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Childrens DO Learn - Can Adults Learn Too?

BUSH ANSWERS OWN QUESTION WITH A RESOUNDING YES!

In 1968, George W. Bush graduated Yale University with a bachelor's degree in history. Seven years later in 1975, he would receive an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1994, Bush would be elected as the Governor of Texas. Just over six years later in January of 2001, George W. Bush would be inaugurated as the 43rd president of the United States. Those first four sentences COMPLETE in FULL the highlights portion of the LIFE and TIMES of George Walker Bush. If you had been living in a cave for the past 15 or so years and just read those first four sentences, you would almost certainly have to be extremely impressed and, dare I say, in awe of the undeniable scholarly traits exhibited by this intellectual titan.

GEORGE BUSH IS WIDELY CREDITED WITH INVENTING THE FUNNEL

Then imagine you flip on your new 50 inch plasma HDTV and WOW, there he is, this successful, highly accomplished deep thinker getting ready to address a group of impressionable grade school children in New York City. Bush was using these children as props to urge Congress to reauthorize his completely forgettable "No Child Left Behind" initiative when he stated, and I quote, "CHILDRENS DO LEARN". Veritas is NOT GUILTY of a major typo. The self-dubbed Education President, the scholar with not one, but two prestigious Ivy League degrees, the former two term Governor of Texas and current two term President of the United States of America looked the world in the eye and proudly proclaimed, "CHILDRENS DO LEARN". I can only surmise this brilliant three word articulation once and for all provided the quintessential response to an inquiry Bush himself, first posed whilst campaigning for the presidency in South Carolina in January of 2000. Bush's specific question was: "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"

I have more knowledge than most when it comes to what has to be sacrificed and accomplished in order to earn both an undergraduate as well as a graduate degree from Ivy League institutions of higher learning. No matter how hard I try, I simply can't imagine Bush making the effort to take meticulous notes, spending long, arduous hours studying his course material and constantly researching material for required papers into the wee hours of the early morning in the school library. I would think his comprehensive cheerleader practice, his burgeoning alcoholic training regimen and his natural propensity for laziness through vacation philosophy, would have made legitimate passing of courses virtually impossible. Despite these seeming insurmountable obstacles, George Bush holds those two aforementioned degrees.

BUSH STUDIED THE EFFECTS OF GRAVITY ON JACK DANIELS

So if George Sr. and Barbara ever wondered aloud "is our oldest children learning?" George W conclusively proved "childrens do learn". My question however is, what exactly did HE learn? I have no concrete evidence whatsoever that our current president was given a "free ride" through these schools because of any undue family influence, generous honorariums from wealthy familial alumni or closed door agreements between wealthy gentlemen of high moral fiber, but let's be real here, how many previous presidents have been the subject of hundreds, if not thousands, of books detailing what a certifiable imbecile he is? Once Bush leaves the White House, unemployment offices across the country will be overflowing with Bush autobiographers and comedy writers asking questions such as "why does George W. Bush keep his fly open"? In case he has to count to 11. Brrrrump-bump.

GEORGE BUSH AND GEORGE WASHINGTON

What does George Bush being elected twice as President say about the American people that voted for him both times? I don't believe it was any one specific factor that made people go into a voting booth and pull Bush. I've come to realize with the right mixture of marketing, fear, manipulation, deception, advertising and flat out lying, the dumbest guy in the room can be elected president. That, I CAN prove with concrete evidence. We'll be electing a new president in just over 13 months. As polarized a country as we may be at present, I hope people can put partisanship away for a little while and learn from past mistakes. This country can talk until they're red, white and blue in the face about how we're the greatest society in the world, along with all the chest thumping theatrics that go along with it. Trust me, there's no shortage of unqualified candidates campaigning for your vote as I type. If the majority of Americans fall for the biggest purveyor of crap again, who knows what the consequences might be.

There is an actual Chinese proverb that states the following: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". You can listen to the subject of this post offer his own unique reading of that very proverb below. I hope you think long and hard about it come November of 2008, when you're voting for the next president. If childrens do learn, hopefully their role models do as well.....

TRY TO FORGET IRAQ FOR TEN MINUTES!

