George's legacy.

[taranaki]

http://www.ericblumrich.com/year.html

Oh,and Saddam's pistol for a souvenir.

[psychobadboy]

Good find, taranaki.

Was it really worth it, Bush? Was it?

[YogsVR4]

And here's a few more.


1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history.
2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax.
3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority.
5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty.
6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people.
7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.
8. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America.
9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.
10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains.
11. Signed trade promotion authority.
12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches.
13. Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States.
14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes.
15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home.
16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled.
17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child.
18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000.
19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans.
20. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act.
21. Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education.
22. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.)
23. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight.
24. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance.
25. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards.
26. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems.
27. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers.
28. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.
29. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.
30. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives.
31. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.
32. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.
33. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
34. Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.
35. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species.
36. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.
37. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured.
38. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror.
39. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed.
40. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network.
41. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century.
42. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses.
43 Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency.
44. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU.
45. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year.
46. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia.
47. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.
48. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs.
49. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry.
50. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006.
51. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy.
52. Ordered a review of overseas deployments.
53. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year.
54. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed.
55. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command.
56. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court.
57. Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).
58. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer.
59. Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country."
60. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises.
61. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs.
62. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.
63. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers.
64. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals

[Pick]

The pictures in that video can be viewed in a bunch of different senses. We don't know what was going on at that particular moment in that picture. Those explosions could be from suicide bombers, the Iraqi's with weapons could be Iraqi police or anti-insurgents. The picture of the women with one leg could have very easily been a woman who had her leg blown off by a land mine laid by her own country-men. The pictures are not in context.

[carrrnuttt]

What transpires below is one post by me, but had to be broken into pieces, as even cutting in half, it was too long to post - apparently. I've been trying to post it for the last half-hour.

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history.

- of which at least 52% will eventually belong to only 1% of the population, or approximately 121 billion dollars will be going to only 1.4 million of our richest taxpayers - out of a population that will be approaching 300 million by then. Tell me what creative accounting you would do to float our country then.

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax.

- the below statements will cover the above "legacy":

Goodbye, Death Tax. Hello, Birth Tax!

We've all heard republicans whine about the estate tax. According to republicans, it isn't fair that people who are handed millions of dollars for the grand accomplishment of being born into a rich family should have to forego a single penny of this unearned income via taxation. After many tormented, sleepless nights, republicans in the House of Representatives decided to put an end to this unspeakable crime. They drummed up support for its repeal by giving the estate tax a fictitious nickname, the "death tax." Calling the estate tax the "death tax" is, of course, lying. All Americans die for free, and less than 2% die with estates that are taxed at all. Be this as it may, republicans decided to call this tax something really sinister sounding because nobody would support the repeal of the "Last Chance To Tax the Fattest of America's Fat Cats Before They Hand Over Enormous Piles of Cash to Their Lazy, Undeserving Children" Tax. And before you could say "campaign contribution kickback," the House of Representatives decided that those least deserving of a tax cut should have this unearned income handed over tax-free.

But now that billionaire heirs are giving the tax man the finger (if the House has its way), what do we do about the big hole in the budget that the estate tax used to fill? Cut programs? No way. Showing Americans the real budgetary priorities of the republican party would see it swept from Washington faster than Governor Bush could review a Texas death penalty case. Enter the second part of the republican tax scam: Instead of cutting programs to pay for this ridiculous tax cut, republicans simply decided to steal the money from the Social Security trust fund and borrow the rest to fill the shortfall.

Continued below...

[carrrnuttt]

...Continued

But won't somebody have to pay interest on this huge pile of debt that republicans are racking up from all of this borrowing? Duh! And who do you think will pay it back? That's right, it will be you and me, our children, and their children. Every working American who has the misfortune to be born poor or middle class will enter the world owing the tax money that republicans are refusing to collect from the "Death Tax." Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the truly republican tax: The Birth Tax.

The Birth Tax is the interest paid on an enormous debt that republicans will create when they decide not to collect the estate tax anymore. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the cost to the rest of us taxpayers for the elimination of the estate tax will be $294 billion over the next 10 years or so. At around 5% servicing costs per year, that means that after 10 years of borrowing money to offset the estate tax cut, those Americans who still pay taxes will see a permanent $14.7 billion annual increase in their tax bill. Of course, that bill will increase the next year. And the year after that. The Birth Tax will continue to grow as long as the government borrows money every year to offset the elimination of the estate tax.

