Factchecking Bush

Wow. That didn’t take long. Bush gives a press conference this morning and says,

Question: Did they misinform you when you said that no one anticipated the breach of the levees?

President Bush: No, what I was referring to is this. When that storm came by, a lot of people said we dodged a bullet. When that storm came through at first, people said, whew. There was a sense of relaxation, and that’s what I was referring to. And I, myself, thought we had dodged a bullet. You know why? Because I was listening to people, probably over the airways, say, the bullet has been dodged. And that was what I was referring to. Of course, there were plans in case the levee had been breached. There was a sense of relaxation in the moment, a critical moment. And thank you for giving me a chance to clarify that.

In no time at all, the blogs expose this as a inconsistent with the facts we know. Or, if you prefer, a real whopper.

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10 Responses to Factchecking Bush

  1. wcw says:

    Is there a word for “lie my ass off” that rhymes with “worry”?

    I’ve always thought that George W. looks so much like old Alfred E. Neuman that a “What, me [lie my ass off-y]?” shirt would be just perfect.

  2. As best I can parse it (always a challenge with GWB), he’s saying:

    “I didn’t mean that nobody ever had the thought in recorded history that the levees would fail. That would be a silly, absurd, statement. I meant my administration runs on second-hand reports from aides who actually pay attention to the news, and after the very first dodged-a-bullet media reports, we stopped paying attention, so the rest of the news didn’t filter in to us for quite a while.”

    While this is likely in fact *true*, somehow, it’s not very reassuring.

  3. bill smith says:

    Bush Supports Home-Bred Terrorists

    The administration and the Bush appointed Justice Department are so obsessed with a foreign “war on terror” that they have chosen to look the other way concerning home-bred terror perpetrated by our own government officials against U.S. citizens.

    Below is a quote from an American prosecutor that President Bush and Alberto Gonzales’s Justice Department believe is just fine,

    “The last claim involves a statement made to attorney xxxxxxx warning that the defendant would be charged with additional crimes if he did not clam[sic] down. The statement is a reference to the defendant’s continued harassment of the victim and the investigating officer in this case through the court process. The defendant has filed a civil action against the victim because of his participation in this criminal case. The State is currently reviewing a contempt charge against the defendants because of this activity. The statement was a proper warning made through the defendant’s representative.”

    This is an actual written quote from a powerful republican prosecutor filed in court documents. It is a federal crime to threaten someone for filing civil litigation in federal court or for their participation in federal civil litigation. Threatening someone with adverse consequences whether it be breaking their arm or threatening them with an illegal and frivolous criminal prosecution is known as extortion and obstruction of justice. The above open-ended threat also constitutes violation of the federal racketeering statutes and federal civil rights crimes. The fact that the criminals in this instance carry government issued badges and guns heightens the terror, which is now also approved by the President and Attorney General Gonzales.

    A glance at the legal system’s own ethical cannons explain very clearly why threats of this nature against civil proceedings are forbidden and criminal,

    …“ The civil adjudicative process is primarily designed for the settlement of disputes between parties, while the criminal process is designed for the protection of society as a whole. Threatening to use, or using, the criminal process to coerce adjustment of private civil claims or controversies is a subversion of that process; further, the person against whom the criminal process is so misused may be deterred from asserting his legal rights and thus the usefulness of the civil process in settling private disputes is impaired. As in all cases of abuse of judicial process, the improper use of criminal process tends to diminish public confidence in our legal system.” …

    Obstruction of federal civil litigation by the government itself is not only a crime against individual victims, it constitutes an attack on the integrity of the federal court system signaling a demise of the rule of law and adversary court process in this country. This trend is advocated by the current administration and the Justice Department. The courts have become a powerful tool for the government to abuse and manipulate.

    In correspondence, President Bush failed to respond to this issue. Alberto Gonzales and his Justice Department indicated that the conduct was fine and not even a civil rights violation. Senator Elizabeth Dole had an equally callous and unethical response to this crime targeting the federal courts.