Lauren Caitlin Upton, the reigning Miss South Carolina Teen USA, was asked last month why one-fifth of Americans can't find the United States on a map. After careful consideration, she opined the following in her own words "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps." Lauren, I happen to be one of the fortunate U.S. Americans who does have a map. I therefore would like to take a moment to proudly announce that I am one of the four-fifths of U.S. Americans that can find the United States on a map. At the risk of sounding cocky, I can also find Iraq on a map. After completing that mental exercise, I am fully prepared to announce there's more than 6,200 miles separating Washington, D.C. from Baghdad, Iraq. That's significantly further than Miami, Florida is from Anchorage, Alaska. After watching video tape excerpts from Wednesday night's Democratic debate, perhaps the time has come to focus on the many other serious problems facing this country.

MY DEBATE QUESTION - WHICH PHOTO IS BETTER?

George W. Bush and his fellow coven of cowards got the country hopelessly trapped in a far off country that posed no threat whatsoever to this country. It has been established ad nauseam that NO electable republican candidate for president will commit to bringing our troops home anytime soon, and after Wednesday night's democratic debacle at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, it became just as apparent that NO electable democratic candidate will do so either. It's a wash. Nobody wins, everybody loses. So now having that firmly established, it's time to move forward to other things and simply give up on liberating our troops from Iraq. Or is it?

I recently read an article written by Christopher Hitchens in Monday's edition of slate.com titled Run, Al, Run. The premise for this article was to pose the question, if Al Gore were to win the Nobel Peace prize in Oslo, Norway on October 12th, would that be the springboard for Al Gore to officially announce his candidacy for President of the United States? Personally, I hope the answer to that question is a resounding YES. I do realize there are a great many people who don't share my respect and high regard for the former vice-president. But in these partisan and contentious times, I can't honestly think of one single politician in this country that is universally held in high regard. Not one that's alive, anyway. I don't even think the majority of our beloved dead politicians would fare very well in 2007, for that matter. George Washington wore a powdered wig, had wooden teeth and looked startlingly like the woman who gave birth to the Anti-Christ, George W Bush. Abe Lincoln was too tall, awkward and ugly to be elected president today. We also can't forget how he diminished plantation work forces by radically freeing the slaves. If those weren't enough negatives to destroy his political career, he spent far too much time in the theater. He instead, should have gotten this country involved in civil wars outside this country.

When you take an honest look at today's crap er crop of potential presidents, you should honestly feel concern. On the republican side, the 2008 nominee will probably be Rudy Giuliani. If it's not him, it will most likely be Mitt Romney, John McCain or Fred Thompson. Once Giuliani doesn't have 9/11 to exploit, his 180 degree swings on gun control or abortion, his penchant for marrying and then divorcing women, ignoring his children and constant reminders that he single-handedly saved New York City from sinking into the ocean on 9/11, he's an obnoxious bald New Yorker on the verge of collecting what little is left in Social Security cash. Mitt Romney, "The Great White Varmint Hunter" is also a serial flip-flopper, a hypocrite, a guy who paints his hair with black lacquer and a man so boring, watching paint dry appears fascinating in comparison. John McCain and Fred Thompson, The Maverick and The Movie Star. Weren't they also the first two candidates to announce they were challenging Marc Antony for the vacant position of Emperor of Rome after Julius Caesar took a stab at Cleopatra? I already had two grandfathers, a third is totally unnecessary.

On the democratic side, the 2008 nominee appears to be Hillary Clinton. The Laughing Hyena or The Princess of Pants Suits if you prefer, or The Siren of Shrinkage, which I happen to prefer, is inching closer and closer to the head of the party. Who's going to stop her, Barack Obama, John Edwards or Dennis Kucinich, as The Beaver? All the democrats are too busy cowering in fear of the voters, the republicans and fear itself, to find the hiding place of Hillary's Transylvanian coffin and drive a wooden chicken into her heart. We the townspeople cannot leave our homes to go outside and play, or even march up to her evil castle with lit torches to stop her reign of maniacal and cackling terror. Deciding on a president amongst these two parties is like deciding which talentless, self-important chick I'd rather be marooned on a deserted island with, Oprah Winfrey or Rosie O'Donnell. Oy vey.

