Molly Ivins:  Bush is
A Divider, Not a Uniter
Kerry will beat Bush because of the intensity factor.

   ← Click here for more Molly Ivins Columns from Creators Syndicate

Molly Ivins Creators Syndicate  10.19.04 No more years Favorite moments from Bush's one-term presidency AUSTIN, Texas -- Four more years? Seems like every group and its hamster has put out some kind of dossier on the last four years. Top Bush Lies. One Hundred Mistakes Bush could admit to. Best scandals. Biggest Bush flip-flops. Iraq. The economy. The environment. Corporate pork and payoffs galore. Homeland insecurity. The deficit. On and on it goes. But I like to remember the little things, those itty-bitty things that really made it special. Those touches of style. The je ne sais quoi of it all. Like choosing Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday to announce his administration would oppose affirmative action in the University of Michigan case, calling it "divisive," "unfair" and "unconstitutional." Classy timing. Of course, Bush (Andover, Yale, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Harvard Business, three failed oil companies rescued by Daddy's friends, set up by Daddy's friends in baseball and given a huge cut for a tiny investment) never experienced affirmative action in his life. Made it all on his own, pulled himself up by his bootstraps -- black people can do it, too. Timing is kind of a Bush specialty. In February 2001, the day a major earthquake hit the Northwest, Bush killed a federal program designed to help communities deal with the effects of natural disasters. Of course, Florida in an election year -- different story. Remember when he went to visit the rescued miners from Quecreek, Pa.? It was a great photo op. Except the year before, Bush had cut the mine safety budget, halted regulatory improvements and reduced enforcement of safety standards. The Department of Labor stopped work on more than a dozen mine safety regulations from the Clinton years. But hey, Bush was really glad those nine guys made it out alive. And what a photo-op it was. You probably don't remember the time he visited the Youth Opportunity Center, a job training site in Portland, Ore. Hailed it as a model, praised the center and its staff. A month later, he cut it out of the budget. Here's one of my faves. In his big address of 2002, Bush said: "A good job should lead to security in retirement. I ask Congress to enact new safeguards for 401(k) and pension plans." The Bush plan allows companies to switch from traditional fixed-benefit plans to what's called cash-balance plans. It saves corporations millions a year -- in the case of large companies, as much as $100 million. Older workers can lose up to 50 percent of their pensions. The Bush rules not only permit the conversions, they also give cash-balance plans a tax advantage, as well as protection from age discrimination lawsuits. It's the perfect Bush plan: Corporations get to screw workers, and they get a tax break for it -- plus, nobody can sue. Nobody paid any attention to this one except the beneficiaries, since it was during the Iraq war: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the one that laid the groundwork for Enron and is supposed to protect investors from abusive practices, passed three new rules in March 2003. According to The New York Times, the rules "reduce the quality of disclosure required in reports of past performance, increase the opportunity for advisers to put some clients' or their own interest ahead of others and curtail the already lax regulation on operators of hedge funds." Hedge funds are derivatives on steroids, and the near collapse of one hedge fund, Long Term Capital Management, nearly caused the financial equivalent of "the China syndrome." Alan Greenspan and Fed officials convinced bankers to join the LTCM rescue effort only when they pointed out that failure would result in "chaos" in financial markets and could damage economic growth worldwide. Less regulation, you bet. Bait and switch is a constant Bush tactic. Right after 9-11, Bush went to Ground Zero and threw his arm around a firefighter and assured him and other rescue workers he was with them. It was the photo-op seen 'round the world and was endlessly memorialized at the Republican convention. Except in August 2002, Bush pocket-vetoed $150 million in emergency grants for first-responders. The New York firefighters never got their money. My favorite mixed metaphor: "Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom-shaped cloud." Mission accomplished. I have so many other favorite moments -- hilarious promises like $15 billion for AIDS in Africa. Those amusing judicial nominations, so bad even the spineless Democrats finally had to filibuster. All the precious photo-ops with the little children of color just before he squashed some other program to help them. The time they threatened Turkey, our oldest democratic ally in the Middle East, with a military coup so we could bring democracy to Iraq. It's been a ball. But I've had enough. Read more in the Molly Ivins archive. Molly Ivins is the former editor of the liberal monthly The Texas Observer. She is the bestselling author of several books including Who Let the Dogs In?   Fascism any day now? The handling of a TV program attacking John Kerry on his opposition to the Vietnam War is a perfect example of right-wing misbehavior. ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 10/17/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

