AM Feed - May 15: Bush to Deploy Troops...Again
Hot Topics
- What is it with President Bush and deploying the troops? Bush, whose policies have stretched the Armed Forces thin and led to recruiting shortfalls, appears set to send the National Guard to the Mexican border as part of a plan to placate the right-wing members of his base. The move has already further strained Bush’s relationship with Mexican President Vicente Fox. The White House has attempted to play down the maneuver, which the president is expected to formally unveil during a nationally televised speech tonight. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-IA) had this to say about the Bush plan: “That’s not the role of our military. That’s not the role of our National Guard. . . . That’s a short-term fix, and I’m not sure that’s a very wise fix.” [link]
- The Valerie Plame leak case has already led to the indictment of Scooter Libby and could possibly ensnare Karl Rove as well – but now it looks like Vice President Cheney could be under scrutiny too. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald plans to use hand-written notes by Cheney as evidence that the vice president and Libby were both well aware of the article written by Plame’s husband that countered the administration’s WMD assertions – and that both Cheney and Libby were interested in responding. [link]
- Closing arguments in the trials of former Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling are scheduled to begin this morning. The jury is expected to begin deliberations sometime on Wednesday. Skilling and Lay are on trial over their roles in the huge flameout at Enron, a bankruptcy so large and devastating that it became the poster case for corporate greed and corruption. Lay, a close friend of President Bush, was often combative during his time on the witness stand. [link]
Quote of the Day
“So, I’m saying today, I was wrong to have voted for George W. Bush. In historic terms, I believe George W. Bush is the worst two-term President in the history of the country. Worse than Grant. I also believe a case can be made that he’s the worst President, period.” – Right-wing radio host Doug McIntyre, offering a mea culpa.
Morning Snark
- Is President Bush counting on some sort of “frequent user” discount when it comes to deploying the troops? Because that’s not really how it works…
Comment
- Bush has gone from “You’re doing a heck of a job, Brownie” to “Stay out of our country, Brownie” with his militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. Will this desperate and mindless thug lash out and accelerate his impotent flailings now that Commisar Rove (AKA Bush’s Brain) has been indicted? This is such blatant racism galavanting around as National Security – if any would-be terrorists wanted to enter this country the path of least resistance is still the U.S. Canada border, more so now that Bush is turning the last remnants of our National Guard into Minutemen.
— John May 15, 12:58 # - fOX IS NOT GOING GOING TO LIKE THE LOSS OF REVENUE IN MEXICO FROM ILLEGAL ALIENS HERE. THIS IS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.
— Lorraine Baldwin May 15, 13:15 # - As an ABB democrat, I’m sure my words will be met with a firestorm of protest by you bloggers out there, but I don’t think the guard idea is untenable. I think National Guardsmen wouldn’t so much mind a deployment INSIDE the US rather than a tour of Iraq. And we must remember these ILLEGAL immigrants are illegal – do you really think we should just open the doors to anyone and everyone? We need to let them in in an orderly fashion as in the past; I know many legal immigrants, and they don’t necessarily think amnesty is good – they had to follow the process and so should these ILLEGAL immigrants is what most are saying to me. No one is saying NO IMMIGRANTS, just NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. As to the purpose of the Nat’l Guard – this deployment is more in line with their purpose than a tour of duty in a foreign country. National Guardsmen guarding our national borders – what’s wrong with that?
— jen May 15, 13:37 # - The Democratic Party is abandoning the last remaining stance that appeals to its various core constituencies, namely defenders of abortion-rights. Even the leadership of the various Women’s Rights and Empowerment groups such as Naral Pro-Choice America are in full-throated girlie-man retreat – witness former NARAL head Kate Michelman’s endorsement of anti-choice Democrat, Bob Casey, in the Pennsylvania Senate race with incumbent regressive Rick “Dog-Sex” Santorum. Rob Kall of OpEdNews.org reminds us that Chuck Pennachio, a very progressive Dem, is in the race too, but, of course, the DNC makes it clear that all Dems in Congress will endorse only incumbent Dems, not challengers in the Democratic primaries. I see the same dynamic shaping up in my neck of the woods too – Marci Winograd, a very appealing progressive and pro-choice candidate, is getting the back of the hand from the corporatists in the DNC because she’s challenging Jane Harman who is pro-war and a staunch defender of Bush’s illegal NSA spying on Americans. Even Babs Lee has been forced to endorse Harman – you remember Babs Lee, the only member of the House of Reps’ 435 members to resist war-fever by voting against the War on Afghanistan. You’d think that since the Dems are running way from defending reproductive choice that the women’s groups would call on huge street demonstrations such as the 1.15 million strong women’s rights march back in the spring of 2004. You’d be wrong – the leadership for women is demoralized and in tattered disarray.
