April 3-4, 2004
Jobs – Oh no!
Democrats found it difficult and awkward as the
nation was shocked to learn that more jobs were
created in March than since April of 2000 -- in
the middle of the last year of the Clinton
administration. What was even more disturbing for
the Democrats was that over the last seven months
759,000 jobs have been created, and the
unemployment rate of 5.7 % is far below its peak
of 6.3% in June 2003, and below the average of the
1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Congressional Democrats who had planned a press
conference to talk about how the increases in
expected job increases were not significant
canceled the press conference upon learning the
extent of the increases.
Sen. John Kerry was allowed the Democrat response
to the President’s weekly radio address. He of
course downplayed the staggering increase in our
nation’s growth of employment in March.
"For three years, President Bush's only answer on
jobs has been tax cuts for Americans who are
already earning over $200,000 a year," Kerry said.
"We now hear the administration claiming economic
success. But the definition of economic success
should not be losing 2.6 million jobs in the
private sector. There is not a single month of
this administration that has seen the creation of
a single manufacturing job."
Kerry failed to mention that the largest Bush tax
cuts went to the poor or the middle class. He also
failed to mention that his repeal of the Bush tax
cut of those earning over $200,000 would damage
small businesses, which are principally privately
held and pay taxes at the personal rate. He also
failed to admit that he will not be able to save a
single manufacturing job in America under his
plans.
Kerry has begun to admit that his many proposals
would have raised taxes or increased the deficit.
Kerry’s team -- who is trying to magically enable
some of his ideas to come to fruition and cut the
deficit in half in four years -- are retooling the
Kerry Plan.
"I'm already re-looking at some of my programs
I've proposed," Kerry said. "For example, I want
to do across-the-board early-childhood education,
which is very expensive. We're probably only going
to be able to do a pilot program at first and then
expand it."
Look for Democrats to continue the attack on
President Bush’s credibility as their chances to
use the economy as an issue fades.
Democrats continue credibility attack
The Democrat National Committee sent out an email
to their supporters continue to attack President
Bush’s credibility:
President Bush is having trouble answering tough
questions about his national security priorities
leading up to the attacks of September 11. Why did
he ignore President Clinton's urgent warnings to
focus on the dangers from al Qaeda and terrorism?
Bush's reaction is just what we've come to expect
from this White House: instead of answering with
the truth, he denies, he obstructs, and he points
fingers.
The Washington Post reported today that President
Bush is refusing to release thousands of documents
that detail the Clinton administration's strong
focus on fighting terrorism to the commission
investigating the attacks of September 11.
President Clinton made fighting terrorism his top
national security priority. President Bush failed
to continue that focus, and now he's trying to
hide the truth from the September 11 commission.
Take Action
President Bush is more concerned with protecting
his image than with allowing the commission to
complete its work and determine the best way to
protect America from future terrorist attacks.
Click here to sign our petition calling on
President Bush to release all documents
that the commission needs, including the full
account of President Clinton's focus on fighting
terrorism.
Tell a Friend
Help us spread the word. Click here to tell
your friends about our petition demanding that
President Bush fully cooperate with the commission
investigating the attacks of September 11.
Bush's Record of
Obstructing the 9/11 Commission
President Bush's continued attempts to obstruct
the work of the commission has made America less
safe. Just look at his record.
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President Bush initially opposed creating the
commission at all, and then gave in to the
political pressure.
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Bush then appointed Henry Kissinger -- who
made a career out of covering up the truth --
to head the commission. Kissinger was forced
to resign because of possible conflicts of
interest.
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Bush delayed giving the commission access to
Presidential Daily Briefs, eventually allowing
the commission to take a brief look at the
documents and take White House-approved notes.
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Bush opposed giving the Commission an
extension to finish its work after White House
delays made the Commission's original deadline
impossible to meet.
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Bush didn't want to allow National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify publicly
under oath, again giving in only after
political pressure forced him to do so.
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Bush has tried to limit his own time in front
of the commission as much as possible, trying
to arrange a meeting only one hour long with
only two commissioners. Bush has now agreed to
meet with the whole commission, but only if
Vice President Cheney is with him.
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Bush has handed over only 25 percent of the
11,000 pages of documents that show President
Clinton's strong emphasis on fighting
terrorism.
Quote of the Week
""You can outsource a lot of activities and get
them done just as well, or better, at a lower
cost."
Treasury Secretary John Snow, 3/30/04, confirming
the Bush administration's commitment to sending
American jobs overseas
Nader: Get out
Fifteen progressive and liberal activists,
including leaders of Americans for Democratic
Action and the Council for a Livable World, sent a
letter to Ralph. Nader on Thursday praising his
work as a consumer advocate but arguing that he
cost Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore the
2000 election.
"You have to stand for something and I think these
liberal groups, with their anybody-but-Bush
advocacy, are going to get nothing in return,"
said Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese.
Nader has raised close to $500,000 so far.
Gore’s media deal stalled
The
N.Y. Observer reports that Gore’s
purchase from Vivendi Universal is stalled and may
not happen:
The Observer has learned that the deal for
former Vice President Al Gore and his business
partnerJoel Hyatt to acquire digital-cable channel
Newsworld International (NWI) has hit a major
obstacle and may have fallen through in the 11th
hour of negotiations.
Sources familiar with the situation said that one
of Mr. Gore's crucial investors got cold feet in
the last stage of the deal and that Mr. Gore's
group and the channel's owner, Vivendi Universal
Entertainment, could not agree on a price.
U.N Iraq scandal
Cover up?
Rep. Henry Hyde doubts that the United Nations
will be able to get to the bottom of Iraq’s
food-for-peace oil scandal that projects that over
$10 billion illegally found its way into Saddam
Hussein’s possession.
"If there is truth to allegations that the Iraqi
regime, with assistance from U.N. officials in
some cases, wrongfully acquired $10.1 billion
through oil smuggling, oil sale surcharges and
illegal commissions on Oil for Food contracts,
this represents a scandal without precedent in
U.N. history," Hyde said.
France and Russia were major trading partners for
Iraqi oil. France held the contract to manage
Iraqi oil. Germany provided equipment and Russia
construction companies operated and maintained the
Iraqi oil industry.
There are allegations that U.N. officials assisted
in the corruption. Hyde asked U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to ensure that:
* All relevant documents will be preserved and
that the commission have access to documents and
to past and present U.N. staff.
*Commission members be vetted to avoid potential
conflicts of interest.
*U.N. member governments cooperate.
* Affidavits be taken immediately from persons
involved in the program.
*Whistle-blower protections be provided to anyone
coming forward with allegations.
* U.N. officials cannot influence the panel.
