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I Love My Country - I Hate My PresidentView Messagestoday's cut & paste “ I Love My Country. I Hate My President. A BUZZFLASH SPECIAL GUEST COMMENTARY by James C. Moore, Co-author of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W.Bush Presidential When President Nixon died, I was assigned to travel to California and report on the funeral for a group of television stations. Although Yorba Linda is beautiful, with the kind of appeal that has drawn millions to Southern California, I was not interested in being a journalist at the funeral. Sure, this was history, but I despised Richard Nixon. His lust for power, and his absolute distrust of the public, nearly destroyed our country’s Constitution. I think God even had some feelings about Nixon. For the first time in Yorba Linda’s recorded history, hail fell, a half a foot in a few minutes, just before the eulogies were to begin. After our satellite trucks had been rattled, and our rental cars dented, the historical revisionists began to march to podium to try to find good things to say. Every man, of course, should have friends to speak of him at his passing. But they should speak the truth. Let the opinions of his enemies also be heard. None of Nixon’s was spoken for, and they were many and manifest, all across America. Another reporter, knowing that I had come of age during the Vietnam and Watergate eras, asked me what I thought about the former president being gone. I tried to remain ambivalent. But it wasn’t easy. "It’s not a good thing to be happy about someone else’s death," I told her. "But I certainly will not miss him. Nor do I think will our country. And I know a lot of very patriotic people who, if they were here, would ask to open the casket so they could drive a stake through his heart to make certain he was dead." I gave into dark, tasteless humor. But it was true. Nixon had scared and angered people in a way no president before him ever had. I was not certain my country was going to survive his lies until I heard the reassuring timbre in Congresswoman Barbara Jordan’s voice as she said, "My faith in the Constitution is whole." But I only despised Richard Nixon. I never hated him. I have never known what it is like to hate anyone. Until now. Until George W. Bush became president. I hate Mr. Bush and what he is doing to my country. I cannot believe the range of duplicities involved in his administration; the gratuitous lying to serve profit and political purpose. As the president lies about Iraq, lies about the economy, lies about the environment, lies about his tax cut, lies about the education bill, lies about the budget, lies about his real interests in Africa, lies about Halliburton; he is destroying the American public’s faith in the democratic process. Mr. Bush has done things in my name, and yours, which repulse me. I have no doubt that Saddam Hussein’s two sons needed to be brought to justice. But I was disgusted that my country gave sponsor to the notion of showing their dead faces on television, as though that might reassure the Iraqis. This was the modern international equivalent of brutal tribes placing their conquered foes heads on a spike in the town square. I despise the way Mr. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and all of the neo-cons, had developed a military plan that sent our brave soldiers to secure oil fields, rather than protecting the people of Iraq, the institutions of their culture and commerce, which Saddam Hussein had been misusing for decades. The president, and his cynic-in-chief, Karl Rove, are using a manufactured war to keep Americans scared. And it is working. But I am ashamed that the president of my country would go back to the United Nations, the very organization he ignored when he launched the war, to ask for help in securing Iraq. Mr. Bush grew up in West Texas, where billboards dot the Permian Basin landscape with the message: "U.S. out of U.N." And because Rove wants to keep the fundamentalist right happy, Mr. Bush made clear that he would act without the imprimatur of the U.N. And now he has the audacity to seek its help. I am repulsed by my president. He allowed the drums of war to get hammered over aluminum tubes, which were never meant for anything more deadly than the making of rockets. The whole notion of the tubes being part of the construction of a centrifuge had been refuted by several international organizations, including America’s own Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, fourteen months before the story was leaked to a compliant, lazy U.S. media. The tubes were for the construction of Medusa 81 rockets, an Italian-designed weapon. Everybody in the intelligence community knew it, and Rove and the White House Iraq Group sent down orders that government intelligence experts were to keep their mouths shut about dissenting information. I am ashamed of the actions that my president has allowed to take place in our democracy. Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife have spent most of their lives in service to our country. When he was asked by the State Department to check on claims that Iraq had tried to acquire uranium from Niger, Ambassador Wilson came back to report the documentation was completely fake. The White House ignored his intelligence and the president put the claim in his speech. Wilson, who has devoted his life to the truth, wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times, and not too many weeks later, discovered that columnist Robert Novak was revealing his wife’s name and her undercover responsibilities for the CIA. Novak has long been Karl Rove’s favorite leak. During the presidential campaign, when reporters began talking about Mr. Bush’s time in the Texas National Guard, Rove suggested, "You guys shouldn’t make too much of a few missed meetings." A few days later, during a discussion of the issue on "CNN’s Crossfire," Novak told other commentators they were getting carried away over "a few missed meetings." He is Rove’s conservative hand puppet. By leaking Ambassador Wilson’s wife’s name to Novak, and by Novak writing a column about her, Karl Rove has committed treason, violated the National Security Act, and should be brought to justice, as surely and swiftly as Osama bin Laden ought to be. All of the undercover operatives Mrs. Wilson dealt with during her career overseas, many of them Americans, are now at risk of being killed by the arms dealers, who thought they were something other than CIA agents. There are too many lies, too many transgressions to list. Richard Nixon, in a less cynical era, told only one. And we were all supremely affronted by what he did to our democracy. George W. Bush, and Karl Rove, has told dozens, each one of them more damaging than lying about a break-in of a political headquarters. And yes, Bill Clinton lied. But nobody died. He told an all too common male lie about consensual sex. But he did not send the sons and daughters of America marching off to war wearing the boots of a well-told lie. George W. Bush’s one term will mark a low point in our country’s history. But if we all pay closer attention, and vote, we can recover. I love my country. But I hate my president.” 10:27:35 PM 9/08/03 “I don't hate my president, but believe that this is the worst administration that we've ever had. I believe criminal charges are in order and hopefully history will record the truth.” 5:57:53 AM 9/09/03 “In our lifetimes, President Bush likeness will be on Mount Rushmore. I feel safer with the Republicans in control of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. To the very few naysayers, I ask you, what country would you move to that you think is a better place to live?” 6:28:02 AM 9/09/03 “I wish it was not so.” 6:50:17 AM 9/09/03 Hate,Hate,Hate, I HATE you! “If you don't agree with a liberal democrat they HATE you. I don't possess such a mind of lofty ideals for our society that I HATE whoever doesn't agree. My simple mind can't attain that lofty plateau where fore it is ok to obfuscate and twist the truth to derail individuals with a screaming hatred. Look at the Dem political commercials. They are teaching our children that it's OK TO HATE” 6:52:53 AM 9/09/03 “I support the President. I am so thankful that the Democrat's attempt to steal the election failed.” 6:55:26 AM 9/09/03 “What a rude thing to say prosecutor. How about you and Mr Bush and his likeness find another place to live? I feel right at home here thank you. Anytime a country is led by the far right or the far left you can expect things to go to heck and they have.” 6:58:11 AM 9/09/03 “I guess that guy forgot about Black Hawk Down and how Slick Willie had the chance to get his hands on Osama. You can bank on 4 more from GW.” 7:27:41 AM 9/09/03 “I wish Ross Perot had a chance to start a new party. If a terr plane crashed into a Democratic national convention...I get the feeling that the landscape of the Middle East would resemble glass.” 7:37:59 AM 9/09/03 “MaryPhil, our country is led by the party which is closest to the center, which is the Republican Party, thank God. It is the democrats that are the out-of-touch far left extremists now. That is why the Republicans control all branches of the government. MaryPhil, we both agree that the United States is the best place to live. I think democracy works, and it is working very well now.” 8:05:32 AM 9/09/03 “Bush is a one term weenie. It will take years to undo the damage that his regime has wrought.” 8:12:37 AM 9/09/03 “So if I understand the first post correctly, Bush would be characterized as a scumbag?” 9:19:07 AM 9/09/03 “left-wing propaganda. Insert Clinton's name, change a few details to reflect his administration, and you'd have right-wing propaganda. *yawn*” 9:23:36 AM 9/09/03 “"left-wing propaganda. Insert Clinton's name, change a few details to reflect his administration, and you'd have right-wing propaganda." Bazonka! There is no "equal and opposite" here. Those who love Bush seem to be blind to the truth.” 9:29:54 AM 9/09/03 “I don't like Bush, and I'm not blind to the truth. I know propaganda when I see it.” 9:32:18 AM 9/09/03 “To the very few naysayers, I ask you, what country would you move to that you think is a better place to live?" prosecutor 06:28:02 AM 09/09/03 You seem to have missed the whole point of the argument there Prosecutor. That you can love your country and dislike the administration, and if you do love your country why would you want to move. Secondly I think all major commentators agree that this is one of the more "extreme" administrations, comparing it to Ronnie. I think you would have to be extreme yourself to consider it centerist. Call it what it is.” 9:38:57 AM 9/09/03 “"........I know propaganda when I see it....." ....Too bad the sheeple don't....” 9:42:44 AM 9/09/03 “I don't think the democraps are any better than the repugnants. In time, they are all crooked. They are out for themselves, period. And you know what? "We" let it happen. We let them vote themselves lifetime retirement, medical benefits, raises & tons of perks. I think it's time the American people wrest back a little control from our politicians. Term limits are a good start.” 