CNN Poll: Three out of four Americans glad to see Bush go

Does it get any lower?

(CNN) — As President George W. Bush gets ready to leave the White House in three-and-a-half weeks, and a new national poll suggests that three out of four Americans feel his departure is coming not a moment too soon.

Seventy-five percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they're glad President Bush is going, with 23 percent indicating they'll miss him.

"Earlier this year, Bush scored some of the lowest presidential approval ratings we've seen in half a century, so it's understandable that the public is eager for a new president to step in," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The three-quarters of Americans surveyed who say they won't miss Bush is 24 points higher than the 51 percent who said they wouldn't miss Bill Clinton when he left office in January 2001. Forty-five percent of those questioned at that time said they would miss Clinton.

"As President Bush prepares to leave office, the American public has a parting thought: Good riddance. At least that's the way three-quarters feel," says CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider.


The poll indicates that Bush has been compared poorly to his predecessors, with 28 percent saying that he's the worst ever when compared to other presidents in American history. Forty percent rate Bush as poor and 31 percent feel he's been a good president.

Only a third of those polled want Bush to remain active in public life after he leaves the White House, with two-thirds saying they don't want him to stay active in a public way. That 33 percent figure who want Bush to remain in the public eye is 22 points lower than those questioned in 2001 who wanted Bill Clinton to retain a public role.

"Bush has dropped on a number of measures but possibly the biggest is that only one in five say he inspires confidence. That's an important figure when the country is facing its biggest economic crisis in a generation," says Holland.

When running for the White House in the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush promised to be a uniter, not a divider.

But the poll suggests that 82 percent feel that Bush did not unite the country, with 17 percent saying he did.

"The vast majority of Americans believed he betrayed his promise to unite the country," says Schneider. "He took a country that was divided under President Clinton and he divided it worse."

Only 27 percent of those questioned in the poll approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president, with 72 percent in disapproval. Bush's job approval rating has been at or below freezing since the beginning of the year, says Schneider — one of the lowest ratings for any president, ever.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted December 19-21, with 1,013 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Got Shoes?

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out either!

Thank YOU America!

2012? Heaven Help us!

McCain Turns to Race Baiting....

What else if left when your campaign is in the toilet?

McCain Communications Director Gave Reporters Incendiary Version Of "Carved B" Story Before Facts Were Known

By Greg Sargent - October 24, 2008, 5:12PM
John McCain's Pennsylvania communications director told reporters in the state an incendiary version of the hoax story about the attack on a McCain volunteer well before the facts of the case were known or established -- and even told reporters outright that the "B" carved into the victim's cheek stood for "Barack," according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

John Verrilli, the news director for KDKA in Pittsburgh, told TPM Election Central that McCain's Pennsylvania campaign communications director gave one of his reporters a detailed version of the attack that included a claim that the alleged attacker said, "You're with the McCain campaign? I'm going to teach you a lesson."

Verrilli also told TPM that the McCain spokesperson had claimed that the "B" stood for Barack. According to Verrilli, the spokesperson also told KDKA that Sarah Palin had called the victim of the alleged attack, who has since admitted the story was a hoax.

The KDKA reporter had called McCain's campaign office for details after seeing the story -- sans details -- teased on Drudge.

The McCain spokesperson's claims -- which came in the midst of extraordinary and heated conversations late yesterday between the McCain campaign, local TV stations, and the Obama camp, as the early version of the story rocketed around the political world -- is significant because it reveals a McCain official pushing a version of the story that was far more explosive than the available or confirmed facts permitted at the time.

The claims to KDKA from the McCain campaign were included in an early story that ran late yesterday on KDKA's Web site. The paragraphs containing these assertions were quickly removed from the story after the Obama campaign privately complained that KDKA was letting the McCain campaign spin a racially-charged version of the story before the facts had been established, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

A source familiar with what happened yesterday confirmed that the unnamed spokesperson was communications director Peter Feldman. Feldman was also quoted yesterday making virtually identical assertions on the Web site of another local TV station, WPXI. But those quotes, which we also preserved here, are also no longer available on WPXI's site, for reasons that are unclear.

This is problematic because the McCain campaign doesn't want to have been perceived as pushing an incendiary story that not only turned out to be a hoax but which police officials said today risked blowing up into a "national incident" and has local police preparing to file charges against the hoaxster.

There's no evidence that anyone from McCain national headquarters put out a version of events like this.

After the story appeared on KDKA's site and this and other pieces in the local press started flying around the political world, an Obama spokesperson in the state angrily insisted to KDKA that it was irresponsible for the station to air the McCain spokesperson's incendiary version of events before the facts were fully known, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

After that, KDKA went back to McCain's Pennsylvania spokesperson, Feldman, and asked if he stood by the story as he'd earlier told it, but he started backing off the story, a source familiar with the talks says. That prompted KDKA to remove the grafs.

