Posted on 08/04/2004 10:32:48 AM PDT by Agitate
I received this email which is apparently floating around the internet. I am going to respond with facts instead of the sophistry presented below, however I'd like the extremely knowledgeable people here to help out with some references. I'm at work in an environment not friendly to internet surfing, but I couldn't let this one pass...I am looking up info as I can so I can respond as soon as Possible.
Please help me refute the goofballs who are spreading this crap:
Hi,
>Thought everyone should see this. Please send this on to anyone you think will be interested. David
WHAT A GUY???
Resume of George Bush
RESUME GEORGE W. BUSH 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20520
>EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
>Law Enforcement: I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.
Military: I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.
College: I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.
PAST WORK EXPERIENCE: - I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career In the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. - I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock. - I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. - With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city In America. I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money. I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history. With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT: I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record. I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week. I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury. I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history. I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period. I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period. I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month. I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history.
My "poorest millionaire," Condoleezza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her. I set the Record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations. My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S History, Enron. My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision. I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed. I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history. I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts. I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history. I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government. I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history. I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law. I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention. I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election). I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television. I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history. I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history. I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind. I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community. I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime. In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends. I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my Presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security. I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD. I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.
RECORDS AND REFERENCES: - All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are Now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view. All Records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view. All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.
LittleGreenFootballs The command post -- Instapundit Apostate Witness FaithFreedom.org - The Voice of Muslim Dissidents Iraq the Model -- Healing Iraq Cox and Forkum |
Distribute this post to everybody who wonders
about President Bush
and his service during Vietnam.
George W Bush's military record vs John Kerry's military record
Aerospaceweb.org was started in 2000 to provide information regarding a wide range
of aerospace-related fields, including aircraft design, spacecraft design, aerodynamics,
and aerospace history.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0185.shtml
...Nevertheless, we have established that the F-102 was serving in combat in Vietnam at the time Bush
enlisted to become an F-102 pilot. In fact, pilots from the 147th FIG of the Texas ANG were
routinely rotated to Vietnam for combat duty under a program called "Palace Alert" from 1968 to 1970.
Palace Alert was an Air Force program that sent qualified F-102 pilots from the ANG to bases in Europe
or southeast Asia for periods of three to six months for frontline duty.
Fred Bradley, a friend of Bush's who was also serving in the Texas ANG, reported that he and Bush
inquired about participating in the Palace Alert program. However, the two were told by a superior,
MAJ Maurice Udell, that they were not yet qualified since they were still in training
and did not have the 500 hours of flight experience required. Furthermore, ANG veteran
COL William Campenni, who was a fellow pilot in the 111th FIS at the time,
told the Washington Times that Palace Alert was winding down and not accepting new applicants....
...
The point of this discussion is that the military record of George W. Bush deserves a fair treatment.
Bush has been criticized for avoiding service in Vietnam, though the evidence proves that
the Texas Air National Guard and its F-102 pilots where serving in Vietnam while Bush was in training.
Bush has been criticized for using his family influence to obtain his assignment,
but the evidence shows that he successfully completed every aspect of the more than
two years of training required of him.
Bush has been criticized for pursuing a safe and plush position as a fighter pilot,
but the evidence indicates the F-102 was a demanding aircraft whose pilots regularly risked their lives.
Bush has also been criticized for deserting the Guard before his enlistment was complete,
but the evidence shows he was honorably discharged eight months early because his position
was being phased out...
...
While it is not our goal to compare and contrast the records of the candidates on this subject,
the fact that the questioner cites John Kerry's military service makes us feel it necessary to comment.
It is interesting to note that there are just as many, if not more,
irregularities in Kerry's military record as there are in Bush's.
Kerry can certainly be praised for some of the actions he performed while in the line of duty,
but his record does contain some troubling portions as well.
Not the least of these is his involvement in the controversial group
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) while he was still an active-duty member of the US Navy.
Kerry's testimony before Congress as VVAW spokesman in 1971,
during which he accused soldiers serving in Vietnam of being war criminals,
was found to be based on largely falsifed information as documented by Wikipedia.
The Boston Globe has also reported on troubling accusations regarding the circumstances
surrounding Kerry's medals, particularly his first two purple hearts awarded for
minor injuries that may even have been self-inflicted.
John Kerry's record
http://www.scaryjohnkerry.com/vietnam.htm
DD 214 shows 17 Feb 72 terminal date of Reserve Obligation for John Kerry
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/DD214.pdf
Kerry's anti war activities were doing this period!
What is Senator John Kerry's relationship to VVAW?
http://www.vvaw.org/faq/#4
Since Vietnam Veterans Against the War's inception in 1967, tens of thousands of vets, GIs and supporters have participated in and supported the actions of VVAW. One of those members in the early 1970s was John Kerry. Kerry was appointed to the VVAW Executive Committee to assist in preparing Dewey Canyon III, VVAW's limited incursion into the land of Congress in 1971 (Nicosia, 98-99). Kerry made his greatest contribution to the anti-war movement and to VVAW in his speech to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on April 23, 1971 (Brinkley, 371-373: Hunt, 109-110; Nicosia, 136-138; Wells, 495).
Content of the speech is found at:
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Resources/Primary/Manifestos/VVAW_Kerry_Senate.html.
By 1972, John Kerry had moved on from VVAW (Brinkley, 406: Hunt, 127-128; Nicosia, 211).
John Kerry's service in Vietnam lasted 4 months and 12 days, beginning in November 1968 when he reported to Cam Rahn Bay for a month of training. His abbreviated combat tour ended shortly after he requested a transfer out of Vietnam on March 17, 1969, citing Navy instruction 1300.39 permitting personnel with three Purple Hearts to request reassignment. So far as we are able to determine, Kerry was the only Swift sailor ever to leave Vietnam without completing the standard one-year tour of duty, other than those who were seriously wounded or killed.
The instruction, titled 1300.39, says that a Naval officer who requires hospitalization on two separate occasions, or who receives three wounds "regardless of the nature of the wounds," can ask a superior officer to request a reassignment. The instruction makes clear the reassignment is not automatic.
It says that the reassignment "will be determined after consideration of his physical classification for duty and on an individual basis." Because Kerry's wounds were not considered serious, his reassignment appears to have been made on an individual basis. Moreover, the instruction makes clear that Kerry could have asked that any reassignment be waived.
The bottom line is that Kerry could have remained but he chose to seek an early transfer. He met with Horne, who agreed to forward the request, which Horne said probably ensured final approval. The Navy could not say how many other officers or sailors got a similar early release from combat, but it was unusual for anyone to have three Purple Hearts.
http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php?topic=KerryinVietnam
"So far as we are able to determine, Kerry was the only Swift sailor
ever to leave Vietnam without completing the standard one-year tour of duty,
other than those who were seriously wounded or killed."
It's the same recycled stuff that crossbearer has refuted or unspun. Can't recall the url.
Well one falsehood is that he didn't buy the Texas Rangers, he bought part of them. I think he had about a 10 or 12 percent share.
Letting them know they are clueless, easily-led sheeple would be a start.
Looks like somebody typed George Bush over bill clinton. Happens all the time.
Go to snopes.com
Why no Harvard MBA mentioned under College?
In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
That's a flat-out lie. Ask for someone to prove it.
Most fundraising trips? There is NO WAY Bush in under four years has done more than the Impeached Rapist in eight.
Democrat Presidents work on developing their criminal records while in office.
The Truth About The Resume
While surfing Mobys web site one day (http://www.moby.com), I came across one of Mobys journal
entries called GW Resume. Moby didnt write it, but it appears to be something that started on the
Internet and has spread like wildfire.