Here is a fun comparison of the "Death Tax" with the Birth Tax:

1. While the "Death Tax" was paid from less than 2% of the of the richest estates, the "Birth Tax" will be paid by everybody who pays federal taxes, including those who are so poor that they pay only Social Security taxes.

2. While the "Death Tax" was only collected after rich folks were completely finished with the estates (They're dead, remember?), the Birth Tax will paid by the living, most of whom aren't finished with their incomes.

3. While the "Death Tax" generally reduced the amount an estate would hand to an heir (in other words, the heir's unearned income), the Birth Tax reduces the amount of earned income a hard-working American will keep.

4. While the "Death Tax" went into the general fund to pay for things like health care for the elderly and homeland security, the Birth Tax will buy absolutely nothing.

5. While the "Death Tax" was paid only once, the Birth Tax will be paid yearly and will likely increase yearly, forever.

6. While the "Death Tax" is traced back to Thomas Paine, a REAL American patriot, the Birth Tax is given to us by pretend patriots, who proclaim that their love of America does not extend to funding America with their tax money.

If the republicans in the House have their way, we employed Americans will soon be enjoying our new Birth Tax. And we'll really enjoy knowing that this tax used to be paid by the very richest of estates after their former owners were finished with them, and that republicans decided to shift that burden to the rest of us instead.

The moral of the story: Republicans value rich guys, even dead ones, above all other Americans.

What was that statement by Senator McCain? "There was a time that Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility." - operative word being was.

...Continued below...

[carrrnuttt]

...Continued...

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks.

Hmm. So from a surplus of government money, to a deficit in the trillions - helped by his billions spent on a questionable "war" - is a turnaround? I'll have to agree with you on that one, Yogs.

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority.

- Sounds like he's not happy with the power he has already.

Wait...this is a good thing?

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

This is one of the few things I like, that have come out of his administration.

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people.

- Excerpt from the House Small Business Committee "Progress Report - President Bush's Small Business Agenda"

President Bush seems to understand how important small businesses are to the health of the American economy. During his bid for the White House, he touted his credentials as a small business owner and promised, if elected, that his administration would be the most small business friendly ever.

To follow up on his pledge, in March 2002 President Bush unveiled his small business agenda. He said "this plan will free entrepreneurs to devote more time and resources to servicing their customers, developing their products and helping their employees." He then went on to outline five issue areas of critical importance to small business owners - tax incentives, health care, regulatory relief, fairness in federal contracting, and opening sources of information for small business.

I don't think anyone could argue with this, and in terms of the issues, President Bush was right on. We are not here to criticize his promises or his agenda, we are here to ask almost a year and a half later, where are the accomplishments? Where is the follow through? Where is the commitment?

I can tell you - there is none. This agenda is just another instance in which there is a large credibility gap between the rhetoric of this administration and the actions of it.

What we have instead of accomplishments are failures, current law represented as breaking new ground, and innovation repackaged as old policy. Because of this, the state of small businesses is abysmal - and getting worse by the day.

What does this inaction really mean? It means small businesses will continue to struggle. They have received no tax relief and any surplus that could have gone to help them is now long gone.

It means that small business owners, their families and their workers will have to continue to live one illness away from bankruptcy. As health care costs continue to skyrocket, many are forced to drop coverage.

It means that the confusing regulatory process will continue to drain small businesses of almost $7,000 per employee per year, which could be used to grow their businesses. While small businesses struggle to get the information they need to solve these problems.

It means that the best way for small businesses to grow - the $235 billion federal marketplace - the largest in the world - is in jeopardy as it remains largely closed to small businesses.

The failure of this administration and congressional Republican leaders have contributed significantly to the current slide facing our economy. It's not like when the President's party sets its mind to something, it does not get done. History has proven otherwise.

In the early 1990s, shortly after Republicans assumed control of Congress, they announced their Contract with America. And with dedication and hard work, they were able to get every agenda item on the House floor for a vote within the first 100 days of Congress, as promised.

The president certainly hasn't shown this same fervor for small business - even though they control Congress and the White House. So the progress report on the president's small business agenda is simple really - there has been no progress.

