When in doubt, offer sympathy and pass the blame
(h/t Diane)
As would be expected, Bush held a press conference (video here (.wmv)) expressing sympathy for the people of the Minneapolis area the day after the massive bridge collapse. As should be expected, Bush used it as an opportunity to slam and blame the Democrats.
We also talked about -- in the Cabinet meeting talked about the status of important pieces of legislation before the Congress. We spent a fair amount of time talking about the fact that how disappointed we are that Congress hasn't sent any spending bills to my desk. By the end of this week, members are going to be leaving for their month-long August recess. And by the time they will return, there will be less than a month before the end of the fiscal year on September the 30th, and yet they haven't passed one of the 12 spending bills that they're required to pass. If Congress doesn't pass the spending bills by the end of the fiscal year, Cabinet Secretaries report that their departments may be unable to move forward with urgent priorities for our country.
This doesn't have to be this way. The Democrats won last year's election fair and square, and now they control the calendar for bringing up bills in Congress. They need to pass each of these spending bills individually, on time, and in a fiscally responsible way.
The budget I've sent to Congress fully funds America's priorities. It increases discretionary spending by 6.9 percent. My Cabinet Secretaries assure me that this is adequate to meet the needs of our nation.
Unfortunately, Democratic leaders in Congress want to spend far more. Their budget calls for nearly $22 billion more in discretionary spending next year alone. These leaders have tried to downplay that figure. Yesterday one called this increase -- and I quote -- "a very small difference" from what I proposed. Only in Washington can $22 billion be called a very small difference. And that difference will keep getting bigger. Over the next five years it will total nearly $205 billion in additional discretionary spending. That $205 billion averages out to about $112 million per day, $4.7 million per hour, $78,000 per minute.
Put another way, that's about $1,300 in higher spending every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every year for the next five years. That's a lot of money -- even for career politicians in Washington. In fact, at that pace, Democrats in Congress would have spent an extra $300,000 since I began these remarks.
And President Bush, how much have we spent in Iraq since you began your comments? Nevermind the crassness and insensitivity to the Minneapolis residents of turning this into an opportunity to play partisan politics--after six years, we've come to expect that. But to be so tone deaf as to chastise the Democrats for fiscal irresponsibility when he is responsible for the largest budget deficit in the history of this country and due to his wrong-headedness on Iraq, literally bleeding money into the sands of Baghdad just shows how completely out of touch with reality this President is.
Will Bunch: Memo to White House: Bridge Failure Determined to Strike in U.S.
wow... first comment here...
sorry, but talking about a disaster in the abstract as he did is a pathetic expression of sympathy...
I hope Biden or Pelosi earmarks the cost of padding all interior surfaces of the White House,
(walls, floors and ceilings) and providing 24/7 psychiatric care for the inmates.
Would be the best money we ever spent.
he's not bleeding money into the sands of Iraq, he's lining the pockets of his elitist friends.
Hey, at least when Democrats spend money they spend it on the U.S. The worst part about the 1/2 trillion we've spent so far in Iraq is that it's pissed away. It will build no bridges, pave no roads, heal no sick, and educate no children in America. It's all money down the drain.
I knew it was Clinton's fault!
Yeah, the Republicans never passed the spending bills at all last year. Today we are running on continuing resolutions. The problem is the Democrats who haven't passed spending bills for spending which takes place after October 1.
I call it lying.
He didn't explain how his plan would get the country out of debt in five years without raising taxes. Does anyone know what his plan is?
Yeah, right Mr. A$$hat! What a disingenuous fuckwad!
The Emporer is wearing no clothes!!
I'm very sorry for all of those folks in Minneapolis affected by this horrible bridge collapse. For the Chimperor to have the brass balls to turn this into partisan politics... something the Republicans do at every opportunity... is disgusting and shows how out of touch with reality he is.
Tell me he wasnt chastising the Democrats for preparing to go on vacation again, hell, unlike him they've actually did somehing to earn a vacation
This is what happens when you have a President who spends all the money overseas, goes in debt to so, and forgets about his own country and citizens.
Why do the Democrats hate bridges?
Yes we know George. Everything is those evil doer commie liberals fault.
Fuck Bush.
I long for the release that his shuffling off this mortal coil will bring.
I think that most normal average Americans totally ignore Bush's press conferences. Ahhhhhhhhhhh How many billions dollars a week are being spent on the civil war without end? Meanwhile,the Iraqi parliament is taking the month of August to break away from the 120 degree heatwave.....Bush is a worthless piece of shit and any one with half a brain ignores whatever lies come out of his mouth!
Wow...George Bush is attacking "career politicians".
And his head is not exploding.
Weird.
Guess I should be somewhat suprised at Bush-lite's speech, but not really,
since he thinks that he is the King and all must play only by his rules. Why
don't the Dems, when submitting these "spending bills" to him, attach thereto
the "DEFUNDING" of the Iraq war, then lets see who is the chicken...
Freaked-Out Canadian @ 15:
You have to remeber, he is not a career politician, he was born into the family business.
dothehop @ 17:
Or maybe it's not his career, just merely a hobby.
All of this is a smokescreen because, within days, there will turn out to be a paper trail miles deep, implicating the administration for ignoring tons of timely and prescient warnings...just as there was for Katrina, and for that matter, Iraq.
We've had one Dem Prez since the mid 70's....the infrastructure is failing.Sewer lines,water lines,electrical grids,power plants,roads and hiways...bridges.Thats going to cost money to upgrade and or replace.So booshit says the Dems want to spend too much money on keeping the standard of living(this is a good one)at a higher standard.If the Dems don't invest in the future of our standard of living......who will?......it's obvious that the repugs won't ....unless haliburton gets the contract.And of course we will get the blame for raising taxes.As I tell my repub cohorts...America ain't free....this place costs money.......When Bill Clinton said "You'll have to pay more"...I thought to myself....wow....he actually said it out loud...I didn't mind paying a little more taxes during the Clinton admin,and look how it turned out........Everybody made money....
