Top Priorities

[Spoonman]

You would rather the Blind Sheikh is still running around the USA recruiting? What good would it do to capture and jail OBL? They are both now symbolic heroes of Islamic terrorism, which has now reached such proportions that it probably doesn't matter who replaces them but I don't think they should be free just because of that.

As for the botched effort at Mogadishu, I don't really know a whole lot about that other than it was botched--a combination of bad intelligence and a failed military operation.

The guy is attached to a kidney machine. How much recruiting is he doing?

That's never been confirmed.

Neither has the fact that he is still out actively recruiting more terrorists.

 

[Foxfyre]

Speaking of priorities, it never ceases to amaze me though. We the taxpayer are paying the Imam as an ambassador of sorts to generate cooperation in the Muslim world.

I wonder how many would have been agreeable to President Bush hiring a Christian leader to generate cooperation among Christians in predominantly Christian countries?

Somehow I think a lot of members would be posting some pretty nasty things about that.

I think they might not be entirely pleased with it if President Obama did it even.

 

[Spoonman]

Speaking of priorities, it never ceases to amaze me though. We the taxpayer are paying the Imam as an ambassador of sorts to generate cooperation in the Muslim world.

I wonder how many would have been agreeable to President Bush hiring a Christian leader to generate cooperation among Christians in predominantly Christian countries?

Somehow I think a lot of members would be posting some pretty nasty things about that.

I don't think they might not be entirely pleased with it if President Obama did it even.

We'd have been accused of trying to force something down the worlds throat.

 

[Foxfyre]

Speaking of priorities, it never ceases to amaze me though. We the taxpayer are paying the Imam as an ambassador of sorts to generate cooperation in the Muslim world.

I wonder how many would have been agreeable to President Bush hiring a Christian leader to generate cooperation among Christians in predominantly Christian countries?

Somehow I think a lot of members would be posting some pretty nasty things about that.

I don't think they might not be entirely pleased with it if President Obama did it even.

We'd have been accused of trying to force something down the worlds throat.

Yup. But that seems to ONLY be true of Christians. Apparently nobody else is ever guilty of that.

 

[Spoonman]

Speaking of priorities, it never ceases to amaze me though. We the taxpayer are paying the Imam as an ambassador of sorts to generate cooperation in the Muslim world.

I wonder how many would have been agreeable to President Bush hiring a Christian leader to generate cooperation among Christians in predominantly Christian countries?

Somehow I think a lot of members would be posting some pretty nasty things about that.

I don't think they might not be entirely pleased with it if President Obama did it even.

We'd have been accused of trying to force something down the worlds throat.

Yup. But that seems to ONLY be true of Christians. Apparently nobody else is ever guilty of that.

Christians are generally pecieved as being white. Whites don't make out too well in the world opinion these days.

 

[MaggieMae]

Speaking of priorities, it never ceases to amaze me though. We the taxpayer are paying the Imam as an ambassador of sorts to generate cooperation in the Muslim world.

I wonder how many would have been agreeable to President Bush hiring a Christian leader to generate cooperation among Christians in predominantly Christian countries?

Somehow I think a lot of members would be posting some pretty nasty things about that.

I think they might not be entirely pleased with it if President Obama did it even.

Are you kidding? Karen Hughes, Bush's goodwill amabassador for public diplomacy developed a coalition of religious leaders to do just that--at taxpayer expense. Hello?

Go to page 4, and check out the various religious representatives, and I hope you don't spit out your coffee when you do.

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[Foxfyre]

Your link doesn't work Maggie. Were these people on the government payroll?

 

[Spoonman]

Your link doesn't work Maggie. Were these people on the government payroll?

Karen Hughs was for a year and a half, but I can't find anything about her promoting Chrisitanity.

 

[Foxfyre]

Your link doesn't work Maggie. Were these people on the government payroll?

Karen Hughs was for a year and a half, but I can't find anything about her promoting Chrisitanity.

She was President Bush's emissary to meet and negotiate with a very large and prestigious group of religious leaders who had petitioned the President in matters of promoting Middle East peace. But so far as I know, none of those folks were on the government payroll or volunteers for the government.

So since Maggie's link didn't work I don't know if she is erroneously referring to that or something else. I'll wait until Maggie can speak for herself on that though.

 

[MikeK]

Never put your hope in anything Obama says.

Etch that in stone.

 

[Spoonman]

Your link doesn't work Maggie. Were these people on the government payroll?

Karen Hughs was for a year and a half, but I can't find anything about her promoting Chrisitanity.

