More America/Canada griping

[Guest bob_barron]

I think calling Bush a moron is a bit harsh no? Just becuase you disagree with some of his political policies doesn't make him a moron

[Guest DrTom]

and no mention of Canadians, but England? What have they done to help american in the past fifty years, that Canada didn't....

For one, England hasn't downsized its military to the extend Canada has, relying on America to protect its "little sister" to the north. England is also the first country to rally behind us when we take action around the world. Desert Storm was one example, and the recent anti-terror campaign is another.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Well considering that Canada and the US are on the *same* side of the ocean and that Canada doesn't have any natural enemies besides those who view us in relation to the US then I think us 'down-sizing' our military is a pretty wise move - since, you know, we actually like to have social services and stuff.

 

Canada IS the US's closest ally and trading partner. There is no denying this.

 

C'mon, Bush is a moron. Or are we just misunderestimating his intelligence?

[Guest Banky]

Simply put

 

Canada couldn't live without America.

 

America could live without Canada.

 

Its plain to see. I just resent the negative attitude American's have towards us. But make no bones about it, I don't think we are the superior country.

[Guest bob_barron]

I understand Banky- I resent when people make all these stupid stereotypes about Canada and I resent when Canadians do the same about Americans.

 

Instead of just calling President Bush a moron over and over again how about telling me why you think President Bush is a moron

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Canada *could* live without the US - we just wouldn't live as well since a strong amount of our GDP comes from Exports and the US buys 80+% of our goods.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

*note "misunderestimating" is not a word*

[Guest DrTom]

I think us 'down-sizing' our military is a pretty wise move - since, you know, we actually like to have social services and stuff.

Countries should be able to defend themselves. If there's a resentment of America and Americans, isn't it hypocritical to downsize the military and rely on the US to pull your fat out of the fire?

 

Canada IS the US's closest ally and trading partner. There is no denying this.

Sure there is. Closest trading partner, sure. Closest ally, though, only in terms of geographical distance. In terms of a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with an ally, America's closest ally is Great Britain.

 

C'mon, Bush is a moron.

Yeah, childish name-calling really makes you sound like an ally...

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Countries should be able to defend themselves. If there's a resentment of America and Americans, isn't it hypocritical to downsize the military and rely on the US to pull your fat out of the fire?

 

There's fire? Where? Fact is anyone who attacks Canada is attacking the US since the majority of Canadians live near the US border AND Canada supplies power to a lot of states not to mention there are many US branch plants in Canada. The US has a vested interest in our affairs. The only thing we should be worried about is the US attacking us, and that's not going to happen because World Opinion on the US would plummet if that happened since Canada is a member of the G8 and a member of the security council.

 

Sure there is. Closest trading partner, sure. Closest ally, though, only in terms of geographical distance. In terms of a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with an ally, America's closest ally is Great Britain.

 

Yes because a little thing known as the 'economy' is really unimportant.

 

From your countries website:

 

The bilateral relationship between the United States and Canada is perhaps the closest and most extensive in the world. It is reflected in the staggering volume of trade--the equivalent of $1.4 billion a day in goods, services, and investment income--and people, more than 200 million a year crossing the U.S.-Canadian border. In fields ranging from law enforcement cooperation to environmental cooperation to free trade, the two countries have set the standard by which many other countries measure their own progress. In addition to their close bilateral ties, Canada and the U.S. also work closely through multilateral fora.

 

Canada--a charter signatory to the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)--has continued to take an active role in the United Nations, including peacekeeping operations. Canada also is an active participant in discussions stemming from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Canada joined the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1990 and has been an active member, hosting the OAS General Assembly in Windsor in June 2000. In April 2001, Canada hosted the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City. Canada serves as the 2002 G-8 chair and will host the G-8 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, in June 2002. Canada also seeks to expand its ties to Pacific Rim economies through membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC)--of which the U.S. also is a member.

