Sunday, November 6, 2005
Saturday, November 5, 2005
Bush sends staff back to ethics class
Memo: Staff should adhere to 'spirit' of all rules
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With his chief political aide under investigation as part of a probe into the public unmasking of a CIA operative, President Bush is sending his staff back to school -- ethics school.
Bush is requiring his executive office staff to attend refresher courses on ethics and handling classified materials, according to a White House memo.
Staff members with security clearances will attend mandatory sessions next week, and those without security clearances will attend mandatory sessions the following week.
The refresher course comes as Bush's top aide, Karl Rove, is under investigation and as Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, faces indictments in connection with the outing of a CIA operative.
Bush has declined to talk publicly about the investigation. On Friday, he deflected questions about Libby and Rove at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina.
Arrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Edited to add -
McCain to add anti-torture rider to all legislation
WASHINGTON - Girding for a potential fight with the Bush administration, supporters of a ban on torturing prisoners of war by U.S. interrogators threatened Friday to include the prohibition in nearly every bill the Senate considers until it becomes law.
Speaking from the Senate floor, McCain said, "If necessary - and I sincerely hope it is not - I and the co-sponsors of this amendment will seek to add it to every piece of important legislation voted on in the Senate until the will of a substantial bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress prevails. Let no one doubt our determination."
The ban would establish the Army Field Manual as the guiding authority in interrogations and prohibit "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment" of prisoners.
The Bush administration has sought to exempt the CIA from the ban.
Opponents of the McCain language contend that setting no-torture ground rules would signal to prisoners that they have little to fear during interrogations, discouraging them from providing information.
The prisoners "can, apparently, be treated inhumanely," McCain said. "This means that America is the only country in the world that asserts a legal right to engage in cruel and inhumane treatment."
Memo: Staff should adhere to 'spirit' of all rules
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With his chief political aide under investigation as part of a probe into the public unmasking of a CIA operative, President Bush is sending his staff back to school -- ethics school.
Bush is requiring his executive office staff to attend refresher courses on ethics and handling classified materials, according to a White House memo.
Staff members with security clearances will attend mandatory sessions next week, and those without security clearances will attend mandatory sessions the following week.
The refresher course comes as Bush's top aide, Karl Rove, is under investigation and as Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, faces indictments in connection with the outing of a CIA operative.
Bush has declined to talk publicly about the investigation. On Friday, he deflected questions about Libby and Rove at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina.
Arrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Edited to add -
McCain to add anti-torture rider to all legislation
WASHINGTON - Girding for a potential fight with the Bush administration, supporters of a ban on torturing prisoners of war by U.S. interrogators threatened Friday to include the prohibition in nearly every bill the Senate considers until it becomes law.
Speaking from the Senate floor, McCain said, "If necessary - and I sincerely hope it is not - I and the co-sponsors of this amendment will seek to add it to every piece of important legislation voted on in the Senate until the will of a substantial bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress prevails. Let no one doubt our determination."
The ban would establish the Army Field Manual as the guiding authority in interrogations and prohibit "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment" of prisoners.
The Bush administration has sought to exempt the CIA from the ban.
Opponents of the McCain language contend that setting no-torture ground rules would signal to prisoners that they have little to fear during interrogations, discouraging them from providing information.
The prisoners "can, apparently, be treated inhumanely," McCain said. "This means that America is the only country in the world that asserts a legal right to engage in cruel and inhumane treatment."
Inquiry for top BUSH appointee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the head of the federal agency that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, is the subject of an inquiry into accusations of misuse of federal money and the use of phantom or unqualified employees, officials involved in that examination said on Friday.
People involved in the inquiry said that investigators had already interviewed a significant number of officials at the agency and that, if the accusations were substantiated, they could involve criminal violations.
Last July, the inspector general at the State Department opened an inquiry into Mr. Tomlinson's work at the board of governors after Representative Howard L. Berman, Democrat of California, and Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, forwarded accusations of misuse of money.
