Archives: August, 2005

Bush Diverted Levee-Building Funds to Iraq War, Tax Cuts
Jon Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain.
Repair and maintenance of the fortress-like system of levees around New Orleans has been a fact of life there for decades. The levees themselves are [...]

Rightwingers Blame Americans for Hurricane Destruction
Jon Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

Why do rightwingers blame America first for natural disasters?
A group called Columbia Christians for Life sent out the following email:
The image of the hurricane above with its eye already ashore at 12:32 PM Monday, August 29 looks like a fetus (unborn human baby) facing to the left (west) in the womb, in the early [...]

East Coast Stations Run Out of Gas
Jon Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

For the first time since the 1970’s, gas stations in North Carolina are out of gas, and shortages have pushed the cost up to $3.00 per gallon – just in time for the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Gov. Mike Easley urged citizens to conserve on gas because supplies are dwindling. He said that two major [...]

Flashlight, Batteries, Bottled Water, Hurricane Condom
Trish Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

We could all use some humor right about now, and this appears to be legit. The father of a Florida Atlantic University student is upset because his son received a condom in the hurricane supplies issued by the school in preparation for Katrina.
Palm Beach Post:
As Hurricane Katrina swirled toward Boca Raton, freshman John Lehman, 18, [...]

Iraq War More Expensive than WWI, Catching Up on Korea
Buck Banks | Aug. 31, 2005

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting article that compares the cost of the war in Iraq to that of other wars of the last century. The conclusion — it’s really expensive!
With 140,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the conflict already has cost every American at least $850 in military and reconstruction costs since October [...]

Topics: Politics

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Bush Will Likely Face Increasing Opposition to the War
Buck Banks | Aug. 31, 2005

“The worsening of the situation in Iraq is the most pressing issue for Bush and the GOP. For a month or two, there has been a theory circulating among those that watch polls that the American public can be broken down into four distinct groups: those that have always been against the war; those who [...]

Topics: Iraq, Politics

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Why Weren’t the Levees Reinforced Yesterday?
Jon Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

Harry Shearer at the Huffington Post:
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin just told WWL TV in New Orleans that the project to fill the breach in the 17th St Canal flood wall with sandbags didn’t fail — the sandbags were never tried. Nagin suggested that, after repairing the breach had been made the top priority in [...]

Topics: Hurricane Katrina, Politics

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Graphics of New Orleans Levees, Rivers and Lakes
Jon Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

For Larger View CLICK HERE

katrina

Topics: Hurricane Katrina, Politics

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Poll: Another New Low for President Bush
Jon Ponder | Aug. 31, 2005

The new Washington Post-ABC poll found that President George Bush’s job approval rating is at 45 percent, down seven points since January and the lowest ever recorded for the president in Post-ABC surveys. Fifty-three percent disapproved of the job Bush is doing.
We hate to sound like a broken record but these numbers are still [...]

Topics: Election Coverage, Politics

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Flashback: Bush Cuts Vacation Short to Intervene in Schiavo Case
Jon Ponder | Aug. 30, 2005

“Everyone recognizes that time is important here,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. “This is about defending life.”
If politics and ideology are at stake, President Bush will cut short his vacation – immediately, as he did on March 19, 2005:
President Bush is changing his schedule to return to the White House on [...]

Topics: Hurricane Katrina, Impeachment, Politics

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