posted March 09, 2004 03:51 AM              

quote:

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At Harvard Business School, thirty years ago, George Bush was a student of mine. I still vividly remember him. In my class, he declared that "people are poor because they are lazy." He was opposed to labor unions, social security, environmental protection, Medicare, and public schools. To him, the antitrust watch dog, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities Exchange Commission were unnecessary hindrances to "free market competition." To him, Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal was "socialism." Recently, President Bush's Federal Appeals Court Nominee, California's Supreme Court Justice Janice Brown, repeated the same broadside at her Senate hearing. She knew that her pronouncement would please President Bush and Karl Rove and their Senators. President Bush and his brain, Karl Rove, are leading a radical revolution of destroying all the democratic political, social, judiciary, and economic institutions that both Democrats and moderate Republicans had built together since Roosevelt's New Deal.

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REALLY, Mr. Bush?

Yes, I will keep that wisdom in mind....considering the source.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

posted March 09, 2004 11:08 AM            

... not surprised at all though.. His actions have been clear on these things.

posted March 09, 2004 12:30 PM            

Thirty years ago I was a toddler, but as little as ten years ago the things that I believed, both personally and politically, little resemble my beliefs of today.

posted March 10, 2004 02:53 AM              

You have a very valid, logic based argument. That I will not refute. But, I offer the first post as historical evidence, and the next quote as the manifestation of Bush's once stated belief, even if it was 30 years ago.

quote:

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Bush's policies so rarely benefit the public interest or address the pressing concerns of most Americans that it comes as no surprise that he is pinning his hopes for reelection on his "steady leadership" following 9/11. It is difficult to understand how fiscal meltdown, the loss of three million jobs, and an unnecessary and unwise war on Iraq (costing billions of dollars in American taxpayer money, hundreds of American lives, and resulting in thousands of seriously injured American soldiers) can be sold as "steady leadership," although I suppose one could conclude that Bush has provided America with steadily awful leadership. His abandonment of America's middle-class and his contempt for the public interest on issues as diverse as the economy, tax policy, fiscal discipline, health care, entitlement programs, education, civil rights, the environment, consumer protection, foreign policy, and even homeland security all explain why Helen Thomas, the legendary White House correspondent for United Press International who has covered every president since John F. Kennedy, said of Bush: "This is the worst president ever. He is the worst president in all of American history."

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Where as the last sentence is an opinion, I find myself agreeing. It appears from actions, not words, Bush could care less abouy the average-poor-American.

Compared to his and his extended family's wealth, "poor" is most of the country.

MK

posted March 10, 2004 12:53 PM              

This isn't emotional. This is political.

posted March 10, 2004 01:10 PM            

BTW, .. just to note.. A person can hate the actions someone takes without hating the person. I don't hate Bush.. If anything I pity the man for being so misled.
I was shocked to learn that Bush's ranch in Texas is totally off the grid and utilizes permaculture principals in it's design.
That gives me evidence of something good and intelligent in the man. I just think he is horribly misguided.

Honestly, I don't hate anyone. It's actions that I despise. They are two different things.. a person and their actions.
I acknowledge the inherent sacredness and goodness of every person, despite the horrific things some of them may do.

But just because I recogzize that light within a person doesn't mean it will keep me from doing what I can to put a stop to the hurtful things they do.

Goddess forgive GWB for he knows not what he does.

~Namaste

That said, here's just a short listing of the things he has done that negatively impact the poorest, most vulnerable folks in this country and others...

9-24-2003

-Bush tells Congress not to offer a Medicare prescription drug benefit to the poor.

Traditionally, Medicare benefits go to all Medicare recipients. But President Bush wants millions of low-income seniors to lose out on any new prescription drug benefit. He would rather those seniors rely on the states' Medicaid benefits, which vary from state to state (and year to year) and worsen the states' already severe fiscal crises -- which Bush has made worse with his enormous tax cuts.

New York Times

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8-14-2003

-Bush cuts pay for soldiers in Iraq.

"And tonight, I have a special word ... for all the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States: America is grateful for a job well done," said President Bush as he declared an end to "major" combat operations in Iraq. Bush has a funny way of showing he's grateful. Under Bush, the Pentagon cuts imminent danger pay as soldiers die every day in Iraq and family separation pay as soldiers are separated from their families for months

San Francisco Chronicle

_________________________________________________________________

8-29-2003

-Bush expands global abortion gag rules.