So Al Gore, buddy, what do you say? You were already elected president back in 2000, but never got to move in because the partisan Supreme Court never let you get sworn in. The American people were robbed, the global community was robbed and YOU, Al Gore, were robbed too. Life was not designed to haphazardly offer second chances to every Hillary, Rudy and Mitt that comes down the pike. A terrible wrong took place nearly seven years ago, and if you regret what happened one volt as much as the rest of the world does, you'll gather up the following: your Oscar, for your brilliant documentary on global warming, your Emmy Award for Current TV, (the youngest network to ever win an Emmy Award) the Nobel Peace Prize you're going to win, your foresight, your brilliance and your chance for redemption to the American people and announce to us, you're prepared to once again "win the presidency of the United States". I feel certain this time, we'll at long last get the president we need and the president we voted for as opposed to the one we didn't and we didn't. Then, we can start thinking about Iraq again.......

RUDY GUILIANI - THE $9.11 WHORE!!!!!!!!

Is there NO DEPTH that Rudy Giuliani won't sink to when it comes to exploiting our National Tragedy known simply as 9/11? The man initially dubbed America's Mayor has so thoroughly taken advantage of the fact he happened to be the Mayor of New York City on that fateful day, that his W-2 Form should list his profession as "Terrorism Exploiter". "HAVE YOU NO DECENCY, SIR? AT LONG LAST, HAVE YOU LEFT NO SENSE OF DECENCY?" Those two famous simplistically eloquent questions were first asked on June 9, 1954 by chief counsel of the US Army, Joseph Welch, to another disgraceful republican, exploitative politician, named Joseph McCarthy during the infamous Army-McCarthy Hearings, investigating communist activities in the United States. Sadly, those very questions seem as poignant today as the day they were first posed more than half a century ago.

When America went to bed on Monday night, September 10, 2001, the thrice married, 57 year old Giuliani was basically little more than New York City's lame duck mayor. That would all change in a matter of hours. Two American Airline planes would soon slam into each of the World Trade Center Towers and life as we knew it in the United States would be forever altered. As the towers were ablaze in flame along with smoke and debris filling the air and ground, Mayor Rudy Giuliani was on the scene and to his credit, was providing some sense of calm leadership in the face of chaos. It was somewhat comforting to know that not everybody in a leadership position was cowering in a Nebraska hole on September 11th. Giuliani was regarded as a hero but in the coming days, we would be reminded that first impressions were not always lasting impressions.

GEORGE W BUSH LOOKING FOR HIS NUTS

In the days, weeks and months following the attacks that would leave nearly 3,000 innocent people dead, news slowly began seeping out that would accurately transform myth into reality. As Giuliani was dominating the airwaves, showing up on a daily basis at as many as five funerals and multiple press conferences, certain irrefutable facts slowly began to emerge. In late September Mr. Giuliani summoned Mark Green, who was running in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, to his command post. Mr. Giuliani, as Mr. Green recalled, was quite blunt when he stated he wanted to remain in office for an additional three months beyond his term expiration. Giuliani claimed he had a great team, he could lobby Washington. "I’m being reasonable", he cautioned; "my supporters want me to run for a new term". Apparently Giuliani forgot that where dictatorships may allow for rulers to make up their own laws as they go along, democracies tend to frown upon it.

GIULIANI MAKING THE CASE TO REMAIN IN POWER

Lest we forget, on February 26, 1993, The World Trade Center was the scene for a previous terrorist attack. A car bomb was detonated in an underground parking garage beneath Tower One. The plan called for the 1,500 pound bomb to knock that tower off its very foundation into Tower Two, causing both to collapse to the ground. The goal of the terrorists was to kill as many as 250,000 people. Fortuitously, that plan failed, but six people did die and over 1,000 people were injured as a result. The Islamic extremists were caught and vowed others would try to successfully accomplish this psychotic mission in the future. In spite of this chilling warning and attempts by city officials to move New York City's Emergency Command Center out of the World Trade Center to a safer location, Giuliani ignored all the pleas and kept the ECC right where it was. At his campaign appearances, Giuliani also neglects to mention that despite many pleas from the NYC Fire Department, he steadfastly refused to implement a system where police officers and firefighters would be able to communicate with each other via radio. At 10:07 AM on 9/11, police helicopters hovering above the north tower just moments after the south tower collapsed, radioed the inevitability of the north tower collapsing as well. Those clear warnings that were captured on police radio tapes, were transmitted 21 minutes before the building fell. Officials were able to relay those warnings to police officers, most of whom managed to escape. Yet most firefighters never heard those warnings, or earlier orders to get out. Their radio system failed frequently that morning. Even if the radio network had been reliable, it was not linked to the police system. The police and fire commanders guiding the rescue efforts did not talk to one another during the entirety of the crisis. Cut off from critical information, at least 121 firefighters, most in striking distance of safety, died when the north tower fell, an analysis by The New York Times has found.

