August 31st bits & bobs

[Guest DeputyHawk]

1----A few random notes from the Britrish press as the Road To War winds ever onwards: Tony Blair is rapidly losing the support of his Labour Party back-benchers by refusing to condemn Bush's hostile intentions in regards Iraq. MP Malcolm Savidge publicly stated in the Tribune "Britain must not be drawn into immoral or illegal wars. Labour must not sacrifice its principles, moral values or Britsh interests and lives to the false good of a specious, special relationship with the US hard Right." Conversely, CIA director George Tenet was quoted in the Spectator as saying "I'll tell you what the president said the other day on that very subject. He said: 'I don't give a shit about what the Europeans think.'" Way to allay those international concerns over your despotic tendencies, Mister President. And they wonder why the overseas support is drying up?

 

2---- Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Not quite, but Afghan president Hamid Karazai seems to be fighting a losing battle to keep the old conservative religious elements out of his government. Karazai removed the old head of Kabul TV for threatening to once again ban females from performing, and replaced him with the apparently more moderate Mohammad Ishaq. Ishaq's first ruling was, yes, to ban females from performing on TV as well as taking the garish Indian Bollywood films off the newly established Thursday night slot which Kabul residents had recently been enjoying. It's a huge step backwards for Karazai in trying to show the west that Afghanistan's moving away from the Taleban's fundamentalist former regime. It's only been three weeks since his hardline chief justice minister, against Karazai's wishes, reinstated the 'Vice & Virtue' religious police who operated under the Taleban, causing outrage over their brutality towards women. That 'brave new dawn' for Afghanistan lasted tremendously well, then. Where is the internal support for Karazai, and why is Kabul being allowed to fall back into fundamentalist chaos?

 

3----North Korea has finally decided to play nice with the rest of the world again, or at least that is the hope. Rail & road crossings are to be opened up to South Korea, bringing down the last checkpoint of The Cold War, and

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi (with the blessing of President Bush) will make a historic first ever diplomatic visit to the communist state next month. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is expected to ask Japan for a formal apology for their 1910-45 occupation, in return Japan are set to request N. Korea to return the Japanese hostages they took to train up as spies and to just generally stop being such dodgy, arms peddling commie bastards. If they agree to be nice, South Korea may give them some of their surplus rice to help with the massive starvation there. Fingers crossed they genuinely agree to clean up their act, and don't just eat some rice to get their strength back then take a ride down south on their brand new train.

 

4----Johannesberg continues to host the most useless UN Summit ever. The American delegates are deliberately holding up the negotiations with their stalling & nitpicking in an apparent attempt to sabotage the whole affair to such a degree that the whole European Union had its entire fleet of officials walk out in protest. With nothing politically-based actually being resolved due to this nonsense, guest speaker Naomi Klein (author of No Logo and all-round goddess) decided to spice things up by ripping the South African president Thabo Mbeki a new asshole and announcing that his motivations for hosting the Summit in the first place were based solely on increasing S. African tourism and investment, not remotely easing global poverty and environmental concerns. Good lass. Mbeki of course refuted the claims, but no beggars or demonstartors seemed to be available for comment from outside the luxuary exclusive Sandton Centre, so I guess she must have been wrong. What a joke - America is playing the UN like a violin at the moment. My gut reaction is to be outraged, and on the grander scale of things I am, but the Johannesburg Summit has now become such a farce that it's hard not to just sit back and chortle and the utter ineptitude of the whole thing.

[Guest Fort Detrick]

Support for war with Iraq is dropping in America. D.C. knows this. The only way that Washington can gather support for war in Iraq and the Mid-East is if Americans became pissed off and started to loath Saddam. How do you piss off Americans? Stage a couple "terrorist" attacks and have the link of the attacks somehow point to Saddam. And you'll have your war.

 

This Mid-East war is about oil. The U.S. government can give a shit about Americans being killed. And Isreal is just as big of an enemy to national security than some arab terroist.

 

The end justifies the means. So they say.

 

flame away.

[Guest TJH]

1. It's interesting that the majority of Australians don't support going to war with Iraq. Most aren't loathe to go to war, about 70% supported sending troops to the war on terror, but it isn't popular at the moment.