One of Bush's first acts in office was to limit funding to international organizations that provide abortions. Now he expands that rule so that no federal funds can go to international organizations that provide any abortions, even with their own funds. The result, of course, is devastating for the health of the world's poorest women.

Associated Press
______________________________________________________________

8-18-2003

-Bush defunds Teach for America.

If you run a nonprofit organization, beware the photo-op with George W. Bush. It's like the kiss of death: it may seem friendly at the time, but you'll learn to regret it later. While those who run Teach for America were optimistic after meeting Bush the presidential candidate, they found their funding taken away under Bush the president. Now the program, which gives top students money for college for teaching in underprivileged communities, has to eliminate scholarships.

Time
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8-6-2003

-Bush proposes cuts to Medicare funding for cancer drugs.

Cutting government healthcare costs is a good goal. When it involves cutting services for cancer patients, you'd hope the compassionate would rule out the conservative. But not for the Bush administration, as the Department of Health and Human Services proposes cutting the amount of money the government spends on cancer drugs. The administration says we overpay, but patient advocates say "instead of expanding access to lifesaving drugs, [the cuts] would limit access to cancer treatments for some of the most seriously ill Medicare beneficiaries."

New York Times
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7-22-2003

-Bush threatens veto if Congress overturns new FCC rules.

When President Bush eased media ownership rules, he never expected trouble from the Republican-controlled Congress. But an unprecedented public outcry against the new rules has put pressure on Congress to overturn the FCC's decision. But Bush isn't one to let something like "the will of the people" get in the way of his pro-corporate agenda. So he lets Congress know that if it overturns the new rules, he'll exercise his first veto. How appropriate that it will go to protect the profits of megacorporations!

The Sydney Morning Herald
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6-27-2003

-Bush proposes to eliminate overtime for 8 million American workers.

Back in January (see 1-31-2003 below), President Bush proposed changes to labor laws that could mean millions of workers lose overtime pay. Now we know just how many millions. A study from the Economic Policy Institute showed that 8 million American workers would lose the right to overtime under the proposed rule changes from Bush's Labor Department.

CNN

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6-17-2003

-Bush guts Americorps.

President Bush has used both of his State of the Union addresses to highlight volunteerism. In 2002, he created a sort of parent agency -- USA Freedom Corps -- for the federal volunteer agencies. In 2003 he called for even more funding for volunteers. But when the cameras are turned off, his actions don't match his rhetoric. Bush allows Congress to slash funding to AmeriCorps, the successful community service program. AmeriCorps' largest group of volunteers faces a reduction from 16,000 to just 3,000.

Washington Post
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5-28-2003

-Bush signs another huge tax cut.

Here we go again. With the economy stagnant, states cutting vital services and raising taxes, and the federal debt growing by record-breaking leaps, President Bush signs another huge tax cut. Two notes. First of all, although the nominal cost of the tax cut is $350 billion over ten years, in fact it will cost $800 billion to $1 trillion if the administration and Republicans in Congress have their way. Second, the increase in the child tax credit doesn't help the working poor -- those who need it most -- thanks to last-minute Republican maneuvering.

CNN
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4-25-2003

-Bush creates stringent proof requirements for earned-income tax credit recipients.

Here's a quiz. If you have a large group responsible for about $9 billion in fraud and a small group responsible for $54 billion in fraud, which group do you pursue? If you answered the big group responsible for one-fifth the fraud, you might be President Bush! Bush's IRS creates stringent new rules for the working-poor families who receive the earned-income tax credit, requiring "documents that will be difficult or impossible for people to get within the six-month deadline." When it comes to choosing between going after the working poor (responsible for $8-5-$9.9 billion in tax fraud in 1999) or going after big corporations (responsible for $54 billion in tax fraud in 1998), this administration bravely takes on poor families every time.

New York Times
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3-16-2003

-Bush proposes curbs on Medicare appeals.