GIULIANI'S CHOICE FOR EMERGENCY COMMAND CENTER LOCATION

Six years later, Rudy Giuliani is criss-crossing this country and even making fund raising forays into Europe, in his quest to further exploit 9/11, in his bid to become President of the United States. Not a day goes by, not an appearance goes by and not a carefully well planned out ad-lib goes by where Giuliani is not referencing the national tragedy of 9/11 as HIS personal triumph. It's despicable enough that America's Mayor, as he refers to himself, has altered his views on abortion and gun control 180 degrees, but has the utter gall to proclaim himself the only man in America capable of protecting America in every stump speech. Everything Giuliani does is done to benefit himself. Ask his first two wives who they plan to vote for. I assure you both would love to hang Rudy by his chads. He deserted his two children for the sake of his third wife.. His son won't discuss his father beyond the fact they don't talk, but his daughter speaks volumes by actively working on the Barack Obama campaign.

Hopefully for the sake of humanity, Rudy's exploitation of the victims of 9/11 reached its zenith Wednesday night in Palo Alto, California. Rudy's supporters will enjoy a $9.11 per plate dinner. You read that right, Giuliani has sunk so far into the abyss, that he's now charging supporters $9.11 to eat a plate of food. Of course Giuliani takes no responsibility for this shameless act. Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for the campaign, said that it was “unfortunate.” Forgetting a neighbor's birthday is unfortunate, raising money by way of raping the memory of the innocent dead and their still grieving families, is the new standard for moral decay. The spokesperson then went on to lay the blame squarely on volunteers who acted "independently of and without the knowledge of the campaign", she said in a statement. “Their decision to ask individuals for that amount was an unfortunate choice.” I can only assume Giuliani was too hungry to pass up a $9.11 bargain for a delicious dinner to notice. Politics is often tasteless, classless, shameless and without an ounce of virtue. But, when you're willing to sell your last shred of humanity for $9.11, your very soul no longer exists. It has been tragically interred deep beneath GROUND ZERO with the remains of the true heroes of 9/11.......

Illiteracy Must Be Countered With Literacy!!

I learned years ago the futility of arguing or debating points of contention with drunks (otherwise reasonable people impaired by excessive alcohol intake) or illiterates (otherwise unreasonable people impaired by insufficient intellect). I was recently reminded of this proclamation when an obviously sober person strongly criticized this very blog. To be more specific, the person criticized my view of the world. Under all circumstances, except the two specific exceptions I notated in my first sentence, I would be fine with any critique of my opinions or writings. What allows me to laugh AT the individual lodging this specific negative critique can be summed up in one simple URL, or in this specific case, one ultra-simple URL known as http://www.screwliberals.com.

Much like myself, I feel reasonably certain your first impression of the deep thinking, razor sharp wit and analytical ability displayed by this individual in naming this website alone, makes for one formidable master-debater. It momentarily took me back to some debates all adults remember participating in on playgrounds across America when we were in elementary school. We lacked the wisdom, command of the language and ability to thoughtfully craft an intellectual response more than "oh yeah" or perhaps a less than complimentary reference to your debate partner's mother.

Sadly, a certain percentage of people never progress beyond our grade school reasoning skills. They're not intellectually capable of justifying their thoughts and positions through their advanced mental acuities, but only through the same childish name calling that served them as mentally undeveloped children. I'm happy to provide publicity to the individual responsible for http://www.screwliberals.com. The person responsible for putting out this blog has every right to do so. Clearly, it's not a crime in the United States to espouse your views under the First Amendment. Intellectual content or in this case, lack thereof, should never be a deterrent to doing so.

I just think it's acknowledgment of mental inferiority when you feel the need to name call and denigrate everybody who doesn't share your views. George W. Bush is a master of this practice. Whenever he is questioned about anything the least bit negative to him, he either sidesteps the question or launches into a contrived, nonsensical attack that has nothing to do whatsoever with the original question. People like this avoid intellectual discussion by their singular insistence that their view is 100% right. If you don't agree with them, they're incapable of scoring debating points with clear concise argument and instead take a trip down memory lane and call you a derogatory name.