11:25:20 AM 9/09/03 Blinders “At one time Richard Nixon supported National Health Care and signed legislation creating the EPA. W is way....way out to the extreme from Nixon. A liar extraordinaire. I don't see the propaganda here. Good grief.....I voted twice for Clinton and can admit that he was selfish,lied , yadda, yadda. Why can't you W lovers admit his faults? Take off the blinders. All these god-less lefties attacking our poor, beleaguered honest President.” 1:10:48 PM 9/09/03 “"Why can't you W lovers admit his faults? Take off the blinders. ....." kinda hard when yer head is up yer a s s YEEEEEEEWOOOO! I had to beat someone to it..:)” 1:13:50 PM 9/09/03 “that's cool...... 4 years ago I was ashamed of our president!” 1:16:32 PM 9/09/03 JO “Don't compare Clinton to President Bush. They have a completely different approach to government.” 1:17:12 PM 9/09/03 “But couldn't you techincally call Clinton, President "Bush"....” 1:18:43 PM 9/09/03 “Well I guess GW will be following in Monica's foot... errr, kneesteps when he has to go back to the UN.” 1:21:23 PM 9/09/03 “Que the porn music, Gee Dub is on his way to NY!” 1:22:30 PM 9/09/03 “It'll be a good opportunity to show what a .....hard worker he is. He's a pro at getting bent over.....LOL!!” 1:23:48 PM 9/09/03 “I don't see the propaganda here Here's some: As the president lies about Iraq, lies about the economy, lies about the environment, lies about his tax cut, lies about the education bill, lies about the budget, lies about his real interests in Africa, lies about Halliburton; he is destroying the American public’s faith in the democratic process I despise the way Mr. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and all of the neo-cons, had developed a military plan that sent our brave soldiers to secure oil fields, rather than protecting the people of Iraq, the institutions of their culture and commerce, which Saddam Hussein had been misusing for decades. The president, and his cynic-in-chief, Karl Rove, are using a manufactured war to keep Americans scared There are too many lies, too many transgressions to list.” 1:26:34 PM 9/09/03 “MaryPhil, our country is led by the party which is closest to the center, which is the Republican Party, thank God. It is the democrats that are the out-of-touch far left extremists now. That is why the Republicans control all branches of the government. MaryPhil, we both agree that the United States is the best place to live. I think democracy works, and it is working very well now." prosecutor 08:05:32 AM 09/09/03 I agree with you on this prosecutor!!” 1:28:15 PM 9/09/03 “Our country is run by a Dick and Bush...we're F**ked!!! I still love America though.” 1:31:09 PM 9/09/03 “Mutt - lets take a couple of the first two on offer then As the president lies about Iraq lies about the environment, he can be pinned down on these ones. WMDs, and the White House interfering in EPA reports - there you go.” 1:32:28 PM 9/09/03 “few on offer - even” 1:33:10 PM 9/09/03 “LOL @ Fist...” 1:39:19 PM 9/09/03 Work together. “A couple of days ago,Al Qauda threatened to make us forget 911. I wish the Democrats would forget their vendetta and work with President Bush to show a united front to protect us. That would be too much real leadership on their part. For the record I don't agree with some of things the current administration has done.” 1:40:56 PM 9/09/03 “he can be pinned down on these ones. WMDs, and the White House interfering in EPA reports - there you go. Bush hyperbolized the NBC WMD issue, but it was a real concern. But that's neither here nor there. All presidents lie, and to single out Bush for allegedly "destroying the American public’s faith in the democratic process" is more than a little disingenuous. It's propaganda.” 1:44:02 PM 9/09/03 “well ok, maybe that's going a little far. It is concerning that he does seem to be another President who seems to be prepared to lie repeatedly for the "greater good" - only time will tell I guess.” 2:05:31 PM 9/09/03 “"Bush hyperbolized the NBC WMD issue, but it was a real concern. But that's neither here nor there." As it turns out NBC WMD WAS NOT and IS NOT a real concern. We were misled into a WAR, hello!” 3:13:14 PM 9/09/03 “Tom I'm disappointed. I expected you to say "the only thing that appears to be neither here nor there are those WMDs"” 3:19:48 PM 9/09/03 “Bush = War Crimminal” 3:44:49 PM 9/09/03 “As it turns out NBC WMD WAS NOT and IS NOT a real concern. We were misled into a WAR, hello! Sure it was a real concern - I remember reading about it years ago. What wasn't a real concern was the imminent threat.” 3:53:18 PM 9/09/03 “The war budget is unlimited. We are putting my great grandchildren in debt. We are jeapordizing our ability to collect social security. GW, what a president.” 