An open letter to George W from Michael Moore

46

thatoneguyinslc

on Aug 29, 2004

How about the IDEAL of the right to privacy?...That pretty much has been jettisoned Drag!

47

James Craver

on Aug 29, 2004

Well, now that you mention it, and bearing in mind that I am a liberal, there is no constitutional right to privacy. There is a right against illegal search and seizure, but, if you read the Constitution, there is no mention of a right to privacy.

48

Draginol

on Aug 29, 2004

How about the IDEAL of the right to privacy?...That pretty much has been jettisoned Drag!

It is? Really? Feel free to explain. How is your life any less private than it was before Bush? Do you even know what you're talking about or are you just repeating rantings you've seen on-line.

The Patriot act, btw, was voted for by Kerry.

49

Zoomie

on Aug 29, 2004

If it only took a band aid, it didn't deserve a medal.

That's kind of cruel, talking about Bob Dole that way! I mean, its true he did say in his bio that his 1st PH was
caused by his own grenade bouncing back his way, and sending a sliver of metal through his leg, and he did
say a medic treated it with merchurochome, a band-aid and a Purple Heart, but still...I mean, he did volunteer.
He did fight in real battles with real enemies. He did actually risk his life in service to his country (as opposed
to folk who "had better things to do", or who didn't "want to blow out an ear drum or run away to Canada, so
joined the Air National Guard", thanks to Daddy's influence)...

You are talking about Dole, right? Well, even if you ain't, its just amazing how their first Purple Heart experiences
were so similar (except the metal didn't go through Kerry's leg...its still there)...

50

Zoomie

on Aug 29, 2004

But Bush had nothing to do with the attacks!

You sure of that?
Bob Perry, the Republican donor who has provided $200,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, is a "longtime friend" of Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove. Perry also gave $46,000 to Bush's political campaigns in 1994 and 1998 and $3 million to Texas Republicans during the 2002 elections. Patterson, the Texas land commissioner, has received more than $150,000 in campaign contributions from Perry. And, on August 23, The Dallas Morning News reported that Perry is listed as the co-host of a September 1 GOP fund-raiser in New York City and that "those on the invitation list include former President George Bush, presidential adviser Karl Rove and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay." [The New York Times, 8/20/04; Annenberg Political Fact Check, 8/6/04; The Dallas Morning News, 8/23/04 (subscription required)]

Susan Arceneaux, who helped set up Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and is listed as the contact person on the post office box the group uses as its address, is treasurer of the Majority Leader's Fund, "a political action committee affiliated with the former House majority leader Dick Armey of Texas. ... Records show that like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group receives significant financing from Bob Perry." [The New York Times, 8/24/04]

Harlan Crow, who has provided $25,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, is also the seventh-largest Republican donor in Texas and a trustee of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation. [The New York Times, 8/20/04]

Merrie Spaeth, a public relations executive who has "helped coordinate the efforts of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," was married to the late Tex Lezar, who was Bush's running mate during the 1994 Texas gubernatorial race. (The governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately in Texas; Bush won and Lezar lost.) Spaeth has also said she is close friends with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who is one of Rove's top clients. [The New York Times, 8/20/04] (( and in a totally unrelated Jeopary
moment, was one of the two teenage girls chasing after Peter Sellers in the movie "The World of Henry Orient", 1964 - she was
16 at the time, her one and only movie))

Kenneth Cordier, who appeared in the second Swift Boat Veterans for Truth advertisement, was a member of the Bush-Cheney '04 National Veterans Steering Committee, an appointee to a Bush administration advisory committee, and vice chair of Veterans for Bush-Cheney '00. [MMFA, 8/25/04; The Washington Post, 8/22/04]

Margaret Wilson, who "became Mr. Bush's general counsel when he was governor of Texas and followed him to the White House as deputy counsel for the Department of Commerce," is also a partner in the law firm of John E. O'Neill, who leads Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. [The New York Times, 8/20/04]

Benjamin Ginsburg, "the Bush campaign's chief outside counsel, has also been giving legal advice to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that is attacking Kerry." Ginsburg resigned from the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign on August 25. [Reuters, 8/24/04; The New York Times, 8/25/04]

And as another aside, in an interview Ginsburg has given about exactly what he did and for whom, analysis of his
comments by a member of the D.C. Bar Association (the only Bar Association Ginsburg belongs to) would appear to
have him admitting to at least one and possibly two serious violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct of the District of Columbia Bar.Link

Zoomie

51

Lee1776

on Aug 30, 2004

Zoomie

Yuan, Oooh no a friend of a friend, a personnel who had something to do with somebody a long time ago, someone donated both to the RNC and SWV, a lawyer gave legal advice to more then one person, yada, yada, yada......

By god that means George Bush is on the air calling Kerry is a liar. Ooop, got that wrong, Kerry is on the air calling people liars.

