LA MERE VIPÈRE

GEORGE W Bush snorted cocaine at Camp David

2004-09-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

His wife Laura also allegedly tried cannabis in her youth.

Author Kitty Kelley says in her biography The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty, that the US President first used coke at university in the mid-1960s.

She quotes his former sister-in-law Sharon Bush who claims: "Bush did coke at Camp David when his father was President, and not just once either."

Other acquaintances allege that as a 26-year-old National Guard, Bush "liked to sneak out back for a joint or into the bathroom for a line of cocaine".

Bush has admitted being an alcoholic but, asked during the 1999 election if he did drugs, he said: "I've told the American people that years ago I made some mistakes.

"I've learned from my mistakes and should I be fortunate enough to become president I will bring dignity and honour to the office."

Later an aide clarified his remarks saying Bush hadn't taken illegal drugs in the past 25 years.

Kelley says that the Bush family covered up scandals because of their wealth and influence. She claims George W started drinking at school and continued at Yale university to overcome shyness.

Former student Torbery George says in the book: "Poor Georgie. He couldn't relate to women unless he was loaded."

Another says: "He went out of his way to act crude. It's amazing someone you held in such low esteem later became president."

His supporters have slammed the allegations as outrageous.

The White House said: "This book appears to be filled with the same trash discredited years ago."

More Americans Think Bush Is MORE Honest & Ethical Than Kerry...I DON'T GET IT!

2004-09-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

In comparing the two presidential candidates, more registered voters think
President Bush has strong leadership qualities than Kerry (65% vs. 47%), is
more honest and ethical (62% vs. 47%), says what he believes and not just what
people want to hear (66% vs. 42%), would trust him to make the right decisions
during an international crisis (57% vs. 44%), shares their values (54% vs.
42%), and is personally likeable (67% vs. 59%). In addition, more registered
voters think President Bush would do a better job than Sen. Kerry on various
issues: terrorism and homeland security (60% vs. 32%), the situation in Iraq
(55% vs. 37%), foreign policy (54% vs. 38%), taxes (52% vs. 38%), economy (49%
vs. 43%), education (48% vs. 42%), and gay marriage (44% vs. 36%). More
people say Sen. Kerry would do a better job than President Bush on healthcare,
including Medicare (45% vs. 43%) and the environment (50% vs. 36%).

Source: Newsweek

I don't get it, what is our f'n problem. Either the American people are so fucking stupid that they believe all these republican distortions, or we democrats are so inept and impotent at getting the facts and our message out, that we don't deserve to win this election.

Sorry I Haven't Posted In a While Boys & Girls!

2004-09-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

My iBook died on me and it just got back from being repaired. But do not fear, I am here!

I am also starting college wednesday so this is a busy week coming up for me, but I will try and post as much as I can, so COME BACK SOON!

FOX NEWS Beats Broadcast Networks for RNC Coverage, HISTORIC...

2004-09-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

FOXNEWS BEATS BROADCAST NETWORKS FOR TUESDAY NIGHT COVERAGE OF CONVENTION -- HISTORIC UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS FOR CABLE

10-11PM

FOXNEWS -- 5.2 MILLION
NBC -- 5.1 MILLION
CBS -- 4.4 MILLION
ABC -- 4.3 MILLION
MSNBC -- 1.6 MILLION
CNN -- 1.5 MILLION

FOXNEWS peak came during Laura Bush's speech with 5,216,000 viewers... <5,124,000 during Schwarzenegger>...

Special Setup Planned for President Bush's Acceptance Speech at RNC

2004-08-27T01:14:00.000-07:00

Moving to bring a special intimacy to the carefully scripted atmosphere of a political convention, President Bush will give his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention next week from a small circular stage in a sea of thousands of delegates and other guests.

"We wanted the president to be closer to people and surrounded by people," Mark McKinnon, Mr. Bush's chief media adviser, said. "It sort of reflected his strength and character as the man in the arena."

"He is not just trapped by a stage," Mr. McKinnon said. "He doesn't have the usual comforts of a stage behind him. To me that says strength, that he is willing to stand out there alone" among all the delegates.

On Thursday, the day that Mr. Bush is to accept the party's nomination and the day that is expected to be the most watched of the convention, the floor will be reconfigured. Convention planners did not want to go into great detail, hoping to retain an element of surprise, but a small model of the platform suggested what will ultimately take shape.

The model shows a long runway built out from the stage, ending at a circular platform. Convention officials said that it would take 20 workers eight to 10 hours to build the stage and that they would start their work at the end of Wednesday night's proceedings. Nine wide steps will lead from the audience up to the platform, where the president will stand on a carpet decorated with the presidential seal.

Source: The New York Times

> Strength and Character? Give me a break.

AMAZON.COM Suspends Commentary Rules for 'Unfit For Command'

2004-08-25T18:14:00.001-07:00

A notice on the product page for the book says normal restrictions on posting comments have been lifted.

"We've decided to suspend our normal customer review policies and rules for this title," according to the notice. "For example, we usually prohibit ad hominem attacks. That policy in particular seems to be incompatible with presidential election year politics. Therefore, short of obscenities, reviews on this book are now a free-for-all. We take no responsibility for the following discussion. Aren't presidential election years great? Have fun!"

The result has been more than 1,000 customer reviews, almost all five-star hosannas or one-star flames. "Heidi Fleiss meets Gomer Pyle," begins a typical basher.

Amazon spokeswoman Patty Smith said she couldn't recall another incident of Amazon lifting its usual customer review policing for a particular product, but "Unfit" was a special case.