David Flores Says:
The worst part about the 1/2 trillion we’ve spent so far in Iraq is that it’s pissed away. It will build no bridges, pave no roads, heal no sick, and educate no children in America.
And even worse, it won't do any of those things in Iraq either.
Even my mom thought Bush was sick when she saw
him bring up congress when talking about the bridge
and she liked him till katrina.
I'll never understand the logic of debating 'earmarks' for a few hundred million here, and a few hundred million there for domestic programs, yet not bat an eye over a $100 BILLION supplemental spending bill to fund a useless war that is accomplishing nothing! Amazing.........absolutely amazing.
If we have money to throw away in Iraq, we have money to fund any domestic program we need........no questions asked.
According to Bush, cutting his, his family's, and his cronies' taxes actually raises tax revene. THere's more than enough money for everything. If money gets tight, just cut taxes for them again.
And don't forget: he's praying for you. No really. He means it.
Jee-BUS ! May we hit "reset" YET ?
Badwater @ 24:
And don't forget: he's praying for you. No really. He means it.
Me too, I am praying; only to Zeus to slay some monster who is not worthy to
exist on this earth. No really, I mean it..
Put another way, the half-trillion dollars that this administration has pissed down a rabbit-hole in Iraq could have bolstered social security to the point where we would never have to worry about that system going broke. Or it could have completely rebuilt much of the aging infrastructure in our highway systems, or rebuilt our train structure so that we could have passenger service that people would be willing to travel on.
I heard this on C-Span radio but didn't put the subtle hint together. I was too dumbfounded at how audacious he was to put the cost of Dem spending in terms of $ per seconds. I'm sure within hours someone is going to do the same thing for the horrable war, and it won't be pretty.
I'm going to look it up right now, but I'm pretty sure I read that Min has a Republican Gov and a Republican controlled Senate AND house.
I also read that they have been playing games with the money to repair these roads and bridges (th9is isn't the only one in trouble) for at least three years.
Pretty sure it was the NY Times.
As far as vacation goes, here's a guy who has taken more vacation in his first year in office than Clinton did during his full terms!!!
So who is he to talk???
But then, why let the facts stand in the way of a good lie!?
LOL! bush rattling off how much is being spent per day, per hour, per minute. The irony never ends.
Dear George,
Excuse me, you ignorant blivet, may I direct you to this web site for some numbers you've conveniently been ignoring:
http://www.costofwar.com
Damn, this guy makes my head hurt. I seem to remember one of the first things the 110th Congress did was pass a spending bill that was left over from last congress. George Bush, you are a despicable piece of shit.
Furthermore, only a Republican blue blood would talk about limiting domestic spending on infrastructure while people are still missing and presumed dead from an infrastructure failure.
Would it be indicreet of me to bring up the subject of - ahem - this other bridge, beloved of the Bush administration?
Wow. That is all I can muster right now. Wow.
We know how well the Decider, and then repig Congress took care of New Orleans. NOLA, the major economic center, is still in shambles, tens of thousands of people still displaced. We have to make repigs take full credit for this.
The type of bridge that collapsed is cheaper to build, relatively rare in the UK or continental Europe.
http://www.startribune.com/10204/story/1338970.html
Bridge was rated 'structurally deficient' in 2005
The highway bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River on Wednesday was rated as "structurally deficient" two years ago and possibly in need of replacement.
By Dan Browning, Star Tribune
Last update: August 02, 2007 – 10:13 AM
The highway bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River on Wednesday was rated as "structurally deficient" two years ago and possibly in need of replacement.
That rating was contained in the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database.
Jeanne Aamodt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, said the department was aware of the 2005 assessment of the bridge. "We've seen it, and we are very familiar with it," she said...............
.....The deficiency rating is derived from a complex formula that evaluates many factors and condenses them into an overall score. A score of 80 percent or less indicates some rehabilitation may be needed; a 50 percent score or less indicates replacement may be in order.
The I-35W bridge was rated at 50 percent. The rating data was provided to the Star Tribune by the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting.
The inventory data also summarize the bridge's status as "structurally deficient." Bridge components are ranked on a scale of 0 to 9, with 0 being "failed" and 9 being "excellent."
In 2005, the bridge's superstructure -- meaning the physical conditions of all structural members -- was rated at 4, records show. The bridge's deck was rated 5, and the substructure, comprised of the piers, abutments, footings and other components, was rated 6.
....The steel-arch structure, opened in 1967, carried 140,000 cars a day at last count, in 2002, its 1,907 feet spanning eight lanes.""
50% score is a threshold value for the structure replacement. Most of the public works in the US are designed with 40 year life (longer in Europe), so this bridge was beyond its designed life, were it designed/ built/maintained correctly.
The repig governator Tim Pawlenty (supposedly hand-picked by RoboDick Cheney) either lied deliberately, or, is ignorant: with fatalities known by then he said Wednesday night that the bridge was inspected in 2005 and 2006, and that no structural deficiencies were identified. He apparently ignores the work if his own MNDoT, and the threshold indicator for bridge replacement is not enough for him - that's why people died.
None of these bastards has any consideration for the emotional toll on ALL the people living in the affected areas, and beyond (stampede in NYC/around Grand Central Terminal lately, when the ancient huge steam pipe blew up), especially since 9/11. They want us to BE AFRAID. Keeping cool and considerate of other human beings around us is more important then ever. The more so when disaster strikes.
Old Billy @ 32:
This my friend is the fact.......people are still missing...dispicble,asshole with a black heart...if he has a heart at all.......I'm glad you brought this part up.unfuckingbelievable.
