George W Bush And The Real State Of The Union The Independent - UK 1-20-4 Today, the President gives his annual address. As the election battle begins, how does his first term add up? 232: Number of American combat deaths in Iraq between May 2003 and January 2004 501: Number of American servicemen to die in Iraq from the beginning of the war - so far 0: Number of American combat deaths in Germany after the Nazi surrender to the Allies in May 1945 0: Number of coffins of dead soldiers returning home from Iraq that the Bush administration has allowed to be photographed 0: Number of funerals or memorials that President Bush has attended for soldiers killed in Iraq 100: Number of fund-raisers attended by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney in 2003 13: Number of meetings between Bush and Tony Blair since he became President 10 million: Estimated number of people worldwide who took to the streets in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, setting an all-time record for simultaneous protest 2: Number of nations that Bush has attacked and taken over since coming into the White House 9.2: Average number of American soldiers wounded in Iraq each day since the invasion in March last year 1.6: Average number of American soldiers killed in Iraq per day since hostilities began 16,000: Approximate number of Iraqis killed since the start of war 10,000: Approximate number of Iraqi cililians killed since the beginning of the conflict $100 billion: Estimated cost of the war in Iraq to American citizens by the end of 2003 $13 billion: Amount other countries have committed towards rebuilding Iraq (much of it in loans) as of 24 October 36%: Increase in the number of desertions from the US army since 1999 92%: Percentage of Iraq's urban areas that had access to drinkable water a year ago 60%: Percentage of Iraq's urban areas that have access to drinkable water today 32%: Percentage of the bombs dropped on Iraq this year that were not precision-guided 1983: The year in which Donald Rumsfeld gave Saddam Hussein a pair of golden spurs 45%: Percentage of Americans who believed in early March 2003 that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 11 September attacks on the US $127 billion: Amount of US budget surplus in the year that Bush became President in 2001 $374 billion: Amount of US budget deficit in the fiscal year for 2003 1st: This year's deficit is on course to be the biggest in United States history $1.58 billion: Average amount by which the US national debt increases each day $23,920: Amount of each US citizen's share of the national debt as of 19 January 2004 1st: The record for the most bankruptcies filed in a single year (1.57 million) was set in 2002 10: Number of solo press conferences that Bush has held since beginning his term. His father had managed 61 at this point in his administration, and Bill Clinton 33 1st: Rank of the US worldwide in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per capita $113 million: Total sum raised by the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, setting a record in American electoral history $130 million: Amount raised for Bush's re-election campaign so far $200m: Amount that the Bush-Cheney campaign is expected to raise in 2004 $40m: Amount that Howard Dean, the top fund-raiser among the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, amassed in 2003 28: Number of days holiday that Bush took last August, the second longest holiday of any president in US history (Recordholder: Richard Nixon) 13: Number of vacation days the average American worker receives each year 3: Number of children convicted of capital offences executed in the US in 2002. America is only country openly to acknowledge executing children 1st: As Governor of Texas, George Bush executed more prisoners (152) than any governor in modern US history 2.4 million: Number of Americans who have lost their jobs during the three years of the Bush administration 221,000: Number of jobs per month created since Bush's tax cuts took effect. He promised the measure would add 306,000 1,000: Number of new jobs created in the entire country in December. Analysts had expected a gain of 130,000 1st: This administration is on its way to becoming the first since 1929 (Herbert Hoover) to preside over an overall loss of jobs during its complete term in office 9 million: Number of US workers unemployed in September 2003 80%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce now unemployed 55%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce unemployed before the war 43.6 million: Number of Americans without health insurance in 2002 130: Number of countries (out of total of 191 recognised by the United Nations) with an American military presence 40%: Percentage of the world's military spending for which the US is responsible $10.9 million: Average wealth of the members of Bush's original 16-person cabinet 88%: Percentage of American citizens who will save less than $100 on their 2006 federal taxes as a result of 2003 cut in capital gains and dividends taxes $42,000: Average savings members of Bush's cabinet are expected to enjoy this year as a result in the cuts in capital gains and dividends taxes $42,228: Median household income in the US in 2001 $116,000: Amount Vice-President Cheney is expected to save each year in taxes 44%: Percentage of Americans who believe the President's economic growth plan will mostly benefit the wealthy 700: Number of people from around the world the US has incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba 1st: George W Bush became the first American president to ignore the Geneva Conventions by refusing to allow inspectors access to US-held prisoners of war +6%: Percentage change since 2001 in the number of US families in poverty 1951: Last year in which