Bush Administration Full of Crooked Liars [03.24.04]

I know that the time before Spring Break seems like ancient history to you all now, but I have to revisit something Sen. John Kerry said on March 10, not knowing his microphone was on.

Speaking to union supporters in Chicago, he called his opposition "the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've every seen."

Republican leaders cried foul, and Kerry's people backtracked, but only slightly. They said he did not mean George W. Bush, but rather the Republican attack machine that supports him. Kerry's spokesman also indicated that he did not regret that the comment had been recorded.

My reaction is, what's the big deal? It's quite possible that no truer words have ever been said. Many of those in power (specifically White House Chief-of-Staff Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney) in the Bush administration are some of the most crooked, deceptive people in presidential history.

The Bush administration had been built on a foundation of lies, and the lies have only kept piling up. It started in the 2000 election cycle, when the machine used Nixonian "ratfucking" tactics to help derail Sen. John McCain's campaign during the primaries. This involved imitating pollsters and spreading vicious rumors and lies about the senator.

Then they went and literally stole the presidency, through a series of decidedly unconstitutional maneuvers in Florida.

Most disturbing, however, has been what the administration has done since gaining office. Before 9/11, Bush blocked legislation that would have created a Homeland Security Department. After 9/11, he took credit for creating it.

There is also evidence that shortly after 9/11, the administration began to study how they could use the tragic events as justification for launching a long-desired attack on Iraq. This claim is made by former White House terror advisor Richard Clarke, as well as Ahmed Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress.

And in spite of all that's come to light since the war "ended" (no WMDs, no Hussein-al Qaida link, etc.), they still lie and say we were justified in our invasion.

They attacked Iraq in the name of the War on Terror, when in fact it has only made the situation worse. Religious tensions are rising in Baghdad, and terrorists are free to roam Iraq, free of the secular oppression of Saddam Hussein.

Kerry was right. The administration is full of crooked liars. That's why I'm of the ABBA persuasion (Anybody But Bush Again), as long as the next president doesn't employ Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, or John Ashcroft.