Why is it nobody commented on Obama's 2006 donations?

[sirs]

Sirs and BT, you aren't reading the tea leaves correctly.  Just to touch on a few things. McCain was probably the only known Republican that could have won this election, but only if it had been held in 2000. He couldn't break with Bush this time out. In fact this is really the second time Bush has defeated McCain.

Interesting rhetorical twist, and both right & wrong.  Right in that Obama and the media successfully made this about a supposed Bush III administration.  Wrong in that again, Bush is getting squat credit for much of what's gone right in this country, and has had very little connection to the Housing collapase that triggered the economic debacle

As for economy. I don't know what's going on where you live BT, but it's effecting my main street in a major way. Car dealers are closing. Resturants are in trouble. Stores are empty. People lost money in the markets. Etc., etc. And it isn't going to get better for a long time.

That may all be true, but we don't even have double digit unemployment.  The Stock Market is pretty volitile currently, but it's had major gains over the last 2+weeks, and shows every indication that it'll rebound.  All these cries about as bad as the depression are being made by folks who probably have no appreciable remembrence in going thru it the 1st time around, where unemployment was nearly 25%

On the notion of a mommy state vs foreign policy? The world will decide how much emphisis we can place where, and the money won't be there for any pet domestic projects.

We are NOT the World's police force, nor the World's government, nor do Germany, nor France, nor Canada have any electoral votes.  This country doesn't function to try to make the world love us.  This country functions to serve the best interests of America

[BSB]

Now Sirs, what is it that went so well under Bush that he should get credit for it?

[Xavier_Onassis]

This country doesn't function to try to make the world love us.  This country functions to serve the best interests of America

==================================================
If President Obama can make more of the world love us, or at least not despise us, then that is far better.

This country functions to serve the best interests of THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, which only rarely means the American oligarchy.


Juniorbush was successful in his anti-AIDS program. He also serves as a really good example of how NOT to run this (or any) country.

[sirs]

Now Sirs, what is it that went so well under Bush that he should get credit for it?

Asked and answered already B.  Unemployment #'s were at record lows almost entire Bush Presidency, surge HAS worked, and violence is down exponentially in Iraq, nearly every Iraqi Benchmark has been achieved, commanders on the ground in Iraq, indicating Iraq near point of being able to pull major combat troops out, no attacks by any terrorists on U.S. soil, since 911, record tax revenues thanks in large part to the tax cuts.  And if you're gonna shoulder Bush with the current state of the market, then he gets credit when it hit it's all time high.  And those are largely the bipartisan accomplishments.  I could start going into his few conservative accomplishments as well, such as his Judicial appointments. 

Point is, I could go on, but does he get any credit for any of that??  No, he gets squat.  AND, before the standard response by others here in the saloon, does that mean he's been the perfect president, unable to fail in anything??  Of course not.  He's made some piss poor decisions along the way as well.  Every President does.  Obama will as well.  I'm simply objective enough to assess Bush's Presidency in its totality, and not hate him so much, that I can't see straight and recognize the good he has accomplished

[Xavier_Onassis]

I'm simply objective enough to assess Bush's Presidency in its totality, and not hate him so much, that I can't see straight and recognize the good he has accomplished

=============================
Or even to give the fool a pass by reelecting his party to power.

It's not a matter of hate or love. It's a matter of choosing a competent leader. Which Juniorbush was not.

[sirs]

Thank you for your opinion, on the matter of Bush's compotence

[Xavier_Onassis]

Thank you for your opinion, on the matter of Bush's compotence

You are welcome.

Observe that it is an opinion that I share with most of the country. The things McCain and Obama agreed most on were:

Change is coming.

It is time for a change.

-------------------------------
]You may now return to Elfindale and continue your devotionals to  Juniorbush.

[BSB]

Iraq goes in the positive column for Bush?

Gen Patraeus gets credit for the surge. It took Bush 3 years to figure out there was an insurgency going on.

[sirs]

Thank you for your opinion, on the matter of Bush's compotence

You are welcome.  Observe that it is an opinion that I share with most of the country.

Observe that you're simply referencing the polling on his job approval and not on his compotence, which is simply a snap shot of a portion of people, at a specific time.  In other words, largely NOT an objective assessment of the Presidency in its totality.  Following 911, and yes following our going into Iraq, the polling was HUGELY in favor of our military actions.  Again, just a snapshot at THAT time

But as I've said, your opinion is duely noted.

[sirs]

Iraq goes in the positive column for Bush?

Yep.  Again, given the intel we had, and the events of 911, it would have been irresponsible as our CnC NOT to have gone into both Afghanistan & Iraq

Gen Patraeus gets credit for the surge. 

Bush gave the go ahead.  Bush gave the order.  Bush gets credit for that as well.  Military provides the President with options, he then chooses.  He chose to go ahead with the surge.  He was RIGHT to do so, and it has worked

[BSB]

Given the intel we had at the time? We didn't have any intel at the time.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Given the intel we had at the time? We didn't have any intel at the time.

=========================================================
Why, it was a "slam dunk", wasn't it?

Saddam had nukes, weaponized smallpox, sarin gas and Allah knows what else. Or so they said.  Tenet even got a medal for his excellent information lying. Juniorbush and Cheney got a ton of conflicting info, then they cherry picked what they wanted to hear. Afghanistan was justified, and could have been won in a year. But, no, he went off his nut and invaded Iraq with no plan for victory, withdrawal or anything else. This was at least as bad a bit of buffoonery as General Galtieri invading the Falklands. Luckily, Saddam was not the British Army.

I knew that this was all a load of crap, and told everyone so at the time, and I am just a college prof who can read between the lines.

Invading Iraq was the wrong decision, and the operation planning that came from the White House was WORSE than Galtieri's planning to invade the Falklands. Of course, Iraq had 22 million people and not 3000 shepherds, a major difference.

Juniorbush and Galtieri deserve special places in the OAS Hall of Warmongering Buffoons of the Americas.

[BT]

Why, it was a "slam dunk", wasn't it?

That would b a quote from George Tenet, CIA chief at the time.

[sirs]

Given the intel we had at the time? We didn't have any intel at the time.

Your opinion on that matter, would be thoroughly refuted by the likes of the NIE, CIA, and nearly every other country's intellgence agencies, including that of the UN.  Just because they got it wrong, doesn't mean it didn't exist

[Xavier_Onassis]

Your opinion on that matter, would be thoroughly refuted by the likes of the NIE, CIA, and nearly every other country's intellgence agencies, including that of the UN.  Just because they got it wrong, doesn't mean it didn't exist

====================
I have read articles in the New Yorker and Harpers that refute all this crap. I suppose you don't read all that much, even though you seem obsessed with regurgitating this on a daily basis. But it was never true and still isn't.

Had the various European intel services really believed the lying crap Juniorbush, Rumsfeld and Cheney was spouting, they would have joined in the invasion, just as they did in the first Iraq War. Observe how they did nothing of the kind.