I agree...I didn't get that from his speech either.....

• OMG. We are screwed as MT's thanks to Obama - townhall meeting today in Indiana.
  • Thanks to Obama? Get Real. He didn't send jobs overseas.... - sm
    • Obama said he was going to try and stop - offshoring, etc., but he is contradicting
      • Uh....WHEN Has He Had Time To - Address This Issue?
  • THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING - Chicken Little
    • I agree...I didn't get that from his speech either..... - Agreed with about 85% of what he said
      • EMR and VR are two different things. - nm
        • Oh, I realize the difference....I'm speaking about technological advances - That will probably be universal in the near future
    • I agree, sooo, then why is all the work - being sent to India? Unskilled labor.
      • That IS the bottom line... - It is Cheaper
  • I never saw him mention an MT as being unskilled - - Amanda
  • What an arrogant mofo. - sm
  • You betcha we're screwed - fatcat
  • I took it as we are unskilled workers - and that is why our work is being
    • I took it for what it IS -- companies getting TAX BREAKS - for sending their work offshore, which needs to st
    • I'm wondering..............sm - m
      • I think even call centers should be staffed by - Americans, not ESL foreigners.
        • I think we should all start asking - sm
          • That's a good plan! - Zville MT
        • I didn't mean.............sm - m
          • So much for trying to be...................sm - m
  • you're not reading this right - sm
    • I agree, I don't think we are who he means - MTinNC
    • But he will make not effort to - sm
  • Most QA here are already working - with companies and QA'ing Indian work...

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Yesterday, Hillary scheduled her big ballyhoo to end her campaign, curiously at high noon. I live in out west, so everything is two hours behind.

I had been up most of the night and tuned into MSNBC early, at about 9:45 a.m. (11:45 a.m. Hillary time). Although I was pretty tired, I was looking forward to personally assessing the features of Hillary's personality as she spoke and wanted to see if this was going to be another speech that was all about her, with bitterness and a sense of entitlement, or if one of her other personalities would emerge, perhaps a kinder, gentler one, very much hoping for the latter..

Here's the time line:

9:45:00 a.m.: No Hillary yet, but I'm early. Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann (my two favorites) are hosting this historic event. I can listen to these two guys talk all day.

9:50:00 a.m.: I can't listen to these two guys talk all day, so I begin channel surfing. Rachel Ray is cooking what looks to be some GOOD lasagna on the Food Network. I like Rachel Ray (despite the fact she's secretly a Muslim), but I can't get too involved because I am waiting for Hillary.

9:55:00 a.m.: Back to MSNBC. Chris and Keith still chatting. Hey, guys. We've got FIVE MINUTES to go here. Shouldn't we be -- what? Senator Clinton hasn't left her house yet? Quick shot to Senator Clinton's house reveals no visible activity. (Whose motorcycle is that, anyway?)

10:00:29 a.m.: Back to the remote. Animal Planet generously offers, "Cracking the Secret Code of Ants," complete with close-up shots of a gazillion ants. Uh, thanks, but no thanks. Whatever happened to that cute little meerkat -- Daisy or Rose or whatever flowery name the gave her -- yeah, that's it: Her name was FLOWER! Those ants are just too creepy!

10:00:30 a.m.: History Channel is showing Ax Men. I think not.

10:00:32 a.m.: Back to MSNBC: Clinton still hasn't left house. What the -- I bet she handcuffed herself to a piano, swallowed the key, they're trying to drag her out of the house, and she is refusing to leave.

10:00:35 a.m.: Beginning to feel extreme anxiety and tension. Recall that I was prescribed Xanax for such occasions. I'll only take a half of one because otherwise, I'll fall asleep, and I can't do that because Hillary's speech is too important!

10:03:00 a.m.: More surfing. Ooooooh. FX is showing Dharma and Greg at 10:00. As I tune in, Dharma is at her in-laws', having dinner and explaining why she sleeps in the nude. Some hot-looking foreign guy declares everyone at the table to be sexy. (Hot-looking foreign guy is Greg's aunt's new boyfriend. Greg's aunt wants a divorce from Greg's uncle and wants Greg to represent her.) As usual, Dharma does her good deed and tries to bring aunt and uncle back together. Greg is angry because Dharma's interference causes him to lose client. I decide Dharma would make a great diplomat to Iran. As you can see from the time line, this show moves very quickly (plus, it's a rerun that I've already seen).