The resume is a sarcastic stab at the President, purporting to list his work experience,
accomplishments, and references.
It is obvious that the author isnt a fan of George W. Bush. Unfortunately, this person isnt a fan of the
truth, either, because most of the claims made in the resume are completely false. For the casual
reader, however, the claims seem plausible.
Ive done the research necessary to prove most every point of the resume false. What follows this
introduction are my findings.
The bulleted points are what the resume claims to be true. My responses follow the bulleted points
and if youre looking at this on a computer screen, my responses appear in blue.
In the interest of full disclosure, I need to say a few more things before proceeding. I voted for
George W. Bush and Im very impressed with his performance so far in office. I believe he is an
honest man. I believe he is an intelligent man.
George W. Bush is not perfectnone of us are. But hes also not the ignorant, controlled, corrupt frat
boy that many of his critics, including the resume, claim him to be.
This is not a short document, but neither is the resume. 70 different qualifications are listed in the
version that I read on Mobys site and I suspect that mine is not the original version.
Enjoy!
Curt King
May 5, 2003
If you have any questions, comments, criticism, or praise, please contact me at:
resume@crossbearer.com
May 5, 2003 Page 2 of 26
George W. Bush Resume
Past work experience
· Ran for congress and lost.
Every president in modern history has lost an election at some point:
Clinton -- Clinton lost his bid for reelection for Arkansas governor in 1980
Bush, Sr. Lost to Clinton in bid for reelection in 1992
Reagan Lost race for GOP nomination in 1976
Carter Lost to Reagan in bid for reelection in 1980.
Ford Lost to Carter in bid for reelection in 1976.
Nixon Lost race for presidency in 1960
· Bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas, company went bankrupt shortly after
I sold all my stock.
Bush was not a tremendous success in the oil business. But the allegation here appears to be
that Bush sold his stock to cash out before the company went bankrupt.
Bush sold his stock for $4.00 per share. A year later, the stock was valued at $8.00 per share.
The company, Harken Energy Corporation, is still functioning. (http://www.harkenenergy.com/)
More info: http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/13/president.2000/jackson.bush/
· Bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using tax-payer
money. Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago Cubs.
Bush only owned 5% of the team.
Sammy Sosa only played for the Rangers for 25 games. His record as a Ranger? 84 at-bats,
and only 1 home run. His batting average was .238.
(Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?statsId=4344)
The Rangers arent the only team to have built a taxpayer-funded stadium, either: Since the
early 1950s, only one baseball stadium was built without taxpayer money, while 19 baseball
stadiums were 100 percent taxpayer-funded. (Source: Small Business Survival Committee,
You're Out: Corporate Welfare for Major League Baseball. http://www.sbsc.org/)
What have been the results of the new ballpark built by the taxpayers of Arlington? CNN:
Fans love the stadium. And the team has flourished financially.
(Source: http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/13/president.2000/jackson.bush/)
· With fathers help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas.
No evidence is provided of any illegal, immoral, or unethical influence exerted by George Bush
in his sons election. It is true that George W Bush has a famous surname that may have
helped him get elected. The same might be said of Ted Kennedy, Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton.
May 5, 2003 Page 3 of 26
Accomplishments
· Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state
in the Union.
Here are the facts: Texas leads the nation in reduction of toxic releases. Texas has led the
nation in the reduction of toxic releases by 43 million pounds from 1995 to 1998 (during GWBs
tenure as governor). It is not the most polluted state in the nation. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency's 1998 Toxic Release Inventory (the most recent data
available from the EPA, released in May 2000), Texas dropped from first to fifth place in 1998
(while GWB was still governor) for total emissions to the air, water and soil.
· Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog-ridden city in America.
Houston does not lead the nation in air pollution. Los Angeles
surpassed Houston in 2000 (while GWB was still governor) in ozone exceedances. Through
July 17, 2000 Los Angeles exceeded the federal ozone standard on 17 days, compared to
Houston's 13 days. (Associated Press, 8/7/00).
Much more on Bushs Texas environmental record can be found at:
http://www.politicsandelections.com/usa/butts/bushaug8.htm
This is a Bush-Cheney press release from 2000, but much of it is corroborated by outside
sources, as illustrated by the Associated Press citation above.
· Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
A Wall Street Journal article finds different results: Finally, there is the question of the fiscal
record of George W. Bush while he was Texas governor. Mr. Bush racked up a decent, but not
a dazzling, pro-taxpayer record. He came into office promising tax cuts, tort reform, a lighter
regulatory burden for business, and stringent education standards. Mr. Bush delivered on each
of those promises, more or less. He signed two of the largest tax cuts in Texas history. But Mr.
Bush could leave conservatives frustrated. This is a politician who seems to always want to
please everyone. As the Austin Statesman wrote of Mr. Bush's final budget: "He took a $6
billion surplus, cut taxes by $1.5 billion and spent most of the rest." Still, the latest comptroller
report indicates that Texas still has a $1 billion-plus budget surplus. (WSJ, 2/12/01)
· Set record for most executions by any Governor in American history.
The death penalty is law in Texas andbelieve it or notthe governor does not have the
power to execute people. In fact, the governor only has the power to stay an execution for 30
days. The governor is powerless in Texas to grant pardons or clemency:
Prior to a 1934 constitutional amendment, the governor had independent pardon
powers. The amendment removing these powers was added after Jim and Miriam
Ferguson were accused of selling clemency during her term as Governor. In modern
times, governors have used what clemency powers they have been left with sparingly.
May 5, 2003 Page 4 of 26
As the application of the death penalty in the state has come under increasing scrutiny
and criticism, and new technology has been made available to review old cases,
governors have used reprieves to deflect criticism by allowing for further review of death
penalty cases. These incidents have been rare, given the weak opposition to capital
punishment. In cases where there is some compelling question about carrying out an
execution, governors are ultimately in a safe position. Granting a thirty-day reprieve can
appear judicious but not overly soft on criminals, as the governor cannot prevent an
execution on his or her own. Yet in the event a mistake is found and a wrongful
execution prevented, the governor is likely to appear careful and just. Still, Texas
governors have granted such reprieves relatively rarely. (Texas Politics, The Executive
Branch, http://texaspolitics.lamc.utexas.edu/html/exec/0700.html)
· Became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my
fathers appointments to the Supreme Court.
Once again, a quick read of the constitution will clear up the popular vote matter:
http://freedom.house.gov/electoral/constitution.asp
The popular vote doesnt elect the president: the Electoral College does.
Incidentally, George W. Bush received more popular votes than did his father in 1992 and Bill
Clinton in both his elections. In fact, you have to go back to Ronald Reagans landslide in
1984 to find a candidate with more popular votes. (http://www.presidentelect.org/)
Of the nine justices currently serving on the Supreme Court, two were appointed by George
Bush Sr.Clarence Thomas and David Souter. This is important, so please take note. Two
appointments. (http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/members.pdf)
The resume says that GWB became president with the help of my fathers appointments to
the Supreme Court. Theres only one problem with that: President Bush the elder appointed
two justices to the Supreme Court. The ruling that ended the recounts in Florida was a 7-to-2
vote. Even if President Bushs two appointees had voted in favor the Florida Supreme Court,
the vote would have still been 5-to-4. (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884144.html)
To counter the critics claim that the US Supreme Courts decision was bought, there is a 65-
page opinion (and dissent) which enumerates the precedents that the Supreme Court used in
making their ruling:
http://wire.ap.org/APpackages/election2000/scotusruling.pdf
Accomplishments as president
· Attacked and took over two countries.
