The Incredible Shrinking Presidency of George W. Bush
We seem to be witnessing the incredible shrinking presidency of George W. Bush. By we, I mean the entire country. I always thought his hubris and arrogance would get him in trouble but it seems to be his policies instead.
As a person, he still seems to be popular, but his poll numbers are sinking like a guy with a cement overcoat. Why? Because he keeps on pushing for or against things the public doesn’t agree with. Bush wanted to restructure Social Security. In the polls only thirty-three percent were in his corner, even after his big four month push. Then he cast the only veto to kill a bill that would expand federal funding for stem cell research. Almost everybody has a family member or knows somebody that this research could help. Over sixty percent are in favor of expanding stem cell research and cannot understand why he would rather see surplus embryos flushed down a toilet than used to help living breathing people.
Remember the Terry Schaivo fiasco? Only eighty percent thought the President and Congress were out of line for trying to interfere in that family matter. Then there’s Irag, as big a boondoggle as there ever was. As the war in Iraq drags on with no resolution in sight, it’s popularity (if one can say a war can be popular) has hit new lows, with only thirty percent now saying the war is worth the price we’re paying. For the first time ever, less than forty percent believe it is making us safer here at home. And this with a majority of the population unaware of the Downing Street Memo and other controversial matters that have come to light. Bush’s handling of the economy and the direction he’s taking the country are also drawing new lows with forty-one and thirty percent respectively.
It seems that Bush is pleasing no one, except the hyper rich and the ultra right Christian loonies, as he appeases the dark side of his base, while his other constituents scratch their collective heads and wonder when the President is going to stop his slide into irrelevancy and do or propose something they can agree with.
They say that, as the temperature descends, matter shrinks a certain percentage until it hits what is termed Absolute Zero. (which if I remember right is 457 degree below zero) Theoretically at that temperature matter ceases to exist. Do you think its possible that, if Bush’s poll numbers hit zero, his incredible shrinking Presidency will disappear?
Social Security – America’s Trojan Horse
December 19, 2004
Social Security has always been a hot button for me.
I don’t know if had anything to do with me but in 1992 shortly after being inaugurated, President Clinton seemed to be proposing gradually raising the age of eligibility for social security retirement, a suggestion that I made by letter two weeks prior outlining my rationale and the benefits of doing so.
Of course, after just mentioning such a possibility, the opposing party and most elderly people jumped on the idea and squashed it thoroughly, even though the average recipient now lives twenty-five percent longer than they did in the beginning.
Social Security has been called the third rail of politics – touch it and you die. It has also been called a boondoggle and a Ponzi scheme, all of which have the fruits of truth.
Now our illustrious leader wants to tackle Social Security himself by allowing taxpayers to invest up to two thirds of their contributions into a private retirement account.
This idea leads to many more questions. What about the Medicaid portion? Will Employers still match a private account contribution? If not who makes up the difference? Who will protect these people from their own bad investments? Will private accounts be regulated for security and stability? Will only these accounts be restricted to Mutual Fund style accounts which spread out and diminish both risk and gain? If Private accounts are approved, how will the large shortfall be made up in the short and long run? If sums are to be borrowed for this endeavor, who will be responsible for repayment?
These and many more questions need to be answered. We don’t need any more open ended endeavors
Silly Things 