She was President Bush's emissary to meet and negotiate with a very large and prestigious group of religious leaders who had petitioned the President in matters of promoting Middle East peace. But so far as I know, none of those folks were on the government payroll or volunteers for the government.

So since Maggie's link didn't work I don't know if she is erroneously referring to that or something else. I'll wait until Maggie can speak for herself on that though.

Yea, I've looked an I can't find anything. I think Maggie Mae is trying to troll us.

 

[Spoonman]

Never put your hope in anything Obama says.

Etch that in stone.

On Mount Rushmore. That can be Obama's legacy.

 

[asterism]

You would rather the Blind Sheikh is still running around the USA recruiting?

No. More should have been done to neutralize the threat while he was being prosecuted and after he was in jail.

What good would it do to capture and jail OBL?

Quite a bit, as long as his network is also decimated.

They are both now symbolic heroes of Islamic terrorism, which has now reached such proportions that it probably doesn't matter who replaces them but I don't think they should be free just because of that.

I've never argued that they should be free.

As for the botched effort at Mogadishu, I don't really know a whole lot about that other than it was botched--a combination of bad intelligence and a failed military operation.

What bad intelligence? What failed military operation?

 

[asterism]

Ironically, it was the Bush Administration that eliminated the counterterrorism branch which fell under the Pentagon's budget. Go figure.

Okay so just that we're clear on this, you are referring to the closing of one counterterrorism center inside a much larger branch of the military, which is inside of the much larger branch of the DoD, which is inside of the much larger structure of he IC (intelligence community). That's not at all what you claimed, which is:



Bush didn't eliminate "the counterterrorism branch," he abolished Clarke's specific center. Before we debate the merits of that decision honestly, let's make sure we both are realistic in what actually took place instead of using rhetoric. Is that okay with you?

Also before we get into the meat of this, I'd like to get some clarification on this:

Richard Clarke's counterterrorism center was abolished (and his job relegated to a desk job)

At what point was Richard Clarke not in a "desk job?"

I can see you want to be picky, and sorry, but my recollection of those events isn't crystal clear without going to material saved on disks or an extensive Google search for the clear facts, which can't be picked apart. I don't intend to get into a donnybrook with you over this, although I do believe that everything I stated (paraphrased) was revealed during the 911 Commission hearings, including the fact that Condi Rice considerably downsized Richard Clarke's mission and accomplishments to date. That too was made clear at the time. I called it a "desk job," but you can call it anything you want.

The BA preferred not to have anything Clinton-esque that occurred regarding counterterrorism (or anything else) prior to the 911 as their model. That too was common knowledge.

Not trying to be picky, just trying to make sure we're talking about the same thing.

If you don't wish to back up your statements with anything other than "common knowledge" there really isn't anything else to discuss. You have your version, your boogeyman, and your hero. Frankly I think Clarke was mostly full of shit and he was part of the problem. He never advocated a military solution to terrorism and we all know how that worked out. There was a very good reason to remove Clarke from his role as a primary counterterrorism figure, he failed miserably.

 

[antagon]

Karen Hughs was for a year and a half, but I can't find anything about her promoting Chrisitanity.

She was President Bush's emissary to meet and negotiate with a very large and prestigious group of religious leaders who had petitioned the President in matters of promoting Middle East peace. But so far as I know, none of those folks were on the government payroll or volunteers for the government.

So since Maggie's link didn't work I don't know if she is erroneously referring to that or something else. I'll wait until Maggie can speak for herself on that though.

Yea, I've looked an I can't find anything. I think Maggie Mae is trying to troll us.

oddly that link works fine for me. i really dont care much about stuff like this, but it was convened by congress and probably nibbled on congress' national conference on citizenship budget, being that their seal is on the document. charitable sponsors are named, and religious leaders from christian, muslim and jewish backgrounds got together...

As leaders in the fields of religion, community service, academia,
and public service, you have come here today to promote collaboration among Christians,
Jews, Muslims, and people of all faiths...

the people's titles and the names of the organizations did crack me up...

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, CEO, American Society for Muslim Advancement; Rev. Dr. Gloria Ward Wright, Educator and Pastor, A.M.E. Zion Church; Rabbi Irving Greenberg, President, Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation... sounds like the start of a bad joke.

edit: this was march, 2006

 

[midcan5]

>

But allow me a question, how many who selected 'jobs,' purchase America made cars made in the US? How many shop at stores that pay a fair wage? How many support Unions? How many look for 'made in America' and pay the extra so a fellow citizen can work?