The lawmakers requested the inquiry after Mr. Berman received complaints about Mr. Tomlinson from at least one employee at the board, officials said. People involved in the inquiry said it involved accusations that Mr. Tomlinson was spending federal money for personal purposes, using board money for corporation activities, using board employees to do corporation work and hiring ghost employees or improperly qualified employees.
In recent weeks, State Department investigators have seized records and e-mail from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, officials said. They have shared some material with the inspector general at the corporation, including e-mail traffic between Mr. Tomlinson and White House officials including Karl Rove, a senior adviser to President Bush and a close friend of Mr. Tomlinson.
Mr. Rove and Mr. Tomlinson became friends in the 1990's when they served on the Board for International Broadcasting, the predecessor agency to the board of governors. Mr. Rove played an important role in Mr. Tomlinson's appointment as chairman of the broadcasting board.
The content of the e-mail between the two officials has not been made public but could become available when the corporation's inspector general sends his report to members of Congress this month. That inspector general examined several contracts that were approved by Mr. Tomlinson but not disclosed to board members. The contracts provided for payments to a researcher who monitored the political content of several shows.
On Thursday Mr. Tomlinson was forced to step down from the corporation, which directs nearly $400 million in federal money to public radio and television, after the board was briefed about the conclusions by its inspector general. In that inquiry, examiners looked at accusations that Mr. Tomlinson improperly used corporation money to promote more conservative programming.
State Department officials said on Friday that al-Hurra, the Arabic language satellite television network set up by the board of governors, was also being examined by the inspector general for possibly problematic procurement practices. That audit was first disclosed on Friday by The Financial Times.
The audit began at the request of al-Hurra, the officials said. A statement by the broadcasting board said that the agency had "no indication of any wrongdoing."
The network, which receives nearly $50 million in federal financing and is broadcast in 22 countries, was set up to compete with al-Jazeera and other Arab news media. One State Department official said Karen P. Hughes, under secretary of state for public diplomacy, had been briefed on the subject and "awaits the findings of the inspector general's audit."
From New York Times.Com
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the head of the federal agency that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, is the subject of an inquiry into accusations of misuse of federal money and the use of phantom or unqualified employees, officials involved in that examination said on Friday.
People involved in the inquiry said that investigators had already interviewed a significant number of officials at the agency and that, if the accusations were substantiated, they could involve criminal violations.
Last July, the inspector general at the State Department opened an inquiry into Mr. Tomlinson's work at the board of governors after Representative Howard L. Berman, Democrat of California, and Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, forwarded accusations of misuse of money.
The lawmakers requested the inquiry after Mr. Berman received complaints about Mr. Tomlinson from at least one employee at the board, officials said. People involved in the inquiry said it involved accusations that Mr. Tomlinson was spending federal money for personal purposes, using board money for corporation activities, using board employees to do corporation work and hiring ghost employees or improperly qualified employees.
In recent weeks, State Department investigators have seized records and e-mail from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, officials said. They have shared some material with the inspector general at the corporation, including e-mail traffic between Mr. Tomlinson and White House officials including Karl Rove, a senior adviser to President Bush and a close friend of Mr. Tomlinson.
Mr. Rove and Mr. Tomlinson became friends in the 1990's when they served on the Board for International Broadcasting, the predecessor agency to the board of governors. Mr. Rove played an important role in Mr. Tomlinson's appointment as chairman of the broadcasting board.
The content of the e-mail between the two officials has not been made public but could become available when the corporation's inspector general sends his report to members of Congress this month. That inspector general examined several contracts that were approved by Mr. Tomlinson but not disclosed to board members. The contracts provided for payments to a researcher who monitored the political content of several shows.
On Thursday Mr. Tomlinson was forced to step down from the corporation, which directs nearly $400 million in federal money to public radio and television, after the board was briefed about the conclusions by its inspector general. In that inquiry, examiners looked at accusations that Mr. Tomlinson improperly used corporation money to promote more conservative programming.
