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Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2005 10:27 AM Bush Vacation Outlasts War Protesters: After a 26-day vigil that ignited the anti-war movement, Cindy Sheehan took her protest on the road Wednesday, while a handful of veterans pledged to continue camping off the road leading to President Bush's ranch until the war in Iraq ends. Rather than heading home to California, the mother of a 24-year-old soldier who died in Iraq boarded one of three buses heading out on tour to spread her message. "This is where I'm going to spend every August from now on," Sheehan said as she smiled and waved through a bus window, after hugging dozens of fellow protesters. The group plans to stop in 25 states during the next three weeks, then take Sheehan's "Bring Them Home Now Tour" to the nation's capital for a Sept. 24 anti-war march. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,440 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 854 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Uncle Sam Wants YOU Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2005 10:28 AM There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them. —Gen. Tommy Franks, March 22, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2005 10:29 AM The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law. —George W. Bush, Austin, Texas, Nov. 22, 2000
Great Scott	Politics is not everything Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2005 5:48 PM I know its hard for some to think about stuff other than Iraq and I'm guilty of thinking too much about my own little hometown problems I know. Got to feel for those poor folks who got hit with the hurricane, that is what's on my mind these days. What a disaster!!!!!   My brother in law called and said he's on his way down with a couple of others from his dept. to help stop the looting and to generally be of use. Going to be a long time before stuff gets straightened out down there. Anyone know of any food drives etc. here for those victims?
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, September 02, 2005 10:28 AM Iraq broken: Sunni representatives called for the intervention of the United Nations and the Arab League to prevent the draft from being presented to a national referendum scheduled for 15 October. They believe that the current document will set in motion the break-up of the country, giving autonomy to both Kurdish and Shia regions and weakening the central state overall. Washington had lobbied intensely for greater Sunni involvement in the drafting process in an attempt to draw support away from the Iraqi resistance and secure a political process that would enable them to reduce troop numbers in Iraq ahead of next year's congressional elections. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,441 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 855 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Uncle Sam Wants YOU Posted: Friday, September 02, 2005 10:29 AM We know where the weapons of mass destruction are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad. —Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003
Been There	While Rome Burns Posted: Friday, September 02, 2005 10:33 AM Great Scott, Yes, hurricane Katrina was a terrible disaster for the gulf coast. You can call the Red Cross at 482-8085, or contact any church in your area. It seems incredible that--even with the President of the U.S. on vacation--the mightiest nation on earth can't get a bite of food or sip of water to people taking refuge in the SuperDome for three whole days. What will we do in the event of another attack by bin Laden's terrorists? Too bad our National Guard is off occupying a foreign country instead of guarding our nation. Despite the importance of New Orleans to the history and culture of our nation, there really should not be a large city in that location. It would be crazy to rebuild it in the same place, and doing so would simply be setting the scene for another disaster there in the future. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, September 02, 2005 10:34 AM Then I went for a run with the other dog and just walked. And I started thinking about a lot of things. I was able to—I can't remember what it was. Oh, the inaugural speech, started thinking through that. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., January 22, 2001
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, September 03, 2005 8:01 AM 4 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: The attack came as the American military announced the deaths of four soldiers. Two of the soldiers were killed in the capital on Thursday afternoon when their patrol struck a roadside bomb, military officials said. Another was was killed by small-arms fire on Wednesday near Iskandariya, south of Baghdad, and a fourth died Monday near the northern town of Tal Afar when his patrol was hit by small-arms fire, the officials said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,442 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 856 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Uncle Sam Wants YOU Posted: Saturday, September 03, 2005 8:02 AM I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction. —George W. Bush,  Washington, D.C., January 14, 2005
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, September 03, 2005 8:03 AM Those of us who spent time in the agricultural sector and in the heartland, we understand how unfair the death penalty is. —George W. Bush, Omaha, Neb., February 28, 2001
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, September 05, 2005 9:08 AM More Soldiers Killed in Iraq: Violence continued across the country on Monday. Britain's Ministry of Defense said two British soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the southern province of Basra. The U.S. military said a car bomb strike against U.S. vehicles in Baghdad wounded four U.S. soldiers. And in the northern town of Tal Afar, a hospital source said two civilians were killed and nine wounded on Sunday evening by U.S. air strikes and artillery fire. In the western town of Hit, a suicide bomber in a car killed eight civilians and three Iraqi soldiers, the Iraqi government said in a statement. It added that 16 soldiers were wounded and three insurgents killed. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,444 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 858 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Monday, September 05, 2005 9:09 AM I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk. —Ken Adelman, February 13, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, September 05, 2005 9:10 AM Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods. —George W. Bush, Austin, Texas, December 20, 2000