    The above quote constitutes the on-going threat of violent arrest and incarceration for exercising a right clearly protected by the first amendment –redress of grievances in federal court. Government threats of criminal retaliation for a citizen’s pursuit a civil claims in federal court is also an impermissible coercion tactic violative of Due Process.

    Constitutional rights of our own citizenry must be secured before preaching abroad concerning foreign constitutions, rights and freedoms.

    In the same series of correspondences, the President, Attorney General Gonzales and Senator Dole expressed no concern about the threats of violent arrest and incarceration targeting citizens for merely attempting to exercise the clearly established first amendment right to attend and observe courthouse proceedings. Secret courts are not a precept that should be sheltered or embraced by our President or the Justice Department.

    While the above instances reveal how this country is evolving into a police state with zero concern for rights, liberties and freedoms, ironically, we hold ourselves up as the example for others to emulate. President Bush, lets get it right here before we attempt to impose our system on others. Our military is risking their lives in foreign lands to protect rights, freedoms and liberties that currently exist only on paper in this country. The politicians that have directed our troops to engage in foreign conflict are the very same individuals who have waged a war to undermine our constitutional rights within our own borders.

    The willingness of those in power to inspire fear in the public with threats of political imprisonment for stating a position, filing a paper in court or merely attending a court proceeding is terrorism. The President and Justice Department’s willingness to allow these practices support and encourages further terrorism.

    Alberto Gonzales’ Justice Department concludes that the above, “does not involve a prosecutable violation of federal criminal civil rights statutes [18 U.S.C., §§ 241, 242].”. See statutes below. In the United States today, the mere exercise of basic First Amendment rights is met with terrorist threats of arrest and political imprisonment reminiscent of Stalinist Russia while the courts have become government manipulated secret tribunals hiding the terror acts.

    Bill Smith
    North Carolina
    bush_crimes –at– yahoo.com

    This piece authored under a penname to avoid retaliation.

    UNITED STATES CODE Title 18

    Sec. 241. – Conspiracy against rights

    If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

    They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death

    Sec. 242. – Deprivation of rights under color of law

    Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death

  4. Aidan Maconachy says:

    This presumed “fast one” by Bush pales compared to the shananigans by local authorities in New Orleans.

    Believe it or not, there is actually an emergency evacuation plan for New Orleans that is posted on the internet, but Ray Nagin, in his wisdom, held out and didn’t follow through on it with anything like the urgency required. If Bush was indeed caught in an “interval” of suspense, he sure as hell wasn’t the only one. Fact is the Feds have no right to go in to any state without first securing the say-so of the Governor. Before the tragedy struck, Bush actually called Blanco and petitioned the woman to enact on a mass evacuation plan to get people out, and she held off for some 24 hours!! So Bush wasn’t the only deer dazzled by the headlights!

    When the Feds followed up with food, water, medicine etc bureaucrats in Blanco’s department BLOCKED them. According to Louisianna’s Department of Homeland Security this was because ” we didn’t want to create a magnet for more people to come to the Superdome”. WHAT!!? Their evacuation plans were inept, virtually non-existent in some instances – yet they declined to give those seeking shelter adequate care, thus almost certainly setting up the conditions for a large scale incident in the Superdome.

    I think it is pretty far fetched to troll Bush’s every utterance for a hint of duplicity, when the focus should really be on a disaster that was compounded by the bizarre conduct of local authorities. Someone inclined toward conspiracy theories might almost see deliberation in all of this … play bureaucratic games so the Federal aid is slowed down, create the conditions in the Superdome so all hell breaks loose, then sit back and watch Bush’s numbers sink. Okay, that’s pushing the envelope I would like to believe, but all the same … something was definitely rotton in the state of the Big Sleazy when it came time to get serious!

  5. Aidan Maconachy says:

    This presumed “fast one” by Bush pales compared to the shananigans by local authorities in New Orleans.

    Believe it or not, there is actually an emergency evacuation plan for New Orleans that is posted on the internet, but Ray Nagin, in his wisdom, held out and didn’t follow through on it with anything like the urgency required. If Bush was indeed caught in an “interval” of suspense, he sure as hell wasn’t the only one. Fact is the Feds have no right to go in to any state without first securing the say-so of the Governor. Before the tragedy struck, Bush actually called Blanco and petitioned the woman to enact on a mass evacuation plan to get people out, and she held off for some 24 hours!! So Bush wasn’t the only deer dazzled by the headlights!