 

Although Canada views its relationship with the U.S. as crucial to a wide range of interests, it also occasionally pursues policies at odds with the United States. Two significant examples of these differing policies involve UN treaties. Canada strongly supports the UN-created International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, chairing the negotiations which led to its creation. The U.S. opposes the creation of the ICC due to fundamental flaws in the treaty that leave the ICC vulnerable to exploitation and politically motivated prosecutions. The United States and Canada also differed on the issue of landmines. Canada is a strong proponent of the Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines. The United States, while supporting demining initiatives, declined to sign the treaty due to unmet concerns regarding the protection of its forces and allies, particularly those serving on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the lack of exemptions for mixed munitions.

 

U.S. defense arrangements with Canada are more extensive than with any other country. The Permanent Joint Board on Defense, established in 1940, provides policy-level consultation on bilateral defense matters. The United States and Canada share NATO mutual security commitments. In addition, U.S. and Canadian military forces have cooperated since 1958 on continental air defense within the framework of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The military response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 both tested and strengthened military cooperation between the United States and Canada. Canada's participation in the military action in Afghanistan raised public debate about the role of the Canadian military and the limits of Canada's military capabilities.

 

The two countries also work closely to resolve transboundary environmental issues, an area of increasing importance in the bilateral relationship. A principal instrument of this cooperation is the International Joint Commission (IJC), established as part of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to resolve differences and promote international cooperation on boundary waters. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1972 is another historic example of joint cooperation in controlling transboundary water pollution. The two governments also consult semiannually on transboundary air pollution. Under the Air Quality Agreement of 1991, both countries have made substantial progress in coordinating and implementing their acid rain control programs and signed an annex on ground level ozone in 2000.

 

While law enforcement cooperation and coordination were excellent prior to the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11, they have since become even closer. Canada, like the United States, has strengthened its laws and realigned resources to fight terrorism. U.S.-Canada bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fight is unequaled.

 

Yeah, childish name-calling really makes you sound like an ally...

 

Well no one really *likes* the US (cept the US themselves...And that's enough love to last a lifetime... ) they just like what the US can do for them. Well that's not *really* true, but I'm feelin the anti-american spirit comin on so tah dah...

 

But don't try to deny bush's intelligence (or lack thereof), just call the insult childish and completely ignore the point made.

[Guest bob_barron]

You still haven't said why think Bush is a moron

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

If calling Bush a moron is childish, then how's aboot I see some proof that he's NOT a moron? Prove to me that this guy is a solid leader, the right choice and an intelligent man.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Again,

 

*Note that 'Misunderestimated' is NOT a word*

 

It would save a lot of time if you realized that Bush said 'Misunderestimated' which, as mentioned previously, is NOT a word.

 

This is not the only incident of Bush's stupidity, but really it's his defining one. I could offer up a lot more if you'd like, but since you can't grasp the notion that saying words that aren't actually words is a sign of stupidity then I wonder how productive my points would be.

[Guest bob_barron]

Since you're the one who started the whole Bush is a moron thing I think you should be the one to tell me why you think he is one. I'm going to bed but if no one has answered your question by morning- I'll give it my best shot.

 

As an American living in Canada the discord between both countries just bothers me a lot. It's one of my pet peeves if you will.

[Guest bob_barron]

Again,

 

*Note that 'Misunderestimated' is NOT a word*

 

It would save a lot of time if you realized that Bush said 'Misunderestimated' which, as mentioned previously, is NOT a word.

 

This is not the only incident of Bush's stupidity, but really it's his defining one. I could offer up a lot more if you'd like, but since you can't grasp the notion that saying words that aren't actually words is a sign of stupidity then I wonder how productive my points would be.

Screwing up a word does not make you a moron and the fact he used 'misunderestimated' doesn't make me think less of him as a leader. If everyone was a moron for screwing up some words then this whole world would be one big one

[Guest treble charged]

While I'm not exactly Bush's biggest fan, I wouldn't go so far as to say he was a moron. Sure, he may have some public speaking problems, but I don't think a moron could become the leader of the most powerfull country in the world.

