Bush's first campaign ad

[Jobber of the Week 0]

It's online at his web site

 

This is coming from the man who holds a public perception of favoring businesses over blue-collar workers.

 

This is coming from the man who holds a public perception of courting special interests.

 

This is coming from the man who holds a public perception of secretly favoring Halliburton, his friends in Texas, for rebuilding Iraq.

 

 

If this is the best they can do, they're worse off than I thought.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Wait.. you mean I can just click on the banner of the Kerry site and get a video?

 

Now, that's a search engine.

 

(Presumably.. they can use screencaps of Kerry's site, right?)

 

but.. the title of the ad suggests a sequel

[Vyce 0]

It's online at his web site

 

This is coming from the man who holds a public perception of favoring businesses over blue-collar workers.

 

This is coming from the man who holds a public perception of courting special interests.

 

This is coming from the man who holds a public perception of secretly favoring Halliburton, his friends in Texas, for rebuilding Iraq.

 

 

If this is the best they can do, they're worse off than I thought.

I think it rather accurately points out Kerry's hypocrisy, actually.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I think it rather accurately points out Kerry's hypocrisy, actually.

There's a lot to go on, actually. But not this issue, not from this guy.

[Guest MikeSC]

I think it rather accurately points out Kerry's hypocrisy, actually.

There's a lot to go on, actually. But not this issue, not from this guy.

Because, God knows, retaliation for unfair attacks by pointing out possible hypocrisy is BAD! How dare a man accused of something by an opponent mention that maybe, just maybe, the opponent is guilty of the same thing.

 

BAD BUSH! BAD!

-=Mike

[Vyce 0]

Oh my God, politicians being politicians!

 

Politicians being MEAN to each other!

 

THE WORLD HAS BEGUN TO END!!!!!!

[snuffbox 0]

Its a shame that the campaign cant be about the two candidates distinct forums and differing views/policies/records. Kerry could easily focus on Bush's mishandling of the surpus, the deficit, Iraq, and the exploitation of 9-11 for example. All very legitimate topics to discuss while explaining how he is different. Bush can focus largely on the hypocrisy of Kerry. That seems fair to me and thus far seems to be his plan.

 

Kerry seems intent on bringing the slander and the stupid. Bush will probably ride this intern thing and other nonsense, but so far he hasnt, and he should get some respect for running the more decent campaign so far. So far.

 

Meh...at least Dean and Kucinich managed to provide some alternatives with their rhetoric.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Because, God knows, retaliation for unfair attacks by pointing out possible hypocrisy is BAD! How dare a man accused of something by an opponent mention that maybe, just maybe, the opponent is guilty of the same thing.

 

BAD BUSH! BAD!

-=Mike

The point is, that he's attacking him on money, with everything I said above AND by far the largest checkbook of anyone in the race, thanks in part to a lot of expensive, private dinners.

 

It's like Bill Clinton telling me that I'm a sex addict. Even if I was, coming from him, it just doesn't add up.

[Guest MikeSC]

Because, God knows, retaliation for unfair attacks by pointing out possible hypocrisy is BAD! How dare a man accused of something by an opponent mention that maybe, just maybe, the opponent is guilty of the same thing.

 

BAD BUSH! BAD!

              -=Mike

The point is, that he's attacking him on money, with everything I said above AND by far the largest checkbook of anyone in the race, thanks in part to a lot of expensive, private dinners.

 

It's like Bill Clinton telling me that I'm a sex addict. Even if I was, coming from him, it just doesn't add up.

Thing is, Bush has raised money cleanly. I've not heard of a rumor of him doing any illegal fund-raising (Kerry tapped Johnny Chung in one of his elections --- let's not go into Chung's history). And while people SAY he's beholden to special interests --- they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

 

Kerry's attacking Bush is like McCain attacking Bush for being involved in a financial scandal.

-=Mike

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

 

Enron. Energy task force.

[snuffbox 0]

they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

 

Enron. Energy task force.

Haliburton.

[Guest MikeSC]

they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

 

Enron. Energy task force.

Haliburton.

Thing is, nothing can really be shown that says they got preferential treatment.

 

Enron? They made their money under Clinton's administration (with gov't contracts, to boot) and the company DIED in 2001 or so. Bush didn't give them ANYTHING for the campaign donations they made. He let them die because, darn it, they DESERVED to die. He didn't try and bail them out --- something the Congress did for the airline industry (when it shouldn't have) because one of the biggest lobbyists for that group is married to a prominent Congressman.

 

Haliburton? Again, they have been used by the gov't to provide services for YEARS. Bush wasn't the first. They WON the contract to provide emergency services for the military (which eliminates the need to have competitive bids for contracts for every single thing the military or gov't needs done). Nothing illegal or improper there.

