Let's Play the Bush Hypocrisy Game

[Gangster_Octopus]

This game is called, find as much evidence of hypocrisy in this Bush campaign statement

http://www.georgewbush.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=3988

On November the 2nd, the people of America will reject the politics of fear and vote for an agenda of hope and opportunity and security.

I’ll start:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=19&u=/ap/campaign_ads

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites)'s campaign suggests the country would be vulnerable to terrorists under a John Kerry (news - web sites) presidency in a TV ad that shows prowling wolves in a forest and says “weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.”

[Lord_Ashtar]

Oh, wow. Another Bush-bashing thread. I guess this one, this one, this one, and this one aren’t enough to have on the front page of the Pit at once.

[World_Eater]

Looks like the site is glitching.

I can find the exact quotes, but during campaign 2000 he was totally against nation buidling, and now he’s talking about “spreading liberty” around the world.

[NurseCarmen]

@Lord Ashtar

Oh, wow. Another Bush-bashing thread. I guess this one, this one, this one, and this one aren’t enough to have on the front page of the Pit at once.

Well, really, we should take the whole page. The guy gives out a lot of material to work with.

[tdn]

@Lord Ashtar

Oh, wow. Another Bush-bashing thread.

We’d put up as many Bush-bashing threads as are warranted, but there just isn’t enough bandwidth in the known universe.

How about when Bush said (I’m paraphrasing) “I don’t know where Osama bin Laden is, and frankly I just don’t care”, then denied having said it during a debate? Does that count?

[andros]

And does anyone truly think that, say, Senator Kerry is not a hypocrite.

Come on, people. We’re all reasonably bright here. We all know how to tell when a politician is lying . . .

[tdn]

@andros

Come on, people. We’re all reasonably bright here. We all know how to tell when a politician is lying . . .

Uh, I don’t. Does it have anything to do with when he’s breathing? Or when his mouth is open? Ooh ohh, I know! When he has a pulse!

What do I win?

[andros]

Your choice of a fine selection of SDMB[sup]TM[/sup] Smilies!

[rjung]

@andros

And does anyone truly think that, say, Senator Kerry is not a hypocrite.

I dunno, have you found any actual examples of Kerry-hypocrisy?

[andros]

Well, not to get into it with you, but I find it quite hypocritical for him to have said in campaign speeches that he “defended his country” during Vietnam when he told Congress in 1971 that he felt the war was unnecessary to the defense of the country.

[Stratocaster]

@rjung

I dunno, have you found any actual examples of Kerry-hypocrisy?

Ooh! Ooh! Call on me!

How’s about…bearing responsibility for a campaign that accuses Bush of playing on people’s fears, while simultaneously warning people of Bush’s plans for a draft and to reduce SS benefits?

What do I win?

[MrFantsyPants]

Can I call bullshit on these two?

@andros

I find it quite hypocritical for him to have said in campaign speeches that he “defended his country” during Vietnam when he told Congress in 1971 that he felt the war was unnecessary to the defense of the country.

weak, weak, weak. You could easily argue he was there defending his fellow countrymen, but felt the war was unnecessary to defend the country. Or maybe he went to defend his country, but in the course of it discovered the pointlessness of it. try again.

@Stratocaster

How’s about…bearing responsibility for a campaign that accuses Bush of playing on people’s fears, while simultaneously warning people of Bush’s plans for a draft and to reduce SS benefits?

Bush: “vote for me, or the terrorists will attack!”
Kerry: “Vote for me 'cause bush is planning to reinstate the draft, and reduce your social security”

Well, okay, they’re kinda similar, but Bush has no idea what the terrorists will do in response to an outcome. He believes that terrorists will not attack a strong country. That’s asinine. Meanwhile there have been many indications that a draft is in the works by the Bush Admin, and the SS stuff, I know not about, so I won’t comment.

[Revtim]

@Lord Ashtar

Oh, wow. Another Bush-bashing thread. I guess this one, this one, this one, and this one aren’t enough to have on the front page of the Pit at once.

Everybody today kept telling my I had a smudge on face. It got really annoying, a LOT of people kept making this claim. Almost everybody I talked to.

Of course, they had to be just stupid and wrong, I just can’t believe I had a smudge on my face. I wish these crazy people would just shut up.

[wolf_meister]

Our Commander In Chief speaks:
“weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.”

Oh, and what strength of character he showed during the Vietnam War - keeping the shores of Texas secure form out nation’s enemies.

[SteveG1]

@wolf_meister

Our Commander In Chief speaks:
“weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.”