People like Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter earn massive amounts of money appealing to people devoid of common sense or the ability to formulate an idea based on specifics rather than ideology. I don't consider myself to be liberal anymore than I consider myself conservative. I wish people who live in the middle ground of both parties could somehow organize a third party and leave the left and right wing extremists all alone to harmlessly and anonymously amuse themselves. Until that day occurs, I would much rather align myself politically with people who care about what's best for all the people of this planet, as opposed to what's best for only the people just like themselves.

The definition of LIBERAL is: one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways. A CONSERVATIVE is defined as: one who adheres to traditional methods or views. So, if I have to choose between being open-minded and able to think for myself, or being close-minded and adhering to only to one basic way of deciding, I'll take liberal every time. I remember reading years ago that there was a relatively simple difference between intelligent people and illiterate people. Intelligent people talk about ideas, whereas illiterate people talk about other people. I'll continue to explore my views by expressing my open-minded ideas. The illiterate among us will unfortunately continue expressing their views through the close-minded methodology of http://www.screwliberals.com.......

FREE-DUMB of SPEECH * Bill of Wrongs!

It often appears that FREEDOM of SPEECH has outlived its usefulness in the United States of America. The First Amendment to the Constitution was added during the very infancy of the country when it was ratified on December 15, 1791. This first of the initial ten additions to the Constitution would be known as the Bill of Rights. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to limit the powers of the central federal government, thereby protecting the rights of all citizens, residents and visitors on United States territory. This First Amendment was specifically written to guarantee the people freedom of speech, religion and the press.

I've come to realize over the years that people learn significantly more about life from listening than they do from talking. We've evolved into a society that only embraces the principles and philosophies of life we agree with. A classic example of this, is that a great many Americans acknowledge the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights is limited to their interpretation of the first two Amendments. For those not familiar with the Second Amendment, this provides for the people's right to keep and bear arms. I sometimes think a certain percentage of our populace interprets the first two amendments to mean they can take out one of their many guns and shoot anybody that expresses an opinion they find objectionable or don't agree with.

The true definition of Freedom of Speech is full acceptance of speech we vehemently oppose with every bit as much as fervor as speech we fully support. The true brilliance displayed by the framers of the Constitution and Bill of Rights was to afford the same freedom of expression to people or ideas we loathe, as those we cheer. A classic example of this concept is a citizen's right to express his/her displeasure with the country by burning a US flag in protest. Most Americans find this form of protest as an abhorrent spectacle. The First Amendment was designed to protect your rights to feel this way with the same protection afforded the flag burner. Freedom of Speech is not decided by majority vote but by individual expression. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the foundation of American democracy as written in the opening passage of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, when he wrote, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. This was a more eloquent way of stating that people we don't agree with have the same rights as people we do agree with.

This conveniently leads us into today. I have taken part in and heard television pundits discussing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia University in New York City earlier today. Much like George W. Bush and most other American politicians of both major political parties, he was evasive, ignored questions he didn't want to respond to by answering questions that weren't asked and attempted to put himself in only a positive light. A great many Americans cannot conceal their hatred towards Ahmadinejad. Just for the record, I have no use for the guy either. In an earlier post dated September 22nd, I was quite clear when expressing what little regard I personally hold for the guy. So what. Ahmadinejad doesn't live his life hoping to gain my or your approval. He's an admitted anti-semitic, anti-democratic and anti human-rights leader of a repressive regime. This gives him an expansive forum in which to express his hate filled views. Americans, if nothing else, can relate to the majority of Iranians who think their president is a dangerous, semi-literate lunatic. A great many educated people don't like our president or their president. Is that justification for not allowing either one of them to speak? Allowing them the public stage to highlight their own ignorance is the best way to minimize their future impact.

AHMADINEJAD BEFORE GROWING BEARD

If we only allow people whose views we share to speak out, then our government will officially cease being a democracy and morph into a dictatorship where Freedom of Speech will simply become speech. Instead of ignoring Ahmadinejad, listen carefully to what he says. Base your views on this guy by listening to him speak, as opposed to what you hear other people speak about him. That's what Freedom of Speech is. It emphasizes your freedom, by allowing you to embrace or denounce speech that democracy affords us. Narrow minded people have narrow, childish views. If you choose to align yourself with these people, eventually you'll become one of them. I'd rather align myself with all encompassing, educated views. I'll then be free to decide for myself which views I support and which views I don't.