 

2. The Islamic world has no hope. Period.

 

3. Engaging with North Korea is worse than with Iraq. They have an extremely well developed Chemical, Nuclear and Biological weapons program, as well as missiles to deliver them, and actively support terrorism.

 

4. The UN is a joke, and the U.S should kick it out of America. 65,000 delegates are attending. How exactly are 65,000 people supposed to agree on anything. It deserves the contempt it recieves.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

1. It's interesting that the majority of Australians don't support going to war with Iraq. Most aren't loathe to go to war, about 70% supported sending troops to the war on terror, but it isn't popular at the moment.

 

It's exactly the same in Britain. After 9/11, support for the War On Terror was huge - we were all gonna pull together, get Bin Laden & Al-Queda, then put all the other terrorist organisations worldwide out of commission. But the attitude has now changed completely, and it's not even to do with the fact that countries - Afghanistan and now Iraq - became targets rather than the terror cells themselves (because in those particular regimes the line is very faint, if there at all), it was the fact that the US decided this was what was going to happen whether anyone liked it or not. If America had respectfully consulted her allies and gone through proper channels, this backlash amongst her allies may not have happened to the degree that it has and support would probably still be high. As is, Bush is now seen by most as an arrogant wannabe dictator who is getting way to big for his boots.

 

2. The Islamic world has no hope. Period.

 

A pretty sweeping generalisation. It will take time, but gradually more and more followers of Islam are becoming less ardent and more moderate. It's not necessary for everyone in the world to share the same spiritual beliefs, but it is necessary for everyone to respect basic human rights. These things don't happen overnight, much as some wish they could make it so.

 

3. Engaging with North Korea is worse than with Iraq. They have an extremely well developed Chemical, Nuclear and Biological weapons program, as well as missiles to deliver them, and actively support terrorism.

 

I think the very fact they are holding talks with former loathed rivals Japan & South Korea is a step forward. They are having a famine, we should help them, but they MUST get rid of their weapons, denounce terrorism and make moves towards establishing a democracy. Until then, no rice for them. Make them sing for their scooby snack. This needs to be carefully negotiated though, and not by bullheadedly labelling them part of some glorified Axis Of Evil .

 

4. The UN is a joke, and the U.S should kick it out of America. 65,000 delegates are attending. How exactly are 65,000 people supposed to agree on anything. It deserves the contempt it recieves.

 

At this time, the UN certainly does deserve contempt, it is a quiverying mass of uselessness. But what do you mean by the US should kick it out of America? Confused.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

Support for war with Iraq is dropping in America. D.C. knows this. The only way that Washington can gather support for war in Iraq and the Mid-East is if Americans became pissed off and started to loath Saddam. How do you piss off Americans? Stage a couple "terrorist" attacks and have the link of the attacks somehow point to Saddam. And you'll have your war.

 

This Mid-East war is about oil. The U.S. government can give a shit about Americans being killed. And Isreal is just as big of an enemy to national security than some arab terroist.

 

The end justifies the means. So they say.

 

flame away.

The points you are trying to make are not coherent enough to justify flaming you. Try thinking about what you are saying, word it better, then come back.

[Guest poopsaver4000]

I think he is saying that Americans are beginning to see how pointless a war with Iraq will be, maybe even seeing that the war really isn't about defending our freedom, stopping terrorist, or trying to spread our beloved democracy across the world. It's about oil. We are weening ourselves slowly off of Saudia Arabi's oil and are looking for some place else to fill that void. And as history tells, nothing gathers more support more quickly then when your own home country enters a war. Patriotism soars and naysayers are condemned, you just need a reason to start a war.

 

As for Isreal, I really believe they couldn't give a shit about the USA as long as we continue to back them up and give them weapons/money. They have been just as bad, if not worse then the Palenstines when it comes to murdering innocent civilians. Of course the media will never show any of this since it is mostly one sided, bias, and never objective.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

It's about oil. We are weening ourselves slowly off of Saudia Arabi's oil and are looking for some place else to fill that void.

The brilliance of this revelation has blinded me. I can't see my monitor anymore. (Luckily, I can touch-type.) Actually, in a bizarre coincidence, every single person in Venezuela, Canada, and Russia has also gone completely blind as a result of your devastating observation.

 

They have been just as bad, if not worse then the Palenstines when it comes to murdering innocent civilians.  Of course the media will never show any of this since it is mostly one sided, bias, and never objective.

