AP Poll: Bad Political News For President Bush

AP Poll: Bad Political News For President Bush

An all-new low water mark has been revealed under the murky surface of the President's ebbing tide of popularity. In the latest AP/Ipsos poll, only 35 percent of Americans said they think the country is headed in the right direction, while 43 percent said they approve of the job being done by Bush. Just 41 percent say they support his handling of the war.

Since winning re-election last November, President Bush has seen his poll numbers sag like Great Grandma's bosom.

Both Republican and Democratic Representatives should take note that a whopping 64 percent of Americans disapprove of the job they're doing in Congress.

Since winning re-election last November, President Bush has seen his poll numbers sag like Great Grandma's bosom. I think it's because he never convinced us that he'd even try to be the "uniter-President" he'd promised he would be. Instead, last November 4th, just after his re-election (which he won by a fraction of a majority), he went in front of a nation bitterly divided and he looked into the face of the media's cameras and swore he would cash in on his political capital.

When asked how he planned to unite America, he said he would "expect Democrats to participate in promoting his agenda" - period - requiring no change from his side of the aisle. In doing this, I believe the President ensured that no future poll would include support from those who'd voted for the Democratic ticket. The division was sealed by Bush's promise to spend his political capital and politically ignore and alienate half a nation. Last Fall was a time for President to have reached out, and the only proverbial part a Democrat could have perceived being projected by him, when all was said and done, was one big finger.

Currently, Iraq is a disaster, many of the nations who had joined our coalition have fallen away, the Military has been harmed by misuse and poor planning by the Bush administration, and with the Downing Street memo, Independent voters and even some moderate Republicans are realizing that Bush broke faith with their trust when he gave us false reasons for making the pre-emptive strike upon Iraq.

House Judiciary Democrats to hold hearings on Downing Street minutes

House Judiciary Democrats to hold hearings on Downing Street minutes
Raw Story has it.
Tip of the hat to Shakespeare's Sister.

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downing street memo

A Kairos Moment on Poverty

A Kairos Moment on Poverty

Last fall, I wrote about kairos - and talked about the future.

'Kairos' refers to the "timeless realm" of God, a space in time where measurable time does not apply. We pause upon the brink of the unknown; we are each a part of the same phantom corps moving about the earth. The book of history remains empty and blank out ahead of us.

Who are we, as individuals, to think we can effect those now-white pages?

We are living in a moment of time which I believe will prove itself to be a great turning point in the history of not only America, but all of mankind. In order to have this moment in history be a reflection of purpose and principle in our lives, we simply must learn to speak a different language than those who are seeking to control the political agenda today in America.

We must learn not only to avoid speaking in the tongue of right wing talking points, but to create a new language for all men and women to recognize and understand. It must be a language which would be the basis of new and inspired conversations.

The book of history awaits. We each need to give substance to our reality, but we can only do it in concert with one another. I believe the good of mankind depends upon it.

So, here is our kairos time. We're pebbles in a great sea. Our language, uttered at the right time and with the right intonation, could make all the difference.

- - Jude

Today, in Sojouners (online version), Jim Wallis has offered his own view of that same spirit-filled time - a 'kairos moment on Poverty.' He sets a fine example of speaking in a new way, as I had described, to lend substance to hope.

In a recent commencement speech to graduating students from John Carroll (Jesuit) University, Wallis said that 'faith is for changing the big things ..the things that nobody thinks can be changed...the things that others say are hopeless, where the odds are against us. That time is, indeed, the time for faith.'