State Department officials said on Friday that al-Hurra, the Arabic language satellite television network set up by the board of governors, was also being examined by the inspector general for possibly problematic procurement practices. That audit was first disclosed on Friday by The Financial Times.
The audit began at the request of al-Hurra, the officials said. A statement by the broadcasting board said that the agency had "no indication of any wrongdoing."
The network, which receives nearly $50 million in federal financing and is broadcast in 22 countries, was set up to compete with al-Jazeera and other Arab news media. One State Department official said Karen P. Hughes, under secretary of state for public diplomacy, had been briefed on the subject and "awaits the findings of the inspector general's audit."
From New York Times.Com
Friday, November 4, 2005
George Bush will not apologize.
Q Hi, Mr. President. Thank you. Did Karl Rove tell you the truth about his role in the CIA leak case? And do you owe the American people an apology for your administration's assertations that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby weren't involved?
THE PRESIDENT: We're going through a very serious investigation. And I will -- have told you before that I'm not going to discuss the investigation until it's completed. And we have got a -- my obligation is to set an agenda, and I've done that. And the agenda is fighting and winning the war on terror, and keeping the economic vitality and growth alive, dealing with the energy problem, nominating people to the Supreme Court that adhere to the philosophy that I can depend on -- Judge Alito being such a person. I noticed today that they've got a date. I'm disappointed in the date, but happy they do have a firm date for his confirmation hearing. We've got to recover from the hurricanes. So I've got a lot to do, and will continue to focus on the people's business.
A- No.
B.War on Terra
C.Economy
D.Over turn Roe v. Wade
E. Hurricanes
He Said NO. He does not "owe us an apology". It is not part of his agenda.
from White House.Gov
Q Hi, Mr. President. Thank you. Did Karl Rove tell you the truth about his role in the CIA leak case? And do you owe the American people an apology for your administration's assertations that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby weren't involved?
THE PRESIDENT: We're going through a very serious investigation. And I will -- have told you before that I'm not going to discuss the investigation until it's completed. And we have got a -- my obligation is to set an agenda, and I've done that. And the agenda is fighting and winning the war on terror, and keeping the economic vitality and growth alive, dealing with the energy problem, nominating people to the Supreme Court that adhere to the philosophy that I can depend on -- Judge Alito being such a person. I noticed today that they've got a date. I'm disappointed in the date, but happy they do have a firm date for his confirmation hearing. We've got to recover from the hurricanes. So I've got a lot to do, and will continue to focus on the people's business.
A- No.
B.War on Terra
C.Economy
D.Over turn Roe v. Wade
E. Hurricanes
He Said NO. He does not "owe us an apology". It is not part of his agenda.
from White House.Gov
Bush lacky out at PBS
Former CPB ( PBS) Chairman Ken Tomlinson Resigns
Tomlinson came under heavy fire for adding conservative shows to balance what he saw as liberal bias, and for hiring an outside consultant to gauge the bias in shows, particularly Now with Bill Moyers.
"It was time that Mr. Tomlinson stepped down," said Center for Digital Democracy Executive Director Jeff Chester. But, he added. "CPB needs a thorough house cleaning," he said, "We await the IG report's release."
Ditto for Free Press executive director Josh Silver: “It’s time to clean house at CPB. We need to get the politics out and put the public back in public broadcasting.”
CPB Inspector General Kenneth Konz gave key Hill staffers a three-hour briefing late last month on his investigation into “deficiencies in policies and procedures” at CPB. Following a request last May by Reps. David Obey (D-Wis.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), Konz was investigating whether Tomlinson violated the Public Broadcasting Act by commissioning an outside content analysis of the politics in Now With Bill Moyers—and other PBS shows—and by enlisting a White House staffer to help write rules for two new ombudsmen, one a former Reader's Digest colleague of Tomlinson's.
The response from Tomlinson's critics in Congress was swift:
"The public interest is hurt when there are no checks and balances,"said Obey "This Administration believes that since they control all branches of government, they can abuse the public trust and get away with it and Mr. Tomlinson is part of this pattern. Mr. Tomlinson's resignation should be used to bring people together, not divide them as he and the administration have done. Public Broadcasting is too important to be anybody's partisan or ideological play thing."
