Tag Archives: George Bush

On Why Republicans Can't Criticize the President, Either

Jane Smiley, the novelist, wrote an article at The Huffington Post on the recent Republican criticism of and distancing from the President. Her thesis? Democratic opponents of President Bush and his policies have been arguing for years that the President’s policies are misguided and flawed all to no avail. But several Republican commentators and theoristsContinue reading “On Why Republicans Can't Criticize the President, Either”

On Garrison Keillor and Impeachment

Garrison Keillor, host of public radio’s A Prarie Home Companion, has an editorial at Salon.com weighing in on the case for impeaching President Bush: These are troubling times for all of us who love this country, as surely we all do, even the satirists. You may poke fun at your mother, but if she isContinue reading “On Garrison Keillor and Impeachment”

On Social Security Privatization

Last year President Bush proposed a Social Security privatization plan–workers could divert some of their payroll taxes into private savings accounts–as a way of heading off a financial crisis in the Social Security program at some point in the future. In Bush’s view, making workers more responsible for their retirement needs would reduce the burdenContinue reading “On Social Security Privatization”

On former President Carter and Wiretaps

Did President Bush violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act when he authorized wiretaps without court authority? Former President Jimmy Carter has a unique perspective on the issue–he was the President that signed FISA into law when it was passed in 1978. Said Carter, “If my voice is important to point of the intent of theContinue reading “On former President Carter and Wiretaps”

On Senator Kerry's Filibuster

Massachusetts Senator Kerry today called for a Senate filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito. I don’t know how the votes will break down, if the Democrats will have enough votes to hold off a cloture vote. If the cloture vote to end debate fails, would the Republicans then unleash the nuclear option, rewritingContinue reading “On Senator Kerry's Filibuster”

On What the White House Knew

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans President Bush and his advisors stated repeatedly that no one could have predicted that a Category-4 hurricane could breach the levees protecting the city, that no one could have predicted the flooding and the devestation the city suffered. Recently released documents prepared by the DepartmentContinue reading “On What the White House Knew”

More on Bush and al-Jazeera

David Keogh and Leo O’Connor go on trial in London on January 24th. Their crime? Violating Britain’s Official Secrets Act by passing around a top secret memo about a meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George Bush. This is a story that has received very little traction in the American press–first, because theContinue reading “More on Bush and al-Jazeera”

On the President and His Vacations

It’s now official–the President has spent a full 365 days out of his not-quite five years as leader of the Free World on vacation, clearing brush off his Texas ranch. This article from the Washington Post passes no judgment on the President’s hobbies, but the question needs to be asked–aren’t there better, more important thingsContinue reading “On the President and His Vacations”

More on Writing Letters

Today, Christmas Day, the Raleigh News & Observer published my letter on the President’s illegal domestic spying program. Color me happy. 🙂 Among the other letters published in today’s paper I do like this quote from Randy Balot: “We are fighting a two-front war. In the Middle East are the Islamofascists. In the United StatesContinue reading “More on Writing Letters”