Afghanistans Taliban regime was displaced by US intervention in 2002. A government led by
Afghans is currently in power:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/central/06/13/afghan.council/index.html
May 5, 2003 Page 5 of 26
As to why we attacked and took over in Afghanistan, I refer you to the 2000 report by
Amnesty International:
Human rights abuses by the warring factions against members of rival ethnic groups
occurred throughout 1999. Taleban forces burned homes, destroyed orchards, wheat
fields and irrigation systems and forcibly displaced more than 100,000 mainly Tajik
people. The UN imposed financial and aviation sanctions on the Taleban for not
surrendering Osama bin Laden to stand trial for his alleged involvement in US embassy
bombings in August 1998. Women, children, human rights defenders, members of
ethnic groups, people accused of homosexual activity, and refugees were
systematically targeted by the Taleban and other warring factions on the basis of their
identity. Taleban courts imposed sentences of death, amputation and flogging after
apparently unfair trials.
(http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/ar2000web.nsf/countries/f45d4bd4ae8ee428802568f
200552988?OpenDocument)
As for Iraq, we removed Saddam Hussein from power. Here are just a couple of articles
detailing the abuses of his regime:
http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/ar2000web.nsf/countries/24fe8ccc9d037845802568f2
00552932?OpenDocument
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/24/son_of_saddam/
But the reason we gave for attacking Iraq was Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and
violation of the UN resolutions 660, 678, and 1441. Heres the evidence for that:
The United States has documented violations of these UN resolutions since the end of Desert
Storm in 1991. In fact, UN Ambassador Bill Richardson, of the Clinton Administration, testified
in 1997 about the Iraqi non-compliance:
http://www.fas.org/news/iraq/1997/11/97111011_tpo.html
The Bush administration laid out its case for the Iraqi invasion by detailing each UN resolution
and the UNs own conclusion that said resolutions had been violated:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/decade/sect2.html
· Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
As a quick reading of the Constitution will attest, the President has no power to spend. That
power lies with Congress.
· Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
Again, spending power resides with Congress.
May 5, 2003 Page 6 of 26
· Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
Bankruptcies have been on the rise since 1940, with the exception of a few years. The Cato
Institute statistics only show data through 1997, but the trend is clear.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg20n4f.html
The claim that GWB set a record for the most private bankruptcies in one year can be made
about every president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Look at the reasons most often cited for filing personal bankruptcies:
Credit card bills 63% Lawsuit/legal bills 12%
Job loss/cut in pay 50% Taxes 10%
Mismanagement of personal finances 37% College expenses 8%
Medical bills 28% Death in family 7%
Difficulty with business 15% Gambling 2%
Divorce/marital breakup 13%
I dont think anyone would argue that the increase in private bankruptcies is a good thing, but
the blame cannot be laid at the feet of any president. At the same time bankruptcies have
increased, so has consumer debt. Interestingly, between 1990 and 1997, credit card
solicitations tripled from 1 to 3 billion per year.
· Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
Facts on File disagrees (http://www.facts.com/cd/v00066.htm):
The largest stock-market drop in Wall Street history occurred on "Black Monday" --
October 19, 1987 -- when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508.32 points,
losing 22.6% of its total value.
If youd like to suggest that the phrase biggest drop refers to a period of time and not a single
day, then Bush isnt to blame either:
The Ten Worst Stock Market Crashes of All Time (as of 10/28/02)
http://mutualfunds.about.com/library/weekly/aa102802a.htm
Date Started Date Ended Number of Days Total Loss
4/17/1930 7/8/1932 813 -86.0%
3/10/1937 3/31/1938 386 -49.1%
1/19/1906 11/15/1907 665 -48.5%
9/3/1929 11/13/1929 71 -47.9%
11/3/1919 8/24/1921 660 -46.6%
6/17/1901 11/9/1903 875 -46.1%
1/11/1973 12/06/1974 694 -45.1%
9/12/1939 4/28/1942 959 -40.4%
11/21/1916 12/19/1917 393 -40.1%
9/7/1932 2/27/1933 173 -37.2%
May 5, 2003 Page 7 of 26
· First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
The first federal prisoner in decades to be executed was Timothy McVeigh, who was
responsible for 168 deaths, including children in the buildings day care center. The federal
death penalty is law. Regardless of your opinion on the death penalty, it is hard to have any
sympathy for Timothy McVeigh.
· First president in US history to enter office with a criminal record.
I will not dispute that President Bush was arrested in 1976 for driving under the influence. He
has admitted it, though understandably he didnt volunteer the information. For a complete
story, heres a link:
http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/02/bush.dui/
I will leave it up to the reader to determine what other presidents have had such indiscretions,
yet were never caught.
· First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US
history.
No proof is provided by the resume, and I can find none.
· After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure
in US history in September.
Heres a few notes on the Presidents schedule for August 2001:
August 1, 2001: Nominated six US Attorneys, two judges for affirmation by Congress.
Placed phone calls to PM Blair and Ahern to discuss matters between Britain and
Northern Ireland.
President announces an agreement on the Patients Bill of Rights
President addresses National Urban League Conference
August 2, 2001: President meets with House and Senate education leaders.
August 3, 2001: Placed six more nominations for US Attorneys.
President speaks to press at meeting to discuss his first six months in office and
the agenda for the future.
President attends a ceremony in East Room honoring Lance Armstrong.
August 4, 2001: Presidents Radio Address
August 7, 2001: Press conference in Waco, TX with pool of reporters.
August 8, 2001: President helps build a home with Habitat For Humanity, then addresses the
group on faith-based and community initiatives.
August 9, 2001: Addressed the nation on stem-cell research.
August 10, 2001: Announces nomination of two US Ambassadors.
August 11, 2001: Presidents Radio Address
August 13, 2001: Presidential Ceremony to sign the Agriculture Supplemental Bill.
President holds two press conferences with traveling White House pool.
May 5, 2003 Page 8 of 26
The rest of the month had just as much, if not more, activity. I will omit it here to save space,
but you can find complete information at the following sites:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/20010801.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/20010803.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/20010809.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/20010822.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010831-15.html
The President was in Texas from August 7-13 and 21-25. The rest of the month was spent
traveling to New Mexico, Colorado, Wisconsin, Missouri and then back to Washington at the
end of the month. A review of the White House news archive for August 2001 shows this
month to be anything but a vacation. It is naïve to think that the President spent an entire
month doing nothing, as the resume infers.
· Set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips than any other president in US history.
No proof is provided by the resume, and I can find none.
· In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.
President Bush took office in January 2001. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has data for 2001
and 2002 on their web site:
http://data.bls.gov/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=L
NU03000000&years_option=all_years&periods_option=specific_periods&periods=Annu
al+Data
If you assume that GWB is responsible for what happened in 2001, which I believe is a faulty
assumption, then 2.5 million Americans were added to the unemployment rolls during his first
two years in office. I suggest that the 2001 statistics probably should be attributed to Clinton
policies, though that is a subject for some debate.
Are 2.5 million jobs lost in two years unprecedented in history? Hardly. Here are some other
examples of such a drop:
1954: 1.7 million added to the unemployment rolls (1.04% of the population)
1958: 1.7 million added to the unemployment rolls (.97% of the population)
1970-1971: 2.2 million added to the unemployment rolls (1.05% of the population)
1974-1975: 3.6 million added to the unemployment rolls (1.67% of the population)
1981-1982: 2.4 million added to the unemployment rolls (1.02% of the population)
1991-1992: 2.6 million added to the unemployment rolls (1.02% of the population)
May 5, 2003 Page 9 of 26
Whats interesting is that based on population change, the 2001-2002 job loss is only .77% of
the populationsignificantly lower than the other six periods of evaluation.