Former CPB ( PBS) Chairman Ken Tomlinson Resigns
Tomlinson came under heavy fire for adding conservative shows to balance what he saw as liberal bias, and for hiring an outside consultant to gauge the bias in shows, particularly Now with Bill Moyers.
"It was time that Mr. Tomlinson stepped down," said Center for Digital Democracy Executive Director Jeff Chester. But, he added. "CPB needs a thorough house cleaning," he said, "We await the IG report's release."
Ditto for Free Press executive director Josh Silver: “It’s time to clean house at CPB. We need to get the politics out and put the public back in public broadcasting.”
CPB Inspector General Kenneth Konz gave key Hill staffers a three-hour briefing late last month on his investigation into “deficiencies in policies and procedures” at CPB. Following a request last May by Reps. David Obey (D-Wis.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), Konz was investigating whether Tomlinson violated the Public Broadcasting Act by commissioning an outside content analysis of the politics in Now With Bill Moyers—and other PBS shows—and by enlisting a White House staffer to help write rules for two new ombudsmen, one a former Reader's Digest colleague of Tomlinson's.
The response from Tomlinson's critics in Congress was swift:
"The public interest is hurt when there are no checks and balances,"said Obey "This Administration believes that since they control all branches of government, they can abuse the public trust and get away with it and Mr. Tomlinson is part of this pattern. Mr. Tomlinson's resignation should be used to bring people together, not divide them as he and the administration have done. Public Broadcasting is too important to be anybody's partisan or ideological play thing."
Your Flu Shot, Know before You Go
In the interest of public service I am throwing my rights under HIPPA to the wind and will Live Blog my flu shot. Sit back, relax, take notes.
9:00am – Leave building and walk to flu shoot location. The early bird gets the worm and since the shots were not scheduled to start until 9, well, I should be firstish in line.
9:07am – Arrive on foot to gym. Walking is good for you and the less time spent driving in circles looking for a parking spot means more time standing in line. 201ish in line. However, I am pleased to notice that there are indeed actual, formal, lines this year instead of having us snake around the gymnasium. I also note there are more nurses doing the flu shots and they are all in their places. So different from last year. This year there are six nurses and three lines and they will be doing the shots over two days instead of just one. Yay for customer service. They are also not taking temps or checking BPs. Good idea.
9:09 – Fill out paper work. There are two different forms. One is white and the other is green. Does it matter which one I fill out? Yes, yes it does! Fill out wrong form completely before reading large print across top of page. I do not have Medicare. Find other form and fill it out. Make decision about which “line” I am standing in. I am standing with a swirling mass of state employees seeking a freebie on state time. Decide that ladies in front of me are a part of a line.
9:15 – Not the fastest line.
9:25 – Still in line. Have not moved. I am happy I wore comfortable shoes. The color of the day is lavender. Three or four different people in lavender. I am in red.
9:34- Still in line, moved slightly. The ladies in front of me are complaining that instead of raises this year they got new office furniture. They would have rather had a decent raise. My office got neither the decent raise or the new furniture. Hate the ladies in front of me. They did get a tiny raise, the same tiny raise we all got. So they did indeed get a raise and new office furniture. My desk dates from the Eisenhower administration.
9:45 – Line seems to be moving. I am second guessing my wardrobe choice for the day. Was this the best day to wear a blazer and turtle neck? I should have thought ahead and worn something a little more Flu Shot Friendly. I practice roll up my sleeves on both arms to see if this will be doable. It is, but barely, if there is any call for tying off arm before injection, I will not need any help here.
9:55 – In sight of objective. One of the other lines stalls. One of the nurses is allowing her patient to chat on the phone with the insurance company. While sitting in the flu shot chair! The flu shot chair! ARRGGGGGHHH. Make her get up! She has to be sitting there? She can’t get out of line and let the next person go? ARRRRGGGGGHHH. This could be a bad precedent to set.