More bullshit from our government protecting insurance companies. yikes!
Katrina victims lose in appeals court
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Writer | August 2, 2007
NEW ORLEANS --Hurricane Katrina victims whose homes and businesses were destroyed when floodwaters breached levees in the 2005 storm cannot recover money from their insurance companies for the damages, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
The case could affect tens of thousands of rebuilding residents and business owners in Louisiana, Daniel E. Becnel, who represented 21 plaintiffs in the case, said. Insurers could have taken a "multibillion dollar hit" if the ruling had gone against the industry, said David Rossmiller, an insurance attorney and analyst.
"This event was excluded from coverage under the plaintiffs' insurance policies, and under Louisiana law, we are bound to enforce the unambiguous terms of their insurance contracts as written," Judge Carolyn King wrote for a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
As a result, the panel found those who filed the suit "are not entitled to recover under their policies," she said.
More than a dozen insurance companies, including Allstate and Travelers, were defendants. Becnel said he planned to appeal. Xavier University said it would seek a rehearing, insisting the matter is ultimately one that should be decided by Louisiana courts.
John Houghtaling, an attorney representing 400 property and business owners in claims against insurers, agreed. He's not involved in this case but is set to argue one with similar issues before a state appeals court next month. He ultimately expects the Louisiana Supreme Court to weigh in on the exclusion issue.
"People from New Orleans need to realize this is not final," he said. "This is halftime."
King said the federal appeals judges used their "best judgment" in trying to determine how the state's high court would settle the issue if it had the case the panel decided Thursday.
The decision overturns a ruling by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr., who in November sided with policyholders arguing that language excluding water damage from some of their insurance policies was ambiguous.
Duval said the policies did not distinguish between floods caused by an act of God -- such as excessive rainfall -- and floods caused by an act of man, which would include the levee breaches following Katrina's landfall.
But the appeals panel concluded that "even if the plaintiffs can prove that the levees were negligently designed, constructed, or maintained and that the breaches were due to this negligence, the flood exclusions in the plaintiffs' policies unambiguously preclude their recovery."
"Regardless of what caused the failure of the flood-control structures that were put in place to prevent such a catastrophe, their failure resulted in a widespread flood that damaged the plaintiffs' property," and policies clearly excluded water damage caused by floods, King wrote.
This was a consolidated case, including about 40 named plaintiffs, including Xavier University, and more than a dozen insurance companies. It is just one of the cases pending in federal court over Katrina damage. The Army Corps of Engineers faces thousands of claims for damage resulting after the levees breached; King noted in her opinion that dozens more cases, some consolidated and involving property owners suing insurers, are pending in federal court in New Orleans.
Rossmiller, who is not involved in Katrina-related litigation, said the appeals panel's ruling wasn't surprising.
"The 5th Circuit got it right," he said. "This was an easy one."
Representatives of Illinois-based Allstate and Minnesota-based Travelers said their companies were pleased with the court's findings.
Insurance companies typically restrict property coverage to damage caused by wind, fire and other hazards. Congress launched the National Flood Insurance Program in 1968 to help homeowners living in flood-prone areas get flood insurance to complement private policies. Private agents sell the federal policies, which are often subsidized by taxpayers because premiums don't factor in the real risks of damage.
------
Associated Press reporters Janet McConnaughey and Kevin McGill contributed to this story.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/02/court_rules_agains...
You gotta hand it to him, he's got the biggest set of you-know-what-on him.
it's hard not to blame everything on Bush, he deserves it, but I am immediately struck by the amazing track record we have in this country of intense infrastructure usage without disastorous failure. There is no upper limit of $ you can sink into something to make it completely bulletproof, but for what is spent, how much it is used, I think the engineers and the highway managers given the limitations of budget, have done a great job in this country and many countries would be envious to have our worst disastors be their worst, if not even their average day. States, counties and municipalities have no problem adding more property tax payers to their ranks while snubbing the properly associated infrastructure additions, New Orleans comes to mind. I'm not sure the feds were at fault on this one ... until shit-for-brains opened his mouth,
so I blame Bush that the bridge collapsed. What I don't know he's guilty of more than makes up for what I might give him and the feds credit for.
infrastructure...we don't need no infrastructure...........We don't need no stinking Infrastructure.................
Katrina victims lose in appeals court
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Writer | August 2, 2007
NEW ORLEANS --Hurricane Katrina victims whose homes and businesses were destroyed when floodwaters breached levees in the 2005 storm cannot recover money from their insurance companies for the damages, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
The case could affect tens of thousands of rebuilding residents and business owners in Louisiana, Daniel E. Becnel, who represented 21 plaintiffs in the case, said. Insurers could have taken a "multibillion dollar hit" if the ruling had gone against the industry, said David Rossmiller, an insurance attorney and analyst.
"This event was excluded from coverage under the plaintiffs' insurance policies, and under Louisiana law, we are bound to enforce the unambiguous terms of their insurance contracts as written," Judge Carolyn King wrote for a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
As a result, the panel found those who filed the suit "are not entitled to recover under their policies," she said.
More than a dozen insurance companies, including Allstate and Travelers, were defendants. Becnel said he planned to appeal. Xavier University said it would seek a rehearing, insisting the matter is ultimately one that should be decided by Louisiana courts.
John Houghtaling, an attorney representing 400 property and business owners in claims against insurers, agreed. He's not involved in this case but is set to argue one with similar issues before a state appeals court next month. He ultimately expects the Louisiana Supreme Court to weigh in on the exclusion issue.
"People from New Orleans need to realize this is not final," he said. "This is halftime."
King said the federal appeals judges used their "best judgment" in trying to determine how the state's high court would settle the issue if it had the case the panel decided Thursday.
