The Moderate Liberal

The majority of the U.S. Senate voted today to advance a resolution that repudiates Bush’s planned deployment of 21,000 combat soliders to Iraq.  The 56-34 vote fell four short of the 60 necessary to pass the a nonbinding measure.

This is the second time that Senate Republicans blocked action on nonbinding measures that criticize the president’s war policies. Yet, the members of the Senate are now on record.  We know where Senators stand. That’s what the American people deserve to know. We will not forget in 2008.

Shame on the majority of Republicans for voting to block this resolution.  Cudos to those who crossed the aisle, and who recognize the gravity of what Bush has proposed.

It’s time to pay my taxes, and what a pain in the ass it is.

I fully understand the necessity to pay my taxes. But WHY does it have to be so damn hard?!

I listened to Ed Shultz on the radio today. Ed was complaining about a 22 month IRS audit of his finances that resulted in $15,000 in accountant fees, and only an incidental $1k penalty for some inoccuous violation.

When I look out across the unbelievably expensive infrastructure that is in place to help us make sense of the tax code, to withhold our money, to document our expenditures, to protect ourselves against audits, to give us advice, jails to hold tax dodgers — I have to ask: Can’t we do better than this??

The short answer is yes, we can. I’ve been reading up on Fair Tax proposals, and I’m liking what I hear. Some proposals would replace the Income Tax with a national sales tax upwards of 20%. The net effect on the middle class would be negligible or less than the current tax burden. Tax rebates could be offerred to lower income Americans, or tax refunds could be offerred on certain purchases that the Government wants to stimulate (such as no tax on hybrid automobiles… you get the idea).

As I prepare to spend the entire weekend combing through a huge box of receipts in preparation to meet my accountant next week, a sales tax sounds great. It stands to reason that the more you have, the more you spend, the more tax you will pay. The purported savings to this nation in gained productivity alone makes this idea worth trying.

Its clear to me that the U.S. tax system is a pure drain on American efficiency. Show me a small business owner has time to document mileage in accordance with the IRS guidelines, or who has the resources to defend himself against an IRS audit. The IRS is absolutely killing American innovation and business efficiency with this and other arcane rules that we could easily live without as a nation. Eliminating the IRS would save America $11.4 Billion in 2008. It would save the 60% of American who have to hire tax advice about $200 per year. It would allow the redeployment of tens of thousands of people in our economy, moving them to more productive work.

I say, lets give a national sales tax a try, and free ourselves from this annual torture. We can do better than the income tax — we’re Americans, afterall.

It’s sad that it has come to this.

I want to believe my government when it says that it has proof of Iran’s interference in Iraq. It may very well be true that Iranian bombs are killing American soldier’s.

But how can we be sure? The Bush administration has earned our distrust by its history of lies to the American people. Need we recount the bogus African-Iraq uranium connection? Collin Powell’s fake claims about cylindars for uranium enrichment? Trumped up WMD. Lies about the domestic eavesdropping program? Cheney’s lies about an Iraq-911 connection, long after that connection was proven false?  Abu Ghraib Prison? Secret prisons in Europe? Torture?

Excuse us Mr. President if everything that you say and do right now is under the microscope of truth. You have not earned our trust by being forthright. You have lied to us, and your continuing blunders have not made America safer. You are a divider, not a “uniter.”

Let us hope that with a Democratic congress, the American system of Government will again come into balance. For too long Bush has had a free ride pass from a lazy Republican congress who abdicated its oversight responsibilities. The media in America is finally finding its voice, and reclaiming its right to question, investigate and doubt.

Bush may be right, or he may be lying again. It’s very sad that we can’t trust him.

Have noticed how Republicans are increasingly speaking out against Bush, and breaking ranks with a Republican leadership that continues to give the finger to the will of the American people?

Rep. Mike Castle broke ranks with fellow Republicans today, becoming the latest Republican to support the Democrats’ resolution against President Bush’s decision to send more than 20,000 additional combat troops (which doesn’t include the up to 30,000 additional logistical troops necessary to support the combat troops) to Iraq.

“I believe that the surge will continue to be unsuccessful without a comprehensive diplomatic strategy to engage the international community and turn responsibility over to the Iraqi government,” said Castle, R-Del., on the House floor.

I heard Bush on the radio today, saying that people who disagree with him are “good Americans.”  He said he’s absolutely fine with disagreement on his policy, as long as they “support the troops” by continuing to fund Bush’s insane plans.

I think a better way to support the troops is impeach this President and Vice President for lying to the American people in order to wage this illegal war.

The house resolution is the first step toward neutering George W. Bush.  The sooner that happens, the better for America and Iraq.

Check it out

It would be funny if it weren’t so true and tragic.

Where is Al Gore when you need him? 

Hillary Clinton is her own person.  By all accounts, she’s been a good Senator from New York.

But this age of Destiny-Politics has to stop.  I can’t vote for Hillary for the same reason that the Republican’s should never have voted for Bush: its bad for America.

With FDR, we got a glimpse of what an American dictator could look like.  That’s why we passed presidential term limits.  George Bush Sr. and his biz associates figured out a way around this little inconvenience:  create a political dynasty.  Its no secret that George Bush Jr (er,  President W) was able to leverage his father’s donor base, and came to the White House with deep knowledge of the plumbing of America’s bureaucracy, and with a “talent base” ready and willing to step in and take the reigns based on their prior experience in Government.

