Public Says $87 Billion Too Much

[lebkuchen]

Six in 10 Americans said they do not support the proposal, which the president announced in his nationally televised address last Sunday night. That marks the most significant public rejection of a Bush initiative on national security or terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.


In a second rebuff to the administration, more Americans said that, if Congress decides to approve the additional money, lawmakers should roll back the president's tax cuts to pay for the increased spending, rather than add to the federal budget deficit or cut government spending.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/washpost/20030914/pl_washpost/a7030_2003sep13

Comment: Okay, America, then how do you plan to rebuild Iraq, which you support doing? Second question: why do you support Bush if you think he's squandering tax dollars? Are you saying, "it's NOT the economy, stupid?"

[ClintonTyree]

1. Bush will never..............

roll back the tax cuts. That would be an admission of policy failure, and we all know that WhistleAss is NEVER wrong. The public thinks what they're told to think. We're in deep shit and Bush has no exit strategies either home or abroad. All of this because of evil men, and a press corps that enabled them.

[mediaman007]

2. What the press has enabled is closed-minded thinking.

Most of America now sees Democrats and Republicans as "Coke vs Pepsi." That was the goal of right-wing radio. It has endangered out democracy because citizens don't evaluate the issue, they just take sides.

Eighty-seven billion is a lot of cash for the military. They are already working with more than 400 billion! This is just another way to transfer money from the middle class to the wealthy.

With the number of unemployed middle class workers, who will eventually have to settle for low-paying jobs, it is apparent that the Bush/Republican era is intended to decrease the size of the middle class.

Pardon me...this topic just gets me rambling.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. That is the risk of appealing to the worst in Americans.

After September 11th, we had a united country and Bush used the momentum to convince everybody that we would be avenging September 11th by attacking Iraq. He made the country out to be a cesspool of terrorist activity and a base for nuclear proliferation. And now he's asking 87 Billion dollars for these terrorist and Halliburton? (And I do say that in the same breathe.)

Bush voters are very easy to motivate by pulling the hate strings, but the Christian themes of brotherly love have yet to show any signs of being a successful motivator for inspiring people to sacrifice for anyone but other Republican Christians.

[SodoffBush]

5. Only the Christian fundamentalists....

can be "born again."

[cliss]

4. Don't underestimate the power

of an American who's broke. The people at BushCo have always been high-stakes rollers. They knew that a war far away from home would never have the same impact as a devastated economy, millions without work, foreclosures left and right.

That's why they're scrambling right now. They know that when Americans have been pushed too far, they fight back with a vengeance.

I'd say we've been pushed to the limit, right about now.

[LeahMira]

6. It IS too much!

The people are saying it's too much and a lot of folks in Congress are saying it's too much, but I keep hearing that Congress is going to give him the money anyhow. Sure, they may ask for some quid pro quo, but we can pretty much kiss that $87 billion farewell.

Just imagine if that money had been designated to develop alternate sources of energy! Then the U.S. would have the luxury of intervening in the Middle East only on principle... when human rights were violated or for some reason other than the reason that we depend on the Middle East for oil.

Comment: Okay, America, then how do you plan to rebuild Iraq, which you support doing? Second
question: why do you support Bush if you think he's squandering tax dollars? Are you saying, "it's NOT
the economy, stupid?"

Rebuld Iraq? How about Halliburton rebuild it? I'd imagine $87 billion is not beyond their means. And I don't need a tax refund or a tax cut (well, I wouldn't mind one, but one that made some difference and not one that just barely helps me catch up with this month's bills!) What I do want done with my tax dollars involved social services for the truly needy and projects that everyone benefits from like helping to pay for education and building safer roads and bridges and such.

[Richardo]

7. ...and it's only for one year. Here's a silver lining:

He'll have to ask for his FY 2005 Iraqi billions right about this time next year - right around convention time.

Delicious!