Wallis believes that the massive reality of global hunger and poverty has revealed our own spiritual poverty - and that revelation is capable of bringing us together. In the light of the growing crises of global poverty, disease, and conflict, despite often deep and painful religious and political differences, we all must reach toward what is common to all of us - and we must do much more. Jim believes, with a focus on the reality of Poverty and with caring cooperation, we can find what we've been lacking as a divided people - the moral and political will to give this world some real hope for progress. In this time, we have everything else in place - the knowledge, information, technology, and resources to substantially end extreme poverty as we know it - it's all just waiting for our hearts and our common will.
You can read Jim Wallis'story and plan for implementation of some real and present opportunities to alleviate poverty here (free reg. required)

__

NOTE: Below are links to more articles on Poverty (thanks to Chris Winn at One America for the first two):

-Columnist Bob Herbert offers some interesting insight in his piece, "The Mobility Myth."

From the New York Times' recent series on class in America called "Class Matters" - this one is about America's wealthiest class. Read the statistics carefully.

- Paul Krugman writes:

"Since 1980 in particular, U.S. government policies have consistently favored the wealthy at the expense of working families - and under the current administration, that favoritism has become extreme and relentless. From tax cuts that favor the rich to bankruptcy "reform" that punishes the unlucky, almost every domestic policy seems intended to accelerate our march back to the robber baron era."

Will Pitt on Downing Street Memo:It Isn't Going Away

Will Pitt on Downing Street Memo:
It Isn't Going Away

"...Plenty of powerful people would like this document to go away, not excepting the folks in the news media, because the document provides a capstone exposure of just how flawed, biased, shabby and ultimately deadly their coverage of this issue has been. Don't doubt for a second that the scions of our journalistic realm would like the Minutes to fade, because as long as the document stands in the light, their complicity in this catastrophe is all too clear.

It isn't going away."

Half a Million Strong?

Half a Million Strong?
Congressman John Conyers has raised the goal on the DSM letter to half a million signatures, with the help of MoveOn.org. I'm predicting that they will easily be able to do that.

Nancy Pelosi Gives Credit to Bloggers For Downing Street story

Nancy Pelosi Gives Credit to Bloggers For Downing Street story

Raw Story has interviewed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and she said the following about the political blogs talking about the Downing Street memo:

"..last week we were out of session, and more people asked me about the Downing Street memo, and I said, you know what, I really haven’t seen much about it in the news, and then I realized it was on the blogs."

You see? If we hadn't talked about it, it's quite possible that no one would have. I'm grateful that Nancy, and many others, are listening.

Photo- Chapel Hill

Springtime at Chapel Hill
photo by Jude Nagurney Camwell

Defend Dean: Our Hyperbolic Bloodhound

Defend Dean: Our Hyperbolic Bloodhound

Democrats who speak to the press - stop worrying about Mean Dean.

Yes - his barking head can sling saliva across a twenty-foot conference room, but he knows the scent of Republican fear....
.....and a Democrat's wallet.

He may be a hyperbolic bloodhound, but he's our hyperbolic bloodhound. Yes- his barking head can sling saliva across a twenty-foot conference room, but he knows the scent of Republican fear...and Democrat's wallet.

You haven't seen "worry" until you've eaten your own DNC Chair and millions of angry party members walk away.

Could that happen? Yes, I really think it could. Imagine the grassroots up and leaving. It would be an ugly sight.

Stand up for Dean.

Unite behind him, dammit! I'm tired of losing! (Anyone else tired of losing yet?!?)

"Dean's fellow Democrats would rather boo him than themselves." - Joan Vennochi, Boston Globe

Listen to Joan Vennochi. We have enough real problems. Dean isn't one of them.

While you're at it, stop spreading false rumors about Dean's poor fund-raising ability.

Question: Since when is being called a 'white Christian' considered to be a victimizing statement? I'd really love to know.