Feldman couldn't immediately be reached, and a McCain HQ spokesperson
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com
/2008/10/mccain_aide_gave_reporters_inc.php

The McCain Campaign Farce

Rachel Maddow breaks it all down.

The "Fun" of this Election

This is worth watching. It was fun to see both McCain & Obama poke fun at themselves and this volatile campaign season.

The Palin Song

I found this on Crooks & Liars and it's very funny. It's worth a minute of your time.

McCain and Women's Health

Suffice it to say McCranky's statement threw me over the edge last night. I'm glad to see I wasn't the only bothered by his remarks. Obama clearly pointed out the problem with partial birth abortion bill.

Any decent human being is "not for partial birth abortion". Can we just get that off the table? The problem with the bill as it was written was, there was no provision for a woman who could die from carrying out a birth due to complications. THAT is what the issue is/was. McCain's tone as if this didn't matter and mocked it as an excuse....just did not sit well with me one bit.

Here's the clip and commentary from Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow.

More Springsteen from Obama rally in Columbus

Bruce - Vote For Change....'08

The following are my comments from the stage at yesterday's Vote For Change rally in Philadelphia:

Hello Philly,

I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.

I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real: opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities, the distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising.

SNL Biden/Palin Debate

Rachel Maddow Breaks Down Palin's Debate Blunders

McJokster?

Tina Fey Nails Palin...AGAIN!

Surprise - Bush war Crimes

I LOVE Rachel Maddow - at least someone is paying attention to the dirt flying under the radar.

Hockey Mom's and Witchcraft

Palin Exposed - Pt 2

Palin Exposed Pt 1

Interview Pt 1

Free Sarah Palin

A few weeks ago the McChicken campaign pulled all interviews from CNN when Campbell had the audacity to ask questions about Palin to one of the McChicken advisors. Well...today, Campbell swings back and dead on I might add! Nice to see the press has some ovaries on this one.

Life is Stranger than Fiction

Time to take a break from my political rantings or whatever we should call them.

So, we moved to MA in 2005. We found the perfect house, it just needed a few things done - a roof being one of them. I had been here a whopping two weeks, having to fire our first roofer in the middle of the job. We were also getting some electrical work done and the electrician suggested we call Scesny Construction. She knew them well (or so thought) and they completed the work that was left undone by the other roofer. A few years go by and lo and behold, here's the news we hear about Alex.

It's taken us about 5mns not to be completely freaked out by all of this. You start recalling every conversation in your head that took place with him. It's still hard to think this guy was here at our house being accused of rape and possibly a serial murderer. I spent an entire week and half with him and his crew. Obviously, I've been thanking god a lot lately. Here's today's news.

Say What God?

Sarah Palin's Churches and The Third Wave from Bruce Wilson on Vimeo.

McCain's Brain

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

ENOUGH!

I had no idea hearing Obama say "Enough" would actually bring me to tears, but I'm not ashamed to tell you, it did.

I was one of the biggest Hillary Clinton supporters out there. It was very hard for me to accept the end result of the primaries. However, I have to say - on the issues, the core issues - I do see Obama being a champion for many of those same core beliefs.

In watching ALL the debates - I would catch myself thinking, they truly are on the same side of the issues , just forced to split hairs on how to acheive the same goals.

Obama's speech brought me full circle.

Go Dennis!

Hillary Rocks!

Obama/Biden '08

Okay - so that takes care of that. I will miss the talking heads picking names out of the hat just to have something to talk about for the past week. It's entertaining watching them grasp for things to say when it's been all said, over and over and over again.

Biden was not my first choice - he's been my 2nd choice to Hillary all along. I'm not crazy about Obama - however, the more I hear him speak, it's obvious he's a very smart man. And quite frankly, the only reason I don't like him is because he took away the chance of having the first woman as a president. So - not a very good reason eh?

Hopefully together, if they should win - we will finally have a clear way out of the mess created by Bush Co called the Iraq War - Operation Freedom - Iraqi Freedom - and my personal favorite - this money pit, cluster fuck we should have never started in the first place.

Trouble the Water

I had just moved to MA about 2 weeks before Katrina hit. As I was unpacking and painting I had the TV on MSNBC all day long - this would be post Katrina.

Everyday when CA would call to see how things were going at the house - my first response was "What the hell are they waiting for - why aren't we doing something?" I was more than troubled by what I was witnessing by the hour. When Ray Nagin blasted the federal government for not stepping in, he almost put me in tears. Here was an American BEGGING, PLEADING for help to save other American lives and it appeared no one was listening. The stillness of nothing happening was haunting. I could only think, race was playing a factor in our lack of response. I never saw this happen in FLA when brother Jeb needed a helping hand from Uncle Sam.

Never in my wildest dreams, especially after September 11th, would I think our government would be so inept at helping these people. No food, no water, dead bodies floating in the streets. Once again, all of my dreams of what I thought this country stood for were shattered during those four days after Katrina hit.

I caught this trailer the other day - this movie appears to be a riviting view of what happened.