    When the Feds followed up with food, water, medicine etc bureaucrats in Blanco’s department BLOCKED them. According to Louisianna’s Department of Homeland Security this was because ” we didn’t want to create a magnet for more people to come to the Superdome”. WHAT!!? Their evacuation plans were inept, virtually non-existent in some instances – yet they declined to give those seeking shelter adequate care, thus almost certainly setting up the conditions for a large scale incident in the Superdome.

    I think it is pretty far fetched to troll Bush’s every utterance for a hint of duplicity, when the focus should really be on a disaster that was compounded by the bizarre conduct of local authorities. Someone inclined toward conspiracy theories might almost see deliberation in all of this … play bureaucratic games so the Federal aid is slowed down, create the conditions in the Superdome so all hell breaks loose, then sit back and watch Bush’s numbers sink. Okay, that’s pushing the envelope I would like to believe, but all the same … something was definitely rotten in the state of the Big Sleazy when it came time to get serious!

  6. Sue Ann says:

    Perhaps this link to a Miami Herald article clears up some confusion on why the president didn’t know. Because the guy in charge was busy (pardon the expression) scratching his b*lls instead of doing his job. But it still remains the responsibility of the person who appointed or hired the head of Homeland Security in the first place, so ultimately Mr. Bush is responsible.

    http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/12638168.htm

  7. I wanted to point out that the events surrounding Katrina and New Orleans have been the biggest marketing campaign in the history of this nations, besides Iraq, to extract billions and billions of dollars from the American people.

    Why do I say this? Because it has escaped unnoticed, that Katrina was not even a direct hit. Nope. It hit Mississippi straight on and we have done those victims a terrible wrong. Katrina hit New Orleans with storm force winds of 100 -105 mph and the whopper storm surge would no longer be 28 ft, instead it would be 13 or 14 if I recall. I am looking for the link. In any case that is why the levee breaks are suspect at best but under no circumstances does that mean Bush did not know. The whole dance between Nagin and Bush THAT CONTINUES, is very distracting, but the same goals have been achieved.

    Katrina DID dodge a bullet and their was a live web cam from New Orleans reporting the whole thing. Under a zero access order the forced evacuation was done in highly racist city, which is going to be rebuilt with “less poor” by James Reiss, member of the New Orleans, krewes, with Ku Klux Klan ties. Can you imagine the terror those people felt? The press was not allowed in at first and the the contract was given to that company here in Florida that dumped bodies in the woods. Remember that?

    There are several huge Constitutional issues here including the right to bear arms. Did you know that before they started the gentrification there was an order issued and guns were confiscated? Not by looters (which by the way was part of the spin to use our troops against us). The whole thing stinks to high heaven. One other thing Nagin switched parties days before his election. He is part of the white elite that want to demographically change New Orleans (he has made the city Republican now) and he contributed to Bush’s campaign and resented having to contribute to Blanco”s a Democrat. It would certainly explain why everything went so wrong at all levels.

    Just some food for thought and I leave you with this:

    URGENT MAIL TO AT LEAST 10 PEOPLE…..DON’T RELY ON THE MEDIA

    URGENT BREAKING NEWS: NASA is set to unveil plans detailing a new mission to take people and cargo to and from the moon. The federal government is expected to endorse the plan, as soon as it figures out how to take people and cargo to and from New Orleans.