 

Are there smarter people than Bush in the world? Definitely, but you could also get a lot dumber.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

My pet peeve is when singers (or songwriters) rhyme "life" with "night".

 

I blame that on America BTW

 

*I* didn't really 'start' the bush is a moron thing, see, he was a moron first, and then we all picked up on it (well, then again, some obviously haven't).

[Guest bob_barron]

I concede he is not the world's greatest public speaker. I know he has dyslexia but his speaking skills have improved greatly since becoming President.

[Guest DrTom]

The US has a vested interest in our affairs.

True. But if your national defense philosophy is "wait for the Americans to arrive," then it might be time to examine that policy a little more closely.

 

But don't try to deny bush's intelligence (or lack thereof), just call the insult childish and completely ignore the point made.

Here's the "point," brighteyes: childish insults don't make any point at all. The "example" you cited for Bush being a "moron" is a malapropism. Not everyone is a gifted public speaker, especially when the eyes of the world are on them everytime they open their mouths. Basically, the American liberal press sells Bush as a moron because he's not a very adroit speaker, and people who are willing to believe simple things like that fall for it. Those of us who have heard him speak without a teleprompter in front of him and have actually conversed with the man know differently. But don't let facts get in the way of your beliefs and name-calling.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

True. But if your national defense philosophy is "wait for the Americans to arrive," then it might be time to examine that policy a little more closely.

 

You obviously don't follow... American and Canadian defenses are one. If someone attacks Canada they automatically attack the US. But since no one has attacked us yet this hasn't been put to the test. It's not a matter of us 'waiting to be saved', we are in the same bed bruddah - you just happen to take up a lot more if it.

 

Here's the "point," brighteyes: childish insults don't make any point at all. The "example" you cited for Bush being a "moron" is a malapropism.

 

No, it's me being lazy. I could have given a lot more examples of his ignorance and stupidity, but I thought the point could have been made with one swift quotation. Obviously I was wrong. Did he or did he not make up a word? This is how bush gives speeches: He has a couple of big words on paper, some cliches too, and he puts em together and thinks that automatically he will look smart. It's sorta like Dusty Rhodes. But of course, it doesn't work.

 

Not everyone is a gifted public speaker, especially when the eyes of the world are on them everytime they open their mouths.

 

As a public speaker, the President of the USA should be put on a higher scale - so 'he's a bad public speaker - nobodys perfect' doesn't really work here. Bush was governor before president, shouldn't that have given him enough experience?

 

Basically, the American liberal press sells Bush as a moron because he's not a very adroit speaker, and people who are willing to believe simple things like that fall for it.

 

But then some of us look at his policies and then not only call him stupid, but evil too.

 

Those of us who have heard him speak without a teleprompter in front of him and have actually conversed with the man know differently. But don't let facts get in the way of your beliefs and name-calling.

 

You haven't really given ANY facts. I have read of many occurances of bush making moronic comments. Forgive me for believing that stupid people say stupid things... That's just so darn whacky of me...

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

"but you could also get a lot dumber" <-- The Motto for the American Political System.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

Sure, he may have some public speaking problems, but I don't think a moron could become the leader of the most powerfull country in the world.

That's just way too easy. Honestly, were you purposely trying to lob a soft one over the plate TC?

[Guest treble charged]

I'm trying to play 'mediator', if you will, in this whole US/Canada thing that inevitably rears its head once every few months.

 

And the arguments are always the same both ways.

 

Canadian: George Bush is stupid.

American: Canada has a shitty army.

 

And so on, and so forth.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Well both are true. Though Canadian special forces are considered to be amongst the best in the world

 

Canada having a shitty army doesn't quite effect the world as GW being stupid does...

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

And the arguments are always the same both ways.

 

Canadian: George Bush is stupid.

American: Canada has a shitty army.

 

And so on, and so forth.