OTHER COLUMNS   Creeping Fascism at Sinclair Don't look now, but your local network is a propaganda machine. Posted on Oct 14, 2004 Mr. President, you're blowing it Surely we're not that dumb The president seems to think that much of America has serious memory problems. ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 10/14/2004 04:01 AM CDT) How Dumb Does Bush Think We Are? You have to assume your audience is a bunch of borderline morons to tell as many whoppers as George Bush does. Posted on Oct 12, 2004 Our Petulant President Sheltered from anyone who would question his authority during the last four years, Bush has adopted a 'bubble-boy' style of debating. Posted on Oct 7, 2004 Enduring this is hard work Perhaps the government could take that Star Wars money and put it into Internet access for people who need it. ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 10/07/2004 04:01 AM CDT) And in other news … Think about this while you're considering whether your reduced overtime pay will be offset by your lower taxes enough to cover your higher gasoline bill. ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 10/03/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

Debate This
Stuff you won't learn about in the presidential debate, or, half a dozen ways you're getting screwed
Posted on Sep 30, 2004

Not in Kansas anymore
We can't win a war by pretending that it's going well when it's not. And to say that such criticism endangers the troops or encourages the enemy is despicable.
( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/30/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

The Twilight Zone of Wonderland
When things get this weird, one metaphor just isn't enough.
Posted on Sep 28, 2004

Keep your eye on ...
Are American voters getting suckered? What do you think?
( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/26/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

• Molly Ivins - 9/24/2004
  How to Pick a President

  The Carnival Con
  DeLay uses 'values politics' to make rubes out of voters.
  Posted on Sep 23, 2004
  
  Howdy from Mason -- wish you were here
  When you're in the political minority, sometimes it's hard to contain your exasperation.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/23/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Them's Fightin' Words
  Memo from Texas: Opposition in non-swing states can stand up, too.
  Posted on Sep 21, 2004

  'Know thine enemy' is just plain smart
  History does not excuse terrorism, but it is relevant.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/19/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Why History is Relevant
  Shouldn't we understand our enemies in order to combat them?
  Posted on Sep 16, 2004
  
  So it couldn't get worse?
  Yes, President Bush is entitled to ask John Kerry, "So what would you do about the disaster I've created?" Unfortunately, the viable opportunities have vanished.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/16/2004 04:01 AM CDT)
  
  Iraq Outrage
  Troops are following orders from General Rove, against the advice of military officers on the ground.
  Posted on Sep 14, 2004

  Look at who's on the payroll
  Some believe that who is elected as president is less important than the people that president hires to actually make the decisions of government.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/12/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

   

• Molly Ivins - 9/10/2004
  Not So Swift
   
• Behind the Curtain
  Bush's supporting cast has infiltrated every government department and pushed through the administration's destructive policies.
  Posted on Sep 9, 2004
  
   Liars, liars, pants on ... oh, you know the rest
  Of the many lies told at last week's GOP convention, those regarding John Kerry's statements were the most abundant.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/09/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Throwing Out the Garbage
  Even after several days of the RNC, and with alert bloggers to help, it's hard to catch all the lies.
  Posted on Sep 7, 2004
  
  Oh, what a relief it is over
  The real theme of the New York gathering was "George W. Bush Makes Us Safer." Ahem.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/05/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Unmitigated Gall
  The Daily Show nails the theme of the RNC.
  Posted on Sep 2, 2004
  
  The news gets worse and weirder
  More poor people, more deaths in Iraq, more political shenanigans. And what was that about legal material in depository libraries?
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 09/02/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Did You Sign Up for This?
  Death toll mounts, economic numbers get worse, Ashcroft won't let you read the law, and 'God is in the White House.'
  Posted on Aug 31, 2004
  
  Cry, 'Havoc!' and let slip the politics of war
  The war issues -- whether the war is Vietnam or Iraq -- don't reflect well on the president.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 08/29/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Conservatives, Repent!
  Swift Boat Liars make Bush's Vietnam years newly relevant, plus some in GOP begin admitting Iraq was a mistake.
  Posted on Aug 26, 2004
  
  Overtime in thy flight
  More work and less pay? You can thank the Bush administration.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 08/26/2004 04:01 AM CDT)
  
