The Weekly Rewind

Hello fellow politicos, it’s me Scott, back in the trenches, fighting the good fight. The past few months, ok basically all of 2006 have been interesting for me. I won’t bore you with the details.

“Big Brother” has kept me from having access to the blog and posting. Never the less, be assured I have been here all along in the background, collaborating with my good friend Kemp on many of the various posts and weekly rantings that you all know and love, adding my two cents to the snarky banter that is The “Bush”-Whacked Administration, or as we like to call it TBWA.

I would like to thank Kemp for running with the postings for all these months and for always keeping me in the loop and asking my thoughts on a myriad of issues to include in our postings. He is the best friend a guy could ask for. A tip of the hat to you my friend. Thanks for having my back.

Alright let’s get down to business! We are here to point out the good, the bad, and the ever so present ugly that is the life and times of The “Bush”-Whacked Administration, in what we like to call, The Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: to blowing your military load (aka: Premature Troop Ejacu..err Exhaustion). According to military documents and interviews conducted or reviews Associated Press, military documents and interviews The Army has nearly exhausted its fighting force and its options if the Bush administration decides to extend the Iraq buildup beyond next spring. The Army’s 38 available combat units are already mobilized, leaving no fresh troops to replace five extra brigades that Bush sent to Baghdad this year. Ok, not only did we piss poorly plan this from the inception, obviously no one has had a light bulb moment along the way, what’s next? Somehow I don’t want to know…

Applaud: to at least talking about moving in the right direction. U.S. military officials are narrowing the range of Iraq strategy options and appear to be focusing on reducing the U.S. combat role in 2008 while increasing training of Iraqi forces. Gee could it be due to the fact that we are due to run out of fresh troops ??? It’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form.

Applaud: to standing up for your principles. The American Psychological Association, the nation’s largest group of psychologists, voted to restrict members from taking part in interrogations at U.S. military prisons that involve “any of more than a dozen specific practices, including sleep deprivation and forced nakedness.” The APA voted against a broader proposal to ban involvement in any interrogations that lack adequate human rights protections. Nice effort guys, but somehow I don’t think the Pentagon is losing any sleep over this…

Heckle: to the never ending story. This past Monday at 2:30 was the deadline for the White House to turn over materials regarding the National Security Agency’s eavesdropping program to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Even though the White House already received an extension from the original July 18 deadline, White House counsel Fred Fielding had stated that the administration will also miss Monday’s date. You know, somehow it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to delay turning over materials until January 19, 2009!

Heckle: to color me not surprised. Vice President Cheney’s office responded separately from the White House to a Senate subpoena for documents on warrantless wiretapping. The response from the vice president was more surprising, because the White House was believed to have abandoned the argument that Cheney is a hybrid entity with both executive and legislative powers. Not surprising from the ‘Man who would be King’.

Heckle: to distorting the economy and having your own report biting you in the ass. The NY Times reported Americans earned a smaller average income in 2005 than in 2000, the fifth consecutive year that the average income was less than pre-Bush levels. Incomes have been on the rise since 2002, but the growth in total incomes was concentrated among those making more than $1 million while more people were dividing up the national income pie. Wow, imagine that, income rising for the elite and distorting the national picture. Once again, so hard to express sarcasm in the written form..

Heckle: to a crisis that needs to be addressed now. Members of the National Guard are just as likely as active duty soldiers to develop post-traumatic stress after leaving Iraq. Guard members who have had “deployment-linked money trouble,” which affects approximately 26 percent of the soldiers, are six times more likely to have mental-health problems. Ok, Congress and the Pentagon need to put politics aside and petty bickering aside and act now before the situation worsens!

Heckle: This is not a surprise anyone. A White House manual released recently discloses extensive instructions given to White House staffers in the art of “deterring potential protestors” from Bush’s public appearances. The manual demonstrates “that the White House has a policy of excluding and/or attempting to squelch dissenting viewpoints from presidential events,” said ACLU lawyer Jonathan Miller. Wow, imagine the administration teaching people to ‘quash’ opposing viewpoints. I am shocked.. shocked I tell you, to find gambling in this establishment.

Heckle: to President Bush, usually on pirnciples alone. However, as someone who avoided military duty in Vietnam, he is now ready to open a new theme in support of sticking with the battle of Iraq today by warning Iraq critics against committing the errors of Vietnam. Applaud to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who responded that “the fundamental difference” between the conflicts is that Bush generated support for “the invasion of Iraq under false pretenses.” Thanks Senator, I am glad that someone other than the american public is stepping up to the plate and calling out our war ‘dodging’ commander in chief.

Heckle: The Bush administration plans to screen thousands of people who work with charities and nonprofit organizations that receive U.S. Agency for International Development funds to ensure they are not connected with individuals or groups associated with terrorism. But the government does not intend to tell groups deemed unacceptable why they are rejected. Yeah because the the Salvation Army is what… an Army? And terrorists are just itching to get their hands on $2 used Docker shorts which would endanger the supply of donated articles to the general public. What’s next, screening everyone who works at 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts for explosive custard filling? How about putting those dollars to work screening cargo coming into the nations mostly unprotected ports.

At Lastly….. The United States’ largest and costliest embassy, a heavily fortified compound in Baghdad with its own power plant and lighted softball field, is on track to be completed next month, on time and within budget. But remember we do not intend to be an occupying Army, nor have a substantial presence after ‘success is achieved’.

Well that's it for this week folks. It’s good to be back. Till next time…

Be good, stay informed….later.