This has not been a good thing for America. It’s lead to a  President Power Grab, and all sorts of nefarious activities — illegal wire tapping, torture, secret prisons, suspension of Habeas Corpus, Dubai Ports contracts –  which are so well documented that only a few are necessary to even mention here to make my point.

Do we want to go this route again?

A President Hillary Clinton would find itself in the same over-powered situation.  And lets be honest — Bill Clinton is a likeable guy, but he has a very shady past, with very credible allegations of corruption and even rape.  He dishonored the Presidency.  Hillary is still married to Bill (why I don’t know), but they were a team in the White House once, and I suspect they will again be a team if she is elected President.

It’s simply bad for America to have children, spouses, nephews, uncles, grandparents, nieces, or adopted children of Former Presidents take the reigns of power in this way. It’s bad for America, and I will never support the wife of a former President (or the child of a former President) for the office of the President ever again.

We’ve learned our lesson.

Thanks, Hillary. But no thanks.

Where is Al Gore when you need him?  Run Al, Run!!!!!

PM John Howard, George Bush’s crony down under, says that the terrorists should be praying to Allah that Democrats win the White House in 2008, because the Dems are a bunch of weak kneed, limp wristed weanies who will run scared from the terrorists.

Howard is Australia’s own homegrown Neo-Con, who apparently learned nothing from the whooping that American’s gave Bush in the 2006 mid-term elections. 

Just like Howard, who is trailing the labour party badly in Australia,  you can expect the Republicans to continue trying to scare the beejeebers out of old people, stupid people, religeous people, and every other kind of people they can get to listen to Rush Limbaugh.  The American people saw through those lies in 2006, the Australians will see through the lies in 2007, and the American people will run away from the lies in droves in 2008.

The Republicans got nothin’!  Nothin’ at all!  They have no domestic policy, no plan to get us out of Iraq, no money left in the National treasury (they’ve bankrupt the country), and no common sense.  They have no morality left. Even the religeous right is leaving the Republican Party.

All they have left is “vote Republican, or the terrorists will be eating your children.” That’s it: there’s no domestic, foriegn, social, environmental, or economic policy. Nothing left.

While I have no doubt that these terrorists would indeed eat American children if given the chance, the fact is that Bush’s failed policies and mishandling of the Iraq War, and financial irresponsibility simply can no longer be tolerated.  For the sake of the world, its time for a new direction and a new policy. Americans said it last year. Watch the Australians say it this year.

Republicans love to point to the fact that there has been “no terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11,” conveniently forgetting the fact that they were in charge on 9/11.  Such bravado proves nothing. Does that mean that if there is a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, that we should blame Republicans? No, they’ll simply say, “see, told ya so.”  There may have been no more attacks on U.S. soil, but thanks to Bush’s Iraq debacle, there were indeed another 3,000 American lives lost (and counting).

Republicans need war, violence and fear to perpetuate their agenda.   But sadly for Republicans, the world  has had enough of their lies.  With our children $6 Trillion further in debt later, Americans feel no safer now than they did on 9/12/2001. 

Howard is wrong to assume that the Republican’s failed policies would not be preferrable to the terrorists than a New Approach by Democrats.  Why wouldn’t Bin Laden want to continue killing Americans in Iraq? Why wouldn’t Bin Laden want to continue seeing the U.S. risk hyper inflation by plunging itself deeper into debt. Why wouldn’t Bin Laden want Bush, who is an icon of hatred around the world, to continue to make Al Qaida a cause celeb?

Want a preview of the 2008 election? Just watch Howard swing by a rope in Australia. The Republican’s didn’t get in 2006, and Howard just doesn’t get it now. 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress this week that he is making “contingency” plans, should the President’s Troop Surge plan fail.

“And so without getting into any details, I will simply say that I have asked that we begin to look at other contingencies and other alternatives,” said Gates

 What other alternatives?  Like giving diplomacy a chance? Like pulling out and forcing Iraqi’s to negotiate a solution to their civil war?  Like bailing the hell out of there like we did during the fall of Saigon?

Aparently, the President and Defense Secretary are so uncertain about the potential of the surge to succeed that they are actively making “alternative plans.

Here’s an idea Mr’s Bush and Gates:  Lets put these “alternative” plans into motion first, before sending more of our neighbors to Iraq with targets on their backs. 

It gives the Moderate Liberal much pause to trust the fate of 25,000 more combat troops (which will require support troops — as many as 60,000 additional soldiers) to George W. Bush’s failed “stay the course” failed policies in Iraq, especially knowing that the is so uncertain about the prospects of success for this effort that he is already second guessing the strategy. 

Houston Chronical is reporting today that the U.S. soldier death toll in Iraq is now 3,114, after four more Marines were murdered.  Our sincere thanks to those soldiers for serving their country faithfully despite the grossly incompetent mishandling of the war by the Bush administration. May their honorable service be some comfort to their children, spouses, parents and communities.

 Meanwhile,   new study from Harvard University reports that the hidden financial costs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan will overwhelm the Department of Veterans Affairs for decades.  Researchers estimate that sixteen US soldiers are wounded per fatality.

The study estimates the cost of providing care to the veterans will range from a minimum of $350 billion to nearly $700 billion.  The President’s current budget makes no such provision for this looming cost.