UPDATE:I think this was an honest, yet supportive answer:

Nancy Pelosi on Howard Dean:

"I don’t think his remarks were appropriate, but I think he’s been a great chairman. I don’t know the context he said what he said, but I think he’s been a great chairman. As I said, I travel the country constantly, and I know the enthusiasm he has engendered among the grassroots in our party. That their voice, their vote and their volunteerism will make a difference, and that they look to him and think he’s a good—people don’t understand what the chair of the Democratic National Committee does; he does things that elected officials don’t do, and sometimes he’s a little more out there on some of his statements. But again, if I made a litany about all the things they said about me, much less about Democrats in general. They’re very offended when somebody says something about them. They’re pretty glib when it comes to criticizing Democrats in general and Democrats in particular. So I wouldn’t make a whole lot of it. But I would say that it is par for the course, ‘let’s focus on that, so people don’t have to focus on the economy, the war, what they’re trying to do to Social Security’—you know the list."

Obama serves to disappoint (see Susie's post).

RudePundit is hilarious. (tip of the hat to Mathew Gross).

Oil Wars

Kenneth S. Deffeyes nominates next Thanksgiving as his World Oil Peak Day wherein "we can pause and give thanks" for the good years of abundance, and face up to the coming decline of this life-force fuel.."

Oil Wars
Let's stop kidding ourselves. Stop the 'hearts and minds' fairy tale and get real. Americans are not that stupid.

We're at war over oil.

I'd encourage anyone who wants to say, with a straight face, that it isn't true - that it isn't our primary goal -- I'd encourage them to examine the simple, basic, and honest truth.

'Hearts and minds' sound good in a stump speech, but hot competition for petroleum products is where it's at.

Where will the next oil war be?

GOP Political Viability Threatened by Downing Street Memo

GOP Political Viability Threatened by Downing Street Memo

Stirling Newberry skillfully employs history to show that no President who has faced serious impeachment in the past has returned to office, nor has any "party heir" groomed for the presidency returned to office (if the term limit was involved).

"..of the three actual votes on the floor for impeachment, Johnson, Tyler and Clinton, all three were a contest between Congress and a President over the political direction of the country. Neither Johnson nor Tyler served a second term, Clinton's Vice President failed to secure election. Nixon, who resigned before almost certainly losing a vote rounds out the list, his VP was also defeated."

The Republicans are going to have to go into hyper-defense mode over the Downing Street memo if they expect to have political viability in 2008. The sheer (serious) talk of impeachment in the mainstream media is sure to cause them substantial political damage.


BBA
Downing Street Memo

Contractors: "They Treated Us Like Insurgents!"

Contractor: "They Treated Us Like Insurgents!"

Oh, come on, now!

You know how they treat captured insurgents - in a humane way, of course.

Are these absurd whining contractors 'girlie-men' or what?!? They can't take a little dose of "humane treatment," already?

Downing Street - With Unfounded Fear, Bush Ignored Rule of Law

"Bush and Cheney must answer the allegations now posed to them formally by 89 Democratic members of Congress as to why the administration lied to the Congress and to the public, evidenced by the 2002 British meeting minutes. If the 2006 midterm elections hand the Democrats control of one branch of the Congress then they can proceed to introduce articles of impeachment."

Downing Street - With Unfounded Fear, Bush Ignored Rule of Law

David Frenkel, guest columnist for the Winchester Star, suggests that in 2002, the urgency the Bush administration felt about attacking Iraq was based upon naked fear - and that there was no legal basis for invasion of Iraq under international law. The Downing Street Memo is a key piece of evidence to show the clear path of premeditated and illegal war. Lies and dissembling were employed to justify the invasion, losing international support in the process.

Our nation, as a result, has been taken into a war that will be very hard to "win," and for which an endgame cannot be reasonably fixed without the GOP suffering significant political damage.

Speaking of "fixed", I read a strange rationalization this morning - a parsing of linguistics - possibly written to attempt to deflect the glaring truth exposed in the Downing Street memo. It seems that Kevin believes that the whole to-do about the Downing Street memo can be chalked up to "peculiar British phrasing." See Wizbang.
My Comment is HERE.

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downing street memo

New Tag in Technorati Town

New Tag in Technorati Town

There's a new tag in Technorati town. You can even Google it.
President 2008