Good read on capitalism: Amazon.com: The Good Society: The Humane Agenda (0046442859981):…


"His job-creation record won’t look much better. The Bush administration created about three million jobs (net) over its eight years, a fraction of the 23 million jobs created under President Bill Clinton’s administration and only slightly better than President George H.W. Bush did in his four years in office." Bush On Jobs: The Worst Track Record On Record - Real Time Economics - WSJ

"The Republican theology of tax giveaways for the wealthy has not yet translated into a recovery for workers, but the combination of these cuts and rising government is likely to generate some job creation along with faster economic growth, Bernstein and Mishel say. Still, dispiriting recent wage trends and depressed employment levels suggest that a "self-sustaining, robust recovery is not just around the corner," they say." Bush's Job-Loss Recovery the Worst on Record Since the Great Depression (October 7, 2003) - Working Life


'It's Official: Obama Is Creaming Bush When It Comes To Jobs'
CHART OF THE DAY: It's Official: Obama Is Creaming Bush When It Comes To Jobs


PolitiFact | Rep. Steny Hoyer claims there were more job losses in Bush's last three months than last three under Obama

I noticed there was no answer to my question above? Instead like Pavlov's dog there is extreme salivation over taxes! Mention taxes and government and the brainless salivate and salivate, it is the oddest thing given many have life styles that would be the envy of other Americans.

Capitalism in a nutshell:
markets create products
consumers demand product
jobs are created by demand
demand grows to full employment (E)
employees become important demand more capital
(one could add some bubble here)
full employment leads to inflation
increased costs for business
Inflation leads to downturn in buying
inflation leads to cutbacks in employment
loss of E leads to welfare (in a golden rule society)
Government spends to increase E
Government creates jobs
deficits are created
taxes raised on those who still do well
economy levels out
demand grows again
and around we go

Ain't hard folks, buy American.

================================================

"There is no historical evidence that tax cuts spur economic growth. The highest period of growth in U.S. history (1933-1973) also saw its highest tax rates on the rich: 70 to 91 percent. During this period, the general tax rate climbed as well, but it reached a plateau in 1969, and growth slowed down five years later. Almost all rich nations have higher general taxes than the U.S., and they are growing faster as well."

Tax cuts spur economic growth
UBI and the Flat Tax

>

 

[Foxfyre]

She was President Bush's emissary to meet and negotiate with a very large and prestigious group of religious leaders who had petitioned the President in matters of promoting Middle East peace. But so far as I know, none of those folks were on the government payroll or volunteers for the government.

So since Maggie's link didn't work I don't know if she is erroneously referring to that or something else. I'll wait until Maggie can speak for herself on that though.

Yea, I've looked an I can't find anything. I think Maggie Mae is trying to troll us.

oddly that link works fine for me. i really dont care much about stuff like this, but it was convened by congress and probably nibbled on congress' national conference on citizenship budget, being that their seal is on the document. charitable sponsors are named, and religious leaders from christian, muslim and jewish backgrounds got together...

As leaders in the fields of religion, community service, academia,
and public service, you have come here today to promote collaboration among Christians,
Jews, Muslims, and people of all faiths...

the people's titles and the names of the organizations did crack me up...

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, CEO, American Society for Muslim Advancement; Rev. Dr. Gloria Ward Wright, Educator and Pastor, A.M.E. Zion Church; Rabbi Irving Greenberg, President, Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation... sounds like the start of a bad joke.

edit: this was march, 2006

Does make one wonder when they don't come up with organizations anybody has ever heard of. The link still doesn't work for me, but based on your comments, can I assume that this was close to what I mentioned earlier? A bunch of religious leaders with stuff on their mind who got together to be heard? Not religious folk put on the payroll or put into unpaid positions of authority in the government?

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

This cartoon illustrates the admin's TOP priority.

 

[Sky Dancer]

The President is ending the war in Iraq. He's set the Israeli Palestinian peace talks as a priority. He's been responsive to the oil spill, he addressed health care reform, he's on the economy. He's addressed DADT.

I'd say he's working hard with very little bipartisan support. He's completely on target with his campaign promises.


•Passing the "largest" economic stimulus bill in American history.
•Ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and abolishing "enhanced interrogation techniques."
•Setting a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
•Ordering 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and enlisting, with modest new assistance, European allies in a new multi-layered strategy there and in Pakistan, and setting a timetable for a drawdown of our troops.