It’s that same old dance, again and again and again. Lets try and make up some great conspiracy like Bush is some great mastermind, yet lets keep calling him an idiot too. What you’re trying to do if paint Bush something he is not, because it is your only tactic to win. Kerry has more holes in his records the a block of Swiss cheese (that's why he will not release them) and his 17 year record in the Senate is so embarrassing that he will not even bring it up at his convention and he has changed sides on every issue he is trying to make people believe he will do. The only way he believes he can win is to try and make himself a victim to get a pity vote.

52

thatoneguyinslc

on Aug 30, 2004

It is? Really? Feel free to explain. How is your life any less private than it was before Bush? Do you even know what you're talking about or are you just repeating rantings you've seen on-line.

Yes i do know what im talking about. I'm a business traveler. I fly over 100,000 miles a year. every time i go to the airport, my privacy is an issue. Every time i get where i'm going, my toolbag has been gone through, and sometimes things are missing, and there is friendly little note from the TSA. They even went as far as to take an empty novelty lighter (new) that i bought a friend. I could understand it if it was full, seeing as it is against the rules to have anything in your luggage that is filled with compressed gasses. I go to get my rental car, my record is checked again.

So don't accuse me of not knowing what i'm talking about. I think it's you that's in the dark.

And it's not like politicians don't vote for laws that they later realize are BAD ideas. That's what great about america, if a law is not working, they can get rid of it!

53

bakerstreet

on Aug 30, 2004

thatoneguyinslc: And yet people say that Bush could have done something about 9-11. With all the whining about racial profiling and the troubles with airport security, how do you think these laws would have played pre-911?

At the same time you are grumping there are other people are grumping that airline security isn't tight enough. Welcome to Democracy.

54

thatoneguyinslc

on Aug 30, 2004

9/11 could not have been prevented. no matter who was in the oval office. and some security is definately needed. I just resent the government crawling up my ass every time i go to work. I'm an american born citizen, i've never been a criminal, i pay my taxes, and obey the law. People like me shouldn't have to jump through a bunch of hoops to make a living. And it's only going to get worse. Thank god CAPPS I I was shot down, although it is yet to be seen i think the new screening system will hardly be an improvement .

55

thatoneguyinslc

on Aug 30, 2004

I think we are deviating a bit from the topic though.....I'm as much to blame as the next guy so....my bad!

56

messybuu

on Aug 30, 2004

You are either hopelessly naive or hopelessly partisan. Does ANYONE with a brain really believe that either candidate lacks control over the direction of the interest group ads? Bush is trying to have it both ways -- let the attacks do their damage, and then after a few weeks take the moral high ground in denouncing them.

Does this mean that Kerry is also responsible for the negative ads attacking Bush?

57

Draginol

on Aug 31, 2004

Yes i do know what im talking about. I'm a business traveler. I fly over 100,000 miles a year. every time i go to the airport, my privacy is an issue. Every time i get where i'm going, my toolbag has been gone through, and sometimes things are missing, and there is friendly little note from the TSA. They even went as far as to take an empty novelty lighter (new) that i bought a friend. I could understand it if it was full, seeing as it is against the rules to have anything in your luggage that is filled with compressed gasses. I go to get my rental car, my record is checked again.

So don't accuse me of not knowing what i'm talking about. I think it's you that's in the dark.

Let me get this straight - you're blaming Bush for making airport security tighter in the post 9/11 world? And you imagine that if Kerry or Gore or some other Democrat had been President you wouldn't have had tighter security after 9/11? Good grief, now you're just getting into mindless partisanship.

58

thatoneguyinslc

on Aug 31, 2004

It's not partisanship. Do you have to go through that kind of stuff when you go to work? No? Well i do! There has to be a way to balance it out. It's not like i expect no checks at all. Its a fact of life nowadays, but almost every single time? Thats just intrusive. You need to lay off the "partisanship" label Drag...You don't have much room to talk about mindless partisanship yourself.

59

Muggaz

on Aug 31, 2004

why should I, as an American, give a care what someone in Belgium or France or whatever thinks of Bush?

Because you as an American, are in the whole worlds face - whether you like it or not.

When countries like America attack Iraq, and countries like Spain get bombed because they participate - should the Spanish people care who is elected in America?

Cause and effect - go around the world forcing people to be cautious of your actions, and people will be critical of your selections. I know it's not America's fault that terrorist attack indiscriminately, but when nations like Spain are attacked because of support for America, The United States would do very well to consider international perception when it comes to foreign policy

Let me pose this question to you Brad - as far as politics go, and America's social issues - how much time do you think George W. and the boys spend on foreign policy or internal issues? I would say both come under due consideration.

BAM!!!

60

Muggaz

on Aug 31, 2004

Sorry for the hijack - I think... it was kind of on topic... a little

BAM!!!