Amazing, the loose coalition formally known as the Republican Party is slowing corroding and falling into disrepair.  Formed of social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and security conservatives the party previously owned and controlled by the social conservatives has been hijacked by the so called neo-conservatives.

The religious fringe of the Republican Party started out being tolerated by the rest of the party, then courted by them and now it seems they are demanding the affections of a party that has simply lost interest in them.

Dick Cheney, in 1994, made it clear that he was completely against going into Iraq for exactly all the reasons we are now stuck in the middle of the worst mistake this country has ever made.

The Republicans thought they knew Dick, but as it turns out … not so much.

Former Speaker Hastert will be the first of many members of Congress with an R after their names to step down and leave the governing to others.  Why?  Because it’s simply not as much fun to be in the minority as it is to be in the Majority.

Republican’s treated the Democrats like dirt for twelve long evil years while they were in the Majority, and now they whine and complain that the Democrats are treating them about 50% as badly.

Look for many more Republicans to simply not run for reelection.  This “minority effect” will sweep an even larger Democratic majority into the House and Senate in 2008.

There is no such thing as a free lunch an somebody has to pay for bridges, roads, policemen, garbage pickup, parks, street sweeping, firefighters, 911 and ambulances.  Yes, everyone wants lower taxes, but not at the cost of bridges falling down or water mains creating house eating sink holes.

Have our Federal, State and Local governments become like most publicly held companies?  Only concerned with the current quarters profits and not concerned with the future strength or weakness of the enterprise?

It is imperative for national and local security that our roads are in good repair, that our water and gas mains stay intact and that our general welfare be maintained.  If our current crop of elected officials do not have the balls to raise taxes and secure our greater good, then we as a society need to throw the bums out and elect a new crop.

Yes, everyone enjoys lower taxes.  But those people on that bridge in Minnesota most likely wish they’d paid that little bit of gas tax instead of falling into the Mississippi river.

What do you want to bet that the Republican candidates all made just a little bit of pee in their pants when they heard that ‘Lil George was going to be paying a visit to South Carolina to shore up support among Republicans?  With friends like George supporting your party who needs Democrats to trash talk it?  This is the same Bush that went around the country selling the same message just before the midterm elections and voters didn’t buy then either.

Every time Bush opens his mouth about Iraq, 70% of Americans scream at their TVs, “What part of YOU WERE WRONG does The President not get”?  He was wrong about WMD, he was wrong not to send enough troops to secure Iraq after the fall of Baghdad, he was wrong to disband the Iraqi army weapons in toe, he was wrong to order the army to drive right by munitions caches on their way to Baghdad, and right now - this very minute - George W. Bush is wrong when he says staying in Iraq will keep America safer.

Staying in Iraq is making America more exposed.  Our military is stretched to the breaking point, the troops are not rested and the President is oblivious to all of this.  With our troops out of Iraq we could concentrate on a three-point plan to make America in fact safer:

1. Implement real counter terrorism measures here at home.
2. Move more forces into Afghanistan and Pakistan and take off the head of al Qaeda – the real al Qaeda, not the one in Mesopotamia.
3. Bring our National Guard home with the equipment needed to help Americans in disasters and to help secure our southern boarder.

Instead, our troops are stuck in Donald Rumsfeld’s “long hard slog” going nowhere and accomplishing nothing.  Well, they are acting as great recruiting agents for al Qaeda, Hezbolah and Hamas.  Leaving Iraq to the Iraqis to sort out would make for a better Iraq and a safer America.

Leaving George W. Bush at home and out of South Carolina would make for easier campaigning for Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain.

Talk about impudence!  Tony Snow has the nerve, the gall and the unadulterated cowardice to say Hillary has “chutzpah” for criticizing President Bush’s “considered and well thought out” decision to let Scooter Libby go free?

Exactly how well thought out and considered could the President’s decision have been considering Mr. Libby didn’t even apply for any leniency from the President?  How could the President have spent any time at all thinking about Scooter’s excessive sentence before Bush sorted through the 3,000 requests for commutation that were in line ahead of Libby?

