Dback Jon

Enjoy

George W Bush and the Real State of the Union
Today the President gives his annual address. As the election battle begins, how does his first term add up?



232: Number of American combat deaths in Iraq between May 2003 and January 2004

501: Number of American servicemen to die in Iraq from the beginning of the war - so far

0: Number of American combat deaths in Germany after the Nazi surrender to the Allies in May 1945

0: Number of coffins of dead soldiers returning home from Iraq that the Bush administration has allowed to be photographed

0: Number of funerals or memorials that President Bush has attended for soldiers killed in Iraq

100: Number of fund-raisers attended by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney in 2003

13: Number of meetings between Bush and Tony Blair since he became President

10 million: Estimated number of people worldwide who took to the streets in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, setting an all-time record for simultaneous protest

2: Number of nations that Bush has attacked and taken over since coming into the White House

9.2: Average number of American soldiers wounded in Iraq each day since the invasion in March last year

1.6: Average number of American soldiers killed in Iraq per day since hostilities began

16,000: Approximate number of Iraqis killed since the start of war

10,000: Approximate number of Iraqi civilians killed since the beginning of the conflict

$100 billion: Estimated cost of the war in Iraq to American citizens by the end of 2003

$13 billion: Amount other countries have committed towards rebuilding Iraq (much of it in loans) as of 24 October

36%: Increase in the number of desertions from the US army since 1999

92%: Percentage of Iraq's urban areas that had access to drinkable water a year ago

60%: Percentage of Iraq's urban areas that have access to drinkable water today

32%: Percentage of the bombs dropped on Iraq this year that were not precision-guided

1983: The year in which Donald Rumsfeld gave Saddam Hussein a pair of golden spurs

45%: Percentage of Americans who believed in early March 2003 that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 11 September attacks on the US

$127 billion: Amount of US budget surplus in the year that Bush became President in 2001

$374 billion: Amount of US budget deficit in the fiscal year for 2003

1st: This year's deficit is on course to be the biggest in United States history

$1.58 billion: Average amount by which the US national debt increases each day

$23,920: Amount of each US citizen's share of the national debt as of 19 January 2004

1st: The record for the most bankruptcies filed in a single year (1.57 million) was set in 2002

10: Number of solo press conferences that Bush has held since beginning his term. His father had managed 61 at this point in his administration, and Bill Clinton 33

1st: Rank of the US worldwide in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per capita

$113 million: Total sum raised by the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, setting a record in American electoral history

$130 million: Amount raised for Bush's re-election campaign so far

$200m: Amount that the Bush-Cheney campaign is expected to raise in 2004

$40m: Amount that Howard Dean, the top fund-raiser among the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, amassed in 2003

28: Number of days holiday that Bush took last August, the second longest holiday of any president in US history (Record holder: Richard Nixon)

13: Number of vacation days the average American worker receives each year

3: Number of children convicted of capital offences executed in the US in 2002. America is only country openly to acknowledge executing children

1st: As Governor of Texas, George Bush executed more prisoners (152) than any governor in modern US history

2.4 million: Number of Americans who have lost their jobs during the three years of the Bush administration

221,000: Number of jobs per month created since Bush's tax cuts took effect. He promised the measure would add 306,000

1,000: Number of new jobs created in the entire country in December. Analysts had expected a gain of 130,000

1st: This administration is on its way to becoming the first since 1929 (Herbert Hoover) to preside over an overall loss of jobs during its complete term in office

9 million: Number of US workers unemployed in September 2003

80%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce now unemployed

55%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce unemployed before the war

43.6 million: Number of Americans without health insurance in 2002

130: Number of countries (out of total of 191 recognized by the United Nations) with an American military presence

40%: Percentage of the world's military spending for which the US is responsible

$10.9 million: Average wealth of the members of Bush's original 16-person cabinet

88%: Percentage of American citizens who will save less than $100 on their 2006 federal taxes as a result of 2003 cut in capital gains and dividends taxes

$42,000: Average savings members of Bush's cabinet are expected to enjoy this year as a result in the cuts in capital gains and dividends taxes

$42,228: Median household income in the US in 2001

$116,000: Amount Vice-President Cheney is expected to save each year in taxes

44%: Percentage of Americans who believe the President's economic growth plan will mostly benefit the wealthy

700: Number of people from around the world the US has incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1st: George W Bush became the first American president to ignore the Geneva Conventions by refusing to allow inspectors access to US-held prisoners of war

+6%: Percentage change since 2001 in the number of US families in poverty

1951: Last year in which a quarterly rise in US military spending was greater than the one the previous spring

54%: Percentage of US citizens who believe Bush was legitimately elected to his post

9: Number of members of Bush's defense policy board who also sit on the corporate board of, or advise, at least one defense contractor

35: Number of countries to which US has suspended military assistance after they failed to sign agreements giving Americans immunity from prosecution before the International Criminal Court

$300 million: Amount cut from the federal program that provides subsidies to poor families so they can heat their homes

$1 billion: Amount of new US military aid promised Israel in April 2003 to offset the "burdens" of the US war on Iraq

58 million: Number of acres of public lands Bush has opened to road building, logging and drilling

200: Number of public-health and environmental laws Bush has attempted to downgrade or weaken

29,000: Number of American troops - which is close to the total of a whole army division - to have either been killed, wounded, injured or become so ill as to require evacuation from Iraq, according to the Pentagon

90%: Percentage of American citizens who said they approved of the way George Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 26 September, 2001

53%: Percentage of American citizens who approved of the way Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 16 January, 2004

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R.I.P Tim Minnick

The KING of Cards

Brian in Mesa

Thanks for that load of partisan crap.