9:56 – The girl in front of me is in the chair. I am next in line!
9:56 ½ - The girl in the chair is ON THE PHONE!! Nooooooooooo!
10:02 – I do not have a fever, I am not taking any antibiotics and I am not allergic to eggs. Ow. I also get a smiley face sticker that reads “I Got It! Did You?”
10:07 – Back at office. I "got" a sore arm.
7:18am 11/4 - Still sore.
In the interest of public service I am throwing my rights under HIPPA to the wind and will Live Blog my flu shot. Sit back, relax, take notes.
9:00am – Leave building and walk to flu shoot location. The early bird gets the worm and since the shots were not scheduled to start until 9, well, I should be firstish in line.
9:07am – Arrive on foot to gym. Walking is good for you and the less time spent driving in circles looking for a parking spot means more time standing in line. 201ish in line. However, I am pleased to notice that there are indeed actual, formal, lines this year instead of having us snake around the gymnasium. I also note there are more nurses doing the flu shots and they are all in their places. So different from last year. This year there are six nurses and three lines and they will be doing the shots over two days instead of just one. Yay for customer service. They are also not taking temps or checking BPs. Good idea.
9:09 – Fill out paper work. There are two different forms. One is white and the other is green. Does it matter which one I fill out? Yes, yes it does! Fill out wrong form completely before reading large print across top of page. I do not have Medicare. Find other form and fill it out. Make decision about which “line” I am standing in. I am standing with a swirling mass of state employees seeking a freebie on state time. Decide that ladies in front of me are a part of a line.
9:15 – Not the fastest line.
9:25 – Still in line. Have not moved. I am happy I wore comfortable shoes. The color of the day is lavender. Three or four different people in lavender. I am in red.
9:34- Still in line, moved slightly. The ladies in front of me are complaining that instead of raises this year they got new office furniture. They would have rather had a decent raise. My office got neither the decent raise or the new furniture. Hate the ladies in front of me. They did get a tiny raise, the same tiny raise we all got. So they did indeed get a raise and new office furniture. My desk dates from the Eisenhower administration.
9:45 – Line seems to be moving. I am second guessing my wardrobe choice for the day. Was this the best day to wear a blazer and turtle neck? I should have thought ahead and worn something a little more Flu Shot Friendly. I practice roll up my sleeves on both arms to see if this will be doable. It is, but barely, if there is any call for tying off arm before injection, I will not need any help here.
9:55 – In sight of objective. One of the other lines stalls. One of the nurses is allowing her patient to chat on the phone with the insurance company. While sitting in the flu shot chair! The flu shot chair! ARRGGGGGHHH. Make her get up! She has to be sitting there? She can’t get out of line and let the next person go? ARRRRGGGGGHHH. This could be a bad precedent to set.
9:56 – The girl in front of me is in the chair. I am next in line!
9:56 ½ - The girl in the chair is ON THE PHONE!! Nooooooooooo!
10:02 – I do not have a fever, I am not taking any antibiotics and I am not allergic to eggs. Ow. I also get a smiley face sticker that reads “I Got It! Did You?”
10:07 – Back at office. I "got" a sore arm.
7:18am 11/4 - Still sore.
Thursday, November 3, 2005
Will wonders never cease?
Vatican: Faithful Should Listen to Science
VATICAN CITY - A Vatican cardinal said Thursday the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks turning into "fundamentalism" if it ignores scientific reason.
The Church talking science with out using also the words "Heretical", "Blasphemy", or "Excommunication".
Vatican: Faithful Should Listen to Science
VATICAN CITY - A Vatican cardinal said Thursday the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks turning into "fundamentalism" if it ignores scientific reason.
The Church talking science with out using also the words "Heretical", "Blasphemy", or "Excommunication".
Even more ways to make The Admin unpopular
House Republicans chop several programs
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans voted to cut student loan subsidies, child support enforcement and aid to firms hurt by unfair trade practices as various committees scrambled to piece together $50 billion in budget cuts.