I know! Where's the outrage at the tragic loss of all those promising young suicide bombers? They might have grown up to found charitable, enlightened groups fostering reconciliation and understanding, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda. So much potential - now lost, alas! - at the hands of those vicious Israelis who forced them to strap nail-embedded explosives to their chests. Those brutish grandmothers, those terrible infants, those charnel disco-clubs - only when hot metal has shredded each and every one can Palestine be free.

And we should never forget the Jenin massacre! The media never said a word, despite overwhelming material evidence of Israeli war crimes. Can you say "cover-up?" My God, that Jewish lobby has its tentacles everywhere.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

And they wonder why the overseas support is drying up?

No, actually, we stopped caring quite a while ago.

 

Ishaq's first ruling was, yes, to ban females from performing on TV... [the] hardline chief justice minister... reinstated the 'Vice & Virtue' religious police who operated under the Taleban, causing outrage over their brutality towards women.

The Moslems are oppressing women again? What a shocker.

 

3----North Korea has finally decided to play nice with the rest of the world again

Translation: Kimmy wants a new swimming pool. The other 26 are old and boring, and watching his people puke up half-chewed grass doesn't entertain him for more than an hour or so at a time anymore.

Solution: drop a nice shiny nuke on the little ratfuck sonofabitch's greasy head.

 

useless UN Summit

"Useless" is redundant.

[Zorin Industries 0]

1----A few random notes from the Britrish press as the Road To War winds ever onwards:  Tony Blair is rapidly losing the support of his Labour Party back-benchers by refusing to condemn Bush's hostile intentions in regards Iraq.  MP Malcolm Savidge publicly stated in the Tribune "Britain must not be drawn into immoral or illegal wars.  Labour must not sacrifice its principles, moral values or Britsh interests and lives to the false good of a specious, special relationship with the US hard Right."  Conversely, CIA director George Tenet was quoted in the Spectator as saying "I'll tell you what the president said the other day on that very subject.  He said: 'I don't give a shit about what the Europeans think.'"  Way to allay those international concerns over your despotic tendencies, Mister President.  And they wonder why the overseas support is drying up?

If Bush did say that then fuck him. Its like I have thought all along, hes a jumped up little shit, whos got all of Daddies yes men telling him hes the lord and master of the world.

 

I'd have more respect if he just came out and said "Im your new overlord, worship me" I wish he would stop hiding behind his democratic mask. The mans full of shit.

 

Alright the rants over.

 

I'll say this, I don't know how he does domestically so he could be good at that, but he needs to attend International Diplomacy 101 straight away.

 

I would say he probably has the lowest approval of a U.S President ever overseas.

 

And Marney, I know you will say you don't care, but think of it this way. Whats Bush going to do the next time he needs International solidarity, because if he acts like this all the time, he won't get it.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

If Bush did say that then fuck him. Its like I have thought all along, hes a jumped up little shit, whos got all of Daddies yes men telling him hes the lord and master of the world.

I'd have more respect if he just came out and said "Im your new overlord, worship me" I wish he would stop hiding behind his democratic mask. The mans full of shit.

I'm not entirely sure how much sleep the President's losing over your low opinion of him. I'd ask, but I think he has slightly more important things on his mind at the moment. Maybe in a year or thirty.

 

Marney, I know you will say you don't care, but think of it this way. Whats Bush going to do the next time he needs International solidarity, because if he acts like this all the time, he won't get it.

"The next time?" Did I miss something? When was the first time?

[Zorin Industries 0]

The first time was after 9/11 and everybody jumped on the war on terror (rightly so).

 

If something major happened again, i'm sure they would again. But when he asks for an ill defined and ill thought out attack on Iraq, people tend to lose the ggodwill that they have.

 

If Clinton was still in office, you wouldn't have this problem, because while he may be an odious human being he knows how to play the game better than Bush

[Guest Cancer Marney]

The first time was after 9/11 and everybody jumped on the war on terror

We "needed" support then? After double-checking the definition in the King's English (transitive sense: to be in need of: REQUIRE), I beg to differ. It was nice, but certainly not required. It was, in a word, unnecessary. It is still unnecessary today. As the Honourable Mr Rumsfeld, our Secretary of Defense, recently stated, "It is less important to have unanimity than it is to be making the right decision and doing the right thing, even though at the outset it may seem lonesome."