 

And what, precisely, was illegal about the task force? I don't get the illegality here. They had CEO's of energy companies (which isn't too bad an idea when discussing shaping energy policy) and asked for their input. They promised the CEO's that the transcripts wouldn't be made public so that the CEO's could actually provide their honest evaluations rather than trying to play to their shareholders.

 

I, honestly, don't see the controversy there. I really don't.

-=Mike

[snuffbox 0]

they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

 

Enron. Energy task force.

Haliburton.

Thing is, nothing can really be shown that says they got preferential treatment.

 

Enron? They made their money under Clinton's administration (with gov't contracts, to boot) and the company DIED in 2001 or so. Bush didn't give them ANYTHING for the campaign donations they made. He let them die because, darn it, they DESERVED to die. He didn't try and bail them out --- something the Congress did for the airline industry (when it shouldn't have) because one of the biggest lobbyists for that group is married to a prominent Congressman.

 

Haliburton? Again, they have been used by the gov't to provide services for YEARS. Bush wasn't the first. They WON the contract to provide emergency services for the military (which eliminates the need to have competitive bids for contracts for every single thing the military or gov't needs done). Nothing illegal or improper there.

 

And what, precisely, was illegal about the task force? I don't get the illegality here. They had CEO's of energy companies (which isn't too bad an idea when discussing shaping energy policy) and asked for their input. They promised the CEO's that the transcripts wouldn't be made public so that the CEO's could actually provide their honest evaluations rather than trying to play to their shareholders.

 

I, honestly, don't see the controversy there. I really don't.

-=Mike

The real problem with Haliburton - Not about illegal/not, or that it had already been a government contracter for years and years prior. The problem was that the company had ties to Dick Cheney and that, obviously, is a major conflict of interest.

[Guest MikeSC]

The real problem with Haliburton - Not about illegal/not, or that it had already been a government contracter for years and years prior. The problem was that the company had ties to Dick Cheney and that, obviously, is a major conflict of interest.

BUT, if there is nothing anybody can point to that Haliburton got unfairly --- how is there a conflict of interest because the VP used to work for them?

-=Mike

[Jobber of the Week 0]

And while people SAY he's beholden to special interests --- they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

Neither does this ad.

[Guest MikeSC]

And while people SAY he's beholden to special interests --- they don't really provide anything resembling anecdotal evidence.

Neither does this ad.

True.

 

I never said the ad was great.

-=Mike

[Guest Cerebus]

Wait a second everyone hold on...

 

Dick Cheney was the CEO of Hallburton?

 

GET OUTTA TOWN~!!!!1

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Well, I believe the Medicare bill was the biggest, most talked-about sign of Bush's special interest favors.

 

The Energy Policy Act was another big tax break, this time to the energy companies. In fact, the company responsible for the big northeast blackout, FirstEnergy, has ties politically and financially to Bush.

[snuffbox 0]

The real problem with Haliburton - Not about illegal/not, or that it had already been a government contracter for years and years prior. The problem was that the company had ties to Dick Cheney and that, obviously, is a major conflict of interest.

BUT, if there is nothing anybody can point to that Haliburton got unfairly --- how is there a conflict of interest because the VP used to work for them?

-=Mike

The sitting Vice President of a country should never be involved in any way with a company that got an oil contract for a recently conquered country. If this situation happened anywhere else in the world, what would your opinion of the situation be?

 

Or what if, say, Kosovo had oil fields and Bill Clinton had conquered/occupied that country. Say Al Gore had ties to Five Star Oil er something that got a large contract for that country. What would your opinion be of that situation?

[snuffbox 0]

Wait a second everyone hold on...

 

Dick Cheney was the CEO of Hallburton?

 

GET OUTTA TOWN~!!!!1

lame

 

That kind of thing is just as pathetic as 'Gore got the popular votes...3 years ago, GET OVER IT!'

 

Did you know that Hayes-Tilden is still discussed/studied today? Teapot Dome? Boss Tweed?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Wait a second everyone hold on...

 

Dick Cheney was the CEO of Hallburton?

 

GET OUTTA TOWN~!!!!1

lame

 

That kind of thing is just as pathetic as 'Gore got the popular votes...3 years ago, GET OVER IT!'

 

Did you know that Hayes-Tilden is still discussed/studied today? Teapot Dome? Boss Tweed?

One's meant has a joke.

 

The other one isn't.

[Guest thebigjig]

Wait a second everyone hold on...

 

Dick Cheney was the CEO of Hallburton?

 

GET OUTTA TOWN~!!!!1

lame

 

That kind of thing is just as pathetic as 'Gore got the popular votes...3 years ago, GET OVER IT!'