US Population Estimates: http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/national/tables/NAEST2002-
06.php
Historical Population Numbers: http://www.npg.org/facts/us_historical_pops.htm
I would never argue that 2.2 million Americans losing their jobs is insignificant, but it is not
unprecedented in other economic downturns in US history.
· Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in US history.
I have searched CNNs database for the past three years and can find no evidence that
President Bush ever cut unemployment benefits. The closest I came was this:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/27/job.benefits/index.html
In December 2002, unemployment benefits for 800,000 Americans expired. Congress did not
pass legislation that would have extended those benefits. However, two weeks earlier, the
President had encouraged Congress to extend benefits:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/14/bush.address/index.html
Benefits were lost to these 800,000 workers on December 28 and Congress passed legislation
on January 8 to renew benefits to these workers. President Bush signed the bill immediately.
· Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
Unfortunately, foreclosures have been on the rise since at least 1980. According to Mr. Irv
Ackelsberg, Managing Attorney of Community Legal Services, Inc:
Between 1980 and 1999 both the number and the rate of home foreclosures in the
United States have skyrocketed. The absolute number of foreclosures rose 277%. This
means that although this was a period of economic prosperity, almost four times the
number of homes were foreclosed upon in 1999 as in 1980.
Mr. Ackelsberg testified before Congress in 2001 and cited four reasons for the increased
number of foreclosures:
· the deregulation of home lending laws;
· the limitation of tax deductibility of consumer debt to home secured loans;
· the increases in real estate values which has expanded availability of home equity for
many households; and
· the proliferation of mortgage brokers.
May 5, 2003 Page 10 of 26
Mr. Ackelsbergs report to the Senate Banking committee can be found online:
http://banking.senate.gov/01_07hrg/072701/aklsbrg.htm
To emphasize one important point of the above quote, I will repeat it here: This means that
although this was a period of economic prosperity, almost four times the number of homes
were foreclosed upon in 1999 as in 1980. There does not appear to be a direct correlation
between economic prosperity and foreclosures, nor between presidential policies and
foreclosures.
I would never diminish the effect of foreclosures on individuals, but to pin this one on Mr. Bush
ignores the evidence.
· Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in US
history.
Theres no evidence provided here for this claim and I can find none on my own. I did,
however, find statistics on Mr. Bushs predecessor, Bill Clinton:
Number of individuals and businesses associated
with the Clinton machine who have been convicted
of or pleaded guilty to crimes
47
Number of these convictions during Clinton's
presidency 33
Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges 61
Number of imprisonments 14
Number of congressional witnesses who have pled
the 5th Amendment, fled the country to avoid
testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses)
refused to be interviewed) as of 9/99)
122
(http://www.thevrwc.org/ClintonRecord.html)
I know that it does not refute the argument that the resume makes: but since they felt no
need to prove their claim, I didnt feel the need to help them. What is clear is that the Bush
administration has quite a way to go in order to surpass the Clinton record.
· Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent
of television.
According to a study done by Richard Strout in 1966:
(http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/99-4_00-1NR/Strout_LBJ_Shou.html)
Roosevelt had just under 1,000 conferences. Mr. Truman, if my figures are right, had
well over 300; General Eisenhower cut the number down to 200, and President
Kennedy in his bright 1,000 days had a conference about once a fortnight.
May 5, 2003 Page 11 of 26
Alas, this tradition has not continued in recent days. President Johnson has been one of
the most accessible men to the press of any President, that is, in informal gatherings,
meetings with individual bureau chiefs, or tips to favorite correspondents. But as for
formal press conferences, I can only figure that he had nine last year. So far in 1966 he
has held only a few.
Strout criticizes LBJ for not having more press conferences, so the criticism of Bush is nothing
new.
However, the point that GWB has held fewer press conferences than other presidents is valid.
Here are the numbers, researched by Martha Joynt Kumar, a Towson University political
science professor who specializes in presidential communication:
At the same point in their presidencies, President Bill Clinton had held 30 solo news
conferences (that is, without a foreign leader at a twin lectern) and Bush's father had
held 58, according to research by Martha Joynt Kumar, a Towson University political
science professor who specializes in presidential communication.
After two years and 45 days in office, President Ronald Reagan had held 16 solo news
conferences, President Jimmy Carter had held 45, President Gerald Ford had held 37,
President Richard M. Nixon had held 16 and President Lyndon B. Johnson had held
52. (Quote from Bush's Distaste for News Conferences Keeps Them Rare by Mike
Allen, Washington Post, March 7, 2003 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wpdyn?
pagename=article&node=&contentId=A53542-2003Mar6¬Found=true)
As of March 7, 2003, GWB had held 8 formal press conferences. So while it is true that he has
held fewer than any other modern president, the numbers are not so vastly different.
· Signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any president in US
history.
President Bush has not signed any laws amending the US Constitution. Only Congress can
pass a law amending the Constitution and they have not done so since 1978.
http://www.usconstitution.net/constamfail.html
As to Executive Orders, Bush isnt even close to signing more
than any president in US
history: (http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/executive_orders/disposition_tables.html)
President Number
of Orders Signed
Years in
Office Orders Per Year
GWB 99 2 50
Clinton 363 8 45
Bush 165 4 41
Reagan 380 8 48
Carter 319 4 80
Ford 168 2 84
Nixon 345 6 58
Johnson 323 5 65
Kennedy 213 3 71
May 5, 2003 Page 12 of 26
A quick glance of the executive orders of GWB at
http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/executive_orders/wbush_subjects.html will reveal
their sinister nature:
Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs
(Executive Order 13125)
Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor
(Executive Order 13126)
Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With the Taliban (Executive Order
13129)
Just to clarify one point: there seems to be a suggestion that Executive Orders are some sort
of secret, evil machination of presidents. Not so: Every Executive Order is available for review
on the governments own web site:
http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/executive_orders/disposition_tables.html
· Presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption
was revealed.
Id suggest that the energy crises of the early 1970s were worse. Heres an article describing
the conditions during those crises:
http://www.mainchance.org/upward/read/march2003/gas.html
· Presided over the highest gasoline prices in US history and refused to use the national
reserves as past presidents have.
Using California as an example, the first part of this claim is blatantly false:
(Source: http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/statistics/gasoline_cpi_adjusted.html)
Year
Adjusted
Price Year
Adjusted
Price Year Adjusted Price Year Adjusted Price
1970 1.32 1979 1.92 1988 1.26 1996 1.48 (peak $1.73)
1971 1.31 1980 2.41 1989 1.31 1997 1.46 (peak $1.58)
1972 1.23 1981 2.42 1990 1.41 1998 1.26 (peak $1.35)
1973 1.28 1982 2.11 1991 1.44 1999 1.46 (peak $1.74)
1974 1.62 1983 1.82 1992 1.34 2000 1.74 (peak $1.94)
1975 1.64 1984 1.77 1993 1.46 2001 1.68 (peak $2.00)
1976 1.62 1985 1.69 1994 1.41 2002 1.53 (peak $1.64)
1977 1.61 1986 1.30 1995 1.41 2003 1.74 (peak $2.01)
1978 1.52 1987 1.28
May 5, 2003 Page 13 of 26
As to the second part of the claim, GWB has long favored using our oil reserves in Alaska
(ANWR), but has been vehemently opposed by wildlife and environmental groups.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/03/20010329.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/01/20010129-7.html
Finally, the use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (http://www.fe.doe.gov/spr/) by past
presidents is somewhat fallacious. Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat from New York,
urged President Clinton to use oil from the SPR to stem a crisis in 2000. Schumer said
presidents have exercised the power at least three times in the past -- twice simply to boost
federal revenue to help balance the budget. So the claim that past presidents have used the
SPR to relieve high gasoline prices, as the resume clearly infers, is fallacious as well.