You're just like the candidates. Rather than explain what they plan to do if elected, just attack Bush.

__________________
"If Chuck is Solo, Larkin is his Fett!" - Morgan

Ryanwb

I agree BIM

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RIP Tim

Dback Jon

Well, since Bush is going to give us another partisan load of crap tonight, it is only fitting to give some facts, unlike the lies that come so easily out of his mouth.

And since when was the truth partisan crap??

__________________



R.I.P Tim Minnick

The KING of Cards

Brian in Mesa

1st: As Governor of Texas, George Bush executed more prisoners (152) than any governor in modern US history

I don't remember any governors executing any prisoners...EVER. Isn't it the job of the courts and our prison system to take care of that? All a governor can do is grant a reprieve if there is a legal basis for one.

This is about as partisan a statement as you could dig up. And that's just one example.

Furthermore: What does this have to do with the theme of the post regarding "Bush's first term in office as President." Not governor. Doh!

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"If Chuck is Solo, Larkin is his Fett!" - Morgan

Ryanwb

BIM....shall I say, EN FUEGO!

Nobody come near this guy with any flamable substances, he is on fire!!

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RIP Tim

Dback Jon

BIM is a flamer? hmmmm...

You can take out those lines, and the rest are pretty damning.

Bush's environmental record is the worst since, well, we knew what the environment was.
Bush's spending is the greatest increase since LBJ.
Everything he does has one purpose - to please his corporate donors.

__________________



R.I.P Tim Minnick

The KING of Cards

SirStefan32

Is that all you have Jon?

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

HarleyRider

Granted, as a supporter of Bush and his decisions, which, dare I say have affected me more than you (right, wrong?)I openly admit that my opinion of him is tainted. Much like how we view the Cardinals vs. how fans of other teams view them. With respect to the Cardinals we tend to be more of "the glass is half full" kind of people.

That being said, you have to admit that much of your post has "facts" that can be explained rationally. His spending is the greatest since LBJ was in office? No kidding. Who ever said war was cheap. Funny that it mentions LBJ (Vietnam). Coincidence?

I am furious about the not attending one funeral though.

I don't want to argue with you Jon, you've been nothing but cool to me, but you sure don't try to hide your hatred of Bush, and when you find "facts" to back up your opinion, they serve to do nothing more than become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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Bob Melvin is an idiot. Period.

vince56

Is that all you have Stefan?

Would someone like to post anything about what Jon actually said? How about going through each line and saying "this is fact, this is fiction, this is a stretch, well maybe he did this but it was ok because... etc." Why none of that from you guys?

I'm not really a liberal person, but I love it when republicans are confronted with issues that show how authoritarian and tyrannical they can be, and all they can say in response is "This sucks, change it!!"

Chris_Sanders

Actually Brian,

I found www.clark04.com is a great website for reading about what policies Clark plans on implementing.

He has dozens of issues hyper-linked so you can read his stance on issues with very little partisan BS.

Shane H

Many of us on this board have been in the military Harley. We all have a little different view of the comander in chief than the average citizen usually would.

But I disagree on the funeral issue. Could he take out the time and go to a funeral of a fallen soldier? Sure!

But I dont find it necessary. He has met personally with hundreds of family members of fallen soldiers and spoke with them and showed his grief by shedding tears with those family members. He has shown his respect and there are more ways to do it than just going to a funeral. JMHO!

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“They said the road comes through Seattle. We came through here and took care of business.” Anquan Boldin

Brian in Mesa

Good post.

Besides if he went to the funeral of a soldier, his presence would overshadow that of the fallen soldier. Not to mention it would be spun into the Pres looking for a photo op.

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"If Chuck is Solo, Larkin is his Fett!" - Morgan

Ryanwb

Or it would end up on some messageboard in a post entitled, "The REAL State of the Union"

Where the author of the post would try to spin the President's appearance at a funeral as pity points

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RIP Tim

HarleyRider

You are absolutely right my friend. I got pissed off before I really thought about it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he just can't. I do know that he has been to hospitals and prayed with the families. Besides, if he went to one, he'd have to go to them all.

BIM, and Ryan, you are right also. I'm just stupid.

I shall now go in the corner and bludgeon myself around the facial area accordingly.

__________________
Bob Melvin is an idiot. Period.