"I encourage Congress to push the envelope when it comes to cutting spending," Bush said.
Minority Democrats opposed virtually everything that was done, saying Wednesday's actions are part of a broader GOP budget blueprint that also calls for $106 billion in new tax cuts over the next five years."They are targeting programs for poor people to pay for tax cuts for rich people," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wisconsin. Once those tax cuts are passed, Obey added, deficits will be increasing again.
from CNN.com
House Republicans chop several programs
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans voted to cut student loan subsidies, child support enforcement and aid to firms hurt by unfair trade practices as various committees scrambled to piece together $50 billion in budget cuts.
"I encourage Congress to push the envelope when it comes to cutting spending," Bush said.
Minority Democrats opposed virtually everything that was done, saying Wednesday's actions are part of a broader GOP budget blueprint that also calls for $106 billion in new tax cuts over the next five years."They are targeting programs for poor people to pay for tax cuts for rich people," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wisconsin. Once those tax cuts are passed, Obey added, deficits will be increasing again.
from CNN.com
Other Poll results
I signed up a few years ago with the Harris Poll, or more correctly "Harris Interactive Inc.", but still, it's a child of the Harris Poll. Anyway. It is a fun diversion and I suggest signing up yourself if you like taking polls - also every time you take a poll you get points that you can redeem for stuff. It just takes a loooooonnnngggg time to earn enough points to redeem for anything worth having. I digress.
Okay. Today came another poll. Actually, yesterday, but I blew it off. They sent it again and I took it. Most of these polls concern potato chip packaging or tooth brush ads, and every once in a while, movie trailers. Again, digressing.
The poll was about politics. I gleefully gave Shrub low ratings. The came a very interesting question "Why Should George W. Bush be impeached?" it had a large area for comments. I filled it up. There were more questions, more or less on how I felt Shrub and the admin was doing and what I felt about the effects of these policies were on the country. Wow. At the end they said "go here for results", it didn't turn out to be all the questions, but some. I was shocked at the answers.
Has President Bush done a better or worse than you expected when he became President?
Better - 32.60%
Worse - 67.40%
How would you rate the overall job that Pres. George W. Bush is doing
Excellent - 9.20%
Pretty Good - 26.50%
Only Fair - 21.30%
Poor - 43.00%
Should the Federal Government spend more or less money on the military?
A Lot More - 14.8%
A Little More - 20.50%
About the same - 31.00%
A little less - 16.30%
A lot less - 17.50%
Should the Federal Government spend more or less money on public schools?
A lot more - 51.00%
A little more - 24.10%
About the same - 15.30%
A little less - 5.00%
A lot less - 4.50%
This one I found very interesting.
Should the federal government make it more difficult or easier to buy a gun?
A lot more difficult - 39.60%
A little more difficult - 22.00%
About the same - 29.60%
A little easier - 5.40%
A lot easier - 3.40%
These remain on line and updated for a month and I will be checking back.
Go sign up or just take the weekly poll -
"As President Bush's approval ratings continue to fall, what do you think is the biggest factor in his declining popularity over the past year?"
Harris Quick Poll
I signed up a few years ago with the Harris Poll, or more correctly "Harris Interactive Inc.", but still, it's a child of the Harris Poll. Anyway. It is a fun diversion and I suggest signing up yourself if you like taking polls - also every time you take a poll you get points that you can redeem for stuff. It just takes a loooooonnnngggg time to earn enough points to redeem for anything worth having. I digress.
Okay. Today came another poll. Actually, yesterday, but I blew it off. They sent it again and I took it. Most of these polls concern potato chip packaging or tooth brush ads, and every once in a while, movie trailers. Again, digressing.
The poll was about politics. I gleefully gave Shrub low ratings. The came a very interesting question "Why Should George W. Bush be impeached?" it had a large area for comments. I filled it up. There were more questions, more or less on how I felt Shrub and the admin was doing and what I felt about the effects of these policies were on the country. Wow. At the end they said "go here for results", it didn't turn out to be all the questions, but some. I was shocked at the answers.
