The Rich get Richer

The New York Times ran the numbers and it doesn’t look good for those of us in the lower 99.9% income brackets.

This article is sobering, but is not unexpected. Its good to have some numbers to argue with those morons who insist that giving the rich more money will give everyone else more money too. Basically, the Bush Administration continuing the policies of the previous Bush and Reagan administrations has widened the gap between rich and poor to an extent never known in this country. They are corrupting the American dream and producing an American aristocracy. This is class warfare on a profound scale.

George Bush’s hypocracy on supporting life

George Bush flies back to the capital from yet another vacation in Texas to sign a bill violating states rights and turning a poor woman into a political football. This is what you didn’t know.

Pity Terri Schiavo, her parents and her husband. Their case has been turned into a crass attempt at political hay from a deeply hypocritical administration.

George Bush claims to be a firm supporter of life, he flew back from Texas to sign a bill putting Terri Schiavo back onto life support and claimed that he is a great supporter of life (a big nod to the rapture right). However, as Governor of Texas, he put 152 people to death, including the mentally ill and a woman who had become an evangelical Christian in prison. In fact, he mocked her on television.

Also as Governor, he signed the “Advance Directives Act”, which states “If a hospital or other health provider disagrees with a (patient surrogate’s) decision to maintain or halt life-sustaining treatment … the case goes before a medical committee. If the committee agrees with the doctor, the guardian or surrogate has 10 days to seek treatment elsewhere,” according to an Associated Press summary. Under this law, the state removed the life support from Sun Hudson, an African American baby, against his parent’s wishes. Unlike Terri Schiavo, the baby was alert and active and responded to stimulus. The reason that the child was removed from life-support? His parents couldn’t afford to pay the bill anymore.

Also, our life-loving president has reduced medicare, has reduced medical support for our veterans, has denied the equipment for our troops to protect themselves and is attempting to destroy Social Security, the only life-line for many seniors.

This shows the truth about George Bush. He supports life as long as you can pay to support it. The minute that you can’t, he doesn’t give a damn. In fact, he’d rather see you dead.

Here’s some supporting information:
Eric Zorn’s opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune
Newday’s article on the presidents changing ethics
The Daily Kos weighs in
The Houston Chronicle article about Sun Hudson
Bushkills.com, a website about George Bush’s record as governor

Even more illegal government propaganda

The State Department’s Office of Broadcasting Services has been planting fake news stories

From ThinkProgress.org:
Story after story is arising that the Bush administration is waging a propaganda war on its own citizens. Now it turns out that federal agencies have produced hundreds of fake news reports to TV news programs promoting various administration policies. These reports do not reveal their origin and are meant to appear just like any other news stories. I can’t believe that citizens are allowing this kind of crap to continue.

Tom DeLay gets caught again

I can’t believe this guy is still in a position of power!

The Raw Story has broken another amazingly shocking scandal featuring Tom DeLay. It seems that a conservative think tank has been scaring the bejeezus out of senior citizens and then taking money it has collected to pay for posh trips for Tom DeLay. This is so insanely illegal. If this guy is still involved in the government next year, we’ll know that corruption in Washington is irreversible.

Weird Weird blogging law

the FEC is extending some laws to the internet and it is getting really stupid.

Article on ZD.net

If this goes through, it could have an incredibly chilling effect on the new world of discourse and public participation in politics that the internet provides. It would also provide a tool for the ruling party to target on-lines sites they don’t like.

Very chilling…

Catching up on the politics of the week

I’ve had a busy week, so I haven’t had time to post, but here is what I’ve been thinking about…

From the Daily Kos :
More spine growth in evidence from the Democrats as they elevate the Jeff Gannon controversy.
The Germans don’t buy into Bush’s “fake” town hall meetings
The Saudis hold an “anti-terrorism” conference that blames the Jews for everything and Bush says “well done!”

From the LA Times:
The Bush administration continues to become more and more like the Stalin Administration

From the Washington Post:
More evidence that living in the US is getting ever more like living in Stalinist Russia

catching up with Salon

I love Salon, here are some links to cool stuff they’ve had

Doing the math on President Bush’s budget proposal
A Talk about how President Bush could turn his losing battle on social security back on the democrats, but it also nicely dissects the plan
George Bush’s poll numbers suck
More on the sordid past of Jeff Gannon

there is a ton more that you can find on Salon. Highly recommended for high quality reporting.