The rest of the world will keep carping until it is clear that we have won. Then they will claim that they supported us all along. Even when you claim you're on our side, you pathetic, incompetent, superannuated quadriplegics get in our way and slow us down far, far more than you help, so this will work out fine.

 

If something major happened again, i'm sure they would again.

Of course. They'd be delighted to see more of our people dead. They always are.

Sorry, but sympathy simply isn't worth that much to us. Come back when your effusive but empty expressions of support don't have a price tag written in human blood.

 

If Clinton was still in office, you wouldn't have this problem, because while he may be an odious human being he knows how to play the game better than Bush

I liked Clinton, but he was a terrible Commander in Chief. I thank God Almighty every day that President Bush holds the highest office in the land.

 

We don't need to play "the game." We don't need your support. We don't need your approval. You're less than nothing, and your whining and moaning is just background noise.

Keep talking if you like. No one's listening.

[Zorin Industries 0]

And I curse God for every day Bush stays in office. Id like to see a human being with at least a shred of intelligence and integrity in the Oval Office, instead of Daddies boy whos in the pocket of the oil men and his own Vice President.

 

No, my view of Bush isn't very high in case your'e wondering.

 

But hell, hes better than Cheney.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

Id like to see a human being with... integrity in the Oval Office

And your poster boy for this crusade is Bill Clinton?

 

 

 

 

 

I'm confused, what was your point again?

[Zorin Industries 0]

When I spoke about Clinton I was talking about his ability to get other Leaders on his side, certainly not about his integrity.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

I was talking about his ability to get other Leaders on his side

Oh, right! You mean the great job he did in convincing the French, the Germans, and the Scandinavians to play a decisive role in Bosnia. After all, without the overwhelming might of the military juggernaut that is the European Union, we could never have brought Milosevic to heel. And let's not forget the Japanese - those invaluable suppliers of one or two refuelling tankers. However would we have managed to get anything done?

[Zorin Industries 0]

Maybe I view Clinton through rose tinted lens because of his invlovmnet in Northern Ireland, but I simply believe that Bush could learn things from him.

 

Clinton may not have always been able to get results, but he could at least get people to listen to him, something I don't think Bush can master.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

Uh-huh. Seriously, do you have anything substantive to say? Anything at all? Or do you just want to keep insulting the President in crude, tedious, and unimaginative terms? So far, this is what your argument looks like:

 

"Your President's an idiot! He can't get support he doesn't need by not doing what he isn't doing!"

 

Okay, whatever. Are you finished yet? Or would you like to repeat yourself a few more times?

[Guest Mystery Eskimo]

Can I insult Bush by saying that he is blatantly of low intelligence and also a drunk?

[Zorin Industries 0]

Do I think Bush is an idiot? Not an idiot, but an easily led man, not up to the job.

 

Being a President, would I assume, require a person to be adept at many different parts of the job. Bush may be up to some of them, but some he is plainly not, and I don't think his staff are giving him the correct advice.

 

I won't be pleasent about Bush until I think he is doing a good job in Foreign Affairs, which is the only part that concerns me.

 

He can grind your country into the ground for all I care, its nothing to do with me.

 

History shows us that mighty nations have fallen because they and their leaders believe themselves invincible. While I am not saying this is going to happen to America overnight, I can certainly see the seeds of this attitude being sown.

[Zorin Industries 0]

Mystery Esikmo, you seem to be my uncouth alter ego.

 

And I mean that in the nicest possible way

[Guest Mystery Eskimo]

Do I think Bush is an idiot? Not an idiot, but an easily led man, not up to the job.

I think he is. Here is some evidence:

 

"I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself,

but for predecessors as well."

—Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2001

 

"My pro-life position is I believe there's life. It's not necessarily based in religion. I think there's a life there, therefore the notion of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness."

--Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 23, 2001

 

"Then I went for a run with the other dog and just walked. And I started thinking about a lot of things. I was able to—I can't remember what it was. Oh, the inaugural speech, started thinking through that."

—Pre-inaugural interview with U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 22, 2001 issue

 

 

"I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure."