a quarterly rise in US military spending was greater than the one the previous spring 54%: Percentage of US citizens who believe Bush was legitimately elected to his post 1st: First president to execute a federal prisoner in the past 40 years. Executions are typically ordered by separate states and not at federal level 9: Number of members of Bush's defence policy board who also sit on the corporate board of, or advise, at least one defence contractor 35: Number of countries to which US has suspended military assistance after they failed to sign agreements giving Americans immunity from prosecution before the International Criminal Court $300 million: Amount cut from the federal programme that provides subsidies to poor families so they can heat their homes $1 billion: Amount of new US military aid promised Israel in April 2003 to offset the "burdens" of the US war on Iraq 58 million: Number of acres of public lands Bush has opened to road building, logging and drilling 200: Number of public-health and environmental laws Bush has attempted to downgrade or weaken 29,000: Number of American troops - which is close to the total of a whole army division - to have either been killed, wounded, injured or become so ill as to require evacuation from Iraq, according to the Pentagon 90%: Percentage of American citizens who said they approved of the way George Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 26 September, 2001 53%: Percentage of American citizens who approved of the way Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 16 January, 2004 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=482947
Not really. If Bush attended every single funeral every single day during the war campaign he would literally be spending 100% of his time flying around the country going to funerals and not actually running the country. Even those on the left admit there is no way that Bush could attend the funerals. Now if all the bodies were brought back in one day and we had one big funeral then sure, that would be very plausible. But let's be realistic, the most powerful man in the world needs to run our country not make PR appearances for poll ratings.
bullshit. if he's got time for fundraisers, he's got time to honor those who sacrificed for his war. there is no excuse for this, surprising you'd even try to justify something so despicable.
Not even one funeral, or one memorial service. Not even one Group memorial service? This guy is a scumbag. It really isn't surprising Maverick runs to defend Georgie even when his position is so blatantly untenable. Honoring the fallen soldier is a 5,000 year old tradition in all human cultures. A true conservative would uphold this enduring and unifying value, that is Maverick74, he would "conserve" this tradition. Georgie and Karl don't want to because it would create the public link between the dead and the President.
Guys get a grip. This was brought up on every major political news show on the right and the left, and both republicans and democrats agreed to did the right thing by not picking and choosing one funeral over the other. Obviously he could not have attended 500 funerals. but had he picked Joe and not steve's or Billy's but not suzies's then that would have not only been very cruel to the families left out but it would have meant that some soldiers lives are more valuable and precious then others. Even Hillary Clinton defended Bush on this issue. Get a grip guys.
Let's add this up: 0. Threat now posed by Saddam Hussein. 0. Number of 9/11 scale terrorist acts in US since that day. 0. Number of subsequent crimes committed by murderers executed in Texas when Bush was governor. 0. Harm from US "greenhouse gas" emissions. 0. Growth in jobs in europe since Bush has been in office. 0. Number of significant steps taken by Clinton administration to combat terrorism. 0. Number of tax increases since Bush took office. 0. Number of liberals who have refused their share of Bush tax cuts. 0. Number of credible Democrat presidential candidates. 0. Objectivity of The Independent.
ahahaha, are you in favor of Hillary on this?? Mavman yer really tripping badly:eek: You are using Hillary in an additional attempt to support the despicable scumya??? yer lost it:eek: Me thinks you forget.... There are no public ceremonies for the dead coming back through the military receiving center in Dover, Del. The flights of wounded personnel heading for Walter Reed often arrive at night at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. "The wounded are brought back after midnight, making sure the press does not see the planes coming in," U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said recently on the Senate floor. "These are not a broken wrist or scratched leg. These are terrible wounds: lost limbs, lost eyesight, lifetime disabilities." It is "something the administration prefers not to talk about," Leahy said. The Department of Defense would not comment on the criticisms. Some of those wounded share the feeling that the price they're paying is not fully recognized by the public, the government or the media. "They seem to underplay it a lot," said Pfc. Tristan Wyatt, of Franktown, who is being treated at Walter Reed after losing his right leg in an August ambush. "They think the war is over, and it's not. It's getting worse and worse with everybody coming here wounded. "They say 'wounded' like they have a cast, or a splinter. There are people who lost both legs, in wheelchairs, here. That's not wounded: that's (expletive) up. They're giving everything they have for this cause," Wyatt said. http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0...84912,00.html scummmyaaaaa!!! way to go heck even billybubba attented some memorials... but I digress. this is about scumbucket and cabal pulling them strings