Who's the "flip-flopper" again?

[Karenina]

It's tough to argue with FACTS....

1. Social Security Surplus

BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS... "We're going to
keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding
the Social Security surplus." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/03/20010303.html>]

...BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS The New York Times reported that
"the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay for
other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than
$1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." Times, 2/6/02]

2. North Korea

BUSH WILL NOT OFFER NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM... "We
developed a bold approach under which, if the North addressed our
long-standing concerns, the United States was prepared to take important
steps that would have significantly improved the lives of the North
Korean people. Now that North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program has
come to light, we are unable to pursue this approach." Statement, 11/15/02
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/11/20021115-8.html>]

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFERS NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM"Well, we
will work to take steps to ease their political and economic isolation.
So there would be -- what you would see would be some provisional or
temporary proposals that would only lead to lasting benefit after North
Korea dismantles its nuclear programs. So there would be some
provisional or temporary efforts of that nature." Secretary Scott McClellan, 6/23/04
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040623-6.html>]

3. Abortion

BUSH SUPPORTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE... "Bush said he...favors
leaving up to a woman and her doctor the abortion question." Nation, 6/15/00 <http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20000703&s=corn>,
quoting the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 5/78]

...BUSH OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE "I am pro-life." Bush, 10/3/00 <http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2000a.html>]

4. OPEC

BUSH PROMISES TO FORCE OPEC TO LOWER PRICES... "What I think the
president ought to do is he ought to get on the
phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your
spigots...And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC
members to lower the price." <http://www.cnn.com/transcriptS/0001/26/se.02.html>]

...BUSH REFUSES TO LOBBY OPEC LEADERS With gas prices soaring in the
United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the
president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change
their minds." <http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8332331.htm?ERIGHTS=6206631409609135731miami::[e-mail]&KRD_RM=9ppqsvptqyrwysxvprxvpppppp%7CJudd%7CY>]

5. Iraq Funding

BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004...
"We do not anticipate requesting supplemental funding for '04" House Budget Director Joshua Bolton, 2/2/04
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040202-4.html>]

...BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004 "I am requesting
that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the
coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops." Bush, Statement by President, 5/5/04
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040505-8.html>]

6. Condoleeza Rice Testimony

BUSH SPOKESMAN SAYS RICE WON'T TESTIFY AS 'A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE'...
"Again, this is not her personal preference; this goes back to a matter
of principle. There is a separation of powers issue involved here.
Historically, White House staffers do not testify before legislative
bodies. So it's a matter of principle, not a matter of preference."
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040309-5.html#1>]

...BUSH ORDERS RICE TO TESTIFY: "Today I have informed the Commission on
Terrorist Attacks Against the United States that my National Security
Advisor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, will provide public testimony."
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040330-7.html>]

7. Department of Homeland Security

BUSH OPPOSES THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY..."So, creating a
Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies
within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer
is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020319-7.html#12>]

...BUSH SUPPORTS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY "So tonight, I ask
the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with
an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and
protecting the American people." 6/6/02 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020606-8.html>]

8. Weapons of Mass Destruction

BUSH SAYS WE FOUND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION..."We found the
weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories...for
those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or
banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." Interview in Poland, 5/29/03 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/g8/interview5.html>]

...BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION "David Kay has
found the capacity to produce weapons.And when David Kay goes in and
says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where
the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam
and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They
could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country,
and we'll find out." <http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=28200>]

9. Free Trade

BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE... "I believe strongly that if we promote
trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of
this issue." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020323-13.html>]

...BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE "In a decision largely driven by
his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade
principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help
out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states
crucial for his reelection." <http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A31768-2003Sep18¬Found=true>]

10. Osama Bin Laden

BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE... "I want justice. And there's an old
poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'"
<http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/WTC_MAIN010917.html>]

...BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA "I don't know where he is.You know, I
just don't spend that much time on him... I truly am not that concerned
about him."<http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html>]

11. The Environment

BUSH SUPPORTS MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE... ",
Governor Bush will work to...establish mandatory reduction targets for
emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide,
mercury and carbon dioxide." <http://www.pollutionengineering.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,6649,112373,00.html>]

...BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE "I do not believe,
however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory
emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant'
under the Clean Air Act." (R-NE), 3/13/03
<http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/bush010313.html>]

12. WMD Commission

BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE...
"The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many
Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off
any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports
already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central
Intelligence Agency." <http://www.jsonline.com/news/gen/jan04/203405.asp>]

...BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE
"Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission,
chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence
Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our
intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040206-3.html>]