Has President Bush done a better or worse than you expected when he became President?
Better - 32.60%
Worse - 67.40%
How would you rate the overall job that Pres. George W. Bush is doing
Excellent - 9.20%
Pretty Good - 26.50%
Only Fair - 21.30%
Poor - 43.00%
Should the Federal Government spend more or less money on the military?
A Lot More - 14.8%
A Little More - 20.50%
About the same - 31.00%
A little less - 16.30%
A lot less - 17.50%
Should the Federal Government spend more or less money on public schools?
A lot more - 51.00%
A little more - 24.10%
About the same - 15.30%
A little less - 5.00%
A lot less - 4.50%
This one I found very interesting.
Should the federal government make it more difficult or easier to buy a gun?
A lot more difficult - 39.60%
A little more difficult - 22.00%
About the same - 29.60%
A little easier - 5.40%
A lot easier - 3.40%
These remain on line and updated for a month and I will be checking back.
Go sign up or just take the weekly poll -
"As President Bush's approval ratings continue to fall, what do you think is the biggest factor in his declining popularity over the past year?"
Harris Quick Poll
Hee
Bush's low job approval is far below that of some of his two-term predecessors at this point in their second terms. In November 1985, President Reagan had a 65 percent approval rating, and Bill Clinton's job approval in November 1997 was 57 percent. Bush's rating is higher than Richard Nixon's was at the same point in his administration.
Bush, Now
Approve
35%
Disapprove
57%
Nixon, Gallup Poll, 11/1973
Approve
27%
Disapprove
73%
from CBS News
Bush's low job approval is far below that of some of his two-term predecessors at this point in their second terms. In November 1985, President Reagan had a 65 percent approval rating, and Bill Clinton's job approval in November 1997 was 57 percent. Bush's rating is higher than Richard Nixon's was at the same point in his administration.
Bush, Now
Approve
35%
Disapprove
57%
Nixon, Gallup Poll, 11/1973
Approve
27%
Disapprove
73%
from CBS News
That Day in History
Did you feel a little tense yesterday? Wake up with a little bit of melancholy that you didn’t know the cause of? Let me help you out:
On This Day: 2004 - President George W. Bush was elected to a second term as Republicans strengthened their grip on Congress.
Chilling isn’t it?
It’s been a year. A whole year and a day. I was kind of thinking about that a while ago. I was thinking about what I was doing last year at this time, I think I was doing this because of the weather and timing of when I moved upstairs last year. I live by myself and the animals aren’t big conversationalists. Its either think about stuff like that or spend a lot of time in chat rooms. I would rather think about when I made the Big Move in years past. It may not be compelling but its better then the alternative.
I was doing canvasses. Lots and lots of canvasses. It was warmer then, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t wearing coats yet. Anyway. I was happy. I was going door to door for the democrats and despite the fact that the whole exercise was for the most part a waste of manpower – it was fun. It was uplifting. I was doing something.
Last year I was haunting Atrios and posting exit poll numbers. I had no idea what they meant or really how to read them but they seemed positive. I went back and reviewed old entries and I was just so excited and happy
I went from excited and happy to curled up in a ball crying in the dogs’ crate.
Funny how things change.
After I pulled myself out of the dogs crate and into the harsh light of the hallway, I wrote this entry . I'm still angry. I'm not crying any more and I folded up Doggers crate. I'm feeling better,last week I was feeling great.
It would be hard to keep up that post election level of sorrow for an extended period of time. It might even cause physical problems in the long run. You really can’t stay that sad over the long run. I know, I tried. Anger has staying power, but it makes you ugly after a while - look at Manna Coulter. She’s a minion of Satan, yes, so that kind of unhinged fury is probably written into her Demon job description under “other duties as assigned”. But still? even I am not that pissed off any more.
