Questions and Thoughts on the Bush Military Record

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday February 12, 2004 · 10:12 AM PST

2004/02/12 · 10:12

Okay, here are my two cents:

First, why hasn't any intrepid journalist found some Alabama and/or Texas national guard members who actually served from 1972 to 1973, and asked them to release their records? That way, we could compare what's supposed to be in the files, (i.e., what duty the guard actually recorded, how complete the records were for other guardsmen, etc.) with what Bush says is in the files. As a federal employee, I just don't buy that the records are as sparse as the administration implies.

Second, the tenacity of this fight indictates that the Bush administration isn't trying to hide Bush's attendance record. It's something totally different. Could it be that our favorite 22 year old alcoholic fratboy did something embarassing while in the guard? Drug use, sexual misplay (don't ask, don't tell?), or some other fratboy prank? THAT's where the story is, and it will come out.

Send Chewing Gum to the White House!

BureaucratbyDay

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday January 30, 2004 · 12:27 PM PST

2004/01/30 · 12:27

Let's teach GW Bush how to walk and chew gum at the same time! As John Edwards noted in last night's debate, the President seems to have a lot of trouble with this simple task:

Edwards accused Bush of focusing on terrorism to the exclusion of jobs and other issues.
"The president of the United States actually has to be able to walk and chew chewing gum at the same time," he said.

It is time to teach the President to walk and chew gum at the same time! All of us -- millions of us -- need to send sticks of doublemint, hunks of bubble yum, and chocks of chicklets to the Oval Office to give Bush the message: Stop creating fear and do something real. Address the true concerns -- jobs, health care, the economy -- that face working Americans.

The White House address is:

President President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Start the Violet Beauregarde gum-chewing campaign today!

[posted simultaneously at Bureaucrat by Day.]

My new slogan for 2004: What do you think?

BureaucratbyDay

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday January 09, 2004 · 6:03 PM PST

2004/01/09 · 18:03

"A 'W' is nothing but two arrows pointing down." I think that nicely sums up the direction of the country under this president, no?

Why Democrats can't dismiss race in the South

BureaucratbyDay

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday December 16, 2003 · 12:35 PM PST

2003/12/16 · 12:35

Why do Democrats need to talk about race in the south openly, honestly, and gently? Just compare The Washington Post story on Strom Thurmond's illegitimate daughter with the South Carolina State:

The Washington Post:

Thurmond Paternity Claim Valid, Family Says; L.A. Schoolteacher Is Acknowledged as Late Senator's Child
After decades of denials, the family of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) acknowledged yesterday a claim made by a 78-year-old Los Angeles schoolteacher that she is the senator's mixed-race daughter, a charge that had dogged her throughout her otherwise quiet life and shadowed Thurmond during his public career as a leading voice of racial segregation.

The State:

Thurmond's family accepts black woman's claim as daughter
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The oldest son of the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond says he is ready to meet the mixed-race illegitimate half-sister his father kept secret for nearly eight decades.
Strom Thurmond Jr., the U.S. attorney for South Carolina, says his family will not contest the claim of Essie Mae Washington-Williams, a 78-year-old retired teacher who lives in Los Angeles.

The State's emphasis on "mixed-race, illegitimacy" demonstrates the long coattails of race in the South, and why candidates like Howard Dean can't simply wish away the South's historical race polarization with a simple plea to elevate the economic over the emotional. We need candidates who can speak subtlely about race, with passion and conviction. Who that is, I can't tell you. (Bill Clinton, where are you when we need you?) But, I can say that it requires more thought than we've given it so far.

[Posted simultaneously at Bureaucrat by Day.]

Massachusetts Gay Marriage Decision: A Boon for Dems?

BureaucratbyDay

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 19, 2003 · 1:55 PM PST

2003/11/19 · 13:55

So, the popular spin on the Massachusetts' Supreme Court decision on gay marriage is that it's a boon for the GOP and a burden for the Dems. To the contrary, it's a perfect opportunity to show voters that Democrats, not Rethuglicans, are for states' rights and regional preferences.

Having gone over to the dark side, the GOP is making a formal effort to push its social preferences on all of us -- now, through a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Aside from the policy reasons why this is a bad idea, it's clear that it's an assault on state rights, and the states' traditional power to regulate the institution of marriage. And, that's the pitch that Democratic candidates' need to make.

So what if gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts? Under existing federal law, no state has to recognize a gay marriage in another state. So, when the right starts to bash Dems in the south, just turn the tables: States rights apply nationwide. California and Massachusetts have just as much of a right to decide their domestic policy as Alabama. (So, if you're in Alabama, don't worry, you'll always be able to marry your first cousin.) If Democrats hit this home hard, they can put the GOP on the defensive. Combine it with a 1-2 punch--states rights + federal tax cuts making it impossible for states to have any sort of policy--and it just might work. Or at least stem the tide.

RSS