Speaking of Orwell (is it Eurasia or Eastasia today, Saddam or Osama?), the Dubya administration capitalizes on terror panic to drum up war fever (and good media coverage.) It’s amazing to me how worried many people here in town seemed about the recent orange alert (status update via Looka.) One friend told me that his out-of-town guests cancelled their flight into the city because of a possible attack, and a handful of other folks I know wouldn’t use the subway. I dunno…I just can’t get too stressed about something that’s so completely out of my hands. Besides, it’s probably true that living in New York City increases the chances that I’ll die as a result of terrorism, but it also vastly decreases the chances that I’ll die in a car wreck, which is still the leading cause of death in America for people under 33. So, it’s basically a wash. Not that I’m ambivalent about perishing in a gas attack or something worse, mind you, but I just don’t see the utility in freaking out every time the US intelligence community decides to cover its ass by issuing warnings based on non-specific “specific information.”
Category: GOP
A Return to Fiscal Sanity?
He’s been a cheerleader for Dubya’s policies in the past, but even Alan Greenspan has his limits. Much to the delight of Dems, the Federal Reserve Chairman now says the proposed Bush tax cuts are potentially disastrous in light of exploding budget deficits. Hopefully, this means the beginning of the end of Dubya’s outrageous dividend plan.
Read the Fine Print.
Surprise, Surprise. It turns out Dubya’s budget doesn’t add up as advertised.
He’s No Adlai.
Well, unfortunately I was in a class during Colin Powell’s presentation to the UN yesterday, so I can’t really attest to its effectiveness, although Saletan’s scorecard seems to suggest some minds were changed at the Security Council. (And the Guernica coverup, via Quiddity, made for some biting commentary on the day.) At any rate, it seems war is inevitable at this point…I only hope it was worth ticking off most of the international community to get our way.
Dr. Frist’s Feline Felonies.
Bill Frist, cat-killer. (Via Triptych Cryptic.) Just when you think a reasonably normal Republican has come to power in the Senate, you read about freak show stuff like this. Bizarre.
Ailing Body Politic.
As the GOP Senate flexes its newfound muscle and slashes a number of domestic programs, President Clinton emerges to assail Dubya’s health policies. Keep it up, Republicans, and watch Dubya’s numbers founder.
When Land Sharks Attack.
In a remarkable confluence of GOP shibboleths, the Bush economic plan will cut taxes on tricked-up SUV‘s. Makes sense – not only does it help out Dubya’s oil buddies, but I presume most SUV drivers (outside of Detroit) are GOP voters, particularly given the findings in this article (sent to me via Dumbmonkey.)
Biting that Hand that Fed You.
Dubya comes out against affirmative action in Michigan. Ummm…how does he think he got into Yale? Or got into Harvard Business School after a thoroughly mediocre performance as an Eli? Easy…affirmative action for the rich, which in my own experience brought easily the most unqualified students to the Ivies. If he wants to stop unfair admissions practices, perhaps he should start with the man in the mirror. (On another note, this seems like a really dumb move by the usually smart Dubya White House. Why come out against affirmative action so quickly after the Lott fiasco? Bad call by the politicos.)
Do whatcha like.
Checks and balances? Bah, humbug. Like the legislative branch on the matter of Iraq, the judiciary has now also capitulated to the chief executive, allowing Dubya to detain American citizens at will in the name of fighting terrorism. Oh, heck, let’s bring back torture too while we’re at it.
Fighting Mad.
Emboldened by Dubya’s dividend fiasco, the Dems get ready to fight back against the White House on both the dividend tax plan and the renomination of Pickering. I’m surprised Dubya endangered passage of the rest of his program by shoving Pickering down the Senate’s throat again. But, nothing fails like success, it seems…and the dauphin must get what he wants.