Anyhow, so how about those small-business bids for contractors in the Iraqi war? What happened?

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Yes, of course. When you've raided the coffers, find somebody else to carry the finances.

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

8. Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America.

I'll admit, Clinton's, and OSHA's rules on this one were a bit heavy-handed, and needed to be toned-down...not repealed. The word that Republicans wanted to avoid, whenever discussing this issue was "safety". But then again, "profit" comes before "safety", right?

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

THIS is why Kenneth Lay will be spending the rest of his crooked life in prison, right?

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains.

- Why the Dividend Tax Cut Will Cause Interest Rates to Raise

I think Warren Buffet said it best (a multi-millionaire himself):

"Putting $1,000 in the pockets of 310,000 families with urgent needs is going to provide far more stimulus to the economy than putting the same $310 million in my pockets," Buffett added.

[DGB454]

Originally Posted by taranaki

Oh,and Saddam's pistol for a souvenir.

He got Saddams pistol? He always gets all the really cool stuff.

[driftu]

Originally Posted by Pick

The pictures in that video can be viewed in a bunch of different senses. We don't know what was going on at that particular moment in that picture. Those explosions could be from suicide bombers, the Iraqi's with weapons could be Iraqi police or anti-insurgents. The picture of the women with one leg could have very easily been a woman who had her leg blown off by a land mine laid by her own country-men. The pictures are not in context.

the point of this is lost on you isn't it?

[Pick]

No, the point of this video is not right by me.

[2strokebloke]

36. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.

This is a joke right?

[YogsVR4]

Originally Posted by carrrnuttt

What transpires below is one post by me, but had to be broken into pieces, as even cutting in half, it was too long to post - apparently. I've been trying to post it for the last half-hour.

- of which at least 52% will eventually belong to only 1% of the population, or approximately 121 billion dollars will be going to only 1.4 million of our richest taxpayers - out of a population that will be approaching 300 million by then. Tell me what creative accounting you would do to float our country then.
- the below statements will cover the above "legacy":Continued below...

Thank you Dick Tracey! It makes sense that the people paying the highest bills will get the biggest break. Or are you of the feelings that successful people should be punished by the government? Work hard. Get taxed more. Good thinking Instead of focussing on the income side, perhaps a look at expenses is in order.

.... I can tell you - there is none. This agenda is just another instance in which there is a large credibility gap between the rhetoric of this administration and the actions of it. ....

Nice set of facts there. I can tell you that there was some. Do you own a small business? Help run one? In-laws have been doing it for twenty years now. I'll take their word over yours.

Hmm. So from a surplus of government money, to a deficit in the trillions - helped by his billions spent on a questionable "war" - is a turnaround? I'll have to agree with you on that one, Yogs.

Though you claim to be a conservative, this statement is clear proof that you are not. "surplus of government money" no conservative believes its the governments money. Aside from that glaring fact, I once again point out expenditures. War or no war, there are to many entitlement programs that eat to much of the 3 TRILLION dollars annually collected in taxes in this country (federal, state and local).

And for the line item veto.

- Sounds like he's not happy with the power he has already.

Wait...this is a good thing?

You don't think adding the ability to limit spending is a good thing? Wait, we already reestablised the fact you are not a conservative.

On Social Security

Yes, of course. When you've raided the coffers, find somebody else to carry the finances.

Welcome to the problem of giving government to much money. They spend it. Another reason to cut taxes further and eliminate programs. The government is inefficient at running businesses. Social Security is the second biggest scam after income taxes being run on this country. Government takes your money and on the off chance you live long enough to get some of it back, it might make 1% growth.

I think Warren Buffet said it best (a multi-millionaire himself):

"Putting $1,000 in the pockets of 310,000 families with urgent needs is going to provide far more stimulus to the economy than putting the same $310 million in my pockets," Buffett added.

Buffet knows damn well he can cut a check to the IRS any time he wants regardless of what taxes are required of him. This goes for you and anyone else who doesn't like their taxes lowered. Send in a check, but keep out of my pocket book. (another great example of why you should stop calling yourself a conservative)

[carrrnuttt]

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

Thank you Dick Tracey! It makes sense that the people paying the highest bills will get the biggest break. Or are you of the feelings that successful people should be punished by the government? Work hard. Get taxed more. Good thinking Instead of focussing on the income side, perhaps a look at expenses is in order.