  Thucydides had it right
  The patriotic bullying that went on in this country over Iraq should not be forgotten.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 08/22/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  What. A. Mess.
  Iraq debacle requires nuance and realism, not bullying 'optimism.'
  Posted on Aug 19, 2004
  
  Another fine mess in the making in Florida
  The Sunshine State is shaping up to be as big a bugaboo as it was in the 2000 presidential race.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 08/15/2004 04:01 AM CDT)
   

• Molly Ivins - 8/13/2004
  Bill Clinton’s book
• 
  Those poor, puzzled Canadians
  Some of our neighbors to the north are befuddled by the possibility of a Bush re-election.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 08/12/2004 04:01 AM CDT)
   
•  Oh Dear!
  Our 'most important neighbors to the north' – the patient Canadians – weather our little psychodramas and suffer our abuse. Polite, calm, chock full of common sense and living next to us. What a fate.
  Posted on Aug 10, 2004
   
• Doesn't anyone remember Iraq?
  The Dems had a fine old time in Boston talking and talking and talking -- but not about the central issue of the day: Iraq.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 08/01/2004 04:01 AM CDT)
   
• Molly Ivins - 7/30/2004
  Molly's Fans and Foes Weigh In
  
  One America, Two Americas, Red America, Blue America
  Clinton, Obama, and Teresa lit up the crowd and burned up the airwaves; still, nobody's saying 'Iraq.'
  Posted on Jul 29, 2004
  
  Live from ... yawn ... Boston
  If the convention isn't doing much for you, consider these books on key issues and taxation policy. Really. She means it.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 07/29/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  Reality: Irrelevant
  Bush is playing bait and switch again with the assault weapons ban and the tax cut extension.
  Posted on Jul 27, 2004
  
  Oh, the things they'll say
  The Republicans may not push you over the edge, but they'll certainly push you through the looking glass.
  ( By Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate, 07/25/2004 04:01 AM CDT)

  The Peace President
  No matter how much Bush tries to sweep Iraq under the rug this election, there's no denying the impact of 900 Americans lost to the war.
  Posted on Jul 22, 2004

• Molly Ivins - 7/16/2004
  A Plan for the Clueless
  
  The Hopeless Hillbilly and the American Dream
  I was prepared to find Clinton's autobiography self-serving, inadequate, insufficiently groveling and all that other good doo. Actually, I think it's well written, interesting and informative.
  Posted on Jul 13, 2004

  To the Ladies in the Room
  Warning: Frank Luntz arms Bush with 'framing' devices to court the womens' vote – Bush's anti-woman record be damned.
  Posted on Jul 8, 2004

• Molly Ivins - 7/2/2004
  Take 'Em to the Cleaners
   

  Happy Birthday, America
  If we ignore Iraq for the weekend, we should be able to celebrate our national heritage without punching each other in the eye.
  Posted on Jul 1, 2004

  Walking? Or Just Talking?
  'Family values' crowd drags God into the mud of partisan politics.
  Posted on Jun 29, 2004

  Call to Action on Electronic Voting
  Liberals and conservatives alike must act to ensure fairness and accuracy of elections.
  Posted on Jun 24, 2004

  Media Allow Bush Excuses
  Bush administration skates with implausible defenses from bully pulpit.
  Posted on Jun 22, 2004
   

• Molly Ivins - 6/18/2004
  Let Them Eat Lettuce
   

  The Patriot Amendment
  Clean elections are under attack from the right even as reports prove their success.
  Posted on Jun 17, 2004

  How Comforting
  The reins of power are in the hands of people wholly unfit to steer this country in the right direction.
  Posted on Jun 15, 2004

  The Day the Constitution Died
  That's the day the attorney general of the United States -- a.k.a. 'the nation's top law enforcement officer' -- refused to provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with his department's memos concerning torture.
  Posted on Jun 10, 2004

  Bush's Kiss of Death
  We're constantly finding instances of programs that Bush, the candidate, proudly claims to support, while he prepares to cut them drastically.
  Posted on Jun 9, 2004

• Molly Ivins - 6/4/2004
  Time to Cut Our Losses
   

  Can the PR – Get the Facts
  War is full of tragedy tinged with terrible irony. It's making stuff up afterward for public relations purposes that is so offensive.
  Posted on Jun 3, 2004