Oh, and what strength of character he showed during the Vietnam War - keeping the shores of Texas secure form out nation’s enemies.

Well, to be fair when I lived in Fort Worth, I never saw any wolves roaming the streets

[rjung]

@Stratocaster

How’s about…bearing responsibility for a campaign that accuses Bush of playing on people’s fears, while simultaneously warning people of Bush’s plans for a draft and to reduce SS benefits?

Kinda stretching the definition of “hypocrisy” there. A better example would be Bush accusing Kerry of running a campaign of “shameless scare tactics,” then Cheney claims that Kerry can’t stop terrorists with nuclear bombs.

In any event, it’s not just Kerry who’s claiming to see signs that Bush will reinstate a draft:

“Although Pentagon puff artists insist they’re making quota, recruiters are already saying it would be easier to find $100 bills on the sidewalk outside a homeless shelter than fill their enlistment quotas, even with the huge bonuses now being paid. So the draft – which will include both boys and girls this time around – is a no-brainer in '05 and '06.”
–Col. David Hackworth (ret.), most decorated US soldier of the Vietnam war, October 4, 2004.

“The chief of the U.S. Selective Service System has proposed registering women for the military draft and requiring that young Americans regularly inform the government about whether they have training in niche specialties needed in the armed services. The proposal, which the agency’s acting director Lewis Brodsky presented to senior Pentagon officials just before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, also seeks to extend the age of draft registration to 34, up from 25.”
–Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 1, 2004

“The US military may run out of national guard and reserve troops for the war on terrorism because of existing limits on involuntary mobilizations.”
–Congressional General Accounting Office, September 2004

As for social security, let’s just say that Bush’s track record for veracity speaks for itself…

[andros]

@MrFantsyPants

weak, weak, weak. You could easily argue he was there defending his fellow countrymen, but felt the war was unnecessary to defend the country. Or maybe he went to defend his country, but in the course of it discovered the pointlessness of it. try again.

To be honest, I don’t give a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut if you find it weak. I clearly said it was my opinion.

It is simply not a tenable position, IMO, to claim service in an immoral war as a positive attribute in a campaign.

[Stratocaster]

@rjung

As for social security, let’s just say that Bush’s track record for veracity speaks for itself…

Not sure what your point is here. Are you saying that since you consider Bush dishonest, it’s OK to make false claims that his administration would make the suicidal decision (for any future Pubbie administration) to reduce SS benefits? Or are you saying that since we can’t believe Bush, we can accuse him of anything and his denial can be dismissed out of hand? (“Sure, Bush says he doesn’t cook babies and serve them as appetizers at White House functions, but he’s full of shit on everything else…”)

BTW, this SS canard gets trotted out just about every election, doesn’t it? I believe it was a scare tactic in 2000 as well. So, do you concede that this is hypocritical, even if it’s hypocrisy of a lesser degree as you seem to think?

And although anything’s possible–anything–a draft is damned unlikely, and Kerry knows this. Snopes, for example, considers a draft unlikely (certainly a 2005 draft):

While many in the military support conscription on the grounds of social equity or national service, nearly all professional soldiers think that bringing back the draft now would reduce the quality of the military, while driving up its cost.

“The draft would be the Army’s worst nightmare,” said retired Lt. Col. Leonard Wong, now a research professor at the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. “We have a high quality Army because we have people who want to be in it. Our volunteer force is really a professional force. You can’t draft people into a profession.”

A fundamental problem with a draft today, experts say, is that the historic two-year period of conscription isn’t enough time to get a return on the investment in training that modern soldiers require. “There’s just too much equipment [draftees] could break,” Pike said.

A related problem: the cost of feeding, clothing, training and paying a large influx of unskilled personnel would gobble up funds the military needs for other purposes.

“We’re a personnel-based institution,” Wong said. “If we have a lot more people walking in the door, it would suck up all of our resources.”

BTW, you understand that only Congress can install a draft, right? If so, you might want to point that out to Honest John, so he can be sure to vote against it when he resumes his senatorial duties.

[Ludovic]

@SteveG1

Well, to be fair when I lived in Fort Worth, I never saw any wolves roaming the streets

That wasn’t Bush…it was the panthers

[Clothahump]

@Lord Ashtar

Oh, wow. Another Bush-bashing thread. I guess this one, this one, this one, and this one aren’t enough to have on the front page of the Pit at once.

Don’t be so hard on them. If they weren’t wasting their time and ours starting Bush bashing threads, they’d probably be sending out spam for penis extenstion. If we ignore them, perhaps they’ll get bored and go back to molesting squirrels in the park.