10:07:00 a.m.: Back to surfing. Hit "channel down" button. "Army Wives" is on Lifetime. Like the show, but these are all reruns.

10:08:00 a.m.: Back to the clicker, hitting "channel up" button. Arrive at Animal Planet just in time to be greeted by the words, "...something gripped in ant's jaw." Am reminded to check MSNBC again.

10:08:02 a.m.: MSNBC makes another announcement: "Senator Clinton has not left her house. Endorsement speech delayed." Well, DUH! Am becoming a tad annoyed at this point. I wonder if she'd be late for her own funeral -- oops -- bad example. She already is, politically, "presidentially" speaking. Banner at bottom of screen: "Senator Hillary Clinton to Suspend Campaign and Endorse Obama." Suspend? SUSPEND???!!! Is she still holding out for that bizarre RFK scenario she shared with the entire world the other week? All the other candidates ENDED their campaigns, and she's still SUSPENDING?!!

10:11:00 a.m.: Back to Food Network. Someone's preparing grilled peach salad. Being basically a meat and potatoes kind of person, this is just a little too "busy" for me. (It's really quite simple: Peaches are good either plain or with ice cream, yogurt or cream; burgers, dogs, chicken, ribs and steaks, etc. are grilled; and salad consists of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, onion, and maybe a few other ingredients, but PEACHES ain't one of them.) Thinking how strange this all is triggers my memory to try MSNBC again..

10:13:00 a.m.: No news yet. Annoyance still present but somewhat "soothed."

10:14:00 a.m.: Channel-surf my way to Oxygen. "Snapped" is on. Again reminded of Hillary and tune back in to MSNBC.

10:17:00 a.m.: People still yacking, no Hillary, and the motorcycle outside her house is looking smaller all the time.

10:17:45 a.m.: Remote takes me back to the Food Network. The show is called "Rescue Chef." Acutely aware of my own personal culinary challenges, I pop a tape into the VCR and press "Record."

10:18:15: a.m.: I come to the realization that the show with that weird grilled peach salad IS "Rescue Chef," the show I'm taping. I remove tape from VCR.

10:19:00 a.m.: Back to the clicker. "Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice" is on truTV. Again reminded not to take eye off prize and click back on to MSNBC, this time for the duration.

10:26:00 a.m.: People moving about outside Hillary's house. Motorcade leaving. Why does she need a MOTORCADE? Why couldn't she just do all of this, ON TIME, perhaps in the setting of one of her "conversations," sitting on her couch, smiling and trying to sound sincere? My annoyance quickly turns to anticipation, though. Finally!!! I yawn. My tension and anxiety have completely abated. I yell "Hurry, Hillary. Hurry!!" out loud. Dog stares at me in tilted-head confusion.

7:14:00 p.m.: I suddenly awaken to one of MSNBC's boring prison shows, distressed, sweating profusely and panic-stricken, after having had a nightmare about watching "Snapped," showing Dharma Montgomery in prison, having been convicted of poisoning her husband, Army Private Greg Montgomery, after serving him a dinner of lasagna with grilled peach salad in which she had hidden fire ants that she had killed with an ax. An Army Colonel by the name of Barack Olbermann had discovered Private Montgomery's body in the desert, near a colony of meerkats. Hillary Clinton, Dharma's attorney, is also interviewed. Dharma is sentenced to life in prison without parole.

What I learned today:

1. A half a Xanax works just as well as a full one.

2. Grilled peach salad really IS bad.

twist the words "moderate muslims" but rather the words "win over"? 

I guess I'd better buy a new dictionary, because the last time I looked, "win over" was a good synonym for "make friends."

It's okay that you stand by your post even though you aren't.  I get it.  Some people just like to argue. 

the Constitution at all when running (not walking) into Iraq.  In fact, there are a multitude of things he didn't consider.  It seems the ONLY thing he considered was his potential legacy as a *great leader* and he *needed* a war to be seen as a war-time *Commander in Chief.*

As far as an article being left leaning, in case you hadn't noticed, you are posting on a predominantly left-leaning board. 

As more facts concerning this President's outrageous behavior begin to surface, I believe the true character of this man will be revealed to those who are willing to see the truth.

Have a great evening. 

http://www.usflag.org/history/pledgeofallegiance.html

The original Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands- one nation indivisible-with liberty and justice for all.