  Going Strong
  Don't you just love these heartwarming stories of adventurous, risk-taking pioneer capitalists?
  Posted on Jun 1, 2004

  10 ways We Botched Iraq
  Speech from retired Gen. Anthony Zinni gave rare glimpse of intelligent thought about our quagmire.
  Posted on May 27, 2004
  
  (editing mark For Tim)
   

• Molly Ivins - 5/21/2004
  Picture This
• Molly Ivins - 4/23/2004
  The Importance of Being Urgent
• Molly Ivins - 4/9/2004
  Jurassic Bushites
• Molly Ivins - 3/12/2004
  Redefine Your Troubles Away
• Molly Ivins - 2/27/2004
  WMDs and S.O.B.s
• The Gilded Age of Fish Riot - 12/5/2003
  by Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 11/21/2003
  No Dress Will Pretty This Pig
• Molly Ivins - 11/7/2003
  DeLay's Delightful Bacardi Fix
• Molly Ivins - 10/24/2003
  Hatred vs. Anger
• The Blues in Belzoni - 10/10/2003
  By Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose
  How Bush & Co. gutted workers' rights in the catfish houses of the Mississippi Delta
• The $87 Billion Question - 9/26/2003
  Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 9/12/2003
  The Trouble with Mr. Universe
• Molly Ivins - 8/29/2003
  Hang in There, Texas Eleven
• Blowback? What Blowback? - 8/1/2003
  Charlie Wilson's adventures in Afghanistan
  by Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 7/18/2003
  Delete Your Troubles Away
• Molly Ivins - 7/4/2003
  The Gold Diggers
• Molly Ivins - 6/20/2003
  Put People First
• Molly Ivins - 5/23/2003
  Contiguous Cojones
• Molly Ivins - 5/9/2003
  Sultans of Smarm
• The Viceroy and His Friends - 4/25/2003
• Molly Ivins - 4/11/2003
  Hearts, Minds, and the Constitution
• Molly Ivins - 3/28/2003
  When in Doubt, Privatize
• Molly Ivins - 3/14/2003
  When a Whiz Bang War Goes Wrong
• Molly Ivins - 2/28/2003
  Speak Softly, Forget the Shtick
• Molly Ivins - 2/14/2003
  Does the President Believe Himself?
• Molly Ivins - 1/31/2003
  They're Back
• The Back Page - 1/31/2003
  This War Is NOT Inevitable
  by Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 12/20/2002
  Bermuda Buddies
• Molly Ivins - 12/6/2002
  Total Information Creepiness
• Molly Ivins - 11/22/2002
  Christmas for Special Interests
• Molly Ivins - 11/8/2002
  Meet the New Plan — Same as the Old Plan
• Molly Ivins - 10/25/2002
  Hedge Hogs
• Molly Ivins - 10/11/2002
  Just Say No War
• A Creature of the Courts: Warren Burnett - 10/11/2002
  by Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 9/27/2002
  The Millionaire Protection Amendment
• Billie Carr - 9/27/2002
  by Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 9/13/2002
  Wrong Man for the Job
• Molly Ivins - 8/30/2002
  The Dubya & Dick Show
• Molly Ivins - 7/19/2002
  Dubya Does Populism
• Molly Ivins - 7/5/2002
  The Third Rail
• Molly Ivins - 6/21/2002
  Our Man in Halliburton
• Molly Ivins - 6/7/2002
  Faith-Based Accounting
• Molly Ivins - 5/24/2002
  Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?
• Molly Ivins - 5/10/2002
  Holy Smoking Goat Gonads
• Molly Ivins - 4/26/2002
  Seen Any Real Democrats Lately?
• Molly Ivins - 4/12/2002
  Wasteful Beyond Belief
• Molly Ivins - 3/29/2002
  Cute Nukes
• Molly Ivins - 3/15/2002
  The Big Yuck
• Molly Ivins - 3/1/2002
  Enron: Think Bigger
• Molly Ivins - 2/15/2002
  The Malefactors of Great Wealth
• Molly Ivins - 2/1/2002
