As a youth, George W. Bush briefly attended an actual public school. Yes, really, he did. No, really, a public school!

It was in Midland, TX: Jefferson Davis Junior High School.

The only class where he paid attention was "How To Lose A Civil War."

Labels: civil war, George Bush, lesson, school

"President Bush went on television to calm Wall Street Monday, prompting the Dow Jones to plummet. The more he talks the worse it gets. After eight hard fought innings, President Bush now leads al-Qaeda by a score of three bank buildings to two."

Argus Hamilton (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Labels: al queda, dow jones, George Bush, television, tv, wall street

The other day George Bush tried to take a shot at Barack Obama by citing a Senator who regretted not negotiating with Hitler. Bush tried to imply that a Senator who was willing to talk to people whom Bush considers to be enemies was an appeaser.

George, George, George. You are so clueless. Someone should smack you upside the head with a reality sandwich.

Reality:

1. The senator involved was Frank Borah, a Republican senator. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 1936 and 1940. Like most Republicans in the 1930s, he was an isolationist who argued strongly against getting involved in the "unrest" in Europe.
2. The Republican Party platform in 1936 included the following:

   Foreign Affairs
   We pledge ourselves to promote and maintain peace by all honorable means not leading to foreign alliances or political commitments.
   
   Obedient to the traditional foreign policy of America and to the repeatedly expressed will of the American people, we pledge that America shall not become a member of the League of Nations nor of the World Court nor shall America take on any entangling alliances in foreign affairs.
   
   We shall promote, as the best means of securing and maintaining peace by the pacific settlement of disputes, the great cause of international arbitration through the establishment of free, independent tribunals, which shall determine such disputes in accordance with law, equity and justice.
   
   National Defense
   We favor an army and navy, including air forces, adequate for our National Defense.
   
   We will cooperate with other nations in the limitation of armaments and control of tragic in arms.
   Source: The American Presidency Project

3. In those days, there were many Republicans whose patriotism was at best, suspect.
   
   One prominent Republican Senator was not content with denouncing our war effort against Nazi Germany. He continued to do business with the government of Germany while we were at war with Germany. Among his activities was providing financing to the government that was killing our troops. Finally - during the war - the US government seized those businesses, over the objection of that Senator and other Republicans.
   
   The senator was quite wealthy. His children and grandchildren attended the finest schools and entered "public service." His name: Prescott Bush. His son and grandsons George, George, and Jeb became great leaders.
   
   Grandson George disparages anyone who agrees with those portions of the Republican party platform. Not only has he not renounced or denounced his grandfather's dealings (and the inherited wealth generated by those dealings).... he closely associates with Republicans who likewise deal with the enemy. As one example, Halliburton Corp, under the leadership of Bush 'associate' Dick Cheney, did business for many years with Iran. Iran has been 'the enemy' for 30 years; it was (and is) illegal to do business with Iran.
   
   
4. For several days (or weeks) prior to this bonehead's bone-headed statement, his own handpicked Secretary of State (Ms. C. Rice) has been working behind the scenes to set up high-level talks with officials of (gasp!) Iran.
   
   
5. On the same day as the bone-headed bone-headed statement, the Bonehead-in Chief's own handpicked Secretary of Defense (Mr. R. Gates) supported Ms. Rice and said

   "The United States should construct a combination of incentives and pressure to engage Iran, and may have missed earlier opportunities to begin a useful dialogue with Tehran, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday.
   
   "We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage . . . and then sit down and talk with them," Gates said. "If there is going to be a discussion, then they need something, too. We can't go to a discussion and be completely the demander, with them not feeling that they need anything from us."
   
   In the meantime, Gates told a meeting of the Academy of American Diplomacy, a group of retired diplomats, "my personal view would be we ought to look for ways outside of government to open up the channels and get more of a flow of people back and forth." Noting that "a fair number" of Iranians regularly visit the United States, he said, "We ought to increase the flow the other way . . . of Americans" visiting Iran.
   
   "I think that may be the one opening that creates some space," Gates said."
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/14/ST2008051404020.html
   

Shall I go on? Or is it clear that neither the Prez, nor his speech writers understand what's going on around them, understand history, have a clue, and see the irony in all of this.

And my imaginary friend wonders why I can no longer support those people.

Labels: appease, arms limit, clueless, Condeleeza Rice, George Bush, republican, republican party platform, Robert gates