And which of those two you presented are more arguable? I don't think you'll get much griping from the Canadian public on our small army. In fact,I'm sure many would agree with you. So there, we've admitted it. Our army (though considered to be some of the best in the world) is small.

 

Now, what exactly is America's excuse for electing a sub-par president?

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Well they didn't really 'elect' him

 

Reason #1: He's a republican, Democrats are BAD!

 

Reason #2: His Daddy was President!

 

Reason #3: Al Gore is boring.

 

Reason #4: I don't quite understand how this voting system works... How do I pick someone not George W?

 

Reason #5: Who else can we vote for?

 

Reason #6: Why vote?

[Guest bob_barron]

We technically did not elect him but George Bush did win the presidency fair and square.

 

 

1.No argument there.

 

2.That didn't really affect the election too much

 

3.That and he talks out of ass a lot.

 

4.Well in America there is the electoral college where instead of the popular vote- each state has a certain number of electorates and if a candidate wins that state they get all the electorates.

 

Example: New York has 36 electoral votes I think . Al Gore won NY so he got 36 electoral votes.

 

You need a certain amount to win and George W. Bush won that amound despite losing the popular vote. I know it sounds kinda dumb but that's how they vote for the presidency.

 

5.Depending on your state there are other candidates on the ballot.

 

6.Because it's your right as an American citizen.

 

What policies of Bush do you think are evil? I admit that his environmental record is not the best but other then that I've been pleased with his presidency.

 

The whole 'he makes up words' is an unfair attack that the press makes. Yes he occasionally will slip over a word too but it happens and I think the whole 'BUSH IS STUPID LOL' stuff is getitng quite old and I don't see what him slipping over some words has anything to do with his ability to run the country.

 

LOTC- A lot of people in America don't like Bush but there are many people who are pleased with this job he has done running our country.

[Guest DrTom]

You obviously don't follow... American and Canadian defenses are one

I know an awful lot of people in the US Army who would have a good chuckle at that one. While I'll agree that defense of the continent is a mutual responsibility, I think you get more benefit from the arrangement than we do. Saying the defenses "are one" is misleading.

 

I thought the point could have been made with one swift quotation. Obviously I was wrong. Did he or did he not make up a word? This is how bush gives speeches: He has a couple of big words on paper, some cliches too, and he puts em together and thinks that automatically he will look smart.

How does one spurious example prove a point? Obviously, you were wrong, because your entire principle was flawed. Add to that the fact that you have NO idea how presidents and politicians give speeches. Bush has ideas he wants to convey, and he works with speechwriters to put those ideas into words. Some of the words are his, and some belong to his speechwriters. Messing up a word here and there does not make someone a "moron." If he flubs one word out of every 5000, the press is all over for him and his simple mistake or malapropism is all over the country. There are web sites that have cataloged stupid quotes from people like Al Gore, but you didn't see Gore dragged thru the mud. All you're doing is buying into a double standard in the American media because you happen to dislike the president. Lazy is right.

 

Bush was governor before president, shouldn't that have given him enough experience?

Not hardly. Speeches he makes in Texas will only be seen by a few million people, and only mean something in the state. The speeches he gives as president are seen by 100 million people in his own country, and ten times that number around the world. The things he talks about affect the US and the world at large. A person being uncomfortable speaking before an audience of that size is not a bad leader. Bush is also compared to Bill Clinton, who was both a very good public speaker and possessed of a ridiculous amount of personal charisma. He also had the advantage that the press didn't have it in for him, so his mistakes didn't kick off the national news.

 

But then some of us look at his policies and then not only call him stupid, but evil too.

Such as?

 

You haven't really given ANY facts.

And you have? All you've done is make fun of a man for making a few flubs in his speech, and rush to the conclusion that anyone who's not a perfect speaker has to be an idiot. I'm sure facile generalizations are nice and all, but they don't really do anything except show a lack of thought.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

LOTC- A lot of people in America don't like Bush but there are many people who are pleased with this job he has done running our country.

