The Nation has a list of 100 Facts and 1 Opinion in support of its Case Against the Bush Administration. Each fact is just a sentence or two, with links to sources, divided into 12 categories: Iraq, terror, national security, cronyism/corruption, economics, health care, the environment, civil liberties, flip-flops, biography and secrecy. Most are fairly legitimate criticisms, although many are dependant upon your point of view, and many of the "facts" are mere opinions. In some cases, they may be correct, but they are just opinions.
For example:
1. The Bush Administration has spent more than $140 billion on a war of choice in Iraq.
The dollar amount may be fact, but the "war of choice" is a matter of opinion. I happen to agree with it, but that doesn't make it a fact.
2. The Bush Administration sent troops into battle without adequate body armor or armored Humvees.
Also a matter of opinion.
13. The Bush Administration failed to commit enough troops to capture Osama bin Laden when US forces had him cornered in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan in November 2001.
That is both an opinion (whether it was "enough") and a controverted fact. We don't really know whether bin Laden was ever cornered.
A great many of the "facts" are like that. They should have just called them "reasons", but then people wouldn't falsely assume that they were all true and correct facts.
Jimmy Carter has criticized Bush for exploiting 9/11 in his campaign. And he's absolutely correct. But until someone with more credibility than the single least effective president in American history speaks out against it, I will lend no credence to the critique. After all, the real message of this campaign, for those paying close attention, is that the truth is not as important as the credibility of the person who is speaking it.
One of the most disgusting elements of this campaign is the frequent Bush camp requirement that no one who disagrees with the president come anywhere near a Bush rally. The worst examples I can think of are the three teachers who were booted from a ticketed event for wearing "Protect our civil liberties" shirt, and the students at Richland Center High School who were threatened with discipline for wearing a pro-Kerry pin, hat or shirt during George W. Bush's official visit to the school. Principal John Cler, (608) 647-6131 x1590, Richland Center High School, 23200 Hornet High Rd., Richland Center, WI 53581 defended the decision, saying that no one was actually threatened with expulsion. As if that is a justification for this government-sponsored political content-based prior restraint upon free speech....
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Posted by: Conviction DVD | June 03, 2006 at 01:52
Out of boredom, I decided to Google for "least effective president". Apparently, that title's already gone to Warren G. Harding.
Posted by: Cow | November 01, 2004 at 06:35