 

Did you know that Hayes-Tilden is still discussed/studied today? Teapot Dome? Boss Tweed?

you're comparing events that happened decades ago... Bush/Gore was just over 3 years ago... comparing Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed to the stealing of the election in 2000 is a little strange...

 

And this is the perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. I think the evidence of Bush's special interest connections dating all the way back to his Harken Energy days is plentiful, and arguing with it is absurd. The issue is whether or not that should be a serious campaign issue between two offenders... I almost said equal offenders, but I honestly think Bush's special interest connections outnumber Kerrys not only in lump sums but in ethic irresponsibility as well. I realize most politicians are whores to the special interests, but Bush seems to be the madam of the brothel

[NoCalMike 0]

Wasn't Bush named "advisor" to one of those companies, simply so he could collect an inflated salary? Hmmm trying to think of the company.....dammit.

[Guest thebigjig]

Wasn't Bush named "advisor" to one of those companies, simply so he could collect an inflated salary? Hmmm trying to think of the company.....dammit.

I'll have to look it up when I get home... I do know that one of the biggest unethical moves was when he dumped his stock while chairing an audit committee... some of the stuff he was involved with makes the Martha Stewart stuff seem very very tame

[Justice 0]

The real problem with Haliburton - Not about illegal/not, or that it had already been a government contracter for years and years prior. The problem was that the company had ties to Dick Cheney and that, obviously, is a major conflict of interest.

BUT, if there is nothing anybody can point to that Haliburton got unfairly --- how is there a conflict of interest because the VP used to work for them?

-=Mike

The sitting Vice President of a country should never be involved in any way with a company that got an oil contract for a recently conquered country. If this situation happened anywhere else in the world, what would your opinion of the situation be?

 

Or what if, say, Kosovo had oil fields and Bill Clinton had conquered/occupied that country. Say Al Gore had ties to Five Star Oil er something that got a large contract for that country. What would your opinion be of that situation?

HE NEVER DECIDED FOR THEM! God, it is that easy to say. He had no power in the fucking contractual process with the military. He didn't secure it for Haliburton; the fact that the company had dealt with the massive oil fires and problems during the FIRST Gulf War was probably the biggest reccommendation they could get. Cheney didn't have anything to do with this.

[sfaJack 0]

HE NEVER DECIDED FOR THEM! God, it is that easy to say. He had no power in the fucking contractual process with the military. He didn't secure it for Haliburton; the fact that the company had dealt with the massive oil fires and problems during the FIRST Gulf War was probably the biggest reccommendation they could get. Cheney didn't have anything to do with this.

Yep. They had the contracts during the first Gulf War, BEFORE Cheney was head of Halliburton, no less.

 

Add in the fact that Halliburton has been doing government contract work for over 60 years under both Democratic and Republican administrations, and the Dems little conspiracy theory just doesn't hold up.

[Guest thebigjig]

The problem, is not that Dick Cheney was the CEO of Haliburton, but that he received $20 million dollars as a "going away" present before running for VP... and to quote Lewis Black "if big oil gave anyone here $20 million dollars, you'd be thrilled to be big oils bitch! And the first time someone pumped your gas, you'd be so excited that you'd probably blow 'em"

 

 

And yes, Dick Cheney played a major deciding factor in all of this. It's a fact that Cheney is the most powerful vice president this nation has ever had, and the most influential vice president since Nixon, and when signs are pointing to a war that in my opinion revolved around oil under the guise of "defending freedom", then it's natural to question the motives of the biggest oil whore in the government

[Guest MikeSC]

The problem, is not that Dick Cheney was the CEO of Haliburton, but that he received $20 million dollars as a "going away" present before running for VP... and to quote Lewis Black "if big oil gave anyone here $20 million dollars, you'd be thrilled to be big oils bitch! And the first time someone pumped your gas, you'd be so excited that you'd probably blow 'em"

 

 

And yes, Dick Cheney played a major deciding factor in all of this. It's a fact that Cheney is the most powerful vice president this nation has ever had, and the most influential vice president since Nixon, and when signs are pointing to a war that in my opinion revolved around oil under the guise of "defending freedom", then it's natural to question the motives of the biggest oil whore in the government

If the war in Iraq was "over oil" --- why didn't we invade them in 2001?

 

Why are our oil prices shooting up?

-=Mike

[Guest hunger4unger]

:sigh: The US government are contracting out the work to rebuild Iraq (after they bombed it to hell). They are using the money gained from the Oil in Iraq, that they have control of, to pay for these contracts. The war, or illegal invasion I should say, was a con. To rub salt into the wounds, the vast majority of companies to gain from this are American: one in particular is Haliburton.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

seriously... fuck Bush... I cant wait till November when his dumb ass gets knocked out of the presidential chair so Kerry or Edwards is on it... or somebody else... I dont care