Bush's Disastrous First 100 Days

As if all this hasn't been bad enough, we've also had rampant corruption (think Tom DeLay), a coarsening of our political climate (vicious attacks on judges and Democrats as "anti-Christian"), and a near-complete failure to tackle the country's serious problems.  Instead, President Bush and the Republican Congress have offered sham solutions to real problems, while instead wasting their time and energy meddling in private family matters like the Terry Schiavo case.  Apparently, President Bush and the Republican Congress are more concerned with telling us how and when we can die than with ensuring peace and prosperity while we live.

An analysis  in Friday's Washington Post puts it this way:

One hundred days ago, Bush began his second term with great confidence and a bold agenda: He would enact major Social Security and energy legislation, and win confirmation of strong conservatives to top positions in the judiciary and throughout the administration. Expanded and unified Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress would approve his tax and spending cuts.

Instead, Bush finds that Americans have turned against him on Social Security, and some moderate Republicans are joining a united Democratic Party in opposition. A key Bush nomination -- ambassador to the United Nations -- is in trouble in the Senate, and the No. 2 Republican in the House, Tom DeLay (Tex.), is dogged by an ethics controversy. Meanwhile, high gas prices, jittery financial markets and criticism over the Terri Schiavo case have contributed to a Bush popularity that has equaled the lowest levels of his presidency.

Fully aware of his declining popularity, Karl Rove...er, President Bush, last night called an emergency press conference and pressured the TV networks into showing it in prime time.  Unfortunately for him, the big "news" Bush came to convey was almost guaranteed to send his popularity plummeting even lower: major cuts to Social Security benefits "for all but low-income retirees."  In other words, what Bush's brilliant plan to "reform" and "save" Social Security really comes down to is a plan to slash benefits for the middle class and to gut this wildly popular -- and effective -- program.

Appropriately enough, Bush's assault on the middle class came on the same day that Republicans  in Congress agreed to around $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid while extending large tax cuts for the rich.  According to New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg, "The essence of this budget comes down to whether we're going to stick our children and grandchildren with a government they can't afford."

Also yesterday, the Pentagon -- responding to a lawsuit, kicking and screaming -- released hundreds of photos of Americans killed in Iraq, reminding us of the ongoing sacrifice that our brave young men and women are making for Bush's ill-planned, misguided, poorly-executed war.  To date, by the way, we have lost 1,574 Americans killed in Iraq, with 11,664 wounded -- many grievously.

In other bad news, the Washington Times reported on an statement before Congress by the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency that North Korea now has a missile - the Taepo Dong II -- that can "deliver a nuclear warhead to parts of the United States."  In other words, the question for Bush and the Republicans after 4 years and 100 days is this: "Who Lost North Korea?"

As if it's not heinous enough that the Bush Administration has allowed North Korea to start building a nuclear arsenal on its watch, they have also been busy losing the war on terror. According to State Department statistics, released reluctantly (of course) by the Bush Administration, the number of people killed in terrorist attacks tripled  in 2004, with "[Weapons of Mass Destruction] technology and know-how...proliferating in the jihadist community."  Great job by the "tough-on-defense" Republicans, huh?

Finally, the economy has "hit a pothole," as the US slips into a trickle down, supply side recession.  Housing prices are "devour[ing] incomes" as they race ahead of wages.  And the stock market, of course, continues to plummet, with the S&P 500 now down nearly 6% for the year (Bush's first 100 days).  As icing on the cake, gasoline prices are at record highs while Bush offers non-solution "solutions" to the problem, like building more nuclear power plants sometime in the next few decades.  Yeah, that will really help!  But, at least big oil company profits surged to eye-popping levels during Bush's first 100 days.  Oh joy.

The sad thing is, it didn't have to be this way.  During the 1990s, the Clinton Administration's economic policies led to a booming stock market, low inflation,  a federal budget surplus, and generally excellent economic times.  In stark contrast, the first 4 years and 100 days of Bush and the Republicans have been miserable in almost every way.  We would suggest that this  is no fluke.  Instead, we would strongly suggest that they are the DIRECT RESULT of Republican "spend and spend...and spend some more" policies, an incredibly expensive -- and never ending -- war in Iraq (what ever happened to "Mission Accomplished?"),  plus massive tax giveaways to rich oil companies and gazillionaires. 

If these are the types of policies you find attractive, then by all means, we here at RaisingKaine urge you to VOTE REPUBLICAN!  If, instead, for whatever bizarre reason you happen to prefer peace, prosperity, and balanced budgets, we suggest you seriously consider voting Democratic at your next available opportunity.  Luckily for us Virginians, we can start right in our own counties and cities this year.  First, reject Jerry Kilgore on June 14.  Then, elect Tim Kaine on November 8. 

Of course, electing Tim Kaine governor won't guarantee that we will avoid the  fate of Bush's disastrous first 4 years and 100 days.  But electing Jerry Kilgore almost certainly will result in Bush-like results. Luckily, here in Virginia, we have the option of continuing the Warner/Kaine policies that have made our state the "best managed state in the nation" -- "A" ratings across the board. 

In other words, we have the option of another four years of the Warner/Kaine policies if we simply promote our Lt. Governor one notch.  This is not a difficult choice now, and it won't be any more difficult in approximately 200 days when we go to the polls and elect Tim Kaine as our next great Governor.

Comments