I heard, I am very old and I suffered greatly at the hands of the enemy.  Did I ever tell you I was a POW?  I suffered greatly.  Please feel sorry for me and vote for me.  I deserve it.  I suffered greatly.  No economic plan, no health insurance plan, just  I suffered greatly.  Sarah's speech was John suffered greatly.  No one else has suffered as much as he.  Joe Biden's loss of family members and Obama's struggle with identity because of being mixed race do not qualify.  This is an election about the issues of the american people not a Queen for A Day episode where the person with the saddest story gets a new washing machine.

10:30 this morning? If he can accomplish half of what he talked about, I'll have a little more faith in him.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/president-to-ta.html

He did talk about the war.... Hey, wait a minute, your intelligence was bad....You lied to us!!!   You twisted the information to fit your post...Don't you want to apologize and tell us all what a terrible mistake you made!!!!       How does it feel to be called a liar without justification?

who admitted he's had too many wives, done too many drugs....and was happy to admit he inhaled.

Ahhh the credibility....

I remember it well. 

It was a cute joke.  In case any of you missed it before it was removed from the board, one of the many places it can be found is http://www.justpetehere.com/2004/11/george_bush_pas.html.

Better do it quickly, though, because this post is sure to be removed as soon as the Cons start whining again.

 Check out the St. Pete Times, Sunday, 11/13/05, The Perspective, article by Robin Blummer. Sorry I don't have the link but it is easy to find. Talk about scary. By the way, I see that there are a number of comments to posts listed on the board but they are not available to see. Is this a new policy...we know people read or responded but we can't see what the response is?

was written by Bush speech writer.  But there is not connection between the McCains and the Bushs.  Mere coincidence.  Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

See 2nd link. 

seemed to be trying to put fear at the retreat. He started out calm enough but before it was over, he was livid, blaming the pubs for everything. He WAS trying to put fear in the dems to the words that they HAVE to pass this bill. No way was he going to let it fail.  He wants the package the way it is. He doesn't want to compromise on this package no matter what he says to the media with his smiling face.

the discussion is about when he was talking in Turkey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIVd7YT0oWA&feature=related

his own personal reasons.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050620/why_george_went_to_war.php

The Downing Street memos have brought into focus an essential question: on what basis did President George W. Bush decide to invade Iraq? The memos are a government-level confirmation of what has been long believed by so many: that the administration was hell-bent on invading Iraq and was simply looking for justification, valid or not.

Despite such mounting evidence, Bush resolutely maintains total denial. In fact, when a British reporter asked the president recently about the Downing Street documents, Bush painted himself as a reluctant warrior. "Both of us didn't want to use our military," he said, answering for himself and British Prime Minister Blair. "Nobody wants to commit military into combat. It's the last option."

Yet there's evidence that Bush not only deliberately relied on false intelligence to justify an attack, but that he would have willingly used any excuse at all to invade Iraq. And that he was obsessed with the notion well before 9/11—indeed, even before he became president in early 2001.

In interviews I conducted last fall, a well-known journalist, biographer and Bush family friend who worked for a time with Bush on a ghostwritten memoir said that an Iraq war was always on Bush's brain.

"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and Houston Chronicle journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said, 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He went on, 'If I have a chance to invade…, if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency.'"

Bush apparently accepted a view that Herskowitz, with his long experience of writing books with top Republicans, says was a common sentiment: that no president could be considered truly successful without one military "win" under his belt. Leading Republicans had long been enthralled by the effect of the minuscule Falklands War on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's popularity, and ridiculed Democrats such as Jimmy Carter who were reluctant to use American force. Indeed, both Reagan and Bush's father successfully prosecuted limited invasions (Grenada, Panama and the Gulf War) without miring the United States in endless conflicts.

Herskowitz's revelations illuminate Bush's personal motivation for invading Iraq and, more importantly, his general inclination to use war to advance his domestic political ends. Furthermore, they establish that this thinking predated 9/11, predated his election to the presidency and predated his appointment of leading neoconservatives who had their own, separate, more complex geopolitical rationale for supporting an invasion.

Conversations With Bush The Candidate

Herskowitz—a longtime Houston newspaper columnist—has ghostwritten or co-authored autobiographies of a broad spectrum of famous people, including Reagan adviser Michael Deaver, Mickey Mantle, Dan Rather and Nixon cabinet secretary John B. Connally. Bush's 1999 comments to Herskowitz were made over the course of as many as 20 sessions together. Eventually, campaign staffers—expressing concern about things Bush had told the author that were included in the manuscript—pulled the project, and Bush campaign officials came to Herskowitz's house and took his original tapes and notes. Bush communications director Karen Hughes then assumed responsibility for the project, which was published in highly sanitized form as A Charge to Keep.