 

That number IS falling btw.

 

The whole 'he makes up words' is an unfair attack that the press makes. Yes he occasionally will slip over a word too but it happens and I think the whole 'BUSH IS STUPID LOL' stuff is getitng quite old and I don't see what him slipping over some words has anything to do with his ability to run the country.

 

"Is Our Children Learning"

 

"They misunderestimated me."

 

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."

 

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."

 

"I have learned from mistakes I may or may not have made."

 

"Nothing can be further than the truth''

 

"I think the American people—I hope the American—I don't think, let me—I hope the American people trust me."

 

"In other words, I don't think people ought to be compelled to make the decision which they think is best for their family."

 

"I suspect that had my dad not been president, he'd be asking the same questions: How'd your meeting go with so-and-so? … How did you feel when you stood up in front of the people for the State of the Union Address—state of the budget address, whatever you call it."

 

"Education is not my top priority"

 

"But the true threats to stability and peace are these nations that are not very transparent, that hide behind the—that don't let people in to take a look and see what they're up to. They're very kind of authoritarian regimes. The true threat is whether or not one of these people decide, peak of anger, try to hold us hostage, ourselves; the Israelis, for example, to whom we'll defend, offer our defenses; the South Koreans."

 

Bush said he wanted his administration to be remembered for making America ``a more literate country and a hopefuller country.'

 

"I think there is some methodology in my travels."

 

"They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it's some kind of federal program."

 

"I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for predecessors as well."

 

"It's your money. You paid for it."

 

"Drug therapies are replacing a lot of medicines as we used to know it."

 

"I'm also honored to be here with the speaker of the House—just happens to be from the state of Illinois. I'd like to describe the speaker as a trustworthy man. He's the kind of fellow who says when he gives you his word he means it. Sometimes that doesn't happen all the time in the political process."

 

"I understand small business growth. I was one."

 

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

 

"I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."

 

"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."

 

"The senator has got to understand if he's going to have-he can't have it both ways. He can't take the high horse and then claim the low road."

 

"I think we agree, the past is over."

 

"There's no such thing as legacies. At least, there is a legacy, but I'll never see it."

 

"The most important job is not to be governor, or first lady in my case."

 

"This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses."

 

"If I'm the president, we're going to have emergency-room care, we're going to have gag orders."

 

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

 

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."

 

"I think we ought to raise the age at which juveniles can have a gun."

 

"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."

 

"We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile.''

 

"I want you to know that farmers are not going to be secondary thoughts to a Bush administration. They will be in the forethought of our thinking."

 

"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history."

 

"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future."

 

"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."

 

"I mean, there needs to be a wholesale effort against racial profiling, which is illiterate children."

 

"I don't think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs."

 

"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."

 

'"You teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."

 

What policies of Bush do you think are evil? I admit that his environmental record is not the best but other then that I've been pleased with his presidency.

 

'Other than that'? You don't just say that the planet is 'other than that'. Bushes evironmental agenda (or lack thereof) is directly related to him being in the pocket of oil men. This corruption also influences other parts of his presidency like the "War with Iraq" and the "War on Terrorism".

 

Cut Environmental Protection Agency budget by $500 million.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

 

Cut funding by 28% for research into cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

Cut by 50% funding for research into renewable energy sources.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

Suspended rules that would require hardrock miners to clean up sites on Western public lands.

 

Reuters, March 21, 2001

 

 

Pulled out of the 1997 Kyoto Treaty global warming agreement.

Washington Post, March 28, 2001

 

 

Proposes to ease permit process - including environmental considerations - for refinery, nuclear and hydroelectric dam construction.

Washington Post, May 18, 2001

 

Proposes to give government the authority to take private property through eminent domain for power lines.

Washington Post, May 18, 2001

 

Interior Department appointee Gale Norton sends out letters to state officials soliciting suggestions for opening up national monuments for oil and gas drilling, coal mining, and foresting.