For someone who claims to dislike Washington bureaucrats, President Bush sure doesn't seem to mind them making medical decisions. The fact is, seniors sometimes don't get the coverage they need and deserve under Medicare, and rely on appeals to federal judges to ensure they have the coverage they need. More than half of the people who make those appeals win them. But Bush has proposed replacing the independent judges with arbitrators at the Department of Health and Human Services. Because HHS is the department that pays for Medicare, these arbitrators would have a vested interest in rejecting the appeals. More bureaucrats, fewer health benefits for seniors.

New York Times
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2-26-2003

-Bush restricts family-planning programs from AIDS-prevention funds.

When President Bush announced increases for AIDS prevention funding in Africa, even his critics were pleased to see the additional funds (regardless of the political reasons behind the proposal). But anyone with common sense knows that family-planning advice is crucial to serious AIDS prevention. Under restrictions attached to the funding, doctors and nurses may not even be able to discuss basic contraception use with people as part of AIDS prevention. A State Department memo indicates that the administration is using the new AIDS funds as a tool to expand the gag rules it has put on foreign aid as a gift to the right-wing extremists who have Karl Rove's ear.

Detroit Free Press

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2-16-2003

-Bush cuts education for military dependents.

It is impossible to emphasize this point enough: just because Republican administrations are good for military contractors doesn't mean they're good for the men and women who serve in the military. Not only did Bush stop telling veterans about the health care benefits they're entitled to (see 8-1-2002 below), but now he's cutting funds that help pay for the education for the sons and daughters of the people he's about to send off to war. When will the military -- and everyone else for that matter -- realize just how bad President Bush treats them?

San Diego Union-Tribune
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2-11-2003

-Bush cuts federal housing subsidies.

Sometimes little changes are the most devious. The Bush administration proposes changing the phrase "not more than $50" to "at least $50" in the law setting the amount that those receiving federal housing subsidies pay in rent per month. Now the sky is the limit on the rent paid by America's poorest families, those for whom every dollar counts most.

New York Times
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2-6-2003

-Bush proposes retirement savings plan to benefit the wealthy.

Most retirement savings plans that offer tax benefits include provisions that ensure they don't bankrupt the Treasury. Income caps and deposit limits are the most common. So when President Bush proposes doing away with those restrictions, it is only people with higher incomes who will benefit. Best of all for Bush, the real costs of the plan are hidden because they don't appear until 15 or 20 years down the road.

New York Times
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2-4-2003

-Bush cuts aid to the poor in his budget.

When President Bush declares a war on poverty, he means it. He'll do whatever it takes to make sure America's poor don't get the help they'll need. (What, you thought a war on poverty was supposed to help the poor?) His latest budget is an excellent example. While he creates enormous, record-breaking deficits with big tax cuts for the rich, he cuts programs to the poor, like rural redevelopment, vocational education, Medicaid, the earned income tax credit, and even school lunch programs! More money in the hands of the wealthy and fewer services for America's neediest. Bush's 2004 budget is an abomination.

Washington Post

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I got this info from- http://www.wage-slave.org/scorecard.html

posted March 11, 2004 12:07 PM              

sorry, but if you are going to be PRESIDENT then perhaps you should be a little more GLOBAL and UNIVERSAL and COMPASSIONATE and less narrow and spineless.

i do not hate him, i feel sorry for him, but like Harpyr said, i hate his actions. he has done little else but wreak havoc on these United States, but in a way i even thank him for that. he woke us up to re appreciate what we sometimes take for granted living here.

posted March 11, 2004 12:19 PM            

Hard to argue against solid evidence I suppose...

posted March 12, 2004 01:28 PM            

I'll try to transcribe some information this weekend for you.

George Bush scares me. But no, I don't hate him. You know, one of his favorite tactics is to annouce the types of changes Harpyr transcribed for us, on Fridays--very low media day, people aren't paying attention to the news, so the announcements become 'soft.'
Insidious genius.

Perhaps some of those here who are Bush supporters can outline for us some things he has done to support the poor, or those of us earning a lower or modest income. I'd be interested in reading almost anything.

posted March 15, 2004 12:35 PM              

We need a Robin Hood to come help us! Help even out the tipped scales! Justice for all!

Viggo Mortensen? He's a Libra and from the little I have read, seems to have a good sturdy head on his shoulders! I am totally kidding but I can't help but think of Viggo when I think of beautiful Librans. And I do think a well balanced Libra may be just what we need for next President! .gloria? u reading this?

posted March 26, 2004 03:42 PM            

juniperb