The revelations about Bush's attitude toward Iraq emerged during two taped sessions I held with Herskowitz. These conversations covered a variety of matters, including the journalist's continued closeness with the Bush family and fondness for Bush Senior—who clearly trusted Herskowitz enough to arrange for him to pen a subsequent authorized biography of Bush's grandfather, written and published in 2003.

I conducted those interviews last fall and published an article based on them during the final heated days of the 2004 campaign. Herskowitz's taped insights were verified to the satisfaction of editors at the Houston Chronicle, yet the story failed to gain broad mainstream coverage, primarily because news organization executives expressed concern about introducing such potent news so close to the election. Editors told me they worried about a huge backlash from the White House and charges of an "October Surprise."

Debating The Timeline For War

But today, as public doubts over the Iraq invasion grow, and with the Downing Street papers adding substance to those doubts, the Herskowitz interviews assume singular importance by providing profound insight into what motivated Bush—personally—in the days and weeks following 9/11. Those interviews introduce us to a George W. Bush, who, until 9/11, had no means for becoming "a great president"—because he had no easy path to war. Once handed the national tragedy of 9/11, Bush realized that the Afghanistan campaign and the covert war against terrorist organizations would not satisfy his ambitions for greatness. Thus, Bush shifted focus from Al Qaeda, perpetrator of the attacks on New York and Washington. Instead, he concentrated on ensuring his place in American history by going after a globally reviled and easily targeted state run by a ruthless dictator.

The Herskowitz interviews add an important dimension to our understanding of this presidency, especially in combination with further evidence that Bush's focus on Iraq was motivated by something other than credible intelligence. In their published accounts of the period between 9/11 and the March 2003 invasion, former White House Counterterrorism Coordinator Richard Clarke and journalist Bob Woodward both describe a president single-mindedly obsessed with Iraq. The first anecdote takes place the day after the World Trade Center collapsed, in the Situation Room of the White House. The witness is Richard Clarke, and the situation is captured in his book, Against All Enemies.

On September 12th, I left the Video Conferencing Center and there, wandering alone around the Situation Room, was the President. He looked like he wanted something to do. He grabbed a few of us and closed the door to the conference room. "Look," he told us, "I know you have a lot to do and all…but I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything. See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way…"

I was once again taken aback, incredulous, and it showed. "But, Mr. President, Al Qaeda did this."

"I know, I know, but…see if Saddam was involved. Just look. I want to know any shred…" …

"Look into Iraq, Saddam," the President said testily and left us. Lisa Gordon-Hagerty stared after him with her mouth hanging open.

Similarly, Bob Woodward, in a CBS News 60 Minutes interview about his book, Bush At War, captures a moment, on November 21, 2001, where the president expresses an acute sense of urgency that it is time to secretly plan the war with Iraq. Again, we know there was nothing in the way of credible intelligence to precipitate the president's actions.

Woodward: "President Bush, after a National Security Council meeting, takes Don Rumsfeld aside, collars him physically and takes him into a little cubbyhole room and closes the door and says, 'What have you got in terms of plans for Iraq? What is the status of the war plan? I want you to get on it. I want you to keep it secret.'"

Wallace (voiceover): Woodward says immediately after that, Rumsfeld told Gen. Tommy Franks to develop a war plan to invade Iraq and remove Saddam—and that Rumsfeld gave Franks a blank check.

Woodward: "Rumsfeld and Franks work out a deal essentially where Franks can spend any money he needs. And so he starts building runways and pipelines and doing all the necessary preparations in Kuwait specifically to make war possible."

Bush wanted a war so that he could build the political capital necessary to achieve his domestic agenda and become, in his mind, "a great president." Blair and the members of his cabinet, unaware of the Herskowitz conversations, placed Bush's decision to mount an invasion in or about July of 2002. But for Bush, the question that summer was not whether, it was only how and when. The most important question, why, was left for later.

Eventually, there would be a succession of answers to that question: weapons of mass destruction, links to Al Qaeda, the promotion of democracy, the domino theory of the Middle East. But none of them have been as convincing as the reason George W. Bush gave way back in the summer of 1999.

Please take 5 minutes to listen to this.  It gave me chills.  He truly was a visionary and what a great loss to America. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlEqtaWpKEU&search=JFK%20on%20Secret..