• Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby “had at best misled” him about their role in the disclosure of former CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity.

Look, we're all adults here. At what point does the press, the American public, and official Washington act upon the reality that "propaganda" and "misled" are simply bad euphemisms for "lying." It's because we accept these euphemisms that nothing is done when the NY Times reported the Pentagon regularly sent the press high level military plants (many of whom worked for the Defense Industry) to sell the war in Iraq.

That we willingly accept a culture of lies is the real reason our blood and treasure is being wasted in Iraq. But, then again, I may be wrong. A president who lies about a girlfriend just might get impeached.

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture?

The sad thing is that, at the end of the day, we all may be misguided about the real source of our problems. President Bush may simply be a symptom of a larger disease in America ... which you can read about in Chalmers Johnson's Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. Whether you agree with Johnson's premise or not, the points he raises make for good discussion topics.

I'll be sure to discuss McClellan's book, and some of the points raised by Johnson, within the next 2-3 programs.



- Mark

"WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR ..." EXCEPT CONSERVATIVE FEAR-MONGERING

Whatever happened to “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”?

… I’ve been commenting on this issue for a while now. Put simply, the Bush administration is still trying to get the telecommunication industry legal cover for helping his administration spy on Americans. The problem is that the Bush administration was asking for the industry's help months before 9/11.

Again, I ask, What was the national emergency before 9/11?

Now we have another Right Wing, Swiftboat-like group attempting to scare Americans into thinking that we need to give the Bush administration what they want. If we don’t, according to Senator Mitch McConnell, “some Americans are going to die.” Newsweek has the “Factcheck” goods on their fear-filled efforts here.

At the end of the day while these conservatives groups may be effective, they're pathetic losers. They need to get off their knees, change their drawers, and grow a spine.

America should be beyond living in perpetual fear.

- Mark

JOHN McCAIN'S PARALLEL UNIVERSE?

One of the more interesting developments during this presidential season has been the transformation of John McCain. A one-time "Maverick" who took shots at right wing religious fanatics and special interests, McCain learned the lessons of republican politics well during his first presidential run in 2000.

Specifically, McCain learned that in order to win the hearts of Conservatives he would have to break with his principles and embrace both groups if he was going to succeed in his quest for the White House. In the process, McCain lost his political soul and has given himself up to Conservative Puppet Masters. This might not be all bad if McCain had the energy to stand up for himself. But, alas, not only has McCain been muttering inconsistent and incoherent thoughts on Iraq, war, and the economy, but he seems tired on the campaign trail.

Fast forward to a parallel universe in 2268. We see another respected leader propped up by selfish and egotistical forces, bent on promoting their interests above those of society. In the Star Trek episode "Patterns of Force" John Gill is a former Starfleet professor who breaks Starfleet principles laid out in the Prime Directive (don't get personally involved in the affairs of planets).

By breaking with principles laid out in the Prime Directive, Gill exposes himself to the militarism of Melakon (rhymes with "neo-con") and other evil forces that drug and use his tired body to pursue war and rule society.













While there is no doubt that McCain is not drugged like Star Trek's John Gill, there is also little doubt that both McCain and Gill compromised basic principles that led both to be manipulated by Puppet Masters they, under different circumstances, would have rebuked.

Unfortunately, the prospect of winning the presidency has created a toxic brew of special interests and compromised principles that John McCain seems only too eager to drink. In the process, The Maverick has become The Puppet of Conservative forces he simply cannot control.

- Mark

DEBUNKING THE “TAX-CUTS CREATE GROWTH & REVENUE” MYTH

Here’s an article from The Wall Street Journal that, once again, claims higher tax rates on the wealthy are not good for the country. Essentially the WSJ article makes this standard Republican-Conservative claim: Tax cuts for the rich will spur economic growth, enhance tax revenue, and lead to balanced budgets.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s what’s NOT happening, and why we're in dire straits today ...

... THE REVENUE ARENA

BALANCED BUDGETS? When Supply-Side economics arrived on the political scene with Ronald Reagan in 1980, our country owed approximately $979 billion (with a “B”). Today, after almost 20 years of tax cuts for the rich, America now owes $9.4 trillion (with a “T”). This, my friends, helps to explain the dollar’s collapse, and why prices are climbing. As an aside, the only time we started balancing budgets was under President Clinton, who raised taxes on the rich.

ECONOMIC GROWTH? Do tax cuts on the rich increase economic growth? Check this out. With the exception of five years, federal tax receipts have increased every year since 1962. Did Bush’s tax cuts (or supply-side economics) have an influence on the economy starting in 1962 that we don’t know about?