(http://www.house.gov/bernie/publications/articles/2000-02-29-oil-atu.html)
· Cut health care benefits for war veterans.
Without a date or more specific information, Im not sure what theyre referring to. But heres
an article from US Representative Rob Simmons, who represents eastern Connecticut in
Congress:
http://www.theday.com/eng/web/mktplace/re.aspx?reIDx=87B14AD5-CB27-4A38-86B4-
AEF38476134E
And heres a summary of the facts directly from the House Budget Committee:
http://www.budget.house.gov/04brbveterans.htm
· Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to
protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the
history of mankind. (http://www.hyperreal.org/~dana/marches/)
Hey, finally they cite some evidence! Unfortunately, the web site they point to is simply
pictures from protests held on March 14 and 15, 2003. The protesters seem to be against a
potential war in Iraq, which is interesting because that would not indicate that they were
protesting President Bush alone, rather they were protesting the concept of a war in Iraq.
Considering that the war was supported by more than 30 countries, the resume has
presented another false claim.
I would opine that if youre convinced that your beliefs are right, it doesnt matter how many
people protest against them.
· Dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.
Ive searched CNN and Googles news search and cant find any treaty that the president has
dissolved. The State Departments web site lists 500 pages of treaties currently in force:
http://www.state.gov/www/global/legal_affairs/tifindex.html
If anyone wants to do the research, go at it. The resume offered no proof and I found none.
May 5, 2003 Page 14 of 26
· My presidency is the most secretive and un-accountable of any in US history.
How do you go about arguing this? With no evidence cited, I cant refute it.
· Members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in US history. (the 'poorest' multimillionaire,
Condoleeza Rice has an Exxon oil tanker named after her).
Yes, this ones true. Bush has 13 millionaires in his Cabinet (out of 16 secretaries), while
Clinton had 7 and Bush Sr. had 6:
http://www.agrnews.org/issues/110/nationalnews.html
And the oil tanker story? True, except its Chevron, not Exxon.
(Source: http://multinationalmonitor.org/mm2001/01june/june01names.html)
Now, the question is this: why is being rich a crime? Why is it wrong to have rich people in
your Cabinet? Generally speaking, people who are qualified to serve in positions such as
Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State are people who have done well in their field. People
who are successful generally make more money.
· Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the
history of the world.
Presiding is what a President does. In that sense, he was in office while fraud occurred, but
no serious claim has been made that he had any hand in it. Its kind of like saying President
Carter presided over the Olympic Hockey teams gold medal in 1980. No one seriously thinks
he had anything to do with it.
· Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
I suspect were talking here about the Department of Homeland Security, which was created in
2003 and combines the work of the Secret Service, Coast Guard, Immigration and
Naturalization Service, Customs Service and the Transportation Security Administration.
The Associated Press refers to the creation of the department as the the largest government
reorganization since the Defense Department was created in 1947.
Since this agency combines the work of already existing agencies and consolidates efforts, Im
not sure how this could be a bad thing, but Ill leave that up to you to decide.
(Source: http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2003/Homeland-Security-$33B-28feb03.htm)
May 5, 2003 Page 15 of 26
· Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president
in US history.
Time to cite directly from the Constitution:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,
to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the
United States
(Article I, Section 8, Clause 1)
http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
Theres a great summary of the US Budget Process on the Houses web site:
http://www.house.gov/rules_bud/annual.htm
In a nutshell, the President is not required to submit a budget, but normally does. It is
considered a starting point for the Congressional Budget, which is eventually passed and sent
on to the President for his signature.
To reiterate, the President does not spend the money Congress does.
· First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the human rights
commission.
On May 4, 2001, the United States was voted off of the UN Human Rights commission. Why?
From GlobalPolicy.orgs reporting on the vote:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/unitedstates/unpolicy/gen2001/0504hrc.htm
Amnesty International USA called the removal of the United States from the commission "part
of an effort by nations that routinely violate human rights to escape scrutiny." Amnesty accused
members of commission of failing to do their job, succumbing instead to political and economic
pressures. "The U.S. was among the few nations willing to actively push for condemnation at
the U.N.H.R.C. of the brutal human rights violations committed by nations like China," it said.
At Human Rights Watch, Joanna Weschler, the group's representative at the United Nations,
said the commission was becoming "a rogues' gallery of human rights abusers." But she
added: "It wasn't just enemies. It was friends as well who voted the U.S. out of the
commission." Friends of the United States in Europe and elsewhere have grown increasingly
impatient, disappointed and annoyed with actions by Washington.
More information from the group Human Rights Watch can be found at:
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/unvote0503.htm
http://www.hrw.org/un/
May 5, 2003 Page 16 of 26
It should be noted that the current members include Cuba, Sudan, and China: nations that
routinely kill political prisoners and suppress human rights. A complete list of the UN Human
Rights Commission can be found at:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/2/chrmem.htm
The United States is once again a member of the Commission.
· First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the elections
monitoring board.
First, the United Nations doesnt have an elections monitoring board; however, they do have
an Electoral Assistance Division. Heres the web site:
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/ead/ea_content/ea_un_system.htm
Second, the UN doesnt appear to have a committee or board that is comprised by nations,
such as the Security Council or Human Rights Commission. Instead they have a roster of
experts which assists in election monitoring worldwide.
Finally, I cant find any evidence that the UN removed the US from anything having to do with
election monitoring over the last three years.
If anyone knows what the resume refers to on this point, please let me know.
· Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight
than any presidential administration in US history.
No evidence is cited for this, so Im not sure what theyre referring to. I could find no evidence
of the dissolution of any Congressional committees of oversight, so Im not sure what to argue.
· Withdrew from the World Court of Law.
There is no such thing as the World Court of Law. There is a body popularly known as the
World Court, though its official name is the Permanent Court of International Justice.
According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, the United States was never a member of the World
Court, because the Senate refused to ratify the protocol:
http://www.bartleby.com/65/wo/WorldCrt.html
What the Bush Administration did do, however, is remove the United States from an
agreement to establish an International Criminal Court:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1970312.stm
Incidentally, as of May 6, 2002, when the United States removed itself from the agreement,
here are some of the other nations that refused entry into the new court: China, India,
Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Israel and Russia.
May 5, 2003 Page 17 of 26
· Refused to allow inspectors access to US prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by
the Geneva Conventions.
This is blatantly false. Red Cross officials have reviewed the conditions at Guantanamo Bay,
where the Afghan detainees are being held, as well as the conditions of the Iraqi POWs. CNN
has written a story addressing the Geneva Convention and its salient points:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/31/timep.rules.tm/index.html
There are two issues raised by the CNN piece:
o No hearings have been held to establish the status of the 23,000 detainees at
Guantanamo
o The reporters embedded with the military showed some Iraqi captives on television.
However, no one has seriously suggested mistreatment of those held by the United States, nor
has anyone seriously accused the US of abandoning the Geneva Conventions.
· First president in US history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US
elections).
Try as I might, I could not find evidence of this anywhere. Id be happy to hear from anyone
who can provide documentation on it.
· All-time US (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.