Samsara	Around the Kitchen Table Posted: Monday, September 05, 2005 12:29 PM Our president awakened from a nap was irritable. His handlers indicated that the politically expedient thing to do would be to perhaps cut his 5 wk. vacation somewhat short and make a brief appearance in the affected Gulf Coast. As Air Force One flew over the total devastation below Bush yawned and said he wanted another glass of ice tea and ribeye steak sandwich on Texas toast. He was more than annoyed at the criticism of his late response to the loss of life and property from Katrina. He believes all hardworking Americans deserve a vacation and by God curtailing his given right for rest and relaxion made him peckish. Carl Rowe and he had planned on doing some hunting on Bush's back 6,000 acres. The wild pigs and feral cats/dogs were fun to shoot. In the meantime he needed to be perceived by an angry public that he , George W. Bush, was capable of displaying some compassion and interest for these poor, unwashed, and screeming mulitudes. Hell, they probably weren't even registered voters and if by chance a few were, well ....they'd no doubt pull the Democratic lever in the booth anyhow. Carl Rowe tempered George's angry brow and assured him that the photo opts and on- ground briefing would take all of 2 hours. After that Air Force One could again soar off  and the bad dream on the ground could be ignored. After all George has got a war in Iraq and it's important that he continue his speaking engagements at the various military bases to garner support.George squinted into the camera, surpressed a belch, and repeated the short speech Rowe had prepared on the plane. George smirked at the idea of killing the backwoods critters and his mouth watered at the prospect of another huge bar-b-que for him and his Republican cronies. This black, angry, mass of human flotsum  floating on rafters didn't count much in the greater political arena. Another 20 minutes of flimsy platitudes and then it's "fireup Air Force One 'cause we're outa here".
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, September 08, 2005 11:02 AM Basra Bombs Kill 16 Iraqis and 4 U.S. Embassy Guards: On Wednesday morning, four American contractors providing support for the United States Embassy were killed when a bomb detonated next to their convoy, embassy officials said. The names of the victims and their employer are being withheld until their families are notified. One Iraqi was also killed and three wounded. There was also a piece of good news: American military officials said they had rescued an American contractor who was kidnapped last Nov. 1. American soldiers found the hostage, Roy Hallums, at an isolated farmhouse 15 miles south of Baghdad after receiving a tip from an Iraqi detainee, military officials said in a statement. He was in good condition and was receiving medical care, the officials said. An Iraqi captive with him whose name was not released was also freed. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,447 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 861 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Thursday, September 08, 2005 11:03 AM Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, our allies and against us.   —Dick Cheney, August 26, 2002
Been There	While Rome Burns Posted: Thursday, September 08, 2005 11:07 AM Samsara, As with all the Bush administration appointments, the head of FEMA, Michael Brown, was chosen for his willingness to lie to cover up official stealing rather than for professional competence. Many people paid with their lives for that particular corrupt decision. As always, though, the Bush cockroaches are scurrying for cover now. Our "me generation" administration will never accept responsibility for its actions. That would be a sign of character those people simply don't possess. Not surprisingly, the Times-Picayune has the best online coverage of the New Orleans tragedy. You can read their (sanitized) assessment of Bush's performance here (but you'll have to scroll down quite a bit):   OUR OPINIONS: An open letter to the President. Dear Mr. President: We heard you loud and clear Friday when you visited our devastated city and the Gulf Coast and said, "What is not working, we’re going to make it right." Please forgive us if we wait to see proof of your promise before believing you. But we have good reason for our skepticism. Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It’s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718. How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks. Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies. Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city. Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a "Today" show story Friday morning. Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach. We’re angry, Mr. President, and we’ll be angry long after our beloved city and surrounding parishes have been pumped dry. Our people deserved rescuing. Many who could have been were not. That’s to the government’s shame. Mayor Ray Nagin did the right thing Sunday when he allowed those with no other alternative to seek shelter from the storm inside the Louisiana Superdome. We still don’t know what the death toll is, but one thing is certain: Had the Superdome not been opened, the city’s death toll would have been higher. The toll may even have been exponentially higher. It was clear to us by late morning Monday that many people inside the Superdome would not be returning home. It should have been clear to our government, Mr. President. So why weren’t they evacuated out of the city immediately? We learned seven years ago, when Hurricane Georges threatened, that the Dome isn’t suitable as a long-term shelter. So what did state and national officials think would happen to tens of thousands of people trapped inside with no air conditioning, overflowing toilets and dwindling amounts of food, water and other essentials? State Rep. Karen Carter was right Friday when she said the city didn’t have but two urgent needs: "Buses! And gas!" Every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be fired, Director Michael Brown especially. In a nationally televised interview Thursday night, he said his agency hadn’t known until that day that thousands of storm victims were stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He gave another nationally televised interview the next morning and said, "We’ve provided food to the people at the Convention Center so that they’ve gotten at least one, if not two meals, every single day." Lies don’t get more bald-faced than that, Mr. President. Yet, when you met with Mr. Brown Friday morning, you told him, "You’re doing a heck of a job." That’s unbelievable. There were thousands of people at the Convention Center because the riverfront is high ground. The fact that so many people had reached there on foot is proof that rescue vehicles could have gotten there, too. We, who are from New Orleans, are no less American than those who live on the Great Plains or along the Atlantic Seaboard. We’re no less important than those from the Pacific Northwest or Appalachia. Our people deserved to be rescued. No expense should have been spared. No excuses should have been voiced. Especially not one as preposterous as the claim that New Orleans couldn’t be reached. Mr. President, we sincerely hope you fulfill your promise to make our beloved communities work right once again. When you do, we will be the first to applaud. In contrast, Al Gore personally chartered a private jet to send a group of doctors to assist the injured. Too bad he didn't have the resources of the federal government at his command. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, September 08, 2005 11:12 AM The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch. —George W. Bush, Mobile, Alabama, September 2, 2005
Been There	This Just In Posted: Thursday, September 08, 2005 5:27 PM FOX REPORTS BAD NEWS: White House Demands Investigation. In a stunning departure from its standard operating procedure, the Fox News Channel began reporting bad news last week, startling its viewers and prompting the White House to launch a full-fledged investigation of the cable news giant. Initially, the White House elected to take a “wait and see” attitude towards Fox’s foray into reporting bad news, hoping perhaps that the network’s decision to report stories that were unflattering to the government was merely an aberration, or perhaps the result of a clerical error. But as the days wore on, the White House grew increasingly impatient with Fox’s persistent reporting of bad news and became determined to put a stop to it. “This is the sort of monkey business we expect to see from CNN or MSNBC, but not Fox,” a visibly agitated White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters on Monday. “If Fox continues to report bad news, it could very well have its license revoked.” We just can't count on anything these days! What is the world coming to? Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, September 09, 2005 9:50 AM Colin Powell--Man Enough to Admit Mistakes: The former secretary of state, Colin L. Powell, says in a television interview to be broadcast Friday that his 2003 speech to the United Nations, in which he gave a detailed description of Iraqi weapons programs that turned out not to exist, was "painful" for him personally and would be a permanent "blot" on his record. ... Mr. Powell also implied in the interview that the United States did not go to war in Iraq with sufficient troops to secure the country and failed to keep sufficient Iraqi forces to help stabilize the country. "What we didn't do in the immediate aftermath of the war was to impose our will on the whole country with enough troops of our own, with enough troops from coalition forces or by re-creating the Iraqi forces, armed forces, more quickly than we are doing now," he said. And our troops are paying the price. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,448 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 862 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Friday, September 09, 2005 9:53 AM From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August. —Andrew Card, September 7, 2002 Note: With this statement, Andy Card signalled that the marketing of the Bush attack on Iraq was about to begin in earnest. Sure enough, some people actually bought it.
Been There	Let Them Eat Cake Posted: Friday, September 09, 2005 9:55 AM Barbara Bush Calls Evacuees Better Off: As President Bush battled criticism over the response to Hurricane Katrina, his mother declared it a success for evacuees who "were underprivileged anyway," saying on Monday that many of the poor people she had seen while touring a Houston relocation site were faring better than before the storm hit. By contrast, Al Gore personally chartered a private jet to send a group of doctors to assist the injured. Too bad he didn't have the resources of the federal government at his command. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, September 09, 2005 9:58 AM I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees. —George W. Bush, Good Morning America, September 1, 2005
