September 15, 2003

Bush and his party are having problems. Generally, the polls show Americans are unhappy with the current situation and believe the nation is on the wrong path. Will the Republicans believe the polls and listen to their constituents?

The GOP mantras of smaller government, tax cuts, jobs and security been a sham. Here are a few things the GOP and their adherents have done to our detriment:

1. Millions of jobs have been lost since Bush took over. This is not good for Republicans because votes are always affected by jobs and the economy. The economy hits home and voters take personally. Senior Bush realized this too late and will junior do the same?

2. Tax cuts have resulted in massive budget deficits of about half trillion dollars which are a burden for future generations.  Republicans have, in a short time trashed our economy to appease wealthy individuals and big corporations at the expense of the middle class. To make things worse they have no concrete ideas about  what to do.

3. Bush has increased government spending by about 20 percent after discounting the tax cuts and the Iraq war. This puts more pressure on the economy. The power of the people is supposed to be at the local level but what we have now is a bigger federal government with a top down system of spending, planning and control that will not work.

4. Bush has increased the participation of companies in the new and bigger war machine. For Iraqi operations in 2004,  this may cost $30 billion. Once contracts are signed and the money given, a permanent relationship is effectively created. In the future, those companies with close political ties,  will demand more contracts and more money. This is could be a permanent drain on the taxpayer.

5. The price tag for Iraq is very high and most Americans think it is too high. After spending about $ 65 billion already, Bush wants at least eighty seven billion more. Most Americans think that money could solve a lot of problems in the US. They are also worried about where that money will come from. There are no answers from the GOP or Bush.

6. There are many problems with Iraq and government credibility. There were no connections between Iraq and al-Qaeda nor were there weapons of mass destruction. The threats were hyped to show Iraq as an imminent threat so a war could begin. This is not a new technique in American politics. Shameful then and it is shameful now.

7. The "War on Terror" is stalled because of the Bush family's close ties with Saudi Arabia. Those ties affect Bush's responses to terrorist threats, especially if it involves Saudi interests which are considerable. For example. the administration turned a blind eye to Saudi terrorist support before 9/11 and continues to do so. It also helped more than 100 Saudis leave the country right after 9/11, many of whom were directly tied to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. Saudi Arabia is a legitimate threat to US interests and no hype would be needed to for an invasion of that corrupt country.


What happens in Congress is dictated by Republicans. Their victory a couple years ago is now tarnished by stupid decisions based on selfish economic and political interests. Though Democrats can be just as incompetent and selfish, the Republican party is in control of the White House and Congress. It is their
fault.

The performance of the Bush administration and the Republican majority in Congress has been poor. The GOP promised leadership and a better way. It hasn't happened.