    URGENT BREAKING NEW: RITA MORE STORMY WEATHER. NEW ORLEANS PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT IN FLORIDA MASSIVE LINE OF PEOPLE HOARDING FOOD AND SUPPLIES IN SUPERMARKET BUT WON’T EVACUATE OR SURRENDER THEIR HOMES TO BE DESTROYED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

    NEW ORLEANS RESIDENTS URGED TO Run for the hills, get your guns, say good bye to everything you know. Seriously we care so get the hell out. Then you can march back, but do not trust your lives to the government anymore

    The plan is to let the waters level out. There will be no flood fight. They will TURN OFF THE PUMPS. Like then pumps will not be pumping anything. The levees or canals will not be monitored. There will be no sandbags. There will be logistical nightmare that will be solved later with sandbags. There will be no planning to minimize the damage or the suffering of victims
    However: Meanwhile, to be completely safe, FEMA ordered the permanent evacuation of the entire South. Shelters were being set up late Monday in the Grand Canyon and then with the use of the greatest military in the world will starve you and make sure you are hunted down and shipped off to parts unknown.

    The government will do everything opposite to what they should do except make sure they get billions of dollars no matter how many die and no matter how many lives are ripped apart. To his credit, President Bush took the blame for the slow relief effort for Hurricane Katrina. In fact, he said, because of this, he probably will not run for a 3rd term

    If a race horse pisses in New Orleans they would use it to create a huge disaster just like they used Katrina with winds of only 100 mph when it brushed New Orleans and headed into Mississippi with its full force of a cat 4 hurricane. Levees were supposed to withstand a cat 3 and the levees did not breach with Katrina because it was a cat 1 for New Orleans. It was the next day after they had dodged the bullet that a barge or a surge or take your pick, opened a breach which you were told to ignore cause it was not a problem. Ooops!

    Breaking news: ” France is sending a truckload of white flags for people to wave when they’re waiting to be rescued.”

    So as another doomsday approaches beware of the government who is much more of a deadly disaster then any hurricane.

    You are on your own!

    President Bush promises not to hike taxes to raise the two hundred billion dollars to pay for hurricane relief for New Orleans. The president has a much better idea. He’s going to send his father and Bill Clinton out to rob banks. (comedian Argus Hamilton)

    President Bush is like the Peanuts character Pigpen. Wherever he goes, he stirs up such a humongous mess, it can only be cleaned up by Halliburton. (Bill Maher)

    http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/9-11_lies_under.html

    http://www.forums.whatluck4rulers.thesanman.com/notontv.htm

  8. Regarding the post about the Constitutional provisions made by Bill Smith:

    It is exactly the kind of thread I would like to ask Michael to start. Even if we are here in Florida we can petition the District Federal Court regarding the actions of another state if the laws are regarding the Constitution. I am working on this as a concerned citizen but I need, or the People need some very thorough legal precedent and knowledge of the law to challenge these people who are very rich with unlimited resources.

    For starters I was going to ask for a preliminary injunction for the continued forced evacuation and zero access to parts of the city. There are bodies coming out of there that the coroner referred to as “cockroaches” and I heard on their news channel ( I listen to their http://www.wwltv.com/perl/common/video/yahooPlayer.pl 24/7) say that there are deaths not flood related that are just going to be labeled as “Katrina related deaths”. That is absolutely not acceptable. That police chief needs to be investigated big time and that city police department is famous for corruption, the whole state is.

    Being forcefully evacuated from your homes on dry land is ridiculous and the efforts have never been to normalize the city. On a good day the water in New Orleans sucks and the beaches HAVE LONG STANDING NO SWIMMING posts. It is not fit for contact. NOW they wanna keep everyone safe and invoke the disaster emergency forced relocation because its not good for you? See what I am getting at.

    There is allot that we can put together to defeat these laws that were used by the President against the people including Constitutional Exceptions to the Posse Comitatus Act. Also, those reports about concentration camps are not new. We just have not given it much attention as people ..there is so much we do not care to know about it. Here is Florida there is slave labor and prisons are where slaves went and how big business is making money off blacks since the 13th amendment abolished slavery.

    So Michael how about it? Maybe your students can help contribute to test their skills?

    anyways I just think we need to do more then yada yada yada before we one day these people come of the closet and with the most lethal military in the world RULE US. It is damn scary and what if the people in Texas are rounded up and taken away if Rita hits there?

    http://www.forums.whatluck4rulers.thesanman.com/notontv.htm

    Most sincerely

    Jeannie

  9. What about immunity? Does the government have it legally? Who would be the defendants? I am serious and I am looking up the addresses.

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