The decision overturns a ruling by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr., who in November sided with policyholders arguing that language excluding water damage from some of their insurance policies was ambiguous.
Duval said the policies did not distinguish between floods caused by an act of God -- such as excessive rainfall -- and floods caused by an act of man, which would include the levee breaches following Katrina's landfall.
But the appeals panel concluded that "even if the plaintiffs can prove that the levees were negligently designed, constructed, or maintained and that the breaches were due to this negligence, the flood exclusions in the plaintiffs' policies unambiguously preclude their recovery."
"Regardless of what caused the failure of the flood-control structures that were put in place to prevent such a catastrophe, their failure resulted in a widespread flood that damaged the plaintiffs' property," and policies clearly excluded water damage caused by floods, King wrote.
This was a consolidated case, including about 40 named plaintiffs, including Xavier University, and more than a dozen insurance companies. It is just one of the cases pending in federal court over Katrina damage. The Army Corps of Engineers faces thousands of claims for damage resulting after the levees breached; King noted in her opinion that dozens more cases, some consolidated and involving property owners suing insurers, are pending in federal court in New Orleans.
Rossmiller, who is not involved in Katrina-related litigation, said the appeals panel's ruling wasn't surprising.
"The 5th Circuit got it right," he said. "This was an easy one."
Representatives of Illinois-based Allstate and Minnesota-based Travelers said their companies were pleased with the court's findings.
Insurance companies typically restrict property coverage to damage caused by wind, fire and other hazards. Congress launched the National Flood Insurance Program in 1968 to help homeowners living in flood-prone areas get flood insurance to complement private policies. Private agents sell the federal policies, which are often subsidized by taxpayers because premiums don't factor in the real risks of damage.
------
Associated Press reporters Janet McConnaughey and Kevin McGill contributed to this story.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/02/court_rules_agains...
well i think it's safe to say that Al Franken will win when he runs.
It's always about money
Katrina victims lose in appeals court
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Writer | August 2, 2007
NEW ORLEANS --Hurricane Katrina victims whose homes and businesses were destroyed when floodwaters breached levees in the 2005 storm cannot recover money from their insurance companies for the damages, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
The case could affect tens of thousands of rebuilding residents and business owners in Louisiana, Daniel E. Becnel, who represented 21 plaintiffs in the case, said. Insurers could have taken a "multibillion dollar hit" if the ruling had gone against the industry, said David Rossmiller, an insurance attorney and analyst.
yep
Gregg @ 38:
Wish all of what you said was true, however, just within the last several days C&L had
a thread about the failure of the water and electrical intrastructures in Los Angeles, and
how they are, due to budgetary restraints, short by apprx. 3,000 qualified persons to
take care of the decaying and actual "falling" of power lines throughout that area. Why,
because the State/County/City refuse to raise property taxes in fear of a public outcry.
I'm sorry, but I do not have the precise C&L thread, but you can scroll backwards and
find this detailed article.
But we always seem to have enough to start a war and keep the military/industrial complex going. Gotta increase the bottom line for investors.
HW cried over the wrong kid.
He should be bawling his eyes out over the stupid dolt of a son that's in the White House.
Talk about politicizing an issue?
Never should Dumbya have the nerve to mention partisan politics again.
Um, soooo where's Minnesota's National Gaurd? I don't seem to see them anywhere...
Remember, this is from the man who suspended the law requiring firms who receive federal contracts to pay workers the prevailing regional wage in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
It's hard to choose the more grating hypocricy in the president's scolding: fiscal responsibility or work ethic.
CappuccettoRosso @ 35:
When DOESN'T the Bush administration seek an opportunity to play partisan politics? It's what they do. GWOT, Iraq, DOJ, etc. etc.
I live in MPLS. You don't know how heart wrenching it is to hear the bridge you cross all the time has collapsed. Everybody uses that bridge. And everybody thought "Who was on it? Who did I lose?" You frantically call and you hope you get an answer. My son knew somebody who was on the bridge and walked away with broken ribs.
And to have Bush put a jab in on the Democrats. He's a chip off the old block, (Barbara). We have a failing infastracture in this country. Infastracture is necessary to survive as a nation and what are we spending our money on? A war that's putting money into the pockets of people like Cheney. How's that for a jab.
Ali @ 49:
OK, let's make sure we're clear here.
Despite the Doofus-in-Chief trying to blame everything on the Democrats, the FACTS are:
The Guv is Republican
He KNEW the Bridge was rated as deficient
He did nothing to get money to fix the bridge
There is a Repub dominated congress in MN
They did nothing to fix the "deficient bridge
So, what conclusion can we logically draw from these facts about who is responsible for this tragedy?
Clinton did it!
Sorry, that ain't gonna work this time!
I hope the people hurt sue the living shit right outta these bastards for dereliction of the duties.
We're going to rebuild the bridge, just as soon as we are done rebuilding New Orleans.
Blah blah blah. Yes Bush is an opportunistic piece of shit- but Nancy says impeachment is off the table. So I guess we have to continue listening to the pearls of wisdom flying out of his ass.
Speaking of spending ARBUSTO, how much is this Iraq war costing anyway???
Strawberry @ 52:
Dave @ 56:
About the same as it would cost to repair the entire infrastructure in the US -- $1.6 Trillion.
If you only knew, Mudshark, if you only knew...
kdjid @ 28:
This is a perfect time for someone in the Dem Party, or spokesperson, to go on the
"attack" and using the figures readily available as to the cost of bush's war in Iraq,
do the same thing bush-lite did...give a "cost analysis" of similarity...Dems should NOT
let that asshole, SOB get by using ONLY this hand picked statistics...Go to it Dems
Let Us Help You Out With That Monetary Concern Of Your$ (Even Though People Have Died), Dubya:
Why don't you and your fellow Republicans put an end to Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) (you know him - he's a fellow Republican whose home was raided by Federal Agents from both the FBI and IRS for corruption up there in Alaska) boondoggle "Bridge to Nowhere"?