Certainly GWB had more campaign money to spend in 2000 than did Al Gore. According to
PoliticalMoneyLine.com, GWB had approximately $200 million to spend, whereas Gore
collected $140 million. Interestingly, if you look at the breakdown of the two candidates, the
difference lies in individual contributions, not in corporate/PAC/labor union money.
The following page provides a very interesting breakdown of money contributed by various
industries to both political parties from 1991 forward:
http://www.fecinfo.com/cgi-win/x_sic.exe?DoFn=
While the GOP leads in most industries, the Democratic Party collected nearly $50 million
dollars from labor unions.
So the resume is very cunning in specifying only corporate campaign donations. If you add
in labor unions (and Buddhist monks), the numbers tell a very different story.
May 5, 2003 Page 18 of 26
· My biggest lifetime campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy
frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).
Not quite sure how to approach this one, since numbers would be very difficult to locate. We
can establish this: Enron was an energy trading company; however, the largest corporate/PAC
contributors to Bushs 2000 campaign were Finance/Insurance and single-issue groups:
http://www.fecinfo.com/cgi-win/x_candpg.exe?DoFn=P00003335*2000
According to OpenSecrets.org, Kenneth Lay contributed only $75,000 to the Bush
gubernatorial campaigns in 1994 and 1998:
http://www.opensecrets.org/2000elect/other/bush/index.asp
(Just in case you think Lay contributed to Bush through Enron itself, please note: In Texas,
corporations and labor unions are prohibited from making direct contributions to candidates,
but may make unlimited contributions to political parties up to 60 days before the election.)
· Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in US history.
Unfortunately for the resume, this is another falsehood. President Bush, by even the largest
estimates, spent about 1 million dollars in his first year in office on pollsters and focus groups.
President Clinton spent 2 million. The source? None other than Bush-basher extraordinaire,
Maureen Dowd:
In the new Washington Monthly, Joshua Green reveals the extent of Bush polling:
Republican records show that "Bush's principal pollsters received $346,000 in direct
payments in 2001. Add to that the multiple boutique polling firms the administration
regularly employs for specialized and targeted polls and the figure is closer to $1
million."
(That's about half as much as Mr. Clinton spent his first year, but about $1 million more
than Mr. Bush led us to expect he'd spend.) (Source: Addiction to Addition, New York
Times, April 3, 2002)
· First president in US history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the
United Nations and the world community.
I earlier outlined the reasons we attacked Iraq and Afghanistan. Please refer to that section for
more information. I would add this opinion: Just because the UN and world community is
against your actions dont make those actions wrong.
Incidentally, we went into Iraq with the second-largest coalition of nations since WWII:
Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
May 5, 2003 Page 19 of 26
· First president to run and hide when the US came under attack on September 11th (and then
lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)
Since there was only one president when the US came under attack on September 11th, this
is kind of an odd assertion. Secondly, it only makes sense when there are multiple attacks
being carried out on the United States simultaneously that the president would not present
himself as an open target. Third, I suspect that it was the military and secret service that
suggested the president run and hide, rather than the President himself.
President Bushs first step on 9/11 was to travel to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
Since the United States was on nuclear alert, transporting the President to an Air Force base is
not an unusual step. President Bushs second trip on 9/11 was to Offutt Air Force Base in
Nebraska, which is the home of the Strategic Air Commandagain a quite logical step
considering that we didnt know what other attacks would take place on that day. By 7:00PM
that night, the President was back in Washington.
(Source: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/sept112001.html)
Interestingly, only evidence of the lie that the enemy had the code to Air Force 1[sic] is from
William Safires column on September 13, 2001 entitled Inside the Bunker. Mr. Safire quoted
a high White House official" who told him "A threatening message received by the Secret
Service was relayed to the agents with the president that 'Air Force One is next.'" Safire
continued: "According to the high official, American code words were used showing a
knowledge of procedures that made the threat credible."
It is a far stretch indeed to then claim that Mr. Bush himself made the claim.
· First US president to establish a secret shadow government.
I cant say whether or not GWB was the first to establish a secret shadow government (after
all, it is secret), but here the Washington Post article outlining the reasons:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A20584-2002Feb28?language=printer
The Post article documents the plan for continuity of government, which was first outlined
under President Reagan.
Its important to note that the need for a continuity plan is real: should a rogue nation or
terrorist group attempt to decapitate the American government, a contingency plan must be in
place.
· Took the biggest world sympathy for the US after 9/11, and in less than a year made the US
the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in US and world
history).
Im not sure how youd even measure the most resented country in the world. (Is it a Gallup
Poll or something?) Furthermore, I can think of a few diplomatic failures in world history that
are a little more egregious than whats happened in Iraq. (If you can even call that a diplomatic
failure.) Off the top of my head, Id say that WWI and WWII were probably a little worse.
May 5, 2003 Page 20 of 26
· With a policy of 'disengagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least
30 years.
Again, history bears out that relations at times have been worse between the Israelis and
Palestinians than they are right now. Here are a few examples: (from
http://www.mideastweb.org/timeline.htm):
Oct. 6, 1973
Yom Kippur War (October War). In a surprise attack on the Jewish Day of Atonement, Egypt
retook the Suez canal and a narrow zone on the other side. Syria reconquered the Golan
Heights. Following massive US and Soviet resupplying of the sides, Israel succeeded in
pushing back the Syrians and threatening Damascus. Ariel Sharon crossed the Suez Canal
and cut off the Egyptian Third Army.
June 6, 1982
Massive Israeli invasion of Lebanon to fight PLO. UN Security Council Resolution 509
demands that Israel withdraw all its military forces forthwith, but Israel advances rapidly to
Beirut, surrounding the capital by 13 Jun. Israeli cabinet is split on the sudden expansion of the
war, beyond the 40 KM limit originally declared by Sharon.
Sept. 28, 2000
Palestinians initiated riots after Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount,
which is also the location of the Haram as Sharif holy to Muslims. Violence was apparently
encouraged by Fatah Tanzim, as admitted by Marwan Barghouhi. Violence escalated rapidly
from rock throwing to machine gun and mortar fire, suicide bombings and lethal road
ambushes, including some incidents instigated by settlers against Palestinians. Israelis killed
15 Israeli Arabs in riots in September/October 2000, and over 2,000 Palestinians in retaliatory
raids thereafter. Palestinians kill over 700 Israelis. Violence continues for over a year [to
present - March 2003].
· First US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my
presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.
Again, Id suggest that when youre sure that what youre doing is right, it doesnt matter who
protests.
· First US president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the US
than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
If I read this correct, this means that the United States is more of a threat to South Korea than
is North Korea. Again, Im not sure how this is measured, but Ill try to present some evidence
myself.
Heres a Harris poll taken among the Japanese and South Koreans regarding the US action
post-9/11:
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=276
May 5, 2003 Page 21 of 26
There was a report done by Gallup Korea in December 2002, which does appear to bear out
the résumés allegation:
http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2003/April/04-23-eww.htm
So I dont quite know what to make of this one. I would say this: The Bush administration is
probably not so much concerned about relations between North and South Korea as they are
about the Norths possession of nuclear weapons and their stated intention to use them.
· Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
I havent been able to find any evidence of this. I searched CNNs database, but didnt come
up with anything close. Since pleading guilty to a speeding ticket would make one a convicted
criminal, Im kid of skeptical that there was such a policy in the first place.
If anyone can find any details on this, please let me know.
· Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling
huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.
The resume provided no evidence for this. I searched CNN and couldnt find any evidence.
Youd think if they set an all-time record, thered be more proof of it, but I couldnt find any.
· Failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive'.
We still have troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Osama certainly does appear to be a
sneaky SOB, but we have hardly failed. We havent given up.
