The lead headline in today's Washington Post is a classic: "Budget Plan Assumes Much, Demands Little." In my opinion, these words essentially sum up the entire Bush Administration and Republican Congress since 2001. Assuming too much and demanding too little got us the following:*A huge budget deficit as far as the eye can see (see graph courtesy of the Washington Post at left). Recall that when Dumbya came into office, the United States looked forward to huge budget SURPLUSES as far as the eye could see. Recall as well that this was thanks to Bill Clinton and the Democratic Congress of 1993, which had the courage to do what Mark Warner and Tim Kaine did here in Virginia - raise some taxes, cut some spending, and get the rampaging budget deficit (remember Ross Perot's 19% of the vote in 1992, anyone? that was largely due to people's disgust at the federal budget deficit...)
*A climate of complacency, even after this country was attacked on 9/11 and is supposedly at "war." Hello? Earth to Republicans! Last time I checked, when you're at war, you normally RAISE TAXES TO PAY FOR IT. One thing is for sure, when you're at war, you don't CUT TAXES FOR RICH PEOPLE (and corporations). Sorry for shouting, but this really pissses me off: send Americans to die over in Iraq, spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the "war," yet ask for NO SACRIFICE from anyone, even the richest individuals and corporations among us. That, my friends, is modern day Republcian philosophy to a "t."
*Constant miscalculations and screwups. For instance, in late 2000, the outgoing Clinton Administration strongly warned the President-elect's people that Al Qaeda was the #1 threat to the United States. What did Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Wolfie and Condi do about it? Absolutely nothing. Amazingly, despite tons of warnings about Al Qaeda's plans to attack America (e.g., the famous August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Brief entitled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US."), the Bush Administration took its sweet time and basically didn't do a damn thing to prevent such an attack.
Another example, of course, was Hurricane Katrina, which once again Bush claimed nobody expected the New Orleans' levees to be breached. In actuality, there had been repeated warnings about EXACTLY that scenario. Again, what did the Bush Administration do about it? Nothing, of course. What about the Bush Administration's response after Hurricane Katrina, including its pitiful lack of commitment to rebuilding the Gulf Coast? Same thing: assuming too much, asking too little.
*Energy (in)security and (in)action. For 6 years, the Bush Administration has done absolutely NOTHING to reduce our dependence on oil imports from places like Saudi Arabia, home to 15 of 19 September 11 hijackers. The Bush Administration has done absolutely NOTHING to reduce our consumption of oil despite the dire threat of global climate change. Now, in Bush's State of the Union address, our fearless leader finally acknowledges that we are "addicted" to oil, yet he once again demands essentially NO ACTION from the American people, the government, or private industry in order to solve the problem.
Well, believe it or not, Bush's budget, released yesterday, actually CUTS funding for the Energy Department by $6 million in FY 2006. In addition, according to the Post's analysis
Some programs designed to increase energy efficiency would be cut, as would research money for hydropower and geothermal energy. The spending plan cuts funding for oil and natural gas research programs. The administration, which sought unsuccessfully to cut the programs last year, said the industry can afford to pursue the research on its own given high oil and natural gas prices.
Once again, in other words, the Administration is ASSUMING too much (e.g., that voluntary efforts by ExxonMobil will solve the problem) and DEMANDING too little (e.g,. higher automobile fuel economy standards, which are the obvious answer along with higher gasoline taxes).
Starting to sense a pattern here? That's right, George W. Bush is the epitome of Republican governing philosphy: irresponsible, reckless, short-sighted, corrupt, lazy, arrogant, and downright stupid. And, of course, there's Bush's unique contribution to our nation: "assuming too much, demanding too little." Bushie, you're doing a heckuva job!