I know it's only $315,000,000.00 (and counting; but I'm sure you Republicans feel Alaska deserve a bridge longer than the Golden Gate and taller than the Brooklyn Bridge to serve Gravina Island - Population: FIFTY (50)!) - but the good citizens of Minnesota (and everywhere else for that matter) could use that money to help correct the infrastructure you Republicans only look on as a possibility for graft, greed and "gimme gimme".
The Democrats won last year’s election fair and square, as opposed to when I was elected. GWB
Could we expect anything less from our leader. Bush is a day late and a billion dollars short. I stated in another blog that this problem did not just occur yesterday. This has been going on for some time now. If we weren't spending so much in Iraq, then we could spend it here, on our own country. It is unfortunate that this situation must become political.
Our prayers and positive thoughts go to the people connected to this tragedy.
The democratic congress must show that they have tried to get bills passed to aide the infrastructure of America. But these bills were stopped by a republican led congress. The congressmen in the state of Minnisota haven't asked for government money to repair a 40 year old bridge, that was deemed structurally deficient in 2005.
Bush stammered through his speech with no feeling whatsoever.
To fixthis problem taxes must be raised. Bush can start by raising all his rich friends' taxes. They've gotten enough breaks during his demented reign.
BTL @ 62:
I thought about that comment too! That little prick.
some members of congress practically begged for action and funds to repair the country's infrastructure, but bush saving face seems to matter more.strange, they can't build bridges in Baghdad, bridges are crumbling around us here, and somewhere in Alaska, there's a bridge that has nowhere to go.
"Nevermind the crassness and insensitivity to the Minneapolis residents of turning this into an opportunity to play partisan politics–after six years, we’ve come to expect that. "
You know that's the first time in forever that I've heard that phrase used in its proper context. For the last six years when you hear "play partisan politics", you can know for sure that this deplorable administration and the Republicans screwed up so badly that they hide behind this to deflect attention away from the mess they made.
Just remember that Republicans hate our freedoms. They spend money over there so they don't have to spend it here at home. Republicans are helping the terrorists win... how many more times do we have to have shit shoved down our throats while Rethugs and their fat, rich friends dine on the gravy train while soldiers die and children get sicker?
BTL @ 62:
LOL
Strawberry @ 59:
I hear ya.....me I think I'd lean towards a 16 penny nail.....and lots of um
Reworded to reflect the cost of the war (rounded down to 4 years since March 2003, not including the past 4 months)...
Over the past four years it has totaled nearly $411 billion in additional supplemental (not budgetary) spending. That $411 billion averages out to about $281 million per day, $11.7 million per hour, $195,490 per minute.
Put another way, that's about $3,258 in higher spending every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every year for the past four years.
Strawberry @ 52:
The Democrats definately need to respond to the Decider's pathetic, hurtful bile with at least a few hard smacks. Each sentance the Decider uttered needs to be rammed back up his souless throat and his decency needs to be called into question.
Doggiebobo @ 60:
I can't believe I didn't think this was already available. Straight Shooter pointed out www.costofwar.com site. Weren't you just stunned at how he tried to come across as intelligent, like he actually did the math? As for the Dems doing this, they would have to be prepared to admit that they , uhhem, authorized the funding, so that's a thin line they have to walk unless they are dead set against signing more blank checks.
Doggiebobo @ 44:
good point, I fear where we are headed, but I still admire how some of this stuff has held up so well, especially under recent intense urban growth trends. I read the DWP thread and as I commented on it, I am not a fan of DWP and I would blame the organization as much/or more than the public for the infrastructure shortfalls and having worked for them and sides opposed to them, they seem to have no shortage of funds to fight lawsuits on their violations. And seem to have no problems violating the law ("Chinatown" is not so far off the mark). LA residents may have to think seriously about where their water and power come from as politicians decide whether they should listen to residents or developers as Americans decide whether to fund fear or necessity.
If you want to see true crassness, watch coverage featuring Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who receives occassional advice from Karl Rove. Opportunism at it's most ghastly. AND we citizens of Minnesota will be visited by First Lady Laura Bush tomorrow morning. Needless to say, ALL of us are thrilled...
W: Building bridges over there, so bridges over here... fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice...
Only an insane boob like chimpy would melt the two together.
What a sad and loathsome little man.
bush, you fucking asshole, congress is NOT REQUIRED to pass your spending bills despite your vile attempts to bully. you are disgusting. why don't you bush go serve the remainder of your term in full combat in iraq. think you could finally honor your service promise?
i doubt it, you have lied about everything else and try to run the govt like a facist dictatorship. the whole bush family are facists. look at what the grandfather and his father have said and donw.
Who FREAKING cares what the bush FREAKS say.
Most of America is on to them.
It's not even worth getting mad about his ever so insignificant words because
"LA DEE DA, I can't hear you bush. What did you say Queen George? Louder, please. LA DEE DA, que? Como? Come again? LA DEE DA"
[...] House Contact the Webmaster Link to Article iraq When in doubt, offer sympathy and pass the blame » Posted at Crooks and Liars [...]
I heard his comments and thought "why does he even bother?" Then he and his turn around accuse the Democrats of politicizing everything.
kdjid @ 72:
For OUR edification, I see that Jimmyn @ 70, did exactly as I had proposed someone within
the Dem Party do, but I do see your point as to this being a somewhat risky proposition.
White House spokesman Tony Snow was quick to blame the disaster on Bill Clinton.