(See answer to next question for more information.)
· Failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United
States Capital building. After 18 months I have no leads and zero suspects.
The Department of Justice/FBI investigation continues. If youre interested to know whats
going on, please refer to:
http://www.fbi.gov/anthrax/amerithraxlinks.htm
How the resume knows that there are no suspects is a mystery. Attorney General Ashcroft
has named one person a person of interest, though no action has been taken.
Whats curious about this claim and the previous one is this: Criminals, such as the anthrax
killer and Osama Bin Laden, dont want to get caught. Therefore, they do their evil deeds out
of plain sight. It took the FBI nearly twenty years to catch the Unabomber. Eric Rudolph, the
abortion clinic bomber, has been on the lam for over 5 years now.
May 5, 2003 Page 22 of 26
· In the 18 months following the 9/11 attacks I have successfully prevented any public
investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.
On the contrary, as early as June 2002 there were congressional hearings on the September
11 disaster: (The sessions were closed-door, but they were public, bipartisan investigations.)
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/06/04/terror.lapses/index.html
There was indeed opposition from the Bush administration:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/19/911probe.rice/index.html
By September 2002 (well within the 18 months cited by the resume), the President agreed
that an independent probe needed to occur:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/09/20/independent.probe/index.html
Note that Congress couldnt get its act together and the commission wasnt actually formed
until November 2002:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/10/11/911.commission.congress/index.html
· Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in US
history.
How do you measure this? Again, no proof is given, so its hard to research. I will say this:
Since September 11, security measures have been implemented that probably have curtailed
freedoms and civil liberties to some extent. But Im not sure how to prove or disprove this
point.
· In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most
divided the US has ever been since the civil war.
I would suggest that 1968 was probably a little more contentious than 2001-2003. Heres a
great web site devoted to the events of that year, compiled by Brown University:
http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/1968/
Lets look at a few events from that year:
· Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated: his death sparks rioting in Baltimore, Boston,
Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Newark, Washington, D.C., and many others. Across the
country 46 deaths will be blamed on the riots
· Riots in the streets at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.
· Vietnam war rages: US troops kill 500 women and children at My Lai
Id like to think that we have an appreciation of our history as American citizens. If anyone
seriously thinks that the few protests over the Iraq war rival anything that happened in 1968, I
may need to reconsider that opinion.
May 5, 2003 Page 23 of 26
· Entered office with the strongest economy in US history and in less than two years turned
every single economic category heading straight down.
As the economy is a cyclical beast, some presidents are blessed with a good economy, while
others are not. The financial policies of any president do not impact the economy immediately;
therefore, Id argue that President Clinton had something to do with the problems were seeing
today, just as Bush Sr. deserves some credit for the good economy during the 1990s.
But, if youre going to pin the economy solely on Bush, at least look at the numbers:
(http://www.econstats.com/blssaq1.htm)
· President Bush took office with a 3.8% inflation rate. It fell every quarter between Q1
2001 and Q1 2003. This most recent quarter it is back to 3.8%.
· Average hourly earnings for Americans have risen every quarter that President Bush
has been in office.
· Unemployment has risen for 8 of the 10 quarters that President Bush has been in office,
but is still 1.5% lower than during the 1991-1993 recession. Unemployment numbers
actually began to turn during President Clintons last year in office.
Records and References
· At least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is
not available)
The President himself, as I mentioned earlier, has confirmed the first claim. The evidence I
have found some evidence for the second claim is that when he became Governor, Mr. Bush
received a new drivers license with a new number. I can find no evidence that the original
record was erased.
· AWOL from National Guard and Deserted the military during a time of war.
Again, this claim does appear to be true. I cant do any better explaining the whole mess than
Cecil Adams does, on his website, The Straight Dope:
Here's the story as generally agreed upon: In January 1968, with the Vietnam war in full
swing, Bush was due to graduate from Yale. Knowing he'd soon be eligible for the draft,
he took an air force officers' test hoping to secure a billet with the Texas Air National
Guard, which would allow him to do his military service at home. Bush didn't do
particularly well on the test--on the pilot aptitude section, he scored in the 25th
percentile, the lowest possible passing grade. But Bush's father, George H.W., was then
a U.S. congressman from Houston, and strings were pulled. The younger Bush vaulted
to the head of a long waiting list--a year and a half long, by some estimates--and in May
of '68 he was inducted into the guard.
May 5, 2003 Page 24 of 26
By all accounts Bush was an excellent pilot, but apparently his enthusiasm cooled. In
1972, four years into his six-year guard commitment, he was asked to work for the
campaign of Bush family friend Winton Blount, who was running for the U.S. Senate in
Alabama. In May Bush requested a transfer to an Alabama Air National Guard unit with
no planes and minimal duties. Bush's immediate superiors approved the transfer, but
higher-ups said no. The matter was delayed for months. In August Bush missed his
annual flight physical and was grounded. (Some have speculated that he was worried
about failing a drug test--the Pentagon had instituted random screening in April.) In
September he was ordered to report to a different unit of the Alabama guard, the 187th
Tactical Reconnaissance Group in Montgomery. Bush says he did so, but his nominal
superiors say they never saw the guy, there's no documentation he ever showed up,
and not one of the six or seven hundred soldiers then in the unit has stepped forward to
corroborate Bush's story.
After the November election Bush returned to Texas, but apparently didn't notify his old
Texas guard unit for quite a while, if ever. The Boston Globe initially reported that he
started putting in some serious duty time in May, June, and July of 1973 to make up for
what he'd missed. But according to a piece in the New Republic, there's no evidence
Bush did even that. Whatever the case, even though his superiors knew he'd blown off
his duties, they never disciplined him. (No one's ever been shot at dawn for missing a
weekend guard drill, but policy at the time was to put shirkers on active duty.) Indeed,
when Bush decided to go to business school at Harvard in the fall of 1973, he requested
and got an honorable discharge--eight months before his service was scheduled to
end.
(Source: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030411.html)
· Refuse to take drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.
Not true.
First, it should be noted that on a number of occasions George W. Bush has acknowledged he
drank too much as a young adult. He has since quit drinking and from all reports, he is in
excellent physical condition.
Contrary to the claims of the resume, Mr. Bush did answer questions during the presidential
campaign about rumors of past drug use.
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/08/19/president.2000/bush.drug/index.html
Ill leave it up to you to determine whether a presidential candidate should submit to a drug
test.
May 5, 2003 Page 25 of 26
· All records of my tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to my father's library,
sealed in secrecy and un-available for public view.
Again, completely untrue. Heres the website:
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/findingaids/bush.html
And a direct quote from the web site:
The records of Governor George W. Bush are available for research. Researchers will
expedite the fulfillment of their reference requests by first consulting finding aids.
Requests for records must follow the procedures set forth in the Texas Public
Information Act.
The Records of Governor George W. Bush are available for research despite the fact
that they have not been fully prepared for research. As the Archives' staff prepares each
group of records, this finding aid is updated on the Web at TARO (Texas Archival
Resources Online).
· All records of any SEC investigations into my insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed
in secrecy and un-available for public view.
I cannot find any evidence that these records have been sealed in secrecy. The SEC has
released some documents pertaining to the Harken investigation. I cannot find any reference
to the investigation on the SEC website, but the search engine does not appear to cover
documents prior to 1998.
