Business as Usual

By now you've probably heard about the unashamedly racist comments of Senator George Allen of Virginia. When a politician takes such pleasure in publicly mocking someone with false statements and racial slurs, you'd expect other politicians to distance themselves from those comments. Indeed, many have. However, if racist comments speak to your base, and your name is George W. Bush, what do you do?
Decide to hold an urgent fundraiser to raise more money for the bastard, because money is all you know. Not only that, you try to have the Secret Service close down the carpool lanes leading from D.C. to Virginia, which would have gridlocked a major highway, just to show that your fundraising efforts are far more important than working folk. Somehow, somebody was able to convince dubya not to needlessly screw over real people that work for a living, and he used a helicopter to raise money for his friend Allen. Seriously, you don't have to even try to make this guy look bad - all you have to do is report the facts. Like, for instance, Allen mocked his political opponent for being in California that day, said as if it's a bad thing. For reference, Allen is from California, not Virginia. Remniscent of dubya mocking that "east coast mentality", since he's a good-ol-boy Texan. Unfortunately for dubya, the fact is that he's from Connecticut and only bought land in Texas. Truth trumps reality.

Meanwhile, as we approach the first anniversary of the Katrina disaster, we find out that the federal government's plans to rebuild the levee system to pre-Katrina strength once again leaves New Orleans in danger of being re-flooded if another category 3 hurricane comes. This is consistent with the Bush administration's plans of the past six years. His is the only administration EVER to CUT funding for the protection of New Orleans, and we all saw the results a year ago as the people of New Orleans paid the price for his plan. His response to repeating his horrible failures in preparedness? Today Bush said: "Last year I made a simple pledge: The federal government would learn the lessons of Katrina, we would do what it takes, and we would stay as long as it takes, to help our brothers and sisters build a new Gulf Coast where every citizen feels part of the great promise of America". Again, you don't have to try to make this guy look bad - just report the facts, and try to match his statements to reality. That alone is enough to show what a miserable failure dubya is. Alternatively, just go along with dubya.

Lastly, a direct and poignant political cartoon on global warming. We know that the Bush administration simply denies the existence of science and fact when there's a buck to be made for their friends. While the toon is overgeneralizing the GOP for sure, it's only because of history and how party members are so willing to blindly follow every mandate that comes from the White House.


(political cartoon credit to Tom Toles and Steve Sack)