— John May 15, 13:46 # - Hi Jen, I think the corporate elites have you asking the wrong questions – we let capital flow freely across borders, but not people. Capital has more power than people. We must not accept this outrageous premise. The U.S. government stole this land in the Southwest from Mexico in a war of imperialism so who are we to threaten to kill desperate people just trying to find work to avoid starvation? Since the corporate elites refuse to pay living wages for these types of jobs that immigrants do, U.S citizens won’t accept these jobs. These jobs must be filled by somebody. We should focus our efforts on logical and humane trade policy, starting with ditching NAFTA and other FREE Trade agreements and relacing it with FAIR Trade which would enable Mexicans to continue to farm in Mexico instead of being forced to try to find work in the U.S. We should also focus on penalizing corporations that hire undocumented workers rather than the beleaguered workers themselves. Unions should aggressively work to unionize these workers in solidarity against corporate interests that pit workers against other workers.
— John May 15, 14:08 # - Hi Lorraine – I prefer the term “Undocumented Workers” to “Illegal Aliens” – “Illegal Aliens” is such a regressive frame. What image does “alien” conjure up? Invading Creatures from Outer Space. As for calling Mexican workers “Illegal”, well, do we call bank robbers “Illegals” or murderers “Illegals”? No we say they are people who commit illegal acts. Yes Lorraine, Fox is upset, probably because if we militarize our border and it is, to some degree effective (I don’t think it will be) remittances to loved ones back in Mexico will be reduced which will pull down Mexico’s economy. Another unintended consequence of the border wall and militarization of the border wll be that those undocumented workers already here will refrain from seasonally returning to Mexico because border crossings will be seen as too risky and perilous.
— John May 15, 14:23 # - John, indigenous people in South Dakota are alive and kicking on maintaining access to abortions. Cecilia Fire Thunder, President of the Oglala Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota is outraged enough to take action and declare that abortions will be legal and available on the reservation, sovereign territory. Also, Charon Asetoyer (Charon pronounced like Sharon), a Comanche, is running to represent the 21st State Senate District in South Dakota on a strong pro-choice platform. We first peoples care about this issue and will fight to see that Roe v. Wade is not torn asunder.
— Healing Bear May 15, 14:36 # - Thanks for the info, Healing Bear. I had heard of Cecilia Fire Thunder – Bless her Heart – is sticking up for full reproductive rights on her Reservation. I hadn’t heard about Charon Asetoyer though. Is she running on the Democratic Party ticket?
— John May 15, 14:42 # - Have you guys noticed the way Senator John McCain is sucking Jerry Falwell’s ass? He used to refer to falwell as a bigot, an agent of intolerance or something like that. Then there’s Hillary in bed with Rupert Murdoch, one of the main fundraisers for “the vast right-wing conspiracy” which tried to destroy the Clintons in the 90s. I’ve heard that politics makes odd bedfellows but this is beyond the pale!
— Aisha May 15, 14:59 # - I really hear what you are saying, Aisha. It’s as if our entire body politic has had a mental meltdown or gone batshit on our asses. Or they are trying to drive people who follow politics out of their minds, maybe. I was shaking my head a few days ago when Howard Dean announced that no impeachment proceedings were in the offing if Dems ever acquired the wherewithal to initiate it – then Nancy Pelosi confirmed this proclamation. I believe the thinking is that they don’t want to rile up the loony, frothing regressive base to storm the polls in November and hand the Dems another bruising defeat. They are just terrified of the bullies in the regressive camp and since they won’t stand up to them, turnout by Democratic voters will be diminished. They hire the same political consultants election after election that always advocate timidity. Then the elections get stolen anyway. Yes, it is maddening to watch this wretched corporate dance of these two worthless parties.
— John May 15, 15:12 # - Hi Jen,
You have to remember that National Guardsmen cannot speak for themselves: we must try to understand what their issues are so we don’t participate as citizens in their abuse.
1. NG troops were never supposed to be deployed as they’ve been deployed since Reagan, and especially not as they have been in Iraq.
2. NG are not national troops, and they are not full-time. They have important, critical jobs in our communities, most of them being police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and so forth. We can’t afford to lose them.
3. When they’re deployed more than 2 weeks a year for Annual Training, they tend to lose their real jobs. None of them signed up to be poor people in low-tech jobs-with their futures stolen from them-working for the Army.