13. Creation of the 9/11 Commission

BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush
took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his
opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the
government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." 5/23/02 <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/05/15/attack/main509096.shtml>]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION "President Bush
said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to
investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." <http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/homefront020920.html>]

14. Gay marriage

BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE... "The state can do what they
want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're
trying to get me into." Live, 2/15/00 <http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/15/lkl.00.html>]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE "Today I
call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for
ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting
marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." Bush, 2/24/04 <http://atrios.blogspot.com/2004_02_22_atrios_archive.html>]

15. Nation Building

BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING... "If we don't stop extending our troops
all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to
have a serious problem coming down the road." 10/3/00 <http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/debates/transcripts/u221003.html>]

...BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING "We will be changing the regime of
Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030306-8.html>]

16. Saddam/al Qaeda Link

BUSH SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND
SADDAM... "You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you
talk about the war on terror." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020925-1.html>]

...BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT "We've had no evidence
that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." <http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A25571-2003Sep17?language=printer>]

17. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict

BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS... "Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you
may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and
nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the
area." http://slate.msn.com/id/2064471>>

...BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS "If a meeting advances progress toward two
states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a
meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East."
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/23/international/middleeast/23CND-MIDE.html?ex=1080104400&en=35e360062225d97e&ei=5070>]

18. Campaign Finance

BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD... "George W. Bush opposes
McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." Post, 3/28/2000]

...BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW "his bill improves the current
system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed
it into law." 03/27/02 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020327.html>]

[T Wolf]

1. even geniuses flip-flop

In today's Philadelphia Inquirer

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/9352555.htm?1c

there is a great LttE from Elizabeth H. Ostrander (want to give this woman credit) about how Stephen Hawking has "flip-flopped" on his theory about black holes. She goes on to say how intelligent, thoughtful people sometimes do change their minds in the face of changing information - something our asshole-in-chief is totally unfamiliar with.

She makes the point the John Kerry makes considered, informed choices while Georgie-Boy sticks to his original thought (if he actually has any) no matter what reality says.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. Good post to bookmark

thanks

[cynatnite]

3. Can I use this? nm

Cyn:)

[Karenina]

4. Please do.

:-) Hope it helps.

[Tansy_Gold]

5. Original here

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=42263

[Karenina]

6. Thanks for the attribution, TG!

:hi: It arrived per e-mail without a link.

But LOOKEE HERE! Found ANOTHER ONE on LBN. The *guy never quits. :eyes:

Bush Offers Contradictory Argument On Taxes, Deficit (Dow Jones)

By Alex Keto, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES


For the first time, President George W. Bush said Monday the three rounds of tax cuts he pushed through Congress helped to widen the federal government's deficits, but, paradoxically, he then argued these same tax cuts are boosting federal revenues. ..

Despite the role the tax cuts played in pushing the deficit higher, Bush said he continues to believe the tax cuts "are working and we don't need to run up taxes."

However a few minutes later, Bush revised his comments and said the tax cuts are boosting government revenues.

"The tax relief helped us generate more revenues," Bush said. He defended this stance by saying the economy is currently on an upswing.

"The economy is getting stronger. When the economy strengthens, more revenues come in," Bush said.

The president backed up his assertion by pointing to the latest budget forecasts which show the deficit narrowing somewhat.

In July, the Office of Management and Budget issued its updated forecast for the budget and predicted the fiscal year 2004 budget deficit will total $445 billion, down from its February projection that the deficit would be $521 billion.

Either figure would be a record deficit in absolute terms.

[Tansy_Gold]

7. You're quite welcome, Karenina!

The latest edition on the website contains additions since the original circulation a week or so ago.

And there are always more to be found. I came across one that undoubtedly flew under the radar. The story was in Mother Jones a couple months ago, about a group of teachers who were murdered in Indonesia. Indonesian troops were suspected and the widow of one of the victims came back to the US to lobby against military aid to Indonesia until a full investigation was carried out. boosh pressured various members of congress to pass the measure and made a big announcement, but the widow heard about it and made a big stink, forcing boosh to retract.

I ought to send it to Center for American Progress! Even though it's a small issue that probably not many would pay attention to, it's just another flip flop on the flat footed boosh administration!

[Karenina]

8. I tell you, the chutzpah is stunning.

Didn't we all memorize the caveat about people living in glass houses? A memory just bubbled up about a kid center *dimson visited in the Pacific Northwest some while back... He hugged the kids PRAISED the success of the program and CUT THEIR FUNDING the next day.

[hippiegranny]

9. awesome list

thanks for your hard work.

[Karenina]

10. Well I wouldn't reall call cut and paste

"hard work" ;-) (See post #5 for proper attribution). But folks NEED every bit of ammo that can be provided, eh? These *creeps GOTTA GO!!!