4:34:57 PM 9/09/03 “At least GW is making sure your grandchildren don't die in a terrorist attack without doing something about it now.” 4:47:47 PM 9/09/03 “noise.” 4:50:54 PM 9/09/03 Here is what your beloved is doing: “50 major changes in policy, including: Dramatically stepping up drilling for oil and natural gas on public land. Loosening environmental restrictions on logging and mining on federal property. Easing rules that require environmental impact assessments before thinning national forests, starting certain military activities such as bombing practice and building major transportation projects such as airports or highways. The Bush administration is cleaning up 31 percent fewer Superfund sites per month than the Clinton administration did, and polluters are paying 64 percent less in fines per month than they did during the late 1990s, according to a Knight Ridder analysis of settlements published in the Federal Register. Rejecting a worldwide treaty to curb global warming and pushing a comprehensive energy plan that stresses reliance on fossil fuels, which cause global warming and air pollution. Proposing to weaken the cornerstone air and water pollution laws enacted in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Proposing to slash air pollution from power plants by 70 percent and to limit diesel engine emissions. Many industry representatives are well placed to influence environmental policy. More than two dozen political appointees have backgrounds in the energy, chemical, timber, agribusiness and mining industries. According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, the oil and gas industry gave nearly $17 million to Republicans in 2002 and $1.9 million to the Bush campaign. The forestry industry gave $3.2 million to Republicans in 2002 and nearly $300,000 to Bush's campaign. Earlier this month, the administration issued rules that would remove up to 20 million acres of isolated wetlands from federal protection under the Clean Water Act. Another Clinton rule called for phasing out snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, starting this winter. The Bush administration canceled that rule, proposing instead to allow up to 1,100 snowmobiles a day in both parks combined. The Bush administration also canceled a Clinton rule preventing companies that cause "significant irreparable harm" from mining any more public land. Drilling and prospecting for minerals increased dramatically in 2001 on federal land in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Montana. Oil rigs towered over the outskirts of national parks such as Canyonlands and Arches in Utah. Other initiatives have made it easier for the mining industry to get minerals from federal lands and for the timber industry to take trees from federal forests. Sorry to say yep, I hate this guy!” 5:10:09 PM 9/09/03 “What exactly is Bush doing to protect us from terrorism? Afghanistan, ok. How about this, when California passed a medical marijuana law the Fed was all over it. Now that California has passed a bill that would allow Saddam Hussein to get a California driver license (which in turn is one lie away from voting or buying a gun) Bush is ignoring it, DHS is ignoring it. The INS allowed 9/11 to occur, it's our love of cheap labor. 2 years later and immigration problems are still the rule, 87 billion will probably be approved to fight terrorism in the ME but once a terrorist makes it to America they have free reign. This President is stirring up a hornets nest while leaving all the windows open” 5:10:26 PM 9/09/03 “Your grandchildren won't have a pot to piss in at this rate. Here's an interesting quote that turned up in a Molly Ivins article from Sept. 4 --- "To quote Bill O'Reilly of Fox News: "And I said on my program, if, if the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clear he had nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush Administration again." -- March 18, 2003."” 6:24:22 PM 9/09/03 “ Thought I'd try to turn off the Times Roman font... 7:07:47 PM 9/09/03 Even Busch Beer Sucks “Bush is much more of a missleader that a leader, imo.” 7:40:59 PM 9/09/03 Oops! “missleader = misleader that = than” 7:42:16 PM 9/09/03 “I have been a Bush supporter and a war supporter, but I have to admit that I am very unhappy with the environmental policies of the Bush Administration and the handling of the post-war period in Iraq. I never was naive enough to expect him to be an "honest politician" or a "president guided by God" but I did expect more honesty than he has exhibited in this Iraq mess. I expected more integrity than he has shown relative to protecting the quality of our water and soil resources.” 7:46:29 PM 9/09/03 “Rejecting a worldwide treaty to curb global warming and pushing a comprehensive energy plan that stresses reliance on fossil fuels, which cause global warming and air pollution. tango 05:10:09 PM 09/09/03 If you're referring to the Kyoto treaty, any treaty with a foreign government must be ratified by the US Senate. The president who signed it in 98 never took it before the Senate for ratification, therefore Bush's gesture was pretty empty. Only one nation (Romania) of 55 that signed this treaty has ratified it. If you're not referring to the Kyoto treaty, then you've at least come away with a little civics lesson.” 2:05:50 AM 9/10/03
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