  Here Come the Cutbacks
• Molly Ivins - 12/21/2001
  Photo-Op Alert
• Molly Ivins - 12/7/2001
  To Bob, Wise and Wonderful!
• Molly Ivins - 11/23/2001
  Good News, Bad News
• Molly Ivins - 11/9/2001
  The Abominable Bombing
• Molly Ivins - 10/26/2001
  The Answer is Justice
• Molly Ivins - 10/12/2001
  Let's Start Thinking
• Molly Ivins - 9/28/2001
  What One Hears in Paris
• Molly Ivins - 9/14/2001
  Deregulation Fails All Over Again
• Molly Ivins - 8/17/2001
  Texas Pride
• Molly Ivins - 7/20/2001
  Tracking the Kleptocrats
• Molly Ivins - 7/6/2001
  Vile Vicious Vetoes
• Molly Ivins - 6/22/2001
  Bush’s tax cut is a greased pig
• Molly Ivins - 6/8/2001
  Roundup Ready: The 2001 Lege
• Molly Ivins - 5/25/2001
  Redistricting! You’re Gonna Laugh! We Promise!
• Molly Ivins - 5/11/2001
  101 Days and Counting
• Molly Ivins - 4/27/2001
  Power to the People
• Molly Ivins - 4/13/2001
  Flaking Democrats, Cockroaching Republicans
• Molly Ivins - 3/30/2001
  The Crash of '29 for Those Under 40
• Molly Ivins - 3/16/2001
  Surely He Jests
• Molly Ivins - 3/2/2001
  Right To No (Privacy)
• Molly Ivins - 2/16/2001
  Hog Wild
• Molly Ivins - 2/2/2001
  The W. Thing: It Could Be Worse
• Molly Ivins - 1/19/2001
  W.'s Energy Policy: Drill, Consume, Deregulate
• Molly Ivins - 12/8/2000
  So Long To Henry B.
• Molly Ivins - 11/17/2000
  Firestone is Your Future
• Molly Ivins - 11/3/2000
  Bad Bush Dreams
• Molly Ivins - 10/20/2000
  Justice Swerved
• Molly Ivins - 10/6/2000
  The Real Rats
• Molly Ivins - 9/8/2000
  Thank You
• Molly Ivins - 8/25/2000
  Rove: What It Means to "Know"
• Permanent Values - 7/7/2000
  by Molly Ivins
• Molly Ivins - 7/7/2000
  A Challenge to W.
• Molly Ivins - 6/23/2000
  Stars in His Eyes
• Molly Ivins - 6/9/2000
  Devils and Details
• Molly Ivins - 4/28/2000
  Theft by Fountain Pen
• Bush and the Texas Environment - 4/14/2000
  by Molly Ivins and Louis Dubose
• Molly Ivins - 4/14/2000
  The Best and the Brightest on Cocaine
• Molly Ivins - 3/31/2000
  Remembering "Do-Gooder" Walter Hall
• Molly Ivins - 2/18/2000
  Political Polar North
• Molly Ivins - 2/4/2000
  Guilty As Charged
• Molly Ivins - 1/21/2000
  Cuba Libre
• Molly Ivins - 12/10/1999
  Farewell to a Fighter
• Molly Ivins - 11/26/1999
  Asking the Right Questions
• Molly Ivins - 11/12/1999
  Those Nuking Republicans
• Molly Ivins - 10/29/1999
  Ooops! of Our Times
• Molly Ivins - 9/17/1999
  Money on Tobacco Ride
• Molly Ivins - 9/3/1999
  Feeling a Bit Gunshy
• Molly Ivins - 8/20/1999
  Water Tablets
• Molly Ivins - 7/23/1999
  Molly's Summer List
• Book Review - 7/23/1999
  Their Justice, and Ours
  by David R. Dow
• Molly Ivins - 6/25/1999
  Lessons from Kosovo
• Molly Ivins - 5/28/1999
  Send 'Em Back to School
• Molly Ivins - 5/14/1999
  Embarassments, Far and Near
• Molly Ivins - 4/30/1999
  Poor George Bush, Poor Texas
• Molly Ivins - 4/16/1999
  The Phony Chinese Spy Scare
• Molly Ivins - 4/2/1999
  The War on Us
• Molly Ivins - 3/19/1999
  Wrestling with the News
• Molly Ivins - 3/5/1999
  Compassion in Action
• Molly Ivins - 2/19/1999
  What Culture War?
• Molly Ivins - 2/5/1999
  Texas Road Kill
• Molly Ivins - 1/22/1999
  Monsanto: Sowing Suspicion Abroad

Molly Ivins is a best-selling author and columnist who writes about politics, Texas and other bizarre happenings.