MSNBC, March 28, 2001

 

 

Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

Village Voice, February 13, 2001

 

Cut federal spending on libraries by $39 million.

The Dallas Morning News, April 13, 2001

 

Cut $35 million in funding for doctors to get advanced pediatric training.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

 

Revoked rules that reduced the acceptable levels of arsenic in drinking water.

Washington Post, March 30, 2001

 

Blocked rules that would require federal agencies to offer bilingual assistance to non-English speaking persons.

New York Times, March 24, 2001

 

Proposed to eliminate new marine protections for the Channel Islands and the coral reefs of northwest Hawaii.

San Francisco Chronicle, April 6, 2001

 

 

Suspended rules that would have strengthened the governments ability to deny contracts to companies that violated workplace safety, environmental and other federal laws.

Washington Post, March 31, 2001

 

 

Appointed John Negroponte - an unindicted high level Iran Contra figure -to post of United nations ambassador.

MSNBC, March 24, 2001

 

Abandoned campaign pledge to invest $100 million for rain forest conservation.

Boston Globe, April 10, 2001

 

Reduced by 86% the Community Access Program for public hospitals, clinics and providers of care for people without insurance.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

Rescinded proposal to increase public access to information about potential consequences resulting from chemical plant accidents.

New York Times, March 27, 2001

 

 

Cut $60 million from program for Boys and Girls Clubs of America in public housing.

Washington Post, April 12, 2001

 

Proposed to eliminate federal program designed to help communities (and successfully used by Seattle) prepare for natural disasters.

CNN, March 1, 2001

 

 

Cut $200 million for work force training for dislocated workers.

Los Angeles Times, April 6, 2001

 

Eliminated funding for the Wetlands Reserve Program which encourages farmers to maintain wetlands habitat on their property.

Washington post, April 10, 2001

 

Cut program to provide child care to low-income families as they move from welfare to work.

New York Times, March 22, 2001

 

Cut program that provided prescription contraceptives coverage to federal employees (though it still pays for Viagra).

Associated Press, April 11, 2001

 

Cut $700 million in capital funds for repairs in public housing.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

Appointed Otto Reich - an unindicted high level Iran Contra figure - to Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.

MSNBC, March 25, 2001

 

 

Proposed to curtail the ability of groups to sue to get an animal placed on the Endangered Species List.

Washington Post, April 12, 2001

 

Rescinded rule that mandated increased energy-saving efficiency regulations for central air conditioners and heat pumps.

Washington Post, April 14, 2001

 

Repealed workplace ergonomic rules designed to improve worker health and safety.

Reuters, March 20, 2001

 

Abandoned campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) the waste gas that contributes to global warming.

New York Times, March 20, 2001

 

Banned federal aid to international family planning programs that offer abortion counseling with other independent funds.

New York Times, January 21, 2001

 

Closed White House Office for Women´s Health Initiatives and Outreach.

Washington Post, March 29, 2001

 

Nominated David Lauriski - ex-mining company executive - to post of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.

 

Interior Secretary Gale Norton goes forth with controversial plan to auction oil and gas development tracts off the coast eastern of Florida.

Associated Press, April 19, 2001

 

Announced intention to open up Montana´s Lewis and Clark National Forest to oil and drilling.

Missoula Independent, April 12, 2001

 

Proposes to redraw boundaries of nation monuments which would technically allow oil and gas drilling "outside" of national monuments.

 

Gutted White House AIDS Office.

 

Renegotiating free trade agreement with Jordan to eliminate safeguards for the environment and workers´ rights.

Washington Post, April 10, 2001

 

Will no longer seek guidance from The American Bar Association in recommendations for the federal judiciary appointments.

 

Appointed recycling foe Lynn Scarlett as Undersecretary of the Interior.

