Questions Americans Should Ask Bush

[volosong]

1. Why is it that you claim to be a friend of veterans and yet have proposed so many cuts to programs benefiting veterans including the closure of some V.A. hospitals?
2. If you believe Sen. Kerry's military service was "honorable" and something "about which he should be proud," then why do you refuse to specifically condemn the Swift Boat Veterans? Aren't values more than something to which one gives lip service?
3. Former Sen. Max Cleland left half of his body in Vietnam. Yet when he came to your ranch with a letter signed by 9 other Congressional war heroes, neither you nor any of your immediate aides had the courtesy to accept the letter. Why are you afraid of a triple amputee in a wheelchair?
4. The almost 3,000 victims of the WTC attacks did not die for politicians or political parties. How do you justify hijacking emotions related to that tragedy for your own personal political gain?
5. You are quoted as having said, "One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures." Is that why you continued to read "My Pet Goat" for almost 17 minutes after Andrew Card informed you that the US was under attack? Why wasn't the security of America more important than reading a kiddy book?
6. What possessed you to use the 9/11 national tragedy as a punch line in your 'Trifecta' joke? And to follow up, why did your partisan republican audiences laugh with you?
7. Sen. Kerry has been accused of flip flopping. But is it not true that you have flip flopped on issues such as the 9/11 Commission; on calling for a UN vote on Iraq; on creation of the Dept. of Homeland Security; on a Constitutional amendment on gay marriage; on use of the military for "nation building;" on the issue of tax credits for hybrid automobiles; on extending the assault weapons ban; on steel tariffs; on spending the Social Security surplus; on the patient's right to sue; on the Federal Government's position on tobacco buyout; on disarmament incentives to North Korea; on lobbying OPEC; on the Condoleeza Rice testimony; on your pledge to issue regulation based on science; on the presence of WMD in Iraq; on restricting Free Trade; on the importance of capturing Osama Bin Laden; on mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions; on an investigation into intelligence failures in Iraq;
summits in the Palestinian crisis; campaign finance; on providing financial support for the First Responders; on military benefits; on who was responsible for the "Mission Accomplished" sign; on the fingerprinting and photographing of Mexicans entering the US; on refusing to pass budget deficits; your positions on stem cells and human embryos; about your support of the Low Income Energy Support Program; your position on abortion; on racial profiling;
8. Why did your administration lobby Daschle to drop investigation of the Sept. 11th tragedies, and why haven't you released the 9/11 Commission Report to the public?
9. How many federal employees were fired following the catastrophic intelligence failures on 9/11?
10. Can you explain why did NORAD deviated from Standard Operating Procedure on the morning of 9-11, failing to scramble jets? If not, can you tell us the status of that investigation?
11. Can you explain why $50 million allocated to investigate the Columbia Shuttle disaster, yet only $3 million was allocated to investigate 9-11?
12. How did you get an Honorable Discharge when you failed to complete your service?
13. Your tax cuts have been described as "WealthCare." Why did the top 1% income bracket receive a 32.4% tax cut while the lower 60% received only a 8.5% tax cut?
14. Why did you attempt through the Secretary of Commerce to relax the definition of "dolphin safe" so commercial fisheries could catch more tuna known to be contaminated with mercury?
15. Why are two Belgium owned and operated equine slaughterhouses in your home state of Texas continuing to butcher American horses, many stolen family pets, for export to Europe and Japan as a "delicacy"?
16. How do you justify the budget cuts for veterans benefits at precisely the time you are ramping up the military for permanent war?
17. Where are the WMD?
18. Would you still go to war knowing that there were no WMD?
19. You used the term "catastrophic success.” What exactly does that mean?
20. Forty (40) per cent of homeless men are VETERANS. What are you doing about that situation? Isn't this inconsistent with your statement that, "Home is important. It's important to have a home."—Crawford, Texas, Feb. 18, 2001.
21. 45 million people lack health coverage. Do you think basic health care is an American right? Health care costs have gone ballistic during your Administration. Why haven't you made health care more affordable?
22. "As you know, these are open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to say." —George W. Bush, Oct. 28, 2003. When will the press and American people be able to ask you questions?
23. "I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." —George W. Bush, aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003. Recently, you admitted to making mistakes in Iraq. Don't you think being more analytical and erudite might help promote success and security?