Been There	September 11, 2005: Four Years and Counting Posted: Sunday, September 11, 2005 9:15 AM Today marks the fourth anniversary of the attack on our country by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorists. All four of those years have passed under the presidency of George W. Bush. Four years after we were attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, our nation had vanquished both Japan and Germany and our people were celebrating a magnificent victory. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman were our presidents then. After four years of Bush, Osama bin Laden is still thumbing his nose at us and our soldiers our still dying in Iraq, of all places: Another U.S. Soldier Killed. The U.S. military said a Task Force Liberty Soldier was killed in a roadside bombing before dawn Sunday while on patrol near Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad. Two soldiers were wounded. At least 1,897 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. In the southern city of Basra, Iraqi police Capt. Mushtaq Kadim said one British soldier was killed and two were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their convoy. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: Exactly 1,450 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 864 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Sunday, September 11, 2005 9:16 AM Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities used for the production of biological weapons.   —George W. Bush, September 12, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, September 11, 2005 9:17 AM Right now, we need to get food and clothes and medicine to the people, and we'll do so. And one of the main delivery systems will be the armies of compassion. —George W. Bush, Biloxi, Mississippi, September 2, 2005
Norway	Now Listen Up! Posted: Monday, September 12, 2005 8:01 AM Subject: A Letter to All Who Voted for George W. Bush from Michael Moore   To All My Fellow Americans Who Voted for George W. Bush: On this, the fourth anniversary of 9/11, I'm just curious, how does it feel? How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows? That's right. Horse shows. I really want to know -- and I ask you this in all sincerity and with all due respect -- how do you feel about the utter contempt Mr. Bush has shown for your safety? C'mon, give me just a moment of honesty. Don't start ranting on about how this disaster in New Orleans was the fault of one of the poorest cities in America. Put aside your hatred of Democrats and liberals and anyone with the last name of Clinton. Just look me in the eye and tell me our President did the right thing after 9/11 by naming a horse show runner as the top man to protect us in case of an emergency or catastrophe. I want you to put aside your self-affixed label of Republican/conservative/born-again/capitalist/ditto-head/right-winger and just talk to me as an American, on the common ground we both call America. Are we safer now than before 9/11? When you learn that behind the horse show runner, the #2 and #3 men in charge of emergency preparedness have zero experience in emergency preparedness, do you think we are safer? When you look at Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, a man with little experience in national security, do you feel secure? When men who never served in the military and have never seen young men die in battle send our young people off to war, do you think they know how to conduct a war? Do they know what it means to have your legs blown off for a threat that was never there? Do you really believe that turning over important government services to private corporations has resulted in better services for the people? Why do you hate our federal government so much? You have voted for politicians for the past 25 years whose main goal has been to de-fund the federal government. Do you think that cutting federal programs like FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers has been good or bad for America? GOOD OR BAD? With the nation's debt at an all-time high, do you think tax cuts for the rich are still a good idea? Will you give yours back so hundreds of thousands of homeless in New Orleans can have a home? Do you believe in Jesus? Really? Didn't he say that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us? Hurricane Katrina came in and blew off the facade that we were a nation with liberty and justice for all. The wind howled and the water rose and what was revealed was that the poor in America shall be left to suffer and die while the President of the United States fiddles and tells them to eat cake. That's not a joke. The day the hurricane hit and the levees broke, Mr. Bush, John McCain and their rich pals were stuffing themselves with cake. A full day after the levees broke (the same levees whose repair funding he had cut), Mr. Bush was playing a guitar some country singer gave him. All this while New Orleans sank under water. It would take ANOTHER day before the President would do a flyover in his jumbo jet, peeking out the widow at the misery 2500 feet below him as he flew back to his second home in DC. It would then be TWO MORE DAYS before a trickle of federal aid and troops would arrive. This was no seven minutes in a sitting trance while children read "My Pet Goat" to him. This was FOUR DAYS of doing nothing other than saying "Brownie (FEMA director Michael Brown), you're doing a heck of a job!" My Republican friends, does it bother you that we are the laughing stock of the world? And on this sacred day of remembrance, do you think we honor or shame those who died on 9/11/01? If we learned nothing and find ourselves today every bit as vulnerable and unprepared as we were on that bright sunny morning, then did the 3,000 die in vain? Our vulnerability is not just about dealing with terrorists or natural disasters. We are vulnerable and unsafe because we allow one in eight Americans to live in horrible poverty. We accept an education system where one in six children never graduate and most of those who do can't string a coherent sentence together. The middle class can't pay the mortgage or the hospital bills and 45 million have no health coverage whatsoever. Are we safe? Do you really feel safe? You can only move so far out and build so many gated communities before the fruit of what you've sown will be crashing through your walls and demanding retribution. Do you really want to wait until that happens? Or is it your hope that if they are left alone long enough to soil themselves and shoot themselves and drown in the filth that fills the street that maybe the problem will somehow go away? I know you know better. You gave the country and the world a man who wasn't up for the job and all he does is hire people who aren't up for the job. You did this to us, to the world, to the people of New Orleans. Please fix it. Bush is yours. And you know, for our peace and safety and security, this has to be fixed. What do you propose? I have an idea, and it isn't a horse show. Yours, Michael Moore www.michaelmoore.com mmflint@aol.com
