Day: May 16, 2008

Does Bush Really Know What He Says?

OMG!  Will someone, anyone, please have the decency to tell Pres. Bush  to shut up, that is embarrassing the country.

While in Israel Bush addressed the Jewish parliament and took a shot at Obama and his statement that he would talk with all countries, including Iran.  Of course, he had to bring up the Nazis and Hitler, which I thought was in bad taste, but that is me.  Bush basically said that it was foolish to engage other nations especially those that sponsor terrorism.

……Thinking…………

Did not Bush start and continue talking with Qadafi?  Did it not produce an agreement that Qadafi would give up his nukes?  And was not Libya considered a state that sponsored terrorism?

Bush continues to try and use his tired argument of FEAR on the US and now the rest of the world.  He was pandering to the Israelis and I do not think they will fall for it.  Bush is just tacky and tired.  He probably thought that there would be no bounce on the speech.  He is wrong..he will be seen for the idiot he really is…and by the whole world.  There are somethings you do not do and Bush broke that rule by his irresponsible statement.

No Oil No Guns

BuThis is a concept that I wrote about a couple months ago in my other blog, studies and observations.  I have always said that the US should use their generous aid to other countries as leverage.

A group of Democratic senators wants to make a massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia contingent on getting cheaper oil, reports AFP. “We are saying to the Saudis that, if you don’t help us, why should we be helping you?” says Chuck Schumer, a Democratic senator from New York. “We are saying that we need real relief, and we need it quickly. You need our arms, but we need you to cooperate and not strangle American consumers.”

At issue is an arms package worth some $20 billion. The group has introduced a resolution in the Senate to block the pending sale. When the controversial deal was announced last July, Noah wrote that he was “utterly, completely flummoxed by the Bush Administration’s decision to sell $20 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf potentates.”

But the question would be, would the Pres veto any such moves?  And then would the Congress have enough guts to override?

The House Stalls War Funds Bill

OMG!  Congress has found their cajones, they had been looking for them since January of 2007.

An odd coalition of angry Republicans and antiwar Democrats yesterday torpedoed a $162.5 billion proposal to continue funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving the House to pass a measure that demands troop withdrawals, bans torture and expands education benefits for returning veterans.

The surprise action left antiwar activists on and off Capitol Hill exultant, Republicans gloating and Democratic leaders baffled. Recriminations from all sides quickly followed.

House leaders had broken the war funding bill into three separate measures. The first, to continue funding combat operations, needed Republican votes to pass over the objection of antiwar Democrats. The second would impose strict Iraq-related policy measures strongly opposed by President Bush, and the third would fund domestic priorities, including a new G.I. Bill and levees around New Orleans.

The House may not as successful as some of us would like but at least they are trying to put together a veto proof deal,