FREE SPEECH MUST TOLERATE EVEN THIS

There's an old saying that tells us "every man is my superior in that I may learn from him". If you don't understand or accept this sentiment, you've probably made the choice that you've finished learning and are now as bright and insightful as you're ever going to be. That's your choice. That's your individual way of expressing your Freedom of Speech. Just don't try to make it anybody else's way of life. I listened to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today. I'm not angry at what he said at Columbia. I'm happy he had the opportunity to demonstrate what a self-delusional, narrow minded dictatorial grape-nut he truly is. The Iranian President metaphorically hanged himself with his own words. I can't quite put my finger on who he reminds me of, but sadly, I'm thinking it will come flooding back to me the next time our American President exercises his FREE-DUMB of SPEECH.........

USA - SUBSIDIARY of BLACKWATER USA!!

It would seem yet another highly clandestine, disgraceful and perhaps felonious chapter of the Bush Administration is ready to see the light of day in the form of BLACKWATER. It is becoming more and more debatable which armed military force is actually in charge in Iraq. Blackwater USA bills itself on its own web page as the most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping and stability operations in the world. I can only assume they made this claim after analyzing the US military as a comparative military force. The Bush administration calls Blackwater a security force. If Bush were capable of telling the truth, he would refer to Blackwater's role in Iraq as what they really are, MERCENARIES. You know, individuals who fight solely for wages. In this particular case, very good wages. Many of these so called Blackwater soldiers of fortune, are reportedly making as much as ten times as much money as the very GIs they're providing "security" for.

Bush loves to threaten opponents of this war who talk about cutting off the funding of it, as putting the troops in mortal danger. I now wonder which troops he was referring to, the US Military, Blackwater, Bechtel or Haliburton? The aforementioned corporations have made billions of dollars in Iraq with very few positive results to show for it. This is like needing major roof repairs after a hurricane. You're constantly paying the contractors thousands of dollars every few months and all you have to show for it, is massive leaking and an inability to get a straight answer on the rare occasion a representative takes your phone call.

TYPICAL ROOFING CONTRACTOR

Blackwater recently emerged from the shadows early last week when US puppet/Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced the secretive Republican connected company was being expelled from Iraq for fatally shooting eleven Iraqi civilians following a car bomb attack against a State Department convoy. Not to worry however, in a blatantly, transparent disregard of al-Maliki's banishment of Blackwater, the US State Dept. late Friday approved the company to resume escorting American officials in Baghdad, just days after the fatal shootings took place.The very shootings that precipitated the Iraqi government's condemnation of the company's conduct and revoke the immunity its employees enjoy from Iraqi law. It would seem Bush has placed severe restrictions on Iraq's sovereignty and independence when it's not convenient to him. That shouldn't be a surprise on American soil either.The same restrictions are placed on US citizens as well, when The Decider decides democracy interferes with his delusions of grandeur.

Blackwater is alleged to employ up to 1,500 mercenaries, er private security forces in Iraq. In all, there are at least 180,000 civilians - including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis that are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times. This of course means there are more private contractors receiving vast amounts of US dollars, than there are Soldiers receiving significantly smaller amounts of US dollars. “These numbers are big,” said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution scholar who has written on military contracting. “They illustrate better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is not the coalition of the willing. It’s the coalition of the billing.”

The Los Angeles Times performed extensive research based in part on a database of contractors in Iraq they obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, which allows the public access to government records. The information provided in the government records found about 130,000 of the 180,000 contractors are presently working for 632 companies holding contracts in Iraq with the Defense Department and a handful of other federal agencies. The status of the 50,000 contractors not listed in this report are presently unknown. In other words, there are at least 20,000 more private contractors in Iraq than there are US soldiers. So as previously noted, where exactly do Bush's loyalties lie. Is it with the 160,000 young kids who fervently believe they're fighting for their country, or the 180,000 private contractors/mercenaries who are positively fighting for their expanding bank accounts? Let's also be real and acknowledge none of these 632 companies who've signed fat contracts with the government, enabling them to make even fatter profits, would be in this position if they didn't enjoy a very cozy campaign contributing relationship with the Corrupter-in-Chief.

As the captain of the Titanic must have noted soon after his luxury liner was fatally damaged, this is the just the tip of the iceberg. Any number of US Corporations can claim money is being made hand over fist as idealistic soldiers and innocent Iraqi civilians are being killed every day. If the US Senators and Congressional Representatives were able to reap the benefits of having a spine, they would stop funding this war yesterday. Some serious people may feel what's going on in Iraq with the increasingly more overt corruption and pillaging of the treasury to be more important than an opinion ad in the New York Times. Americans have to start opening their eyes and seeing the facts as opposed to closing their minds and listening to George Bush. Every US Soldier death and private contractor dollar earned is happening on our watch. I think we've sat idly by and watched enough, what about you??????