That's all the White House is today....a partisan hack shop, where everything is focused to smear the Democratic Party in any way possible. Never mind using the troops as "props". He runs against vets with limbs blown off so he can look like he gives a rat's ass. Such a pig, this country has never, ever been stuck with before in history, and his whole disgraceful admin team of goons are shameful.
A disgrace to America.
What ...Bush didn't blame the Sumi's, Shite's or the Kurds what about Iran..talk about a missed opportunity... fuck it, I blame all of Christianity...yeah thats the ticket...I won't miss an opportunity...JKB
Perhaps I am having a senior moment a bit prematurely, but wouldn't these be the same spending bills that the last Congress conveniently failed to pass? One would think that you would be angry with that bunch, but then that was a Republican majority.
What a lovely message of sympathy, by the way. Perhaps Hallmark will take the cue and create greating cards. "Our sympathies on the loss of your loved one. It is Carlton Cards fault."
CappuccettoRossso @ 76:
[Your 8 attempts to post were in the spam filter. I passed them through and deleted 7 of them. I don't know why they ended up there-Sitemonitor]
RobertPaul @ 29:
We do have a "no tax raise" Republican governor. He renounced that vow the second time he was elected. He was running for Senator Coleman's seat when Cheney called and told him to back off - Cheney supported Coleman.
We did elect a Democratic house and senate last year.
The Democratic candidate for Governor lost due to a last minute media blitz attack funded by the Swiftboat Vets.
I'm not sure about the tax issue you raised. I have a feeling we'll all know more about this in the coming weeks.
#95 and 15,000 of you other prior posting.....YOU have been successful, STOP repeating and
resending.
JR @ 23:
If the money going to Iraq was for supporting our troops and the Iraqi citizens, it wouldn't be so offensive. But when it gets thrown at the Haliburton's and Chalabi's, it's money better spent at home.
So bush uses a solemn time - a time when a leader should show "leadership" - to give the Democrats in Congress a lecture, even though it is his fucking repuke party members in both the House and the Senate who are obstructing the workings of government!
This sorry excuse for a man deserves nothing less than to have history remember him as one who did more to harm the US than any other president in the country's history. His legacy will be on a level similar to that of Hitler, Stalin, PolPot, Amin, Franco, Sadaam, and all the others before him who have, by dint of their actions, left their respective countries and the world in worse shape after their passing. Of course, he will also be remembered for his sheer cowardice, his treasonous acts, his murder of close to a million innocents, his utter failure as an administrator and human being, and for his attempts to turn the US into a dictatorial theocracy.
May god damn him to his hell for all eternity.
Wow, just look at Bush putting his MBA degree to work with all that business talk and them thar 'fuzzy math' he was spoutin with those numbers. Sheesh, his head was spinning from all that extra thinking. Wait no, he was reading from a prepared script i think.
this has me steamed. what an amazingly repugnant human being. why didn't his parents abort him? yes, there i said it. i don't care how controversial that is. his whole presidency is built on controversy, so what's a little from me. he is a complete and utter failure. 01/20/09 at 1201 pm after the new prez is sworn can't come soon enough. the sooner we are rid of this cretin the better.
Let's get one thing straight. George W Bush never lived in reality. He is the ultra spoiled son of a soon to be billionaire (thanks to W's war profiteering) and a grandson of a Connecticut senator.
George W Bush does not know how much bread or milk costs. He doesn't know or care how much a gallon of gasoline is. He doesn't have to worry about paying a mortgage. He never made a car payment. Doesn't have a clue what we pay to keep Dick Cheney alive.
Yet George W Bush was not a successful businessman. Nor will he be a successful president. The republicans won't be in power for years and years. Thanks George.
Quoth Bubble Boy:
"Yo, dudes! We spendin' a trillion dollars over THERE, so we don't have to spend it over HERE!
On all that nannystate competent-gubmint Katrina-FEMA schools 'n bridges healthcare kinda stuff.
Ya dig?"
SiteMonitor: Re:
CappuccettoRosso @ 90:
Thank you. It seems the system is fishy tonight, slices the text and cannot read the
[blockquote] command at the end of the quote - w/your intervention it posted as #73, but all as a quote. In this thread it works for some posters, not for others.
LINK to an Australian news story about the cost of war. Maybe this is where Dubya stole his "per second" script today?
Please remember what Bush said years ago.
"We are mending the bridges over there so that we don't have to mend them over here"
That's a direct quote.
O.K.
Last time I bring this up.
Gov. tim pawlenty vetoed a transportation bill that would have allowed for an additional $640 million a year to be spent on roads and transportation...because he didn't want to increase taxes.
The Star-Tribune referred to the transportation bill he signed as "bare-bones."
You get what you pay for tim.
These repubs hate any spending except no bid military contracts for their donors. Reaganism has destroyed the public good
Ex-Canuck @ 94:
Could not agree more. Thank you!
So... spending on infrastructure is bad? What if we paid Halliburton to fix them, would that be ok Bush? Oh wait, we want a bridge that works.
Saw the President making his remarks. The first thing that came into my mind was that I could not believe that any person could take a statement about a tragedy and screw it up with politics. What kind of low, immoral fool could do that? This guy went way past what would be considered proper, showing a total lack of respect for the victims and victims families by interjecting politics into the conversation. He must truly and completely have absolutely no feelings for ordinary Americans.
He's a heartless, despicable bastard. I wish he were here in Minnesota to see what the scene actually looks like. It's stunning. Oh, wait, I guess we may have to get his flying monkeys to put the pictures on a DVD for him to watch before he understands.
RAWSTORY COMMENTS PROMOTE HUGE SPENDING FOR ROADS/BRIDGES
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/rawstory/17272_afpfeeda/
_____________________________________
"The organization estimated that 1.6 trillion dollars needed to be spent over a five-year period to bring US infrastructure up to good condition."Sorry, we NEED that money to fight them tahrrrists over in I-rak. Every great nation has fallen apart because of numerous ill-conceived foreign wars. Why should we be any exception?