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 10:34 AM At Least 100 Are Killed as Bombs Explode Across Iraqi Capital: The explosions continued throughout the day in Baghdad, including a second suicide bombing in a Shiite neighborhood that left at least four people dead. There were two attacks on American convoys, but information about casualties was not immediate available. A car bomb blew up next to an Iraqi national guard patrol in a north Baghdad Shiite neighborhood, killing three members of the Iraqi forces. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,453 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 867 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 10:35 AM The entire world knows beyond dispute that Saddam Hussein holds weapons of mass destruction in large quantities. —Dick Cheney, September 23, 2002
Been There	Weak Sisters Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 10:39 AM Anyone who understands the character traits of good leaders knows exactly why Bush is such an utter failure as president, as he has been in all his previous ventures. Maureen Dowd put her finger on a good part of it today: A Fatal Incuriosity. Newsweek reported that the reality of Katrina did not sink in for the president until days after the levees broke, turning New Orleans into a watery grave. It took a virtual intervention of his top aides to make W. watch the news about the worst natural disaster in a century. Dan Bartlett made a DVD of newscasts on the hurricane to show the president on Friday morning as he flew down to the Gulf Coast. The aides were scared to tell the isolated president that he should cut short his vacation by a couple of days, Newsweek said, because he can be "cold and snappish in private." Mike Allen wrote in Time about one "youngish aide" who was so terrified about telling Mr. Bush he was wrong about something during the first term, he "had dry heaves" afterward. The president had to be truly zoned out not to jump at the word "hurricane," given that he has always used his father's term as a reverse playbook and his father almost lost Florida in 1992 because of his slow-footed response to Hurricane Andrew. And W.'s chief of staff, Andy Card, was the White House transportation secretary the senior President Bush sent to the rescue after FEMA bungled that one. W. has said he prefers to get his information straight up from aides, rather than filtered through newspapers or newscasts. But he surrounds himself with weak sisters who don't have the nerve to break bad news to him, or ideologues with agendas that require warping reality or chuckleheaded cronies like Brownie. When things are going well on their own, incompetent leadership in the White House might have only marginal consequences. In times like these, it is disastrous. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 10:41 AM Well, there's a lot of food on its way. A lot of water on the way. And there's a lot of boats and choppers headed that way. Boats and choppers headed that way. It just takes a while to float 'em. —George W. Bush, Good Morning America, September 1, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2005 9:56 AM At Least 31 Killed Today in Baghdad, Following Deaths of More Than 160 on Wednesday: Thursday's three bombings came the day after insurgents struck the Iraqi capital with at least a dozen attacks that targeted Shiite Muslim civilians, Iraqi security forces and American troops, killing more than 160 people in the deadliest day of violence in Baghdad since the U.S. invasion more than two years ago. U.S. military officials said Wednesday's day-long wave of suicide bombings, rocket attacks and shootings across the city bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda in Iraq, the radical Sunni Muslim insurgent organization led by Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian. The group did not immediately assert direct responsibility for the attacks, but an Internet statement issued in its name welcomed the start of "revenge battles throughout the land of Mesopotamia." We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,454 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 868 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2005 9:58 AM Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. —George W. Bush, October 7, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2005 9:59 AM Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job. —George W. Bush, Mobile, Alabama, Sep. 2, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 8:48 AM Insurgents Strike Baghdad Again; Another U.S. Marine Killed: Gunmen opened fire on day laborers in the capital early Friday, killing three and wounding a dozen in a drive-by shooting. Attacks claimed nine more lives elsewhere in Iraq as militants pressed their "all-out war" on Shiites. The violence Friday, on the Muslim day of prayer, followed two days of mayhem in Baghdad that left nearly 200 dead. The workers killed and injured had assembled in east Baghdad seeking day jobs. ... The U.S. military also announced Friday that a Marine had been killed near the town of Ramadi, the volatile capital of Anbar Province that stretches west from Baghdad to the Syrian, Jordanian and Saudi borders. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,455 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 869 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 8:49 AM I can't tell you today if the use of force in Iraq will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that. —Donald Rumsfeld, November 14, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 8:50 AM Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government. —George W. Bush, White House, September 13, 2005 [Four years after the 9/11 attack our government cannot respond even to a hurricane that everyone knew for days was going to hit the gulf coast. What will happen when terrorists attack out of the blue?]