 

Took steps to abolish the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

 

Cut the Community Oriented Policing Services program

Los Angeles Times, March 30, 2001

 

Appointee Gale Norton plans to shelve grizzly bear reintroduction plan scheduled for Idaho and Montana wilderness.

Washington Post, April 25, 2001

 

Continues to hold up federal funding for stem cell research projects.

Boston Globe, April 25, 2001

 

Under Bush plan convicted misdemeanor drug users cannot get financial aid for college yet convicted murders could.

American Prospect, April 20, 2001

 

Refused to fund continued cleanup of uranium-slag heap in Utah.

Los Angeles Times, April 24, 2001

 

Refused to fund continued litigation of the government´s tobacco company lawsuit.

Associated Press, April 26, 2001

 

Proposed a $2 trillion tax cut of which 43% will go to the wealthiest 1% of Americans.

 

Signed a bill making it harder for poor and middle class Americans to file for bankruptcy even in the instance of daunting medical bills.

 

"If you want to do something about carbon dioxide emissions, then you ought to build nuclear power plants".

Vice President Dick Cheney on Meet The Press.

 

Appointed Diana "There is no gender gap in pay" Roth to the Council of Economic Advisers.

Boston Globe, March 28, 2001

 

Appointed Kay Cole James - an opponent of affirmative action - to direct the Office of Personnel Management.

Boston Globe, March 28, 2001

 

Cut $15.7 million earmarked for states to investigate cases of child abuse and neglect.

New York Times, March 23, 2001

 

Helped kill a law designed to make it tougher for teenagers to get credit cards.

New York Times, March 23, 2001

 

Proposed to eliminate the Reading is Fundamental program that gives free books to poor children.

Associated Press, April 25, 2001

 

Is pushing for development of small nuclear weapons to attack deeply buried targets - weapons which would violate the Comprehensive test Ban Treaty.

American Physical Society, April 22, 2001

 

Proposes to nominate Jeffrey Sutton - attorney responsible for the recent case weakening the Americans with Disabilities Act - to federal appeals court judgeship.

USA Today, March 23, 2001

 

Proposes to reverse regulation protecting 60 million acres of national forest from logging and road building.

Washington Post, April 26, 2001

 

Eliminated funding for the "We the People" education program which taught schoolchildren about the Constitution, Bill of Rights and citizenship.

St. Petersburg Times, May 1, 2001

 

Appointed John Bolton - who opposes nonproliferation treaties and the U.N. - to Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

Boston Globe, April 2, 2001

 

Nominated Linda Fisher - an executive with Monsanto - for the number two job at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Reuters, May 1, 2001

 

Nominated Michael McConnell - leading critic of the separation of church and state - to federal judgeship.

Detroit Free Press, May 11, 2001

 

Nominated Terrence Boyle - ardent opponent of civil rights - to a federal judgeship.

Detroit Free Press, May 11th, 2001

 

Cancelled 2004 deadline for automakers to develop prototype high-mileage cars.

Mercury News, May 11th, 2001

 

Nominated Harvey Pitts - lawyer for teen sex video distributor - to head SEC.

Washington Post, May 11th, 2001

 

Nominated John Walters - strong opponent of prison drug treatment programs - for Drug Czar.

Washington Post, May 16, 2001

 

Nominated J. Steven Giles - an oil and coal lobbyist - for Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

Washington Post, May 16, 2001

 

Nominated Bennett Raley - who advocates repealing the Endangered Species Act - for Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.

Washington Post, May 16, 2001

 

Is seeking the dismissal of class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. against Japan by Asian women forced to work as sex slaves in WWII.

Washington Post, May 14, 2001

 

Earmarked $4 million in new federal grant money for HIV and drug abuse prevention programs to go only to religious groups and not secular equivalents.

Associated Press, May 16, 2001

 

Reduced by 40% the Low Income Home Assistance Program for low-income individuals who need assistance paying energy bills.

Salon, May 18, 2001

 

Nominated Terrance Boyle - foe of civil rights - to federal judgeship.