"We have guidelines concerning customer reviews, and one of those things is that the review should be about the book, not the author," Smith said. "In this case, because of all the publicity and the news coverage, people feel very strongly about the book, and you just can't separate the views."

http://news.com.com/

>Are you trying to tell me that 'Unfit for Command' is the most controversial book in history? Sounds a big partisan to me.

NOT SO SWIFT: Media Obsession With Old Stories Neglects Current Conflict

2004-08-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

"Two news stories, of vastly differing consequence, have over the past week raised the question of how issues of war and peace will play in this year's presidential contest:

1.) The summer-long controversy over claims and commercials produced by the so-called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" group continued, as a now widely- discredited circle of embittered Vietnam veterans used money from associates of President Bush and White House political czar Karl Rove to try and develop doubts about aspects of John Kerry's military service 35 years ago.

2.) US Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Nebraska, the vice chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and one of the senior Republican members of the House International Relations Committee, announced after a thorough review of the information available to him that he had come to the conclusion that the US invasion and occupation of Iraq was unjustified. "I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action," explained Bereuter, who added that, "knowing what I know about the reliance on tenuous or insufficiently corroborted intelligence used to conclude that Saddam maintained a substantial WMD (Weapons of mass destruction) arsenal, I believe that launching the pre-emptive military action was not justified."

Guess which story the news media focused on with such intensity that both Kerry and Bush were forced to address it publicly.

Here's a hint: It's not the story about the war that is currently going on."

Full article may be found here: http://thenation.com/thebeat/index.mhtml?bid=1&pid=1706

An Elephant In Donkey's Clothing?

2004-08-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

A disturbing new trend is brewing in the Democratic Party.

An inability so self-criticize.

Nowadays if you raise a single question about the Kerry/Edwards campaign, that isn't mindlessly positive, you get slammed as being a pessimist, a freeper, a traitor, or worse.

One of the great things about the Democratic Party, I've always thought, has been the ability to have dissent from within.

If the cost of defeating George W. Bush in November is that we, as democrats/liberals/progressives have to give up our ability to ask questions of our candidate, to ask about potential dangers to the campaign, to report poll numbers if they are negative, to offer some advice or constructive criticism, or to say that we don't agree with something our candidate has said, then perhaps it's not really worth it.

Perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps this newfound sense of unity and solidification is a good thing, but not if it causes us to be blind to our own faults and imperfections.

John Kerry on 'The Daily Show'

2004-08-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I was reminded once again why I have such respect for John Kerry, and genuinely like him as a person.

He can actually speak off-the-cuff about issues that matter to the american people, without a teleprompter or Karl Rove whispering the answers in his ear. Our president cannot.

John Kerry has a genuine like for, and desire to meet with ordinary americans. Our president does not.

The choice is clear folks, use your vote wisely.

The Insanity Of It All

2004-08-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

For weeks now, the gloriously dull and dishonourable drumbeat of the so-called "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth" has been escalating to an almost unbearable level.

These Swift Boat Liars For Bush, capitalizing on the relative sleaziness of mainstream cable news, internet websites, blogs, etc... has been able to call into question the heroic military record of senator, vietnam war veteran, and Democratic Presidential Candidate, John F Kerry.

The media, being the endlessly hungry and blindly accepting entity that it has no become, gobbled up the swift boat story with avengeance. Even using the most basic of journalistic standards, if given proper examination, the swift boat veterans' story does not pass the smell test, as was the noting of Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant.

Here is what we do know:

1. For 30+ years Senator Kerry's war record was never questioned.
2. John O'Neil, author of 'Unfit for Command' was recruited by the Nixon administration to counter Kerry's anti-war appeal.
3. John O'Neil is a life long republican and has represented high-profile republicans in his law practice in Texas.
4. The top contributors to SBVFT are some of the biggest republican donors in Texas.
5. The same people who helped to package and distrubute the SBVFT ads and message helped smear John McCain in the 2000 republican primary.
6. Karl Rove is a close friend of multiple high level officials involved in the SBVFT campaign.
7. Numerous GOP websites and HQ's around the country have been caught either promoting the book 'Unfit for Command' and the SBVFT or, in the case of Florida, organizing an event involving official GOP and Bush/Cheney '04 groups to rally alongside the SBVFT.
8. The current SBVFT members' stories have often EVOLVED over time, contradicting their earlier statements about Kerry's heroism.
9. The White House still denies any involvement between their campaign and the SBVFT.

It seems highly unlikely that immediately following Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam, with events still fresh in everyone's mind, with the Nixon administration scowering his life for any reason or opportunity to attack Kerry, that if there truly was any reason to doubt his heroism or wounds, it would have surely been found.

The right-wing talking point now is to talk about how Kerry insulted and hurt all veterans by coming back to the US and testifying before the senate that many soldiers in Vietnam committed war crimes. They would have you think, by the way they phrase the debate and slice and dice history, that Kerry made these charges without evidence or direct (personal) evidence that such atrocities had taken place. In reality, Kerry was giving a voice to hundreds of veterans who had come forward to tell him their stories of the horrible things they did in Vietnam. He was simply repeating that which had been reported to him by soldiers, nothing more.

Perhaps one of the saddest things about this mess, is the truy disservice it does to veterans all across this land. When we have a president in the oval office right now, who, by his own words, dodged the draft, then went missing while in the national guard, is able to coast right through to election day without having his tattered and hollow record of service questioned, while we sit here and pick apart the solid story of a man who did serve his nation, both on the battlefield and while returning home to put an end to the senseless death and destruction he witnessed while it war, I am taken aback by the irony of it all.

Yes, I am ashamed to be an American today.

Hello.

2004-08-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

How are you today?