Fear of Clowns

We want -- we want money being spent to help people buy homes. That's what we want ... Or if you're a consumer, maybe thinking about buying a house, if you look on your TV screens that say "March to War", you're not so sure you want to buy the house then, because you're not sure what the consequences of marching to war will be. Now we're marching to peace. We're marching to peace and the world is better off. We've overcome that obstacle ... Our nation's 68 percent home-ownership rate is the highest ever. More people own homes now than ever before in the country's history, and that's exciting for the future of America ... I set a good goal, which is adding 5.5 million new minority homeowners in America by the end of the decade.

- George Bush 3/26/2004

The Federal Reserve peeled out $300 Billion to bolster financial markets in the days after the 9/11 attacks. Maybe tomorrow I'll make a gruesome tally of what's been doled out since March in the last-second veer to avoid the impact of the GOP's attack on our economy under the flag of supply-side laissez-fair economics.

Here's an article mentioning the "d" word.

Labels: Bush White House, economy, free markets, republican wreking crew, Republicans, taxes, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 9/15/2008 09:35:00 PM
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Via Crooks and Liars.

Labels: Bush White House, Republicans, right wingers, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 9/12/2008 08:28:00 PM
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Forget the diversion of the invasion of Iraq for a moment. Forget it ever happened.

The seventh year after 9/11 has been the bloodiest for our troops in Afghanistan.

Labels: Bush White House, right wingers, terrorism, war

// posted by Erik @ 9/11/2008 09:32:00 PM
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That Palin doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is is readily apparent in her first national interview. But watching the video a third time, it became obvious to me that Palin thinks Pakistan is not an ally, but an enemy,

As for the right to invade, we're going to work with these countries, building new relationships - working with existing allies - but forging new also, in order to, Charlie, get to a point in this world where war is not a first option ... We must not blink, Charlie, in making those tough decisions in where we go and even who we target.

UPDATE: Although a few ridiculous interchanges are mentioned, the Gray Lady publishes a faux obective account of the travesty. The full interview:

Labels: 2008 elections, Republicans, right wingers, Sarah Palin, terrorism, war

// posted by Erik @ 9/11/2008 06:09:00 PM
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"I believe 9/11 could have been prevented if we'd had a Republican president at the time."

- Mike Meehan
Republican Voter

Labels: 2008 elections, Republicans, right wingers, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 7/16/2008 03:00:00 PM
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During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, I read the IAEA and UNMOVIC reports. That is how I came to know Iraq had no WMD. Those only reading the US press - or more likely only listening to Bill O'Reilly had a different opinion.

It baffles me that most of those pushing the obviously unfounded Iraqi WMD lies still have the same jobs.

Labels: Bush White House, right wingers, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 6/10/2008 08:27:00 PM
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Your guess as good as any.

Labels: 2008 elections, iraq, McCain, Republicans, terrorism, war

// posted by Erik @ 4/15/2008 09:55:00 PM
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This is relatively long for a YouTube clip, but I find it nearly spot on and complete:

I disagree that we as a nation should demonstrate such reflexive support of Israel's foreign policy as Obama seems to advocate here, but given the breadth of the speech, I feel comfortable with the foreign policy he outlines.

That said, I've noticed no candidate expressing extended thoughts about the credit failure we've brought on ourselves. America has lived on credit for years, paying debts with refinanced mortgages. One of Bush's 2004 campaign sound-bites was that an unprecedented number of Americans owned their own homes. It was true at the time, but in retrospect a negative, not a positive. People during Bush's first term were able to get mortgages they couldn't afford.

So I'd like a 2008 candidate lay out what we should do about it.

Labels: 2008 elections, Iran, iraq, islam, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 3/21/2008 12:32:00 AM
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From the veracifier.

Q: Why did your firm do business with friends of Kim Jong Il?
Rudy: Tee hee hee!

Q: Why did your firm do business with a friend of the Sept 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad?
Rudy: Ga ha hee hee!

Labels: right wingers, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 12/10/2007 03:59:00 PM
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John Boehner of the Party Who Supports the Troops,

If 3,800 American lives and half a trillion dollars is a "small price", I shudder to think what we would be in for if Boehner was willing to make a modest investment.

Via Greg Sargent

Labels: conservatism, iraq, Republicans, terrorism, war

// posted by Erik @ 9/12/2007 07:55:00 PM
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Reading bin Laden's 1996 fatwa in which he declares war on Saudi Arabia and the "American-Zionist crusaders", this Koranic verse stuck out,

No one dies except by GOD's leave, at a predetermined time

That's some pretty hardcore predestination. No matter what you do, you aren't going to die unless it's the one and single time god picked for you already.

Labels: islam, religion, terrorism

// posted by Erik @ 9/11/2007 03:38:00 PM
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Given a choice between a world of nations controlled by corporations standing to lose profits from war between their client governments and a world in which nations went to war among one another willy-nilly, I'd in pick the corptocracy.

As far as that scenario provides, I'm in agreement with Bush's foreign policy. And I rather think Bush's War on Terror is driven at least in part by the contrast between those two choices.

However, those aren't the only two choices available and a military struggle between ideologies without territories is futile. By the administration's own admission "the terrorists won't stop with Iraq". Iraq is not an Iwo Jima no matter how much supporters of the war try to make it.

Labels: Bush White House, iraq, terrorism, war

// posted by Erik @ 9/10/2007 11:11:00 PM
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