SwimFinsSF

No Child Un-Recruited

I was listening to NPR this morning and they had a piece on military recruiting in High School. Apparently one of the provisions for funding in the ‘No Child Left Behind’ act was that, for schools to get funding available, they had to provide the military with contact information for all juniors and seniors. There is the ability for parents to ‘opt out’ but the means for communicating this is often obscure or unavailable.

The justification that the government / military uses for this is that it allows the armed forces to be on a level playing field with schools and businesses trying to recruit from high school… WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT… The University of Colorado doesn’t have right to recruiting lists of all high school students. And the fact that this kind of recruiting is tied to funding for education is reprehensible. Very typical for the current administration though..

Uggg.. Pisses me off… Wow.. I guess I’m kind of spun up today huh? 😉

Bush Stumbles make me Giggle

You’d think after the last debate where the President mocked Kerry for insinuating that he owned a lumber company only for it to come out that he disclosed just such a thing on his tax form

This time was just about as fun.. This time, when John Kerry pointed out that Bush had said that he wasn’t very concerned about Bin Laden any more, Bush said “Gosh, I just don’t think I ever said I’m not worried about Osama bin Laden. It’s kind of one of those exaggerations.”… Well guess what i found on the White House’s web site:

Q But don’t you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won’t truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as I say, we haven’t heard much from him. And I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don’t know where he is. I — I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.

Funny… But I think it says right there “I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. ” I can just see his advisors sitting in the other room watching him talk screaming ‘DOHHHH…”

I think the President really should get out of the habit of correcting other people’s quotes cuz it seems he’s been wrong in some pretty unfortunate situations..

Just makes me giggle and I had to share!! 🙂

World on Fire

This is kinda interesting – interesting point and good tunes too boot! Make sure to watch – not just listen! 🙂

An important issue

Now THIS is the kind of thing I actually like hearing in the press:

Kerry Rips Bush Over Assault Weapons Law

WASHINGTON Sept. 13, 2004 — Democratic Sen. John Kerry on Monday accused President Bush of ducking his responsibility to protect the country from crime and terrorism by allowing a national assault weapons ban to expire.

This is the kind of issue I LIKE hearing about when it comes to this campaign. Forget their vietnam history – I’ve heard enough about that. The fact that Kerry would support an assault wepans ban and Bush chooses the gun lobby over national security is very telling. Which candidate really cares about my security? Seems its not the President.

And I’ve heard the argument that ‘the people who want ’em will get ’em anyway’ and, quite frankly, its a bull shit argument. While they might still be able to get them is there really any valid argument to be made for making it more difficult? And what valid justification can there be people to use this class of weapon for hunting or self defense.. Its just crap.

Anyway… Go Kerry! 🙂

Happy Monday! 🙂

So he didn’t fly

Ok folks… c’mon… give it a rest… We KNOW already.. Bush wasn’t a war hero. He didn’t really even show up. I’ve got the message and its not the point. There is PLENTY about what the man is doing now for us to be scared shitless of. The fact that he was a flake in vietnam is only mildly relevant to me today – I think the media has beaten this dead horse..

😉

Zell Miller and the GOP

On the way in to work today my carpool buddy talked about a Democrat that spoke at the GOP convention this week.. I had missed that and was really interested to see what it was all about and what would cause a member of my party to support the President. So over lunch I did a little digging around and found out that the comments were those of Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia… Upon further digging I found this interesting article on Slate. Most interesting was this paragraph:

…
Since then Miller has supported Bush on virtually every major Senate vote: No Child Left Behind, drilling for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, the Patriot Act, the GOP Homeland Security Department plan, the Iraq war, and a partial-birth abortion ban. Two years ago, he stopped caucusing with Democrats and now meets each week with Senate Republicans. More than that, Miller churns out more elaborate anti-liberal invective than most actual Republicans. Earlier this year he published A National Party No More, a long indictment of effete Democratic values and the party’s subservience to groups like NARAL and the trial lawyers. During the Democratic Convention last month, Miller agreed to be a member of a Republican National Committee “truth squad.” And while just three years ago Miller praised John Kerry as “one of this nation’s most authentic heroes, one of this party’s best-known and greatest leaders, and a good friend,” today he belittles Kerry as “so out of touch with the average American it would be comical if it were not so dangerous.”
…

I also found this interesting tidbit on Vote-Smart.org:

All very interesting… And, quite frankly, if the party has drifted away from the ‘middle’ that Zell referrs to toward a more ‘Dean-Gore-Pelosi-Sharpton-Kerry’ bent then THANK GOD for that… And if he still wants to be a part of a party that has drifted away from his ideals as a political tool more power to him – the party is open to any American who chooses to join. I just hope that when he speaks at events like this as a representative of the Democratic Party that people see him for who he is.