CB | Email | Homepage | 08.02.07 - 3:31 pm
The terroists don't have to come over here to kill us. They can wait for Bush's incompetence to do it for them.With Bush running the country, you don't have to worry about suicide bombers, just falling bridges and hurricanes. Not to mention Chinese imports.
skyreader7 | Email | Homepage | 08.02.07 - 3:46 pm
======================================
Operation Mochingbird:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird
http://www.prisonplanet.com/analysis_louise_01_03_03_mockingbird.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKmockingbird.htm
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/MOCK/mockingbird.html
http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=5142
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/03/284155.shtml
--------------------------------------
During a time of national emergency, our mainstream media is controlled by Department of Defense or outsourced Non-Government Organizations [Council on Foreign Affairs/American Enterprise Institute/Brookings/Heritage/etc.].
The 24/7 Military Ops News flood's purpose is to allow only one repeated explanation for what caused an emergency and how to handle it [just like on 9/11, 7/7, Tillman, Lynch, Abu Graib, etc.]. The method is to repeat the same thing over and over again without allowing dissenting voices to get in the way of the programming. In MK Ultra programming victims, they are often found listening to the same song over and over again for 20-40 hours straight, this is what we ave been subjected to with the bridge collapse information. The mainstream media has shown us the same visual of collapsed bridge on at least half the screen for over 24 hours on 4 stations.
This type of total spectrum media control can only be accomplished via a military type operation. The money and power it takes to do this points to the same elites that controlled the information dissemination from 9/11. This psychological warfare against the American people is already having an effect judging by the Raw Story comments.
The Deomocrats will be engaging in the Guns vs. Butter economic conversation. This is the economic theory that says we cannot afford both military and domestic spending and we therefore must give up one for the other. It revolves around the notion that we are powerless and only federal elites can make these important decisions. They therefore switch every 8-12 years from one to the other as we slowly become more indebted to the Federal Reserve [look at the past 70 years and see if it is true].
So what does it mean when the elites shift government spending to domestic programs? Well it allows for more infiltration of communist and socialist selloffs like education, infrastructure to a NAU type model, socialized medicine, even more control over the media, the loss of even more freedoms as we need to think of the masses rather than ourselves. Huge increase in taxes, national identification and confiscation of guns will also be needed as we are no longer free individuals but state and federal workers.
Since Hillary is so far ahead in the Democratic polls, she will probably start being seen as the SOLUTION in this staged CHAOS plan. Funny, she helped be the solution in the last staed CHAOS plan [9/11-iraq war and less civil rights].
Look at the obvious way these controlled national tragedies get set up:
War on Terrorism had a progression:
-93 bombing
-embassy bombings
-cole
-So when 9/11 came around, we never thought anything but Bin Laden
This new Domestic Spending Initiative also has a progression:
-Strapped state/infrastructure funding because Bush spends it all on foreign policy
-Berkely Bridge
-Semi was pinned a few days ago
-various reports that infrastructure is not maintained
-So when the Minnesota Bridge was demolished, Chris Dodd and other puppets could recite some historical evidence and we would believe it without investigating further.
Guess the next one will be aliens. I can see the RawStory comments now..."No one was thinking about the aliens. There were bills in congress to fund the alien research but we were too focused on rebuilding infrastructure to do anything about it."
_________________________________
Personally I agree with the gist of many of the comments, that we have spent trillions and killed over a million for no reason whatsoever, however just like Hitler was a solution to the desperate times that Gemans were going through in the late 1920s early 1930s, this solution may make us worse of and especially if it is ignited via the control of media. We need to take media power away from the government. This power allows for total spectrum information control at the expense of free independent discourse. It also can prevent independent investigations into local, state, and national disasters. Disasters that sometimes seem to be staged events. We are then subjected to mass mind control via the MSM and now progressive blogs that embed the connections into our subconsious as we slowly move toward complete slavery.
=====================================
Yeah, 22 billion. Isn't that like six weeks pissed away in Iraq? Just askin'.....
President Bush, how much have we spent in Iraq since you began your comments?
Let's see, $12 billion/month for Iraq (and Afghanistan- let's be fair)
works out to $2.74 million for the 10 minutes it took for him to make his remarks. So he's got Congress beat by $2.5 million.
The United States is just talking and Iraq leaders are on vacation.
If anyone is interested 3 more soldiers died today that didn't have to.
Bush is in pain after ordering Pat Tillman's murder. Gonzales is now wily thanks
to Specter. Oh Specter gave us the one magic bullet that killed Kennedy and
made it's way all over the place to injur others yet many bullet shells were found at the scene with no explaination.
Specter looks and acts like he's serving the people but really he's
looking for ways to keep his White House team's secret.
Congressman Chris Shays apologize to the killers of Pat Tillman ( Rummy and the Generales) as he said it was a waste of their time for them to come in the hearing and the hold hearing
was a waste of time. I wonder if Congressmen Shays son had been
murdered by the White House would he just move on. To bad our soldiers
don't mean anything to Congressman Shays.
The Iraq government is on vacation for the month because it's 114 degrees in Iraq now.
Oh the Iraq people have no water but no worries in the Green Zone of Saddam's
Palace their is plenty of water even a lake but not for the Iraq people. They
most likely will die from dehydration but Bush feels their pain while he's in
his comfortable in the White House.
Hold on folks, this is a sign this bastard is going to give another state a royal screwing as he knows best.
.
And to think,
He didn't want to BE a war prezdint.
Yet he insists on engaging in MORE WAR!
Our bridges fall down because the needed Federal dollars for upkeep on interstates,
Has been rerouted to a far off destiNation spent for the destruction of despirateNations.