24. You are quoted as saying, "When I take action, I'm not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It's going to be decisive." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C. Sept. 19, 2001. Then why are Americans still dying in Iraq almost one year after you declared "Mission Accomplished?"
25. What exactly are the limits and parameters of the US commitment in Iraq?
26. Your father has had several skin lesions removed from his face. Why do you oppose environmental legislation that would reduce skin cancer rates?
27. Regarding the patient's bill of rights, you are quoted as having said on June 13, 2001: "I haven't had a chance to talk, but I'm confident we'll get a bill that I can live with if we don't." What did you exactly mean by that?
28. At the DNC Sen. Kerry challenged you to run a positive campaign on current issues. In 2001 you said, "It is time to set aside the old partisan bickering and finger-pointing and name-calling." Do you think your current campaign is consistent with those statements?
29. If universal healthcare is important for Iraq, why not here?
30. On Jan. 14, 2001 you said, "The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants." What does your Administration intend to do to make the US energy independent with renewable fuels that protect our ecosystem & pocketbook?
31. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." —George W. Bush, Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000. Then why are millions of fish now dying in our lakes and streams? Why are there warnings in many states advising people not to ingest fish because of the dangers of mercury poisoning from industrial pollution?
32. Despite your tax cut program, the American economy is still ailing. You said, "A tax cut is really one of the anecdotes to coming out of an economic illness." —George W. Bush, The Edge With Paula Zahn, Sept. 18, 2000. Then why are were still in an "economic illness?"
33. When was the last time that you spoke before a crowd of exclusively "invited guests?" ("This is what I'm good at. I like meeting people, my fellow citizens, I like interfacing with them." —George W. Bush, outside Pittsburgh, Sept. 8, 2000.)
34. Where is Osama bin Laden? You have flip flopped on this topic, what is your current opinion of the importance of apprehending Bin Laden?
35. Why did you renege on your campaign promise to support the Kyoto Treaty on global warming?
36. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004. Do you really believe that national policy is beneficial to the United States?
37. With Homeland Security initiatives like First Responders being underfunded, how do you reason that creating more foreign enemies is making us any safer?
38. "The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself." - Grand Rapids, Mich., Jan. 29, 2003. If that were true, why did we have to go after Hussein in the first place?
39. On Aug 22, 2002 you proposed deforestation as a means to combat forest fires. ("We need to understand if you let kindling build up and there's a lightning strike, you're going get yourself a big fire.") Isn't your support for deforestation actually just pandering to logging and timber financial interests? If not, do you think that we should test your theory by setting experimental fires in certain areas of Texas?
40. Why did you fail to fund your "Leave No Child Behind" initiative?
41. If you are so concerned about unemployment, why are there no unemployment extensions?
42. How can you expect people to be excited about your “Ownership Society” when they cannot pay their bills and put food on the table?
43. What are your real plans for Social Security?
44. On June 15, 2001 when advised of the extent of the US nuclear arsenal you said, ''I had no idea we had so many weapons, ...what do we need them for?'' Please tell us what you have done to reduce our nuclear arsenal.
45. "There's no cave deep enough for America, or dark enough to hide."—Oklahoma City, Aug. 29, 2002. Is that really how you envision America and her future?
46. "This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating."—as quoted by the New York Daily News, April 23, 2002. Is that really why you decided to invade Iraq?
47. How do you propose to form international alliances and coalitions to prevent future wars like Iraq and to protect American security?
48. "My plan plays down an unprecedented amount of our national debt."—Budget address to Congress, Feb. 27, 2001. This year we have an astounding $478 billion dollar deficit. Do you think that your "plan" has been successful?
49. "We're concerned about AIDS inside our White House—make no mistake about it."—Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2001. How many cases of AIDS did you find in the White House? What are you doing for AIDS research?
50. "Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."—Austin, Texas, Dec. 20, 2000. Natural gas is not found naturally in most US neighborhoods. Does that make them non-hemispheric, and what are your proposals to solve the current energy crisis?

[maveric]

1. Great questions that our castrated press corps will never ask.