•"Returning science to its rightful place" by lifting the Bush restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
•Signing laws to expand children's health insurance (financed by a 61-cent per pack increase in the federal cigarette tax the adviser did not tout).
•Signing a law meant to improve the ability of women who allege pay discrimination to sue their employer.
•Lifting travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban Americans who seek to travel more frequently to the island and send more US currency to their immediate family.
•Appointed the first Latina to the US Supreme Court
•signed a law supporting increased financial aid to severely injured war veterans, and their caretakers.

•Banned offshore drilling until parameters for deep well safety procedures are clarified.
•Put a hold on Artic oil exploratory digging until environmental impacts are clear.

•Passed health care reform.
•signed a hate crime bill .

 

[Foxfyre]

The President is ending the war in Iraq. He's set the Israeli Palestinian peace talks as a priority. He's been responsive to the oil spill, he addressed health care reform, he's on the economy. He's addressed DADT.

I'd say he's working hard with very little bipartisan support. He's completely on target with his campaign promises.


•Passing the "largest" economic stimulus bill in American history.

That most Americans opposed and most now believe has extended and deepened the recession.

•Ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and abolishing "enhanced interrogation techniques."

Guantanamo is still open with no time table for closing. Enhanced interrogation techniques had already ended before he took office.

•Setting a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq.

and thereby telegraphed to our and Iraq's enemies the schedule to do their planning around. And he also essentially lied when he said the combat troops have now been removed.

•Ordering 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and enlisting, with modest new assistance, European allies in a new multi-layered strategy there and in Pakistan, and setting a timetable for a drawdown of our troops.

And contributed to many additional American and Afghanistan deaths by taking most of a year to make the decision. He's not really getting much of a reputation for being decisive is he.

•"Returning science to its rightful place" by lifting the Bush restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.

Which has already been overturned by the Supreme Court this week. He violated the law of the land with an executive order on that.

•Signing laws to expand children's health insurance (financed by a 61-cent per pack increase in the federal cigarette tax the adviser did not tout).

Oh sure. I still have a nice assortment of bridges to sell to anybody who believes a cigarette tax is funding any large entitlement.

•Signing a law meant to improve the ability of women who allege pay discrimination to sue their employer.

Don't look, but all of us have had the right to sue our employers for a very long time now.

•Lifting travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban Americans who seek to travel more frequently to the island and send more US currency to their immediate family.

Not a done deal yet.

Though some congressional aides said the administration is afraid the changes could spark a political backlash and is waiting to announce the policies until after the midterm elections, others told the Times that the announcement will be made before Congress returns from its recess in mid-September.

"These [changes] are not revolutionary," one congressional staffer told the Washington Post. "They're not going to cause political blowback. Because we did all this stuff before," he said, referring to the policies in place in the Clinton era.

Read more: U.S. to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, Obama administration officials say

•Appointed the first Latina to the US Supreme Court

Hmmm. I don't remember that being a priority of this administration. Politically expedient sure. But a priority? No.

•signed a law supporting increased financial aid to severely injured war veterans, and their caretakers.

That also was not a priority of this administration. A good thing if it's for real--that has yet to be determined among this era of pork barrel spending being disguised as 'stimulus', but this Administration has a long way to go to equal the increases in Veteran's benefits initiated by the previous administration.

•Banned offshore drilling until parameters for deep well safety procedures are clarified.

And thereby further devasted the Gulf Coast economy. This is maybe one of the more really stupid things done by this administration.

•Put a hold on Artic oil exploratory digging until environmental impacts are clear.

I guess decades of environmental impact studies for this region were not sufficient. I probably can come up with even a few extra of those bridges for any who believe that the environment was a motive for this.

•Passed health care reform.

Maybe the most unpopular piece of legislation ever to be passed by any administration and one that a substantial majority of Americans want repealed as soon as possible and a substantial majority of the rest of Americans want significantly reformed as soon as possible to remove the most economy killing, freedom destroying, and other onerous components of the bill.

•signed a hate crime bill .

Oh yeah like we needed another hate crime bill or that calling a crime a 'hate crime' somehow makes it worse than any other crime that causes the same injury or damage to another human being. I suppose some people endorse this sort of thing. Others think hate is hate no matter who it is directed at and ALL crime that injures a fellow human is hateful.

BOTTOM LINE: Anybody can see from the poll on this thread and almost all other polls being conducted these days, that the American people want our government to let everything that can wait wait and to focus on those things that will get us back on track, put people back to work in permanent jobs, and start paying down the debt.