INCREASED REVENUE/CORPORATE INCOME: A 2007 Congressional Budget Office report makes it clear that increased tax revenue after 2003 is due primarily to an “increase in corporate profits” and other policy measures that disallowed certain write-offs. Read the report. Tax policy plays a minimal role.

... IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

THE BUBBLE ECONOMY: The vast majority of growth that occurred during the Bush administration was driven by low interest rates and the subsequent housing bubble. As the value of homes increased, homeowners took out equity lines and used their homes to purchase cars, boats, vacations, etc.

DEBT FINANCED PURCHASES, I: If more money was put into the pockets of ordinary Americans it’s not because of higher wages or the jobs created by new investments (effectively zero in both areas). It’s because the Bush administration borrowed money to send to American tax payers. A monkey could have borrowed money and sent out checks. Tax cuts were a political Trojan Horse designed appeal to unsophisticated voters. But they worked politically.

DEBT FINANCED PURCHASES, II: Americans went further into debt to finance consumption. This helped create the illusion of prosperity. Credit card and personal debt are at all time highs.

That's it. Debt, demographics, and bubbles. This explains the Republican-led spending and debt binge since 1980.

My friends, the argument that tax cuts for the rich creates growth is, at best, misleading. More probably, it’s a lie. At the end of the day we need to build bridges, roads, and schools. Someone has to pay for this. Contrary to the ideas pushed by Republicans, there are no Infrastructure Fairies out there. Oh, and did I mention that we now need to pay down trillions in debt caused by the Republican's tax cut jijad? No? Well, we do.

Borrow and Spend is not an economic policy we should continue to follow. That almost one-half of America can't see this says alot about the state of this nation.

- Mark

LOVE IS BEING THERE ...

I don't usually post on topics like this, but I wanted to share this "smell the roses" moment ...

This past Tuesday when my ex came to pick up the kids, my 10 year old daughter Monica informed me that her school's last recital and choir for the year was that evening at 7:00 pm. It was 5:30 pm.

After going through the usual routine of "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier, I have plans, and I need to teach class tonight ...", I told Monica that I might not make it. As she went off to her Mom's car my feelings went from consternation to guilt. I changed my plans.

When I walked into the auditorium, I saw an open seat in the middle isle. As I made my way toward the seat I spotted my daughter playing the clarinet. She saw me and seemed surprised. But her eyes lit up in a way that always let's me know that she has a smile in her heart. And just like that my guilt was gone.

The next day I asked Monica about her look of surprise. She responded, "I wasn't surprised Daddy. I knew you'd be there. You're always there ... because you love me."

- Mark

THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND?

The blind leading the blind? Nope, it's worse than that.

First we had White House spokesperson, Dana Perino, doing her best Sgt. Schultz impersonation and admitting that she knew nothing about the Cuban Missile Crisis (she apparently doesn’t know much about the Bay of Pigs either).

Now we are treated to Right Wing nut job, Kevin James, railing against Barack Obama’s apparent appeasement in the Middle East because he's willing to talk to the enemy. Never mind that Bush the Elder's Secretary of State used and called for the same strategy.

For his effort, Keving James is then painfully embarrassed by Chris Matthews for not knowing what Neville Chamberlain did to forever earn the title of Hitler’s Appeaser.

Apart from demonstrating what a blowhard Kevin James is, the clip is actually pretty funny … until, of course, you realize that Perino and James are the same “people of influence” who like to use historical references to justify their positions.

No wonder everything’s messed up under Bush. History is not something to learn or draw lessons from. Team Bush sees history as something to be manipulated and used to prop up failed policies, or to adorn a bankrupt ideology.

This really puts another spin on former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill's description of President Bush approaching policy like a “blind man in a room full of deaf people.”

- Mark

EINSTEIN & RELIGION

From the NY Times ... A letter Albert Einstein wrote to philosopher Eric Gutkind in 1954 just sold for $404,000. In the letter Einstein described the Bible as “pretty childish” and scoffed at the notion that the Jews could be the “chosen people.”


This should help settle the issue for those who enjoy sending that annoying "Evil is the absence of God" chain-letter. The chain-letter is usually sent by true believers who (1) want to revel in the humiliation of an atheist teacher by Einstein when he was a schoolboy (which hardly seems Christian to me), or (2) seek to use Albert Einstein as a foundational source for Intelligent Design, which requires a stretch of imagination (like what you are asked to believe if you visit the Creationist Museum in Kentucky).

But, alas, the appearance of this letter probably won't settle anything. Evidence is a hard thing to accept when you're used to making things up.

- Mark

P.S. It should be noted that Einstein was an agnostic, and not an atheist. There's a difference. He believed that any understanding of God “is too vast for our limited minds.”