Who's more Special?

With an eye on recent polls, the White House abandoned its previous strategy, and in a TV ad blitz last week it began to attack democrats before a nominee has been selected. The recent Republican attack ad states that Senator Kerry has taken "more special interest money than any other senator." Which needless to say, is an inaccurate description of Senator Kerry's financial support.

This article by Peter Beinart in the New Republic, attempts to set the record straight. Beinart differentiates between the special interests John Kerry is aligned with and the ones George W. Bush serves.

Here's just one of the interesting facts he states, "Bush has accepted more money from lobbyists in the last year than Kerry has in his entire 15 years in the Senate."

A Washington Post editorial states that, "Mr. Bush's acceptance of special-interest money and his subsequent rewards to the industries doing the giving dwarf anything in Mr. Kerry's record......And, since Mr. Bush brought it up, it's worth remembering that Mr. Kerry actually has some bona fides in the area of campaign finance ethics. He swore off checks from political action committees during his Senate races. He supported the McCain-Feingold legislation to end big soft-money checks to political parties -- which Mr. Bush's party did its best to kill and which the president only reluctantly signed. While the Bush administration fights to keep secret the activities of its energy task force, Mr. Kerry has promised to release the records of his meetings with lobbyists during his time in office."

So who's captive to the Special Interests?

I report you decide.

The Battle Ground

A University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll conducted last week, showed Senator John Kerry beating incumbent President Bush by a margin of 53 to 38.

Let me remind you that had Al Gore won New Hampshire in the 2000 election, he would now be running for re-election.

Darth Nader

Long time consumer advocate and Third Party candidate Ralph Nader announced on Meet the Press this Sunday, that he would once again run for President.

A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush, plain and simple.

Not the First time

In August of 1997, on the now infamous "Drudge Report", Matt drudge reported as fact that Sidney Blumenthal, an adviser to President Clinton, was hiding police records of domestic violence. Hours after Drudge reported the story, conservative media across the country began to run with it. Drudge later admitted that Republican operatives had given him the bogus story in hopes of smearing the new Clinton adviser.

Update: Apparently in Drudge's latest sleaze campaign against Senator John Kerrry, he got some of the facts wrong. Big Surprise. This according to New Republic's reporter, Ryan Lizza, who actually attended the off the record session with Gen. Wesley Clark. "I was there when Clark spoke, and just to make sure I didn't miss anything, I've also checked with other reporters who were there. Since it was off the record (sort of), I can't get into what Clark actually said, but I can report that the quote Drudge attributes to him--"Kerry will implode over an intern issue"--is not accurate. He never said that."

That Matt Drudge just can't seem to get anything right.

Wal-Mart: The Evil Empire

A very strong argument to do your shoping elsewhere.

Update: There is something very troubling about this.

"Huge employee premium payments and big deductibles keep participation in Wal-Mart's health plan to 38% of employees. That's 6 out of every 10 employees--more than 425,000 Wal-Mart employees, most of them women, who have no company provided health coverage. Nationally, more than 60% of workers are covered by company paid health plans. There's more: Wal-Mart workers pay insurance premiums that cover close to half of Wal-Mart's health plan expenses. The national average shows that employee premiums cover just over 25% of health plan expenses incurred by companies nationwide. The Real Story is that Wal-Mart freely acknowledges shifting its health care costs to taxpayers and responsible employers. A company spokesperson said, "[Wal-Mart employees] who choose not to participate in [Wal-Mart's health plan] usually get their health-care benefits from a spouse or the state or federal government." Wal-Mart is the biggest beneficiary of its health plan because the company shifts $1 billion in health care costs to the government and responsible employers."

--Wal-Mart Watch.com

Its the Economy Stupid

In a shrewd political move, President Bush backpedaled yesterday on a recent forecast made by the White House Council of Economic Advisers which predicted that the U.S. economy will add 2.6 million jobs this year. A wise decision considering the CEA's previous record. In 2003 the CEA predicted the economy would add between 1.7 million to 3 million new jobs. Unfortunately for America, in 2003 the nation actually lost 53,000 jobs. Now I wasn't a math major, but I am pretty sure that means they were off but just a bit.

In order for the Bush Administration to achieve these lofty goals set forth by its own economic advisers the economy will have to grow by 226,000 jobs per month for the next year.

For America's sake, I sincerely hope it does.

Terrorism

A fascinating explanation of the word that is now used to justify everything. Terrorism.