WHY ARE WE SO EASILY MANIPULATED?

It's the truth. Planet Earth doesn't revolve around the sun. More often than not, it seems to revolve around the ease of how manipulatable we are as a people. Advertisers, politicians, religious leaders, insignificant actors, family, friends and particularly public opinion manipulates us on a daily basis. For nearly five years, the American people have allowed a consummate dullard such as George W. Bush to manipulate our country into fighting and sustaining a futile war. We were manipulated into this war initially because we were told Iraq was responsible for 9/11 and rife with WMD. Neither turned out to be true, but it's a little late at this stage to be quibbling about that.

Speaking of our Chimpanzee-in-Chief, at one of his incoherent, rambling press conferences held on Thursday, he actually joined forces with Faux & Unbalanced Fox News to answer one of their reporter's previously arranged questions regarding MoveOn.org. Bush was asked what he thought of an independent political action committee exercising it's constitutionally protected first amendment rights concerning the ad it ran about General David Petraeus or BetrayUS, if you prefer. Bush said "I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military. And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org -- or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military. That was a sorry deal. It's one thing to attack me; it's another thing to attack somebody like General Petraeus." For the record, the previous illiterate text was a direct quote from George W. Bush. I haven't written like that since I was writing with crayons circa my sixth birthday.

You're probably thinking no reasonable person of average intelligence could possibly be manipulated by that quote, but not so fast Goober. The United States Senate, the most powerful legislative branch of government in the world, passed a resolution condemning MoveOn.org. If you are wondering how your Senators voted, here's the list. These frightened little worms allowed a cocky little moron to manipulate them. I expect the Republicans to do this. They won't support the troops by ending the war, or at the very minimum allowing them time to rest and recuperate from their high stress deployments. They will however, condemn an organization for speaking its mind. What I didn't expect, was that 22 Democratic Senators had their spines surgically removed so they could join their Republic colleagues in entering this landmark legislation into the congressional record.

The next situation involves a man I personally loathe. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is arriving in New York City on Sunday to address the United Nations' General Assembly. Ahmadinejad is an acknowledged sponsor of terror, he's an anti-semitic, despicable human being. He wants to go to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan to lay a wreath in memory of the innocent people who senselessly died on September 11th, 2001. No sooner did that request become public, that our National Manipulation Department sprung into action expressing shock and horror that this evil little troll wants to lay a memorial wreath on this hallowed ground. Our orchestrated manipulation leaders immediately began doing what they do best. They shrieked their moral indignation and outrage that this guy wants to lay a wreath.

I fully acknowledge Ahmadinejad probably has self serving ulterior motives for wanting to do this. Remember Bush standing in the rubble on that same ground a few days after the attack? He had a bullhorn in one hand and a rescue worker in the other. He certainly had self serving ulterior motives for wanting to do this. We were so easily manipulated into believing this President was our savior and protector. We didn't know he soiled his pants, froze with fear, and hid in a Nebraska hole in the ground as we watched those towers crumble to the ground. We believed we would avenge the bastards responsible for this act of war. We were manipulated into believing exactly what the Bush Cabal wanted us to. As we all know, the responsible parties for 9/11 are still laughing at us as they put out video after video and kill our soldiers in a country that had as much to do with the 9/11 attacks as Belgium did.

Ahmadinejad tells people the holocaust never happened. I have no doubt that if he could, he would like to wipe the United States and Israel off the map. I can't imagine walking three feet out of my way to spit in his face if it was on fire. I do however, think if he wants to lay a wreath at Ground Zero, he should be allowed to do so. You don't teach somebody about democracy and decency by demonstrating neither. We're practicing the exact type of behavior against this Iranian that we condemn him for practicing against us. Let him lay his damn wreath and let him see first hand what people like him did to decent people. In other words, manipulate this guy into seeing what we as Americans want him to see. Show him we're better than he is.

