“In a nutshell, this administration plain scorns the intelligence of the American people, preferring to govern by fear rather than by reason.”

This says it – in a nutshell. Thank you for this.

Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton didn’t lack in confidence in this area. Ford and Carter weren’t self-aware enough to lack confidence. Nixon… well that’s a whole ‘nother subject. And Bush I was just, well, just, ah, shit, words fail me at the moment.

We need transparency. Good ideas and motives aren’t afraid about the glaring light of day.

I’m pretty sure they didn’t do it in large numbers, but I’m sure some of them did it. I knew a number of Communists in my day who said that they often wondered what it would take to get the American people to be shaken out of their unconscious stupor. I don’t doubt that with the large number of people who believe this that it has to be true to some extent.

Well, surely they knew the true path to enlightment for the masses was to put LSD in the resevoirs.

One has only to listen to the William Shatner version of `Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ to realize what an awakening that would have

been.

When you can show me that the LAT is willing to ask and probe as to the truth about why Kerry did NOT sign Form 180, maybe you’ll have a better point. Notice on the first debate, ALL the questions were implicitly against Bush, not one was a question about the alternative.

In the press conferences he has given, the press has been pretty insistent on questions of the form; “given this mistake, shouldn’t you apologize”… blah blah.

You fall into this trap yourself:

“As to the administration’s utter failure in Iraq”

Less than 2500 Americans have died, and in less than two years Iraq has had the most free election of any Islamic Arab country.

Clinton was an utter failure in foreign policy — Bush has been pretty OK; his Iraq policy has been spetacular.

Be happy about Iraq.

Be unhappy he, and the UN, and the EU, are allowing genocide in Sudan. THERE is an “utter failure” of the world — worse, in slow motion, than Rwanda. Of course, Bush is the most honest about calling it genocide, the others follow a “talk first, then more talk, then more talk … (17 times)… then apologize (too late!)”.

A new study commissioned by the Knight Foundation (Knight-Ridder) finds that a third of high school students thinks the First Amendment goes too far. Half believe the government can censor the Internet. Only 68% believe the government should not be able to restrict controversial speech.

What are these kids learning in civics classes? What does this say about their own parents views on these issues?

This does not bode well for the future of our democracy.

Well, I wrote Bush a letter and he never answered it. Should I be offended and outraged? Give me a break.

The LA Times isn’t entitled to any more special treatment than other publications. Based upon its track record of twisting information to suit its liberal agenda, I would not reward the paper with an exclusive interview; and, I think that our President can do better things with his time.

I have no problem of obtaining enough news from the White House as it is.

This is only worth discussing by people who already hate Bush, so count this posts as 1 through 3.

> public scrutiny and accountability.

> If you think THAT is a good idea—then you

> really should consider moving to Pyongyang

Marc, this nakedly surrenders the responsibility of the press to do their job. If Dubya was really pulling a fast one this way –and I’ve never heard anyone outside of media circles complain about it– the press could strike back by DOING THEIR JOBS. OF course, many dollars could be shaved in shoe leather, and many beads of sweat could stay off the foreheads of reporters, if they could simply walk up to people in public life and demand concilliatory rhetoric and insight. That’s not going to happen. Our political system is built on competition and contention. The greater problem for a properly contrary press is that they can’t seem to find the energy, or the angles, that will make this administration’s sins apparent to their readership.

The failure is much their own.

“Two years ago, an unnamed Bush aide told Suskind, “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors … and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”"

Speaks volumes.

/sarcasm

And is black the new black, or is it black? Vogue magazine – fashion fascists down to the last scrap of Prada.

*From an unnamed Bush aide.

When you have run out of Hitler references for the GOP, and Kim Jong Il just doesn’t do it for you: “Bush: Klingon warlord.”

Ok, sorry. Having fun. He should give an interview to the LA Times. If a softly lit, starry eyed interview with Sean Hannity is on the cards, then anything should be possible.

No, that’s Cheney.

The fact that the press asks difficult questions or criticizes the president does not justify shutting the offending reporter’s access down. The president should be able to handle it. He is, after all, serving the people, we hope.

When you can show me that the LAT is willing to ask and probe as to the truth about why Kerry did NOT sign Form 180, maybe you’ll have a better point. Notice on the first debate, ALL the questions were implicitly against Bush, not one was a question about the alternative.

In the press conferences he has given, the press has been pretty insistent on questions of the form; “given this mistake, shouldn’t you apologize”… blah blah.

You fall into this trap yourself:

“As to the administration’s utter failure in Iraq”

Less than 2500 Americans have died, and in less than two years Iraq has had the most free election of any Islamic Arab country.

Clinton was an utter failure in foreign policy — Bush has been pretty OK; his Iraq policy has been spetacular.

Be happy about Iraq.

Be unhappy he, and the UN, and the EU, are allowing genocide in Sudan. THERE is an “utter failure” of the world — worse, in slow motion, than Rwanda. Of course, Bush is the most honest about calling it genocide, the others follow a “talk first, then more talk, then more talk … (17 times)… then apologize (too late!)”.