Alexanders Gas and Oil Connections, described on their website as a site for the gas, oil and
affiliated industry giving an overview of the trends and happenings in and around the global
energy-value chain, refers to The internal corporate documents, released by the Securities
and Exchange Commission
http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:klUtI1fKf-
AC:www.gasandoil.com/goc/company/cnn04079.htm+SEC+records+Harken+Bush&hl=en&ie=
UTF-8
I wish I could be more specific on where to find these documents, but I did find one
corroborating source to show they are not sealed in secrecy.
· All minutes of meetings for any public corporation I served on the board are sealed in secrecy
and un-available for public view.
Referring to the claim above, internal corporate documents have been released from the
Harken investigation. I dont know if they contained minutes of meetings as addressed in
the résumés claim.
May 5, 2003 Page 26 of 26
· Any records or minutes from meetings I (or my VP) attended regarding public energy policy are
sealed in secrecy and un-available for public review.
Heres a link to a lot of information on the White Houses energy policy:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/
The crux of this website is the report from the National Energy Policy Development Group, of
which Vice President Cheney is a member. The report is in PDF format and is downloadable.
Now, if youre talking about the secret meetings that Cheney attends with the aliens who are in
control of the government, or the meetings where the President takes briefcases full of cash
from corrupt businessmen, then yesrecords and minutes from those meetings are sealed in
secrecy. (Please, its a joke!)
· For personal references please speak to my daddy or uncle James Baker (They can be
reached at their offices of the Carlyle Group for war-profiteering.)
This claim is no different than any other claim in the resume: it is filled with venom and anger.
Though it is impossible to prove or disprove, I suggest you look at the rest of the resume to
assess its veracity.
Clever. Post garbage on the site and give it wide distribution under the guise of refuting it. LOL
Excuse me? If you are accusing me of approving this, you are way off base. If I misinterpreted your response, I apologize. Look up my former posts if you think I'm some brainless liberal.
Wow you are awsome....thanks so much for this, and thanks everyone for the help.
Its still a darn sight better than Hanoi Johns resume.
First of all, find the email address that this email was sent to; copy them, and send your reply to everyone who recieved this email.
Then, I would reply thusly:
Thank you for passing on this information. There is a lot here! You must have done a lot of work to gather it all! It is interesting, but I am not in the habit of passing on false information; as I am sure you are not either, so I would appreciate it if you would send your sources for this information, as well as sources for any and all further emails.
Now, in an effort to substantiate your email I came acrss the following information, which I am sure you will all want to know:
George W Bush's military record vs John Kerry's military record
Aerospaceweb.org was started in 2000 to provide information regarding a wide range
of aerospace-related fields, including aircraft design, spacecraft design, aerodynamics,
and aerospace history.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0185.shtml
...Nevertheless, we have established that the F-102 was serving in combat in Vietnam at the time Bush
enlisted to become an F-102 pilot. In fact, pilots from the 147th FIG of the Texas ANG were
routinely rotated to Vietnam for combat duty under a program called "Palace Alert" from 1968 to 1970.
Palace Alert was an Air Force program that sent qualified F-102 pilots from the ANG to bases in Europe
or southeast Asia for periods of three to six months for frontline duty.
Fred Bradley, a friend of Bush's who was also serving in the Texas ANG, reported that he and Bush
inquired about participating in the Palace Alert program. However, the two were told by a superior,
MAJ Maurice Udell, that they were not yet qualified since they were still in training
and did not have the 500 hours of flight experience required. Furthermore, ANG veteran
COL William Campenni, who was a fellow pilot in the 111th FIS at the time,
told the Washington Times that Palace Alert was winding down and not accepting new applicants....
...
The point of this discussion is that the military record of George W. Bush deserves a fair treatment.
Bush has been criticized for avoiding service in Vietnam, though the evidence proves that
the Texas Air National Guard and its F-102 pilots where serving in Vietnam while Bush was in training.
Bush has been criticized for using his family influence to obtain his assignment,
but the evidence shows that he successfully completed every aspect of the more than
two years of training required of him.
Bush has been criticized for pursuing a safe and plush position as a fighter pilot,
but the evidence indicates the F-102 was a demanding aircraft whose pilots regularly risked their lives.
Bush has also been criticized for deserting the Guard before his enlistment was complete,
but the evidence shows he was honorably discharged eight months early because his position
was being phased out...
...
While it is not our goal to compare and contrast the records of the candidates on this subject,
the fact that the questioner cites John Kerry's military service makes us feel it necessary to comment.
It is interesting to note that there are just as many, if not more,
irregularities in Kerry's military record as there are in Bush's.
Kerry can certainly be praised for some of the actions he performed while in the line of duty,
but his record does contain some troubling portions as well.
Not the least of these is his involvement in the controversial group
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) while he was still an active-duty member of the US Navy.
Kerry's testimony before Congress as VVAW spokesman in 1971,
during which he accused soldiers serving in Vietnam of being war criminals,
was found to be based on largely falsifed information as documented by Wikipedia.
The Boston Globe has also reported on troubling accusations regarding the circumstances
surrounding Kerry's medals, particularly his first two purple hearts awarded for
minor injuries that may even have been self-inflicted.
John Kerry's record
http://www.scaryjohnkerry.com/vietnam.htm
DD 214 shows 17 Feb 72 terminal date of Reserve Obligation for John Kerry
http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/DD214.pdf
Kerry's anti war activities were doing this period!
What is Senator John Kerry's relationship to VVAW?
http://www.vvaw.org/faq/#4
Since Vietnam Veterans Against the War's inception in 1967, tens of thousands of vets, GIs and supporters have participated in and supported the actions of VVAW. One of those members in the early 1970s was John Kerry. Kerry was appointed to the VVAW Executive Committee to assist in preparing Dewey Canyon III, VVAW's limited incursion into the land of Congress in 1971 (Nicosia, 98-99). Kerry made his greatest contribution to the anti-war movement and to VVAW in his speech to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on April 23, 1971 (Brinkley, 371-373: Hunt, 109-110; Nicosia, 136-138; Wells, 495).
Content of the speech is found at:
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Resources/Primary/Manifestos/VVAW_Kerry_Senate.html.
By 1972, John Kerry had moved on from VVAW (Brinkley, 406: Hunt, 127-128; Nicosia, 211).
John Kerry's service in Vietnam lasted 4 months and 12 days, beginning in November 1968 when he reported to Cam Rahn Bay for a month of training. His abbreviated combat tour ended shortly after he requested a transfer out of Vietnam on March 17, 1969, citing Navy instruction 1300.39 permitting personnel with three Purple Hearts to request reassignment. So far as we are able to determine, Kerry was the only Swift sailor ever to leave Vietnam without completing the standard one-year tour of duty, other than those who were seriously wounded or killed.
The instruction, titled 1300.39, says that a Naval officer who requires hospitalization on two separate occasions, or who receives three wounds "regardless of the nature of the wounds," can ask a superior officer to request a reassignment. The instruction makes clear the reassignment is not automatic.
It says that the reassignment "will be determined after consideration of his physical classification for duty and on an individual basis." Because Kerry's wounds were not considered serious, his reassignment appears to have been made on an individual basis. Moreover, the instruction makes clear that Kerry could have asked that any reassignment be waived.
The bottom line is that Kerry could have remained but he chose to seek an early transfer. He met with Horne, who agreed to forward the request, which Horne said probably ensured final approval. The Navy could not say how many other officers or sailors got a similar early release from combat, but it was unusual for anyone to have three Purple Hearts.
http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php?topic=KerryinVietnam
"So far as we are able to determine, Kerry was the only Swift sailor
ever to leave Vietnam without completing the standard one-year tour of duty,
other than those who were seriously wounded or killed."
wow. This is excellent work.
We're not worthy!
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