At the exact moment you thought the arrogance and deceit from the Bush White House simply could go no lower, they blast bedrock with this stick of dynamite.

Tony Snow, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and George Bush would have gained at least some respect if the President had just said, “I pardoned him because I wanted to and I don’t have to offer anyone a reason why I did it, period”.  However, that is not what the Shyster In Chief at 1600 said, he wove a lie to start this sorted mess and now he is weaving a lie to wrap it up.

Then Governor Bush, on the Campaign trail in 2000 made promises to the American people while asking for their vote.  He promised to change the tone in Washington, he said he would swear to restore the honor and dignity to the Office of the President; he claimed he was a unifier and not a divider – now all proven to be 100% USDA certified lies.

Which begs the point, what is Texan for Shyster?

Think Like A Native
 

Here’s what the 2008 Presidential Candidates are saying about the Libby pardon:

Clinton:
“Today’s decision is yet another example that this Administration simply considers itself above the law. This case arose from the Administration’s politicization of national security intelligence and its efforts to punish those who spoke out against its policies. Four years into the Iraq war, Americans are still living with the consequences of this White House’s efforts to quell dissent. This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice.”

Giuliani:
“After evaluating the facts, the President came to a reasonable decision and I believe the decision was correct.”

Obama:
“This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law. This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people’s faith in a government that puts the country’s progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years.”

McCain:
(Nothing – no comment, no press releases, no statements to the press, just dead air.)

Romney:
No official press release.  However the Boston Globe Reports:
“Defending Bush, Romney said at a campaign stop that ‘the president looked very carefully at the setting’ before deciding to commute the 2 1/2-year sentence of Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, who was convicted in the CIA leak case.

The prosecutor in the case ‘went after somebody even when he knew no crime had been committed,’ Romney said. ‘Given that fact, isn’t it reasonable for a commutation of a portion of the sentence to be made?’”

Edwards:
“Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world. In George Bush’s America, it is apparently okay to misuse intelligence for political gain, mislead prosecutors and lie to the FBI. George Bush and his cronies think they are above the law and the rest of us live with the consequences. The cause of equal justice in America took a serious blow today.”

Fred Thompson:
In an oral statement as reported by PBS News:
“I am very happy for Scooter Libby. … This will allow a good American who has done a lot for his country, to resume his life.”

How in the name of all that is holy in the heavens could George W. Bush justify his actions yesterday?  In giving Scooter a get out of jail free card, he in one stroke of the pen neutralized every single word he uttered during the 2000 Presidential campaign.

What became of the Governor from Texas who said at every campaign stop, that when he took the oath of office for President of the United States he would also, “swear to restore dignity and respect to the Oval Office” –This is what he meant?

According to Mr. Bush’s thinking it must only be wrong for a government official to lie about having oral sex.  It wasn’t the oral sex for which Bill Clinton was impeached - according to then Governor Bush; it was the perjury before a court of law. 

Then, the Republican controlled House of Representatives championing the virtues of the rule of law, impeached President Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice.  The Republicans argued, pleaded and begged the American people to understand what a serious and dangerous crime perjury is.   50 Republican’s in the Senate (Including Fred Thompson) voted to convict President Clinton for perjury.

Has the rule of law changed?  Has perjury become less of a threat to our system of justice?  How can the very same Republicans – who so eagerly condemned President Clinton and called for the removal of a twice duly elected setting President – now be so thrilled that Scooter has received what amounts to a pardon.

Oh there may be some technical difference between a pardon and a commutation of sentence.  But, President Bush will pardon Mr. Libby in due time.

Shame on President Bush for being so treacherous and shame on the Republican ditto heads for not seeing the double standard they are declaring.

Oh, yeah, and welcome to Like A Native!  What a day to start a new blog.  Well, at least there is meat to chew on today.

Think Like A Native.