GROUND ZERO TODAY

That's never going to happen though. We've become so manipulated as a people, we're not capable of turning the tables even on our enemies. If only we could. Iraq would not have our soldiers, we could take a bottle of shampoo on a plane, we wouldn't have an illiterate moron for a president and we wouldn't give a rat's ass that Ahmadinejad wants to lay a band of intertwined flowers and leaves on a piece of ground that has come to symbolize our failures as a people. The next time you suspect one of our so called leaders is trying to manipulate you, instead of blindly going along, try looking them square in the eye and tell them to MANIPULATE THIS.........

SOLDIERS DIE WHILE REPUBLICANS LIE!

I'm almost stunned speechless when I'm forced to sit back and watch Republican Senators place a higher priority on their own re-election campaigns than the lives and well being of the troops they publicly claim to care so deeply about. There are currently 49 Republican US Senators (including disgraced Idaho men's room homosexual soliciting family values bastion, Larry Craig and disgraced Louisiana prostitute soliciting family values bastion part II, David Vitter.)

Of these 49 pillars of their respective communities, only six (6) of them, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Susan Collins of Maine, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Gordon Smith of Oregon voted for the bill that required the troops getting more rest before returning overseas. The bill was therefore killed because it failed to receive the necessary 60 votes to withstand the inevitable filibuster from the hypocritical Republicans. Of the six Republicans who voted Yea, four of them (Snowe, Collins, Sununu and Coleman) are coincidently expected to face difficult re-election fights when their seats expire in 2008.

Republicans will seemingly go anyplace, anytime to worship the troops as long as television cameras and microphones are pointed in their direction. This bill would have mandated rest periods for troops equal to the length of time they spent on combat tours. Republicans celebrated the defeat of the bill, which they said would have amounted to a legislated surrender of the Iraq war, a week after Bush declared his troop surge strategy was having success. But it appears when push comes to shove, Republicans are far more interested in promoting political partisanship then in protecting the troops. Many political pundits believe Republicans who rejected this bill are merely trying to whip up support amongst their right wing base for upcoming primary challenges early next year. Once they secure their primary victory, they will then and only then publicly announce their undying commitment to our beleaguered troops.

In yet another attempt to obliterate the principles of the US Constitution, Republicans also banded together to prevent legislation that would have restored habeas corpus rights to military detainees and given them “the right to protest their detention in federal court.” But the roll call fell four votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate. Once again Olympia Snowe, John Sununu, Gordon Smith and Chuck Hagel joined Democrats in protecting this basic but important provision of constitutional rights, along with Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Richard Luger of Indiana. The hypocrites in the Republican Party want to promote democracy and decency in Iraq, but apparently not in the United States.

You have to hand it to the Republican Party. They love to wrap themselves in the flag and praise our brave fighting men and women along with proclaiming themselves the Protectors of Democracy. They talk and talk and then talk some more. However, when it comes time to actually backing up their words with actions, they fall miserable short. I honestly believe these Republicans would forgo an expensive dinner with cash carrying K Street lobbyists for a photo-op with a returning Iraq War veteran. They would flash the widest smile and repeat the mantra of thanking them for everything they do for their country. That's all they do, they talk. Their level of genuine concern ends when the last photo is snapped. They cowardly send these mentally and physically exhausted soldiers back to Iraq without as much as an admonition of not letting the door hit them in the ass as they return for their third or fourth extended tour of duty.

The Republicans remain far behind the front lines of Iraq whilst praising the very soldiers they so callously use and then ignore. Then they talk about freedom, while simultaneously denying freedom via habeas protections to people who haven't been convicted of anything. If you don't know, HABEAS CORPUS is very well explained in the highlighted passage. It's the foundation on which our judicial system is formed. There's a reason why President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress registered record-low approval ratings in a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. Only 29 percent of Americans gave Bush a positive grade for his job performance, below his worst Zogby poll mark of 30 percent in March. A paltry 11 percent rated Congress positively, beating the previous low of 14 percent in July. In other words, three out of every ten Americans think positively of Bush, and one out of ten Americans think positively of Congress.

Ask yourself how you would feel if you were risking your life on your fourth tour of duty in Iraq without any reasonable respite. Think how you might feel if you were literally tossed in a prison cell for years without any legal representation or a shred of actual evidence that you're guilty of anything. When, and hopefully not IF you vote next November, ask yourself how you would feel if you were in Iraq or in a prison cell and nobody could tell you why. Then, think of the smiling Republicans that were using your situation to improve their situation. I would return their smile and do the one thing for them they wouldn't do for me. Give them some much needed time off. Trust me, they'll at least know why........