—Interview with the Associated Press, Jan. 18, 2001

 

 

"Redefining the role of the United States from enablers to keep the peace to enablers to keep the peace from peacekeepers is going to be an assignment."

—Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants."

—Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"If he's—the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a—is a noble institution I would—I would strongly reject that assumption—that John Ashcroft is a open-minded, inclusive person."

—NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"She's just trying to make sure Anthony gets a good meal—Antonio."

—On Laura Bush inviting Justice Antonin Scalia to dinner at the White House.

NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"I want it to be said that the Bush administration was a results-oriented administration, because I believe the results of focusing our attention and energy on teaching children to read and having an education system that's responsive to the child and to the parents, as opposed to mired in a system that refuses to change, will make America what we want it to be—a literate country and a hopefuller country."

—Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2001

 

 

"I would have to ask the questioner. I haven't had a chance to ask the questioners the question they've been questioning. On the other hand, I firmly believe she'll be a fine secretary of labor. And I've got confidence in Linda Chavez. She is a—she'll bring an interesting perspective to the Labor Department."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001

 

 

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine labor secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001

 

 

"I mean, these good folks are revolutionizing how businesses conduct their business. And, like them, I am very optimistic about our position in the world and about its influence on the United States.

We're concerned about the short-term economic news, but long-term I'm optimistic.

And so, I hope investors, you know—secondly, I hope investors hold investments for periods of time—that I've always found the best investments are those that you salt away based on economics."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 4, 2001

 

"The person who runs FEMA is someone who must have the trust of the president. Because the person who runs FEMA is the first voice, often times, of someone whose life has been turned upside down hears from."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 4, 2001

 

 

"She is a member of a labor union at one point."

—Announcing his nomination of Linda Chavez as secretary of labor. Austin, Texas, Jan. 2, 2001

 

 

"Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

—Austin, Texas, Dec. 20, 2000

 

 

"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them."

—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2000

 

 

"The great thing about America is everybody should vote."

—Austin, Texas, Dec. 8, 2000

 

 

 

"Dick Cheney and I do not want this nation to be in a recession. We want anybody who can find work to be able to find work."

—60 Minutes II, Dec. 5, 2000

 

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"I knew it might put him in an awkward position that we had a discussion before finality has finally happened in this presidential race."

—Describing a phone call to Sen. John Breaux. Crawford, Texas, Dec. 2, 2000

 

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"As far as the legal hassling and wrangling and posturing in Florida, I would suggest you talk to our team in Florida led by Jim Baker."

—Crawford, Texas, Nov. 30, 2000

 

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"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."

—Austin, Texas, Nov. 22, 2000

 

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"They misunderestimated me."

—Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

[Guest Cancer Marney]

He can grind your country into the ground for all I care, its nothing to do with me.

This is extremely amusing. And you're the kind of person we're supposed to beg for support? What would you like us to do, open a vein? No, don't answer that. You've made yourself look utterly ridiculous already. You keep on threatening to withhold your worthless support, and we keep on not caring. Run along now and argue about carrot quotas with your fellow sophisticates, children. Play with your plastic tiaras, put on your cellophane fairy princess wings, and if you hear a loud sound, hide in your little styrofoam castles and take a little nap.

 

We'll wake you when the scary thunderstorm's over.

[Zorin Industries 0]

I love reading that stuff, I take it back the mans a moron

[Guest Mystery Eskimo]

The scary thing is that the above is only the tip of the iceberg. There are whole books devoted to the wonderful world of Bush's mind.

[Zorin Industries 0]

Marney, don't you care that even the U.K, probably your closest ally in the world is begining to turn against you.

 

I mean they didn't just wake up one morning and say "Hm, I don't think i'll support America from now on". It takes a lot of concern with Americas actions to come to these descions.

 

Do you honestly believe that Europe does not have valid concerns about some U.S actions and statements from your government.

[Guest Mystery Eskimo]

[Run along now and argue about carrot quotas with your fellow sophisticates, children. Play with your plastic tiaras, put on your cellophane fairy princess wings, and if you hear a loud sound, hide in your little styrofoam castles and take a little nap.

 

We'll wake you when the scary thunderstorm's over.

Wow, thats a really good point...oh wait, you didn't make one.