THE FACTS

In order to clarify a previous post regarding President Bush's service in the National Guard I once again reiterate my earlier factual statement, the National Guard was never called into active duty to serve overseas. However, various Guard Unit's throughout the country developed programs to allow brave young men the ability to volunteer to fight in Vietnam. Coincidentally, the Texas Air Guard had such a program called Palace Alert which allowed pilots to volunteer for flight time in Vietnam. Had President Bush felt compelled to volunteer his newly aquired pilot skills to defend American soldiers in combat he could have. He chose not to.

--Ian Mahoney

Larry David Keeps it Real

Actor and comedian Larry David who served in the Army Reserve in the 1970s talks about the harsh realties that confronted many in the national guard during the Vietnam War.

" I couldn't be happier that President George W. Bush has stood up for having served in the National Guard, because I can finally put an end to all those who questioned my motives for enlisting in the Army Reserve at the height of the Vietnam War. I can't tell you how many people thought I had signed up just to avoid going to Vietnam. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, I was itching to go over there. I was just out of college and, let's face it, you can't buy that kind of adventure. More important, I wanted to do my part in saving that tiny country from the scourge of communism.

.....Even though the National Guard and Army Reserve do see combat today, it rankles me that people assume it was some kind of waltz in the park back then. If only. Once a month, for an entire weekend - I'm talking eight hours Saturday and Sunday - we would meet in a dank, cold airplane hangar.

.....Our captain was a strict disciplinarian who wouldn't think twice about not letting us wear sneakers or breaking up a poker game if he was in ill humor. Once, they took us into the woods and dropped us off with nothing but compasses and our wits. One wrong move and I could have wound up on a highway. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to find my way out of there and back to the hangar. Some of my buddies did not fare as well and had to call their parents to come and get them.

.....Still, after all this time, whenever I've mentioned my service in the Reserve during Vietnam, it's been met with sneers and derision. But now, thanks to President Bush, I can stand up proudly alongside him and all the other guys who guarded the home front. Finally, we no longer have to be embarrassed."
-Larry David


The facts: During the Vietnam War, coveted spots in the National Guard were few and far between. In some states waiting lists extended into the tens of thousands.

Unlike today's practice, during the Vietnam War, the National Guard was never called into active duty to serve overseas.

The truth: National Guard Service is something to be honored and praised but during the Vietnam War most young men enlisted to ensure they would never set foot in Vietnam. A practice which I believe was justified considering the complex circumstances surrounding the War. Had President Bush been candid about his intentions rather then hiding behind his fleeting notions of valor, we might be able to move past all this.

I strongly believe that choices an individual made 30 years ago don’t necessarily qualify or disqualify a man to be President of the United States. A much more telling characteristic is how an individual now reflects upon these decisions.

--Ian Mahoney

BIG Al's Take...

Alec Massey's commentary on the recent developments in the drudge induced scandal.

"Assuming this article holds water...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46036-2004Feb16.html

Any self-respecting American would boycott Mr. Drudge's website until at least the November election. As demonstrated, he is what is wrong with politics, what is wrong with ideologues, and what is wrong with the toys (being Drudge) that ideologues use to tarnish American heros."-Al Massey

Couldn't have said it better myself!

And I for one, will not be going to the aptly titled, "drudge report" website for the remainder of the election.

--Ian Mahoney

Bush Quotes before, GULF WAR II: WITH A VENGANCE

"The Iraqi regime has violated all of those obligations. It possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons."

"If the Iraqi regime is able to produce, buy, or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single softball, it could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year."

"After eleven years during which we have tried containment, sanctions, inspections, even selected military action, the end result is that Saddam Hussein still has chemical and biological weapons and is increasing his capabilities to make more. And he is moving ever closer to developing a nuclear weapon."

WMD's????

In an interview with the associated press on Thursday, Former Chief U.N. Weapons inspector, David Kay had some interesting things to say about the White House's ineptitude in dealing with the missing WMD's.

"The Bush administration is hampering efforts to improve intelligence by clinging to the false hope that weapons of mass destruction may be found in Iraq....My only serious regret about the continued holding on to the hope that eventually we'll find it is that it eventually allows you to avoid the hard steps necessary to reform the process,"

Drudging up Dirt

Notorious internet pundit Matt Drudge created an on-line feeding frenzy yesterday, when he posted allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of the Democratic front-runner, Senator John Kerry. Drudge has yet to provide any evidence to support his accusations but the story has already begun to get traction in other media-outlets. This morning, on Imus, Senator Kerry categorically denied the unfounded claims against him.

Drudge also reported that General Wesley Clark, in an off-the-record chat with reporters earlier this week, predicted that the Kerry campaign would soon implode due to an "intern." A dubious claim considering
the AP reported Thursday afternoon that Clark in fact would endorse Kerry today.


Online periodical slate commented on the drudge induced scandal as well.

--Ian Mahoney