So...a 2-dollar loaf of bread is worth the same for a family that's making 20K a year, as it does to a family worth even a hundred thousand?

How do you want to be remember after you die? As somebody that "kapt careful watch of his pockets"?

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

Nice set of facts there. I can tell you that there was some. Do you own a small business? Help run one? In-laws have been doing it for twenty years now. I'll take their word over yours.

LOL

Your staunchness to support your chosen candidate has made a usually intellectual person as yourself start to assume things of another - usually not smart trait.

Aside from the fact that my dad is an executive type, and is more likely to profit from the Bush plan, as much as most anybody I know, he also owns a couple of small businesses. I was a kid, practically living in my mom/dad's shipping warehouses.

Also, I have a few friends that own their own small-business.

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

Though you claim to be a conservative, this statement is clear proof that you are not. "surplus of government money" no conservative believes its the governments money. Aside from that glaring fact, I once again point out expenditures. War or no war, there are to many entitlement programs that eat to much of the 3 TRILLION dollars annually collected in taxes in this country (federal, state and local).

LOL

Fine. "The people's money" When was the last time you had a real say in how it was spent?

As for my ideals that you will are now attacking, I was born somewhat privileged, from a staunchly Catholic family. This is where my conservative side hails from.

The fact that I have done actual missionary work, when I was studying Theology with the Jesuits is where my "softer-side" hails from.

All tempered by the fact that I eventually became an Airman with the USAF, and served during GHW Bush's version of this conflict.

So, what does your support of all this wasted money say about your ideals?


~~~~

I am busy at work right now, so I will revisit the rest of your attacks later.

Nice diversion though - cast a shadow on the messenger, when you don't like the message - I think the last member that was banned because of this forum tried that too.

[YogsVR4]

Originally Posted by carrrnuttt

So...a 2-dollar loaf of bread is worth the same for a family that's making 20K a year, as it does to a family worth even a hundred thousand?

How do you want to be remember after you die? As somebody that "kapt careful watch of his pockets"?

At least it was good sentence structure.

LOL

Your staunchness to support your chosen candidate has made a usually intellectual person as yourself start to assume things of another - usually not smart trait.

Get back to this on your "attack" comment at the end of your post

Aside from the fact that my dad is an executive type, and is more likely to profit from the Bush plan, as much as most anybody I know, he also owns a couple of small businesses. I was a kid, practically living in my mom/dad's shipping warehouses.

Also, I have a few friends that own their own small-business.

Then you know that they are better off. That or you don't know if they are. In either case the excerpt you copied was wrong.

Fine. "The people's money" When was the last time you had a real say in how it was spent?

The entire point is that it should stay as our money - not the governments.

my ideals that you will are now attacking, I was born somewhat privileged, from a staunchly Catholic family. This is where my conservative side hails from.

The fact that I have done actual missionary work, when I was studying Theology with the Jesuits is where my "softer-side" hails from.

All tempered by the fact that I eventually became an Airman with the USAF, and served during GHW Bush's version of this conflict.

So, what does your support of all this wasted money say about your ideals?

Take a break from your righteous indignation and focus on the points I’ve been making about money being wasted by the government and that more tax cuts are needed. The government is wasteful. Programs need to be taken out of its control and the money left in the hands of the people who earned it in the first place.

I am busy at work right now, so I will revisit the rest of your attacks later.

Nice diversion though - cast a shadow on the messenger, when you don't like the message - I think the last member that was banned because of this forum tried that too.

Attack the messenger? You are no messenger. You are the one claiming to be conservative yet you are the one who used the term "government money". You are the one quoting Buffet as to how he doesn't need the money. And, don't bother with vague threats with "last member that was banned because of this forum tried that too". Its really pathetic.

[Hyatus]

lets look at this all from bush's point of view, ALL OF THE DEATHS IN THE PAST 3 YEARS PREVENTED ANY TERRERIST FROM HITTING US AT HOME HERE. Now who wants to go vote bush in for round two of "how to kill almost as many people as hitler and get away with it, because all the soccer moms out there in their H2's are afraid of being killed by someone a world away."