 

Your arrogance that the US can do whatever the hell it wants even in the face of the rest of the world's opposition is frightening.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

don't you care that even the U.K, probably your closest ally in the world is begining to turn against you

No. Morality is not dependent on a majority vote. As for your petty, snickering recitation of verbal fumbles, Ovid said it best: summa petit livor; perflant altissima venti.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

thats a really good point...oh wait, you didn't make one.

I did, several times now. You're just blind to the irrelevance of the rest of the world.

 

Your arrogance that the US can do whatever the hell it wants even in the face of the rest of the world's opposition is frightening.

Good.

Oderint, dum metuant: be frightened, children. Step out of line, commit murder, perpetrate evil, and we'll slap you down. That's what we're here for.

[Guest TJH]

Do I think Bush is an idiot? Not an idiot, but an easily led man, not up to the job.

I think he is. Here is some evidence:

 

"I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself,

but for predecessors as well."

—Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2001

 

"My pro-life position is I believe there's life. It's not necessarily based in religion. I think there's a life there, therefore the notion of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness."

--Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 23, 2001

 

"Then I went for a run with the other dog and just walked. And I started thinking about a lot of things. I was able to—I can't remember what it was. Oh, the inaugural speech, started thinking through that."

—Pre-inaugural interview with U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 22, 2001 issue

 

 

"I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure."

—Interview with the Associated Press, Jan. 18, 2001

 

 

"Redefining the role of the United States from enablers to keep the peace to enablers to keep the peace from peacekeepers is going to be an assignment."

—Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants."

—Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"If he's—the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a—is a noble institution I would—I would strongly reject that assumption—that John Ashcroft is a open-minded, inclusive person."

—NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"She's just trying to make sure Anthony gets a good meal—Antonio."

—On Laura Bush inviting Justice Antonin Scalia to dinner at the White House.

NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001

 

 

"I want it to be said that the Bush administration was a results-oriented administration, because I believe the results of focusing our attention and energy on teaching children to read and having an education system that's responsive to the child and to the parents, as opposed to mired in a system that refuses to change, will make America what we want it to be—a literate country and a hopefuller country."

—Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2001

 

 

"I would have to ask the questioner. I haven't had a chance to ask the questioners the question they've been questioning. On the other hand, I firmly believe she'll be a fine secretary of labor. And I've got confidence in Linda Chavez. She is a—she'll bring an interesting perspective to the Labor Department."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001

 

 

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine labor secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 8, 2001

 

 

"I mean, these good folks are revolutionizing how businesses conduct their business. And, like them, I am very optimistic about our position in the world and about its influence on the United States.

We're concerned about the short-term economic news, but long-term I'm optimistic.

And so, I hope investors, you know—secondly, I hope investors hold investments for periods of time—that I've always found the best investments are those that you salt away based on economics."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 4, 2001

 

"The person who runs FEMA is someone who must have the trust of the president. Because the person who runs FEMA is the first voice, often times, of someone whose life has been turned upside down hears from."

—Austin, Texas, Jan. 4, 2001

 

 

"She is a member of a labor union at one point."

—Announcing his nomination of Linda Chavez as secretary of labor. Austin, Texas, Jan. 2, 2001

 

 

"Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

—Austin, Texas, Dec. 20, 2000

 

 

"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them."

—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2000

 

 

"The great thing about America is everybody should vote."

—Austin, Texas, Dec. 8, 2000

 

 

 

"Dick Cheney and I do not want this nation to be in a recession. We want anybody who can find work to be able to find work."

—60 Minutes II, Dec. 5, 2000

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

"I knew it might put him in an awkward position that we had a discussion before finality has finally happened in this presidential race."

—Describing a phone call to Sen. John Breaux. Crawford, Texas, Dec. 2, 2000

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

"As far as the legal hassling and wrangling and posturing in Florida, I would suggest you talk to our team in Florida led by Jim Baker."

—Crawford, Texas, Nov. 30, 2000

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."

—Austin, Texas, Nov. 22, 2000

 

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"They misunderestimated me."

—Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

The really pathetic thing is that someone kept a record of that.

 

As for Bush, if you think that Saddam is an intelligent, rational man who is no threat to the world, you are a retard. A case can be made against war with Iraq, alas, a pretty shit case.

 

(Re: America should kick UN out of America, I meant that the U.S should kick the U.N parliament out of NY)