4. When we do over-deploy the NG, they stop signing up. That’s why Bush is finally beginning to take them out of Iraq (and replace them with Navy sailors unaccustomed to ground war).
5. The NG’s job is not to protect the “homeland” from illegal immigrants. It is to respond to disasters (remember how they weren’t there for Katrina?) and provide crowd control in riot situations. They work for their governors.
6. If you take the point of view that NG on our borders are protecting us from terrorists, you have to station them on the border with Canada, too.
7. Deploying the NG to protect borders is paying for people and their logistical support. It is enormously, incredibly expensive. It’s your taxes.
8. When NG troops leave active deployment with injuries, sicknesses, or an ended tour, they don’t receive full-time soldier benefits. They are then even more dirt-poor and out of work than ever before.
I guarantee you, Georgie is about to break the NG the same way he is breaking the Army. He needs to have his toys taken away from him.
A retired NG soldier,
— Chaya May 15, 15:39 # - Jen, I hear you and totally agree. The National Guard’s purpose is to protect our country. I don’t think we should have ever went to Iraq with troops. I also have to agree with Doug Mcintyre. Bush has to be the worst President we have ever had. John maybe we should choke up on the Capital abit as well and not just from Mexico. John maybe you should give one of the starving people your job.
— scott May 15, 16:33 # - Hi, Scott; the Guards sent to patrol the border would be from the 4 border states and I’m sure when called up, will be happy they’re not going to Iraq. Yes, I think history will agree with Bush having been the worst President in history. I have never felt so absolutely disenfrancised as with this Administration; everything he does is geared to PLAY TO HIS BASE. What about the rest of the country, why can’t he be President to all instead of a select few. I thought the President represented all the people. It’s not all about getting votes but being a good, strong and fair leader. Where the heck do we find such a person????
— jen May 15, 18:15 # - Hi Scott – have you read the words on the Statue of Liberty? Something about giving us your tired & poor who yearn for freedom… You agree that Bush’s policies are terrible then you give a thumbs-up to his latest act which simply plays to his xenophobic base. Read Chaya’s posting above to educate yourself about what the National Guard’s real duties are from someone who was actually in the Guard. Also, do I detect hints of a regressive mind in your race-baiting? Are you trying to instill fear in the good readers of AFV by intimating that our jobs are in jeopardy because the brown hordes are invading our country? Are you a Minuteman?
— John May 16, 10:19 # - This is such a racist country. Look at Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina – nothing but photo ops because the victims were mostly black. NOLA is still a devastated mess and NOTHING is being done about it to this day! Now Bush is pandering to racists by putting troops on our southern border. As an African-American woman, I am just sick of bigotry!!!
— Aisha May 16, 11:21 # - Aisha – it’s entirely possible that an occasional AFV reader like Scott is an agent provocateur dispatched by the America-hating Freepers to troll progressive discussion forums like this one to get we progressives to focus on our differences rather than our similarities in a pathetic attempt to create dissention and disunity. It’s actually a very common practice. The Reactionary Right constantly foments resentment among various groups because if we are at each other’s throats then we are not focusing on their relentless and savage class warfare against us. Divide and Conquer. Aisha, I’m a white dude and want you to know that I care about you and will stand by your side to combat racism anytime, anywhere.
— John May 16, 11:44 # - This may be naive, but I personnally we should expended as much time money and energy discussing WHY the folks have to come to America to earn a living instead of being able to make a living in their own country and WHAT could be done to make it so they don’t have to.
I think we all know the greed of the corporations – the true global government – that is preventing ordianary people from raising produce that they can sell and not have to compete except with their own neigbors instead of the coporations.
In India thousands of small farmers have committed suicide because they can no longer support their families competeing with the corps.
We wouldn’t need border control if they didn’t have a reason to leave their families and their own countries to be able to survive.
— MO May 16, 12:44 # - John, If you just want to open up the US/Mexican border or not watch it and just let anyone come across then why not open up all the borders to everyone? Everyone could work for pennies per hour and everyone would be poor (no middle class to support the country anymore) and then corporate greed could even grow bigger. I’m wondering why I should use my labor to support those who tax the welfare and medical systems and indirectly you and are paying for it. Actually I am not opposed to a guest worker program if it is tightly managed. This would at least require these people be paid a minimum wage and pay tax. I don’t blame anyone for wanting a better life. I do think laws should be upheld and illegal is illegal. I don’t think 12 million people are doing work that we here do not want to do. I think they are doing some work that we do want to do.
— scott May 16, 13:50 #
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