Until it hits rock bottom...

Watch these numbers SINK!!!

BUSH'S JOB APPROVAL

Approve
Now
42%
5/2005
46%
5/2004
41%

Disapprove
Now
51%
5/2005
48%
5/2004
52%


Most deliciously:

BUSH'S JOB APPROVALS
Approve
42%
Disapprove
51%


The economy
Approve
39%
Disapprove
56%


Foreign policy
Approve
39%
Disapprove
51%


War in Iraq
Approve
37%
Disapprove
59%


Handling Social Security
Approve
25%
Disapprove
62%


THE MORE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT BUSH'S PROPOSALS...

The more you like them
12%
The less you like them
42%
Views haven't changed
34%
Haven't heard about them
7%


I was right. Oh, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep talking about Social Security!!!

WHICH PARTY WILL MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS ON SOCIAL SECURITY?

Democrats
Now
48%
2/2005
48%
7/2002
49%

Republicans
Now
31%
2/2005
31%
7/2002
30%


SHARES YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE COUNTRY?

Bush
Yes
35%
No
61%

Congress
Yes
19%
No
71%


MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM

Iraq
19%
Economy/jobs
18%
Terrorism
6%
Health care
5%
Social Security
4%
Moral values
4%


ECONOMY IS...

Getting better
18%
Getting worse
36%
Staying the same
45%

Again, it's the economy, stupid!

This is what happens when the VP is the former head of an Oil company.

When the movie The Day After Tomorrow came out, right-wingers were FURIOUS because the evil Vice President guy who refused to hear all warnings from the paleoclimatologist about climate changes looked too much like Dick Cheney.

I say to them, in my best Texan oilman's accent, "ya'll deserve it, and more."

U.S. is trying to weaken the G-8 Climate Plan so that this wonderful planet of ours lasts a little longer than Dubya Bush's presidency.

Under U.S. pressure, negotiators in the past month have agreed to delete language that would detail how rising temperatures are affecting the globe, set ambitious targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions and set stricter environmental standards for World Bank-funded power projects, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. Negotiators met this week in London to work out details of the document, which is slated to be adopted next month at the Group of Eight's annual meeting in Scotland.

Let's go through this piece by piece.

Rising temperatures affecting the globe? Isn't that like something we all learn in the first grade? Ah, maybe you gas-guzzling Americans don't, but in Korea... we do. Well, it's also because there's no oil produced in my lovely native country, so it's almost a good thing that Korea's comparatively small.

Cutting carbon-dioxide emissions. Is this so terrible? I know that much of America, sadly enough, cares more about jobs being shipped overseas by countries trying to escape the pathetic U.S. excuse for environmental laws than the quality of the air. It's like the SNL sketch, when they show the first Idiot Bush describing his achievements, including semi-decent air to breathe.

Setting strict environmental standards on World-bank funded power projects. We're in the 21st century. Digging for oil was soooooooooo 20th century. It's as if we're limiting ourselves to what we can accomplish. Dubya's message then is that we can't make scientific advancements without killing the environment. That we have made impossibly heavy objects (including ourselves) fly, discovered the Internet (or at least Al Gore did), but we can't create power without significant damage to nature. That is bullshit (or bullchip, whichever you prefer). And we all know it. He should know it. (Then again, after reading the first essay in Royce Flippin's The Best American Political Writing 2004, I'm inclined to think that there isn't much that Dubya knows)

Why are we being such pompous jerks when it comes to global environment?

The wording of the international document, titled "Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development," will help determine what, if any, action the G-8 countries will take as a group to combat global warming. Every member nation except the United States has pledged to bring its greenhouse gas emissions down to 1990 levels by 2012 as part of the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair -- who currently heads the G-8 -- is trying to coax the United States into adopting stricter climate controls.

You know, when I first came to this country, I was amazed at the blue skies and pure, white clouds. Then I realized that my port of entry happened to be northern California. Maybe that's why our government is being so arrogant. Oh wait... that's just how they are.

Sounds like something Nixon would take part in

Here we go kids. Another piece of evidence that shows why the war in Iraq is unjustified. It's like the watergate of Britain (Christie gets excited). I'm sure we all heard of the downing street memo. It's a note sent by a fp aide from downing street to all these big important liars who run Britain. Let the controversey begin.

Before I go towards actual content, I'd like to paste the disclaimer the memo had. It's frickin awesome.

This record is extremely sensitive. No further copies should be made. It should be shown only to those with a genuine need to know its contents.

Haha...good job. No further copies made. That's a noble goal.
ooh ooh, and also, the memo fricking explicitly states at the very beginning:

Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.

HA! Bush Sawks!
Moving on...
So here is what we all know

It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran.

Turns out the British wanted a part in this circus. How do they contribute?
Militarily:

The three main options for UK involvement were:
(i) Basing in Diego Garcia and Cyprus, plus three SF squadrons.
(ii) As above, with maritime and air assets in addition.
(iii) As above, plus a land contribution of up to 40,000, perhaps with a discrete role in Northern Iraq entering from Turkey, tying down two Iraqi divisions.

Wow, The British are big bois. I love how option 3 says discrete role.
The British also helped with the "justificiation":

We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would also help with the legal justification for the use of force.

The plot thickens...

The Attorney-General said that the desire for regime change was not a legal base for military action. There were three possible legal bases: self-defence, humanitarian intervention, or UNSC authorisation. The first and second could not be the base in this case. Relying on UNSCR 1205 of three years ago would be difficult. The situation might of course change.
The Prime Minister said that it would make a big difference politically and legally if Saddam refused to allow in the UN inspectors. Regime change and WMD were linked in the sense that it was the regime that was producing the WMD. There were different strategies for dealing with Libya and Iran. If the political context were right, people would support regime change.

The bastards!
Blair and his cronies came up with the idea of having an ultimatum for U.N. inspections! It's shocking! The PM himself, stated that ultimatum was a good idea. What a genius. Force Saddam to refuse and take military action.
The only thing is...this memo got leaked. And nobody (exclusive only to the intelligent, screw the midwest) thinks the war is justified anymore. Go Downing Street Memo. Way to reveal the truth. Blair wanted to make a "big difference politically and legally". Well, he got his wish. Twice. And this second time kind of undermines the first one. Tricky bastards.

Part of the conclusion of the memo:

(c) CDS would send the Prime Minister full details of the proposed military campaign and possible UK contributions by the end of the week.
(d) The Foreign Secretary would send the Prime Minister the background on the UN inspectors, and discreetly work up the ultimatum to Saddam.

Well, so that's that. The British are butts who helped screw over Saddam. Military aide and political lying...i mean planning. political planning. of course. Theres a difference. Somewhere. I think...
You can now add the British to the list of countries that you can't trust. Now France and U.S. won't be so lonely on that list. Good stuff.
Payce