Washington Post, May 18, 2001

 

Proposes that $1.2 billion in funding for alternative renewable energy come from selling oil and gas lease tracts in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve.

Washington Post, May 18, 2001

 

Plans on serving genetically engineered foods at all official government functions.

AlterNet, May 14, 2001

 

"Even as Bush highlighted hydroelectric power, he admitted his own doubt that so-called renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power, can ever replace oil and gas. `I hope someday that these renewables will be the dominant source of energy in America. I´m not so sure how realistic that is,´ Bush said."

Associated Press, May 18, 2001

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I know an awful lot of people in the US Army who would have a good chuckle at that one. While I'll agree that defense of the continent is a mutual responsibility, I think you get more benefit from the arrangement than we do. Saying the defenses "are one" is misleading.

 

While they are not literally one, I don't think you would deny that the US would immediately step in if an attack on Canada would occur. Again, the US has vested interests in Canada: Natural Resources, Branch Plants, Energy, etc. We live in the same house - just in different rooms. If someone breaks in and comes into our room they are still breaking into our house - and it's both of our responsibility to keep it safe. The Canadian military is not as widespread as the Americans - so to make up for it ours is more specialized with the understanding that 'North America' is in it together.

 

How does one spurious example prove a point?

 

Again 'Stupid people say Stupid things'. Not a really hard concept to grasp.

 

Obviously, you were wrong, because your entire principle was flawed.

 

The principle of 'stupid people say stupid things' is flawed?

 

Add to that the fact that you have NO idea how presidents and politicians give speeches. Bush has ideas he wants to convey, and he works with speechwriters to put those ideas into words. Some of the words are his, and some belong to his speechwriters. Messing up a word here and there does not make someone a "moron." If he flubs one word out of every 5000, the press is all over for him and his simple mistake or malapropism is all over the country. There are web sites that have cataloged stupid quotes from people like Al Gore, but you didn't see Gore dragged thru the mud. All you're doing is buying into a double standard in the American media because you happen to dislike the president. Lazy is right.

 

Damn that. Presidents getting a double standard than most people. That's just UNFAIR! We should just lighten up on him right? He is only Human, afterall. I stand by "This is how bush gives speeches: He has a couple of big words on paper, some cliches too, and he puts em together and thinks that automatically he will look smart." cause I haven't really seen evidence of the contrary.

 

Not hardly. Speeches he makes in Texas will only be seen by a few million people,

 

A FEW MILLION PEOPLE?! Oh yeah, that's just small potatoes. Once the audience goes beyond a thousand, let alone a million, the pressure to perform is the same. Things like that just become a statistic.

 

A person being uncomfortable speaking before an audience of that size is not a bad leader.

 

I just think he'd be used to it by now - letting nervousness overcome you in this stage of the game is ridiculous. He has infinite resources to help improve his public speaking - unfortunately, said resources can't really help his intelligence level.

 

Bush is also compared to Bill Clinton, who was both a very good public speaker and possessed of a ridiculous amount of personal charisma. He also had the advantage that the press didn't have it in for him, so his mistakes didn't kick off the national news.

 

The press didn't have it in for him... Mmm hmm. You really want to go with that?

 

Such as?

 

I provided them above.

 

And you have? All you've done is make fun of a man for making a few flubs in his speech, and rush to the conclusion that anyone who's not a perfect speaker has to be an idiot. I'm sure facile generalizations are nice and all, but they don't really do anything except show a lack of thought.

 

*Searches response. Searches. Searches* Yep, still no facts. Once again, rather than actually responding to my point, you have just tried to duck it. Tom, c'mon, I don't want to do all the work here.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

We technically did not elect him but George Bush did win the presidency fair and square.

That's a joke, right? You're not looking to get brutally ripped to shreds by the tons of the facts that state evidence to the contrary, right? 'Cause it can easily be done.

 

Step One: Think.

 

Step Two: Type.

 

Your priorities seem to be a little upside-down on that one.