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:43 AM Clerics Call for Restraint as More Violence Hits Iraq: BAGHDAD — Clerics on both sides of Iraq's Sunni-Shiite divide scrambled Friday to calm believers on the Muslim holy day amid ongoing violence that claimed at least 25 more lives. Eleven people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in the northern Iraqi city of Tuz Khurmatu. Three laborers were gunned down while waiting for jobs in the capital, and a Shiite cleric was assassinated in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood. The U.S. military said a Marine also had been killed Thursday in an explosion near Ramadi, west of Baghdad. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,456 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 870 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:44 AM If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world. —Ari Fleischer, December 2, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:45 AM Now, we understand people are scattered out across the country, but we have an obligation to make sure that whether a veteran's benefit or an unemployment benefit or a Social Security benefit gets to these people. —George W. Bush, White House, September 6, 2005
Been There	Stealing from Our Children and Grandchildren Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:49 AM President Bush yesterday restated his intention to continue his massive stealing from future generations: 'Let the Kids Pay for Rebuilding the Gulf Coast' Claude Allen, assistant to the president for domestic policy, said aides had not focused on specific spending cutbacks. "I cannot name any programs that will be cut," he said. And Al Hubbard, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters that the government would have to borrow money to pay for the costs of the storm. "Well, there's no question about it: the recovery will be paid for by the federal taxpayer, and it will add to the deficit," Mr. Hubbard said. Asked by a reporter how his children will pay for their own disasters as well as ours, Bush looked puzzled. "They can pass their bills along to their own children, just like I'm doing," he explained. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 9:17 AM Gunmen Kill Member of Iraqi Parliament; Another U.S. Soldier Killed: The attack on the lawmakers came after four days of bloodshed in Baghdad and throughout Iraq in which more than 250 people died. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said a soldier was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in western Iraq. The soldier, assigned to the 56th Brigade Combat Team, was taken to a U.S. military hospital where he died of his wounds Saturday night. The attack occurred near Al Asad Air Base in a volatile insurgent region near Syria. The death raises to at least 1,899 members of the U.S. military who have been killed since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Billions Spent on Iraq Reconstruction Mostly Wasted: The United States has poured more than $200 million into reconstruction projects in this city, part of the $10 billion it has spent to rebuild Iraq. Najaf is widely cited by the military as one of the success stories in that effort, but American officers involved in the rebuilding say that reconstruction projects here, as elsewhere in the country, are hobbled by poor planning, corrupt contractors and a lack of continuity among the rotating coalition officers charged with overseeing the spending. "This country is filled with projects that were never completed or were completed and have never been used," said a frustrated civil affairs officer who asked not to be identified because he had not been cleared to speak about the reconstruction. Najaf would seem to be one of Iraq's most promising places to rebuild. As a Shiite holy place, it has few Sunnis and, as a result, none of the insurgent attacks and sabotage that plague other parts of the country. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,457 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 871 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 9:20 AM We know for a fact that there are weapons of mass destruction there. —Ari Fleischer, January 9, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 9:21 AM I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs. —George W. Bush, Poplarville, Mississippi, September 5, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 3:00 PM Relentless Rebel Attacks Test Shiite Endurance: "Americans are not attacked anymore; it's the Shiites who suffer from these bombings," said a 40-year-old owner of a cigarette shop in front of the bombing site, who gave only his nickname, Abu Ali. "It is increasing now. Sometimes several in one day." American service members are clearly still a major target of insurgent attacks, with deaths reported every week, and the overall toll in the war nearing 2,000. But in recent months, insurgents have pointedly shifted their focus toward killing Shiite civilians, with the number of attacks on mosques, markets and populated areas rising sharply since the spring. The threat of further massacres was sharpened last week when the architect of much of the killing, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared a "full-scale war on Shiites all over Iraq, wherever and whenever they are found." If the country has not yet slid into open civil war, it is mainly because a vast majority of Shiites have refused to be drawn into the killing. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,458 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 872 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 3:01 PM Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 3:02 PM Don't buy gas if you don't need it. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., September 1, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:19 AM Suicide Bomber Hits U.S. Convoy, Killing 4 Americans: A suicide car bomber attacked a U.S. diplomatic convoy in the northern city of Mosul, killing four Americans and wounding two others, a U.S. official said Tuesday. A U.S. Diplomatic Security agent and three private security guards died when the suicide bomber rammed their SUV, the middle vehicle in a convoy of three.  British Army Storms Basra Jail to Free 2 Soldiers From Arrest: Two British soldiers working under cover were arrested Monday in the southern city of Basra and then freed as a British armored vehicle blasted through the wall of their jail after an angry crowd began rioting outside, an Interior Ministry official said. The official said that the soldiers were undercover officers dressed as Iraqis and that Iraqi police officers had arrested them after the men fired at a traffic police officer. Let the Iraqis hold an election and write a constitution and the next thing you know they think they're running their own country! Go figure. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,459 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 873 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:20 AM Saddam Hussein has the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.   —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003