Sad but true, our culture is bent on death and destruction...
How else could we let it go on?
My prayers are for ALL the victims, Mr President.
Including the victims YOU'VE created in Iraq.
Focus on the Humanitarian crisis before us,
And don't use a single catastrophe for your politics.
Shielding the awful truth called the Iraq Invasion and Occupation,
By complaining that Congress doesn't measure up to your snuff. (sniff)
You've manipulated the facts, with fears of mushrooms and clouds,
And to this day, we let it go on?
No three more months, nor dollars spent, to kill in fantastic wars,
Your time has went, Mr President, you've screwed America on all fours.
.
Minnesota Lefty @ 107:
Naw... He'll just fly over on the way to or from his Crawford ranch and get his PR person to take a picture of him gazing whistfully out the window.... isn't he due to go on vacation again?
CNNI completely ignored Bush's critical commentary, apparently finding it too inappropriate for public viewing considering the circumstances, which is not to say CNNI hasn't given Bush a free ride for the last six years.
Absolutely unbelievable. Gird your loins my friends it is going to get worse.
You really can't understand why Bush pulls inappropriate stunts like this unless you understand the underlying issue. George W Bush is a sociopath. Other people are cared about only if the sociopath can use them for his own ends. The victims of the sad tragedy in Minnesota are useful to Bush as something to throw to damage the Democrats. After that, Bush forgets all about them and their grieving families.
You can see Bush’s sociopathic behavior in his personal relationships. Dick Cheney is valued because of his connections, Pickles is valued for her image, Bush Sr. used to be valued for his usefulness in getting GWB ahead in the world. But, after he was selected in 2000, he doesn’t have any use for the old man, or his advice.
Don’t expect much in the way of humanity from a sociopath.
W stands for WORST
President
Ever
Hmm, I accidentally heard on NPR last night,(yes, we get it in Norway) with Ed Schultz.
Apparently there is a paper trail on this one, going back 20 years, with Minnesota congress passing several bills to increase fuel taxes to fix the roads/bridges.
The republican governor vetoed it every single time.
Also, you have 12% structurally deficient bridges, +13% functionally obsolete in the US.
1/4 of your bridges are just waiting to fall down.
Good luck, you'll need it.
Thoughts and prayers don't cost a thing.
Shouldn't Busholini be KO's permanent Worst Person in the World? I mean it.
Dana @ 5:
Exactly. If Clinton had taken Bin Laden out in the Sudan back in 1998, we wouldn't be here today talking about prayers for the families of the victims in Minneapolis.
Dr. Acula @ 121:
I think Olbermann is restraining himself, so as not to be accused of being reflexively anti-administration.......................................... just kidding.
If monkey boy had earmarked a little money for bridge repairs 5 people in Minnesota might still be alive.
I was born and raised in Minneapolis and Bush's attempt to politicize this situation made me sick to my stomach. The man is physically incapable of addressing any situation on its merits. His only interest is how he can benefit politically. There's a psychological term for people who operate like this. We've always had politicians with questionable pysch profiles, but this group has institutionalized psychopathology, making it not just the norm, but behavior that is sought after and rewarded. We should all be afraid.
Listening to the discussions about infrastructure, it occurs to me that we have become a very infantilized society. No one wants to do the hard work of being a responsible adult and tending to the less glamorous realities of life. People are focused on immediate gratification and superficial appearance. This isn't just the case with governmental tasks, people spend an inordinate amount of time and money denying the realities of adulthood with plastic surgery, mcmansions, Viagara, Botox parties, anabolic steroids, etc. Why are we so averse to acting like grown ups?
I live in Minneapolis. I used to cross this bridge almost every day.
Discretionary spending funds Transportation projects. And Bush is complaining about a proposed discretionary funding increase in the same speech that he's trying to console victims of a bridge collapse?
The Iraq war costs $140,000 a minute. Democrats want to spend an additional $80,000 a minute as part of the nation's entire discretionary budget.
So rude.
Also, I should have you all know that the First Lady isn't making a special trip out here to see us. She was already coming to the University of Minnesota today for the Helping America's Youth Conference. Now they're just spinning it to say that she's coming here to console us.
I don't want either of them to visit.
The money going to Iraq is lining Bu$co's golfing buddies pockets:
JAMES GLANZ, NEW YORK TIMES - One of the largest American contractors working in Iraq, Bechtel National, met its original objectives on fewer than half of the projects it received as part of a $1.8 billion reconstruction contract, while most of the rest were canceled, reduced in scope or never completed as designed, federal investigators have found in a report released yesterday.
Maybe private industry will fix America's rapidly decaying infrustructor, just like it "fixed" America's healthcare.
Americans would rather spend a trillion dollars to accomplish nothing in Iraq rather than fix its roads and bridges here in America. Maybe Bush will talk to the bridge inspector and tell us what a heckuva job he's doing. Is it time for another quick flyover and a quick peek out the window? Maybe we can get another lecture about how the private sector is better at doing things rather than the government. Is that why our healthcare system is broken? Don't forget to vote for your local lying fake christian republican this November.
[...] Crooks and Liars [...]
Those pesky Democrats, fooling around and wasting time on legalities and Constitutional crap and impeachment follies, while we have an illegal war to fight and my legacy to protect.
If they're not careful, my next presidential signing statement is going to rendition the majority party in Congress to Houston, and put DeLay in charge of their internment.
The stupid Governor should have sold that bridge to Halliburton/Iraq as soon as he got the 50% report on it, at least then the survivors of the victims would have someone to sue.
This might seem like a stupid question, but I thought that all of the "excise tax" funds were supposed to be marked for Roadways, Bridges, and Tunnells. I thought that Clinton signed that into law in 1997, because some states were using the funds in other areas....If I am wrong sorry.
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