I wonder if the blood rites she that she must surely carry out as required by her Bush Admin overlords (Dick Cheney) are covered under her home owners insurance? Blood rites can be messy and I wonder if she had to apply for a Home Improvement loan in order to turn her basement into a dungeon? Because I don’t imagine that Black Masses are the kind of thing you can do in your den. Do you think her neighbors complain about the all the inhuman shrieking and braying at the Black Masses she has to perform every time Dick Cheney has to see his Cardiologist or Karl Rove needs to not be indicted? You didn’t think Cheney was still alive or that Rove was missing from the perp walk just because? No. those are the direct result of RNC Blood Rites/Black Masses.
Maybe no one complains about the braying because Manna and the rest of the cabal have all ready killed and sacrificed her neighbors or maybe the cabal just brain washed them as a practice run for the red states? Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Vote for Evil?
Would it surprise you to learn the Bush Admin has a Secretary of Malevolence? I mean, other then Karl Rove.Would it surprise you if you learned that they have someone or something in charge of dispersing evil and chaos into the world to suit their evol agenda? Ask Fitzgerald.
Three More Years!
Three More Years!
Three More Years!
Did you feel a little tense yesterday? Wake up with a little bit of melancholy that you didn’t know the cause of? Let me help you out:
On This Day: 2004 - President George W. Bush was elected to a second term as Republicans strengthened their grip on Congress.
Chilling isn’t it?
It’s been a year. A whole year and a day. I was kind of thinking about that a while ago. I was thinking about what I was doing last year at this time, I think I was doing this because of the weather and timing of when I moved upstairs last year. I live by myself and the animals aren’t big conversationalists. Its either think about stuff like that or spend a lot of time in chat rooms. I would rather think about when I made the Big Move in years past. It may not be compelling but its better then the alternative.
I was doing canvasses. Lots and lots of canvasses. It was warmer then, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t wearing coats yet. Anyway. I was happy. I was going door to door for the democrats and despite the fact that the whole exercise was for the most part a waste of manpower – it was fun. It was uplifting. I was doing something.
Last year I was haunting Atrios and posting exit poll numbers. I had no idea what they meant or really how to read them but they seemed positive. I went back and reviewed old entries and I was just so excited and happy
I went from excited and happy to curled up in a ball crying in the dogs’ crate.
Funny how things change.
After I pulled myself out of the dogs crate and into the harsh light of the hallway, I wrote this entry . I'm still angry. I'm not crying any more and I folded up Doggers crate. I'm feeling better,last week I was feeling great.
It would be hard to keep up that post election level of sorrow for an extended period of time. It might even cause physical problems in the long run. You really can’t stay that sad over the long run. I know, I tried. Anger has staying power, but it makes you ugly after a while - look at Manna Coulter. She’s a minion of Satan, yes, so that kind of unhinged fury is probably written into her Demon job description under “other duties as assigned”. But still? even I am not that pissed off any more.
I wonder if the blood rites she that she must surely carry out as required by her Bush Admin overlords (Dick Cheney) are covered under her home owners insurance? Blood rites can be messy and I wonder if she had to apply for a Home Improvement loan in order to turn her basement into a dungeon? Because I don’t imagine that Black Masses are the kind of thing you can do in your den. Do you think her neighbors complain about the all the inhuman shrieking and braying at the Black Masses she has to perform every time Dick Cheney has to see his Cardiologist or Karl Rove needs to not be indicted? You didn’t think Cheney was still alive or that Rove was missing from the perp walk just because? No. those are the direct result of RNC Blood Rites/Black Masses.
Maybe no one complains about the braying because Manna and the rest of the cabal have all ready killed and sacrificed her neighbors or maybe the cabal just brain washed them as a practice run for the red states? Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Vote for Evil?
Would it surprise you to learn the Bush Admin has a Secretary of Malevolence? I mean, other then Karl Rove.Would it surprise you if you learned that they have someone or something in charge of dispersing evil and chaos into the world to suit their evol agenda? Ask Fitzgerald.
Three More Years!
Three More Years!
Three More Years!
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