Bush: "I like peanuts as much as the next guy"

[dajoki]

Chicago Tribune
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/03/bush_congress_o.html


Originally posted: March 31, 2007
Bush vs Marine: Peanuts and war
Posted by Mark Silva at 9:06 am CDT

"I like peanuts as much as the next guy,'' President Bush said today, "but I believe the security of our troops should come before the security of our peanut crop.''

And with these unlikely words, delivered in his weekly radio address, the president spelled out some of his complaints about the $100-billion-plus war-spending bills that the House and Senate have approved which are laden with "special-interest'' projects such as $75 million for peanut farmers -- not to mention the timelines for withdrawals of American military forces from Iraq that the president vows to veto.

But it's the timelines, more than the peanut cash, which the Democratic Party wants to talk about. Retired Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, "a loyal Marine'' and Iraq and Gulf War veteran, delivers the party's response to the president with a message that: "These bills both demand something that previous Congresses did not – accountability from the administration. Both bills demand that the president continue to verify that we are moving Iraq towards stability, and that we are on track to disengage our combat troops from the Iraqi Civil War by 2008.''

The peanut money really is peanuts, however, compared to the spending that Bush is criticizing in proposed new federal budgets that the House and Senate also have advanced for 2008. Their $3-trillion-plus spending plans for next year include more than what the president has sought, he said - $145 billion more in the Senate plan, $213 billion more in the House plan. And that, Bush warns, means raising taxes.



An Iraq and Gulf war veteran, retired Marine Lt. Col. Andrew Horne also has appeared in a television ad backed by VoteVets.org and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Urging Americans to withdraw from "Iraqi Civil War,'' he delivers the Democratic radio response to Bush today.

[rodeodance]

1. distraction tactic. ---and of course the 'news' will pick it up

[orwell]

2. 3+ Trillion!

Jeebus. That's an awful lot of spending, approx 25% of GDP.

Both parties have got to get this under control.

Between Fed, State, and Local spending you have an immense portion of total economic activity.

[dajoki]

3. And that, Bush warns, means raising taxes...

on you know who, the poor suckers struggling to get by or raise a family. Of course not on his fat cat buddies or corporations.

[shaniqua6392]

4. Go eat a handful of pretzels

you idiot!

[BearSquirrel2]

5. Bush has increased spending for quite some time while lowering taxes ...

Bush has increased spending for quite some time while LOWERING taxes. I'm not sure what he's complaining about.

When Bush vetoes this spending bill, the Democrats should send it back to the President w/o the timeline and w/ war taxes for the wealthy. So for as long as troops are deployed in Iraq the previous top bracket should go back up to 42% (the level that accompanied the largest economic expansion in US history) and a new top bracket at 45% for the super uber wealthy.

Every time Bush vetoes an Iraq funding bill Congress should put a new poison pill in it to trap not only the White House, but vulnerable Republicans as well. Not only are the Republicans voting AGAINST funding the troops, they are voting against asking the wealthy to pay for it.

[dajoki]

7. YES!! n/t

[shain from kane]

6. Guns or peanut butter? I prefer domestic peanuts compared to an insane foreign oil policy.