Category: Politics & Elections

Clark’s Fast Start

MSNBC report:

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark may have only entered the presidential race on Thursday, but he is already the Democratic frontrunner, according to a new Newsweek poll. Clark won support from 14 percent registered Democrats and democratic leaners, outpacing former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (12 percent), Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (12 percent), Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (10 percent) and Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt (8 percent).

General Clark

Also from TomPaine.com:

As speculation heats up about Wes Clark, one thing’s for certain — he’s probably closer to Howard Dean on the issues than anyone else. He’s fiscally conservative, pro-choice, against the Patriot Act, for repealing the Bush tax cuts, thinks gun control is a local issue, for affirmative action, liberal on immigration, a firm believer in the social safety net, against opening up public lands like ANWR to commercial exploitation, a foreign-policy multilateralist, and extremely critical of the way Bush pursued war against Iraq.

Prescient Onion article from January 2001

Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’

Bush swore to do “everything in [his] power” to undo the damage wrought by Clinton’s two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

Bill Maher

From Bill Maher’s Blog:

FOX News channel senior V.P. John Moody has instructed FOX affiliates to stop using Arnold-isms such as “Total Recall”, “The Governator”, and “The Running Man” to describe candidate Schwarzenegger lest they “belittle” Arnold’s candidacy or leave viewers with the impression that his candidacy is anything but a deadly serious one. While he’s at it, Moody might want to tell Arnold himself to stop ending press conferences with the words, “Hasta la vista, Gray Davis!” Because if he doesn’t people might get the idea that this recall is some kind of undemocratic, partisan freak show financed by cynical party hacks and swallowed whole by a weak-minded, action movie-addled public.

Letter to California Recall Leader

Dear Rep. Issa,

Congratulations on achieving your goal of putting the recall on the ballot! You have once again proved that, with enough determination, willpower, and cold hard cash, anything is possible. Kudos to you sir.

During the early days of the recall effort, you blamed Gray Davis for California’s $38 billion deficit, and compared him to a CEO that needed to be ousted from a failing company. President Bush, meanwhile, has created a $455 billion deficit. Your dedication to a balanced budget, and your willingness to hold those who violate this principle publicly accountable, makes you a natural ally in our drive to help recall George W. Bush from office.

In your August 10 appearance on “Meet the Press,” you stated, “Working with Gray Davis is an inconsistent art because he doesn’t do what he says he will do, at least consistently and reliably.” Like you, we share a scorn for government officials who mislead the public and pursue goals that blatantly oppose their stated agenda, like when President Bush unveiled his “No Child Left Behind” Act, his AIDS initiative in Africa, and the expansion of AmeriCorps — and then promptly denied funding to all three.

Your fabulously produced radio ad, asserts that Gov. Davis has ruined California’s economy, leading to “thousands of jobs lost.” Your devotion to the plight of the unemployed means that you probably already know that almost three million people have lost their jobs since Bush took office.

In conclusion, Rep. Issa, we look forward to your support on this issue. Having a hardened recall veteran with millions to spend on our side would give an invaluable boost to our cause. The parallels between these two situations are uncanny, and surely your high-minded commitment to your ideals will not allow you to turn your back on this pressing political situation.

Sincerely,
The Bush Recall Team