2006 August 30 | Hanlon's Razor

Bush ready for speeches, polls in the toilet

By Hanlon, on August 30th, 2006 at 10:27 PM

Hoo boy. Let’s see how this goes. Bush is apparently noticing that the public at large is still not behind his wars, so he’s going to go around making speeches to rally support.

“At the American Legion annual meeting, the president will put the violence that Americans are seeing on their TV screens and reading in their papers into a larger context,” [deputy Press Secretary Dana] Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Arkansas for a political event. “He will acknowledge that these are unsettling times in Iraq, in Lebanon and the unsettling news about the foiled terror plot out of London.”

They mention the word “impatience”. We’re not impatient. We’re just mad. “Impatient” suggests that we supported it for a while and it’s the length of time that’s causing lowered support. The lowered support is because people are starting to see what this war is all about and what it isn’t about.

Of course, I can understand his panic. With 1/3 of the country supporting him, and likely that same 1/3 being the only ones who approve of how he’s handling Iraq, he needs to get out there and do all he can to improve the situation. Except, y’know, improve the situation.

Bill Frist: liar or stupid?

By Hanlon, on August 30th, 2006 at 04:05 PM

Well done! Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is often touted as a doctor, holding an MD and such. He brought this to the light during the Terri Schiavo case, where he made an amazing diagnosis just by seeing a video of her (which turned out to be wrong, of course).

Oh there’s a problem, though. He lied on the paperwork necessary to keep his license.

Tennessee requires its licensed physicians to complete 40 hours of continuing medical education every two years. Frist, a heart-lung surgeon who is considering a 2008 presidential run, submitted a license renewal with the Tennessee Health Department stating he has fulfilled that requirement.

Wuh-oh. But wait, there’s more!

A renewal application Frist filed with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners in February of this year specifically mentions the continuing education requirement and was signed on his behalf by his accountant.

Lehigh said Frist may have been unaware of the change.

Way to go, Billy. Either you consciously lied on the application or you aren’t bright enough to actually read and sign it yourself.

[tags]bill frist, doctor, medicine, senate[/tags]

Post-9/11 progress in the US

By Hanlon, on August 30th, 2006 at 03:53 PM

There are two events that define the Bush Reign: 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. While people use Katrina to prove Bush’s incompetence, 9/11 is often pointed to as his triumph. His strength in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Is said praise apt? According to a 9/11 commissioner: no, it’s not.

Lehman says reforms to the FBI have not yielded an organization capable of stopping the “Islamist infrastructure” in the United States, which he says is largely supported — unchallenged by the U.S. government — by Saudi money.

“Five years after 9/11, nothing has been done to materially affect this root source of jihadism,” he writes.

This point I agree with. As I dug up before, the Saudis are the greatest exporter of terrorism, yet so much focus is on Iraq. He then says we should stop giving human rights to prisoners we take in this war of sorts, which would be a true statement if there were any way to affirm that they’re actually enemy combatants.

[tags]terrorism, war, 9/11[/tags]

Open thread 8/29

By Hanlon, on August 30th, 2006 at 03:56 AM

Tell me a story. What did you do to “celebrate” the anniversary of Katrina?

Subpoenas may be coming to the White House

By Hanlon, on August 30th, 2006 at 01:13 AM

Oh lordy how I hope this is true. Two lawyers who are taking on the case concerning Bush’s unconstitutional spying program are going to bring the law suit right onto Pennsylvania Avenue.

Bruce Afran and Carl Mayer, who say they represent hundreds of plaintiffs in lawsuits against Verizon, AT&T, and the US Government, will announnce today that they are serving both the Bush administration and Verizon with subpoenas.

They were supposed to be delivered by 4:30 today, and it’s nearly five hours past that, but maybe something came up. I would really, really hate to watch what could be the best thing to happen to this nation go disappear in the fog. Cross your fingers, folks.

[tags]spying, bush, crime, aclu, nsa[/tags]