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Basswipe - I will debate this a little if you like - though everyone please remember that we're a fishing site and not a political site.
The best thing I can say about the brain trust in the White House is that they are so far removed from what is happening to Joe American that they are just being stupid and bumbling idiots. Worst case is that they are really trying to not give a hoot to those not in their circle and sticking it to us in the process.
Even George Senior had a lack of touchy feely with the middle class, though I do think he cared and was actually a decent guy who tried and fairly often succeeded in making the right decisions. Unfortunately, Junior is not a chip off the old blockhead.
The current brain trust, heretofore referred to as the "BT", have made a mockery of the integrity of what America has stood for. No longer are we the shining light of the world, we have a real bad blink goin' on.
The only real shining light I have seen from this admin is in the days following 9-11 that they got on the stick (where they and previous Prez's should have been) and went into the Taliban and at minimum, seriously degraded the Al Queda network. It has been downhill domestically and foreign ever scince. Before Iraq, we had our extremely talented men and women of the armed forces, specifically Special Forces, in many countries around the world going after these bastards with a fair amount of success.
While this was going on (and before 9/11 actually) they were already gearing up for Iraq. Building facilities, repositioning forces and equipment. Aa the BT had put together a nice little package to take care of Iraq. Remove Sadam, not a bad thing by any stretch, the man was evil. BUT they had no plan for AFTER, the nation building that before 9/11 that this administration did not believe. They completely disregarded the people with the experience of nation building (didn't fit the model), guys like Gen Garner (northern Iraq after Gulf 1) - in fact after they realized the screwed up they briefly called him back for a few months, said thanks, and sent him on his way. The BT neglected to respond to what the senior Special Forces people recommended and what they could do working with the locals to stabilize. And those that had experience in Kosovo. They did not work with the exiting Iraqi army, a common practice to bring the old army to the new army and keeping a lot of the bad guys from runnig off with their guns. How many would we be fighting if we worked with instead of against them? Brought them into the fold? They usually ignored the recomendations of the then Secretary of State, perhaps the one with the most integrity (real or manufactured) in that first term.
The bad money trail in reconstruction.
Using private firms to guard and protect instead of smart forces to win hearts and minds (it has worked).
Not having enough troops in country to start (that was time sensitive BTW, they could not wait any longer as good ground time was running out due to excessive weather). Not having enough troops after the take over to establish and maintain order.
Not having enough gear and the right gear to equip our people over there properly. That is what saddens me most, our people are being misled over there because the current brin trust believes enough that if they do A then B will surely happen. They are too slow to to react when necessary and too dumb to be proactive. And our guys are paying for it. The civilian leadership of the military is their for a purpose but with that purpose comes great responsibility to those guys and gals over there. That responsibility has been neglected.
What else?? Tax cuts for the wealthiest. An abominable Medicare package to take care of the Pharmas. The New Islamic Republic of Iraq. The environment. China. Big Biz. and BIG OIL. Corporate Welfare. Seperation of everyone else's church from state. Unfunded NCLB. Forget about I.D. The list goes on.
This admin has catered to the influential and weathly, especially if you are in Oil. How many lost and poor waged jobs are getting further squeezed whild the Big Oil makes hundreds of Billions of profit a year? At what point does corporate greed superceed the best interests of the nation? And then the J.O. goes and grants extra special favoritism to the Oil companies so they can make MORE money with MORE tax incentives!!!!!!! Clinton was a borderline loser, intelligent in some areas and a screw up in others. Bush and Co has been tripping over themselves so badly it hurts to watch it. It is sickening to watch it. It is a crime against America that too many of our people are paying for with their lives and futures.
Integrity my ass!
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