Been There	Fox Guarding Hen House Arrested Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:23 AM MSU grad Dave Safavian was arrested yesterday before he could skip town: Ex-White House Aide Charged in Corruption Case. The Justice Department did not reveal details of Mr. Safavian's arrest, including where it occurred. The department also did not say why the criminal charges were brought directly by prosecutors, rather than by the Washington grand jury investigating Mr. Abramoff. The Justice Department often bypasses a grand jury when a criminal case is brought together hurriedly or when there is fear that a defendant may try to flee. ... The Justice Department affidavit said that even as Mr. Safavian was trying to help Mr. Abramoff in acquiring the government property in 2002, he was eagerly planning his summer golf trip with the lobbyist to Scotland. The F.B.I. affidavit also suggested Mr. Abramoff's motivation in inviting Mr. Safavian was clear. In an e-mail message, a lobbyist colleagues asked: "Why dave? I like him but didn't know u did as much. Business angle?" According to the court papers, Mr. Abramoff replied with another e-mail message: "Total business angle. He is new COS of GSA." Like Mr. Abramoff, Mr. Safavian, a former Congressional aide, has extensive ties to prominent Republicans on Capitol Hill, throughout the executive branch and among the city's lobbying firms. My sources tell me that a number of arrests will be made in the coming months on corruption charges. Too bad our elected officials can't be arrested for neglecting their responsibilities. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 10:25 AM I can't imagine America without a vibrant New Orleans. It's just a matter of timing. We're cautious about encouraging people to return at this moment of history. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., September 19, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 8:24 AM U.S. military deaths top 1,900 in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq - The war in Iraq passed a sobering milepost Tuesday when U.S. officials reported 10 more Americans were killed - six of them members of the armed forces, raising to more than 1,900 the number of U.S. service members who have died in the country since the invasion. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,460 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 874 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 8:25 AM We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more. —Colin Powell, February 5, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 8:25 AM I think you can do your job better if you're fit. People think more clearly if you're fit. —George W. Bush, Crawford, Texas, August 13, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:46 AM More Violence in Iraq; Anger Grows in Basra After British Raid: Waving pistols and assault rifles, Iraqi police officers led an angry anti-British demonstration in the southern city of Basra on Wednesday, and the provincial council voted unanimously to stop cooperating with British forces in the area until Britain apologized for storming a police station to free two of its soldiers. At least 200 people, mostly officers who work in the police station that was damaged in the raid, rallied outside Basra's police headquarters, demanding an official apology from Britain and the resignation of Basra's police chief, Hassan Sawadi, Iraqi officials said. Later, Basra's 41-member provincial council voted unanimously to "stop dealing with the British forces working in Basra" until it received an apology for the raid on Monday. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,461 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 875 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:48 AM Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:50 AM We look forward to hearing your vision so we can more better do our job. —George W. Bush, Gulfport, Mississippi, September 20, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, September 23, 2005 10:16 AM Saudi Minister Warns U.S. Iraq May Face Disintegration: WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 - Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, said Thursday that he had been warning the Bush administration in recent days that Iraq was hurtling toward disintegration, a development that he said could drag the region into war. "There is no dynamic now pulling the nation together," he said in a meeting with reporters at the Saudi Embassy here. "All the dynamics are pulling the country apart." He said he was so concerned that he was carrying this message "to everyone who will listen" in the Bush administration. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,462 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 876 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Friday, September 23, 2005 10:17 AM Iraq has also provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, September 23, 2005 10:18 AM If you want to encourage small business growth, we ought to incent it to grow in that part of the world. Somebody said the other day, well, that's a tax break. That region is going to have zero income anyway. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., September 21, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2005 10:57 AM Insurgents in Iraq Blow Up Another U.S. Soldier: A U.S. Army soldier was killed in a roadside bombing Friday night in southeastern Baghdad, the military said. The soldier's death raised to 1,913 the number of U.S. service members who have died since the war began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The Iraqis are learning that their rights under occupation are somewhat less than they were led to believe. Judge Raghib al-Mudhafar, chief of the Basra Anti-Terrorism Court, said he reissued homicide arrest warrants for the two [British] soldiers Thursday. But the British government said the warrants were not legally binding. As Dick Cheney pointed out on his way to the hospital for his latest heart operation, "The liberated do not arrest their liberators." Instead, of course, they must take whatever abuse "their liberators" choose to dish out: 3 in 82nd Airborne Say Beating Iraqi Prisoners Was Routine. Interrogators pressed guards to beat up prisoners, and one sergeant recalled watching a particular interrogator who was a former Special Forces soldier beating the detainee himself. "He would always say to us, 'You didn't see anything, right?' " the sergeant said. "And we would always say, 'No, sergeant.' " One of the sergeants told Human Rights Watch that he had seen a soldier break open a chemical light stick and beat the detainees with it. "That made them glow in the dark, which was real funny, but it burned their eyes, and their skin was irritated real bad," he said. A second sergeant, identified as an infantry squad leader and interviewed twice in August by Human Rights Watch, said, "As far as abuse goes, I saw hard hitting." He also said he had witnessed how guards would force the detainees "to physically exert themselves to the limit." Some soldiers beat prisoners to vent their frustrations, one sergeant said, recalling an instance when an off-duty cook showed up at the detention area and ordered a prisoner to grab a metal pole and bend over. "He told him to bend over and broke the guy's leg with a mini-Louisville Slugger that was a metal bat." Even after the Abu Ghraib scandal became public, one of the sergeants said, the abuses continued. "We still did it, but we were careful," he told the human rights group. It's interesting to compare the New York Times' version of this story (and many others) with that of Aljazeera: Report: Iraq prison abuse rampant. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,463 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 877 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2005 10:58 AM There is no question but what they will welcome as liberators the United States. —Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2005 10:59 AM We have a strategy. And part of the strategy is to call free nations together to form a coalition, to share information and to find people before they hurt. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., September 22, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, September 26, 2005 9:36 AM Insurgents Blow Up Another U.S. Soldier As Violence Engulfs Iraq: The violence over the past few days has occurred amid demonstrations and sharpening sectarian tensions across Iraq over the coming nationwide referendum on the constitution. American military officials have said they expect to see more bloodshed as the Oct. 15 vote approaches. Also today, American forces opened fire on a minibus, an interior ministry spokesman said, killing one passenger and wounding four. The spokesman said an Egyptian telecommunications employee was kidnapped when his car was intercepted. An American military police member was killed when his vehicle struck a bomb, the American military said today. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,465 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 879 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Monday, September 26, 2005 9:37 AM The Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. —George W. Bush, March 17, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, September 26, 2005 9:38 AM There's a lot of us getting ready to retire. We're called baby boomers. As a matter of fact, my retirement age is 2,008. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:23 AM Five Teachers Slain in an Iraq School; 3 More U.S. Soldiers Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 26 - Armed men dressed as police officers burst into a primary school in a town south of Baghdad on Monday, rounded up five Shiite teachers and their driver, marched them to an empty classroom and killed them, a police official said. ... Three American soldiers were killed in two separate road bomb explosions on Monday, the American military said. One died when a vehicle hit a bomb 50 miles south of Baghdad, and the other two ran over a bomb in western Baghdad. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,466 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 880 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:24 AM Well, there is no question that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly. All this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes. —Ari Fleischer, March 21, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:25 AM I believe we are called to do the hard work to make our communities and quality of life a better place. —George W. Bush, Collinsville, Illinois, January 5, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:02 AM Female Bomber Kills 6 Army Recruits in Iraq; 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A woman strapped with explosives blew herself up outside an Iraqi army recruiting center in a northern town Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding 30 in the first known attack by a female suicide bomber in the country's bloody insurgency. ... A U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded by a roadside bomb at the town of Safwan on Iraq's border with Kuwait on Wednesday, the military said. It also announced that a Marine near the western city of Fallujah was killed by non-hostile gunfire Monday. The deaths brought to 1,920 the number of U.S. troops who have died since the Iraq war began in 2003, according to an Associated Press count. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,467 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 881 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:04 AM There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them. —Gen. Tommy Franks, March 22, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:05 AM I'm also mindful that man should never try to put words in God's mouth. I mean, we should never ascribe natural disasters or anything else to God. We are in no way, shape, or form should a human being, play God. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., January 14, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2005 9:42 AM Iraq War Death Toll Continues to Increase: Violence against American forces surged, with the military announcing that four soldiers had been killed in three days in attacks in Falluja, west of Baghdad, and Safwan, near the Kuwait border. In Baquba, north of Baghdad, a car bomb exploded at a military checkpoint at 3:45 p.m., killing a civilian and wounding 13, including 8 police officers, an Interior Ministry official said. Scattered violence left four people dead in Baghdad. At 8 a.m. a roadside bomb that apparently was meant for a police commando unit killed a civilian. Gunmen began shooting at American forces near the Ghazilia Bridge in western Baghdad, killing an Iraqi police officer. In Sadr City, the Shiite slum in eastern Baghdad, another police officer was killed. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,468 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 882 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2005 9:44 AM We know where the weapons of mass destruction are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.   —Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2005 9:45 AM And so while there's a shortfall because of down refining capacity, we will work with -- we have instructed EPA to leave the rules in place, or to suspend the rules that were in place, keep the suspension in place, which would make it easier to increase supply, and continue to get supply of gasoline here. And that's important for our consumers to know. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., September 26, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:23 AM 5 More U.S. Soldiers Slaughtered in Iraq: The bombings came as American military officials announced that five United States soldiers had been killed by a roadside bomb, in the deadliest single day for American forces in Iraq in almost two months. The soldiers were killed Wednesday while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, an insurgent stronghold in Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, military officials said in a statement, without providing further details. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,469 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 883 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Now Listen Up! Posted: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:24 AM I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction. —George W. Bush, to Barbara Walters in a January 14, 2005 TV interview
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:26 AM It's amazing with the software that has been developed these days that enable a camera to distinguish the difference between a squirrel and a bomb. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2004