Pay Attention for 9 mins will ya?

R.I.P. Stephanie

I had the pleasure of watching her give a speech during Kerry's campaign 4 years ago. The lady could light up a room like no one. As on Ohioian, I KNOW I can say, she will be dearly missed. May you rest in peace Stephanie.

Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones dies after aneurysm

CNN) -- Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives, died Wednesday after suffering an aneurysm, medical officials said.
Tubbs Jones, who was in her fifth term representing parts of Cleveland and its suburbs, was 58.
She suffered the aneurysm Tuesday evening while driving in her home district in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a statement from her office said.

She was rushed to East Cleveland's Huron Hospital, where a team of doctors determined Wednesday morning that she had "very limited brain function," said Dr. Gus Kious, the hospital's chief of staff.

Wednesday afternoon, before Tubbs Jones died, Kious said that the aneurysm "an inaccessible part of her brain" and that she was in critical condition.

The congresswoman had a full day of activity Tuesday, according to the statement from her office, "including planning for an upcoming forum on electoral reform, scheduled for September 4, 2008, at Cleveland State University."

Tubbs Jones was a Democratic superdelegate and one of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters. She was scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver, Colorado.

She was an early supporter of Clinton's White House bid but endorsed Barack Obama in June after the New York senator bowed out of the race.

Tubbs Jones, elected to Congress in 1998, would have turned 59 on September 10.
CNN's Alexander Mooney contributed to this report.
All AboutStephanie Tubbs Jones

Seriously Pelosi....IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS!

I've had it with Nancy Pelosi. What a POS she turned out to be. I tried to remain opened minded during her 60 minutes interview as I about fell off the couch when I heard the line
"Impeachment is off the table".

Here we are again only to find yet another lie, another revelation about our current regime in the US. At what point will our Congress get off it's ass and DO SOMETHING about the crimes of George W Bush and Dick Cheney? Read on Garth!

Tape: Top CIA Official Confesses To 9/11-Iraq War Forgery Came From White House
By: Nicole Belle on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 9:00 AM - PDT

A forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks was ordered on White House stationery and probably came from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a new transcript of a conversation with the Central Intelligence Agency’s former Deputy Chief of Clandestine Operations Robert Richer.

The transcript was posted Friday by author Ron Suskind of an interview conducted in June. It comes on the heels of denials by both the White House and Richer of a claim Suskind made in his new book, The Way of The World. The book was leaked to Politico’s Mike Allen on Monday, and released Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the White House released a statement on Richer’s behalf. In it, Richer declared, “I never received direction from George Tenet or anyone else in my chain of command to fabricate a document … as outlined in Mr. Suskind’s book.”

The denial, however, directly contradicts Richer’s own remarks in the transcript.
“Now this is from the Vice President’s Office is how you remembered it–not from the president?” Suskind asked.

“No, no, no,” Richer replied, according to the transcript. “What I remember is George [Tenet] saying, ‘we got this from’–basically, from what George said was ‘downtown.’”

“Which is the White House?” Suskind asked.

“Yes,” Richer said. “But he did not–in my memory–never said president, vice president, or NSC.

Okay? But now–he may have hinted–just by the way he said it, it would have–cause almost all that stuff came from one place only: Scooter Libby and the shop around the vice president.”
“But he didn’t say that specifically,” Richer added. “I would naturally–I would probably stand on my, basically, my reputation and say it came from the vice president.”

“But there wasn’t anything in the writing that you remember saying the vice president,” Suskind continued.

“Nope,” Richer said.

“It just had the White House stationery.”

“Exactly right.”

Later, Richer added, “You know, if you’ve ever seen the vice president’s stationery, it’s on the White House letterhead. It may have said OVP (Office of the Vice President). I don’t remember that, so I don’t want to mislead you.”

Suskind posted the transcript at his blog, saying, “This posting is contrary to my practice across 25 years as a journalist. But the issues, in this matter, are simply too important to stand as discredited in any way.” It was first picked up by ThinkProgress and Congressional Quarterly’s Jeff Stein.

But wait, there’s more…

The bogus memo claimed that 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta had received training in Baghdad but also discussed the arrival of a “shipment” from Niger, which the Administration claimed had supplied Iraq with yellowcake uranium — based on yet another forged document whose source remains uncertain.

The memo subsequently was treated as fact by the British Sunday Telegraph, and cited by William Safire in his New York Times column, providing fodder for Bush’s efforts to take the US to war. [..]

Today, The American Conservative also published a report saying that the forgery was actually produced by then-Defense Undersecretary Douglas Feith’s Office of Special Plans, citing an unnamed intelligence source. The source reportedly added that Suskind’s overall claim “is correct.”

“My source also notes that Dick Cheney, who was behind the forgery, hated and mistrusted the Agency and would not have used it for such a sensitive assignment,” the magazine wrote. “Instead, he went to Doug Feith’s Office of Special Plans and asked them to do the job.