How Fascism Starts
If you look at why Abu Ghraib happened, you realize just how easy it is for standards of law and behavior to slip into bestiality.
Posted on May 20, 2004

Killing People for Their Own Good
The accumulation of American errors has cost us the goodwill of the great majority of Iraqis and put everyone at greater risk of terrorist attack.
Posted on May 18, 2004

Neo-con Man
How did we get into this mess? Just ask the neo-cons who fell for Ahmed Chalabi.
Posted on May 6, 2004

Just Like Saddam?
Realism, not pessimism: Americans oversee looting, corruption, and torture in Iraq as civil war looms.
Posted on May 4, 2004

Sinners Unite!
Bush tax cuts for rich leave local governments only sin to pay bills.
Posted on Apr 29, 2004

Who Decides?
A report from the March for Women's Lives.
Posted on Apr 27, 2004

Fantasyland of the Free
What does it take to provide security and ultimately success in Iraq? Way more than we could ever give.
Posted on Apr 22, 2004

Be There
This Saturday's March for Women's Lives is a life or death decision.
Posted on Apr 20, 2004

Making Progress in Iraq
America stays the course in Iraq -- making mistake after mistake.
Posted on Apr 15, 2004

Didn't You Get the Memo?
America is left in the dark about what really happend before 9/11 and what's happening now in Iraq.
Posted on Apr 13, 2004

The Death of Democracy
DeLay and Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick may have achieved the near impossible by breaking Texas campaign finance laws.
Posted on Apr 8, 2004

Iraq. What. A. Mess.
Deeper into the quagmire, one has to ask, 'so what do we do now?'
Posted on Apr 6, 2004

Strange Peaches This Election
The race has hardly begun and already we're in most bizarre territory.
Posted on Apr 1, 2004

Environmental Assaults
There's no way to keep up with the Bush administration's assaults on the environment, they're just endless.
Posted on Mar 30, 2004

Bomb Mexico!
The Bush administration bombs for peace, robs for reform.
Posted on Mar 23, 2004

Election Year Double Standard Time
Pretend Republican outrage abounds over some bold comments by candidate Kerry.
Posted on Mar 18, 2004

Wave Jobs Goodbye
Anthony Raimondo, Bush's new man in charge of creating jobs for Americans, is a master at outsourcing the jobs of his own employees to China.
Posted on Mar 16, 2004

Bush Fights Firefighters with Fire
Bush screwed the firefighters in a famous case of his favorite bait-and-switch tactic, and now he has the chutzpah to exploit them anyway.
Posted on Mar 9, 2004

The Race Begins
Candidates Bush and Kerry begin what promises to be a very interesting match up.
Posted on Mar 4, 2004

Whacking the Hornet's Nest
If Haiti is any indication, Bush has learned nothing from the dangerous game he played in Iraq.
Posted on Mar 2, 2004

Oversight Past Due
Deregulation threatens to turn the ballooning debt of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into another S&L nightmare.
Posted on Feb 26, 2004

Teacher Terrorist
Education Secretary Rod Paige calls the largest teachers' union a 'terrorist organization' for lobbying for more resources.
Posted on Feb 25, 2004

Life without Dean
A whole lot of people who should have known better freaked out over Dean, treating a mostly mild-mannered, perfectly sensible and quite cheerful fellow as some kind of anti-establishment antichrist.
Posted on Feb 23, 2004

Gun Battle
A British citizen, Katherine Gun, faces a stiff prison term for blowing the whistle on illegal US-UK spying during the runup to Iraq.
Posted on Feb 18, 2004

Dubious Claims Indeed
On both sides of the Atlantic, folks are wondering if their leaders misled them into fighting a dangerous war.
Posted on Feb 4, 2004

Thoughts on Iowa
There's nothing better than a huge political scrum where the front-runner stumbles, the guy everyone wrote off six weeks ago comes roaring back, an unknown emerges, and an old war-horse drops out.
Posted on Jan 27, 2004

IVINS: The State(ment) of the Union
While Bush plans to highlight his compassionate policies and his role in the surging economy, the reality is far less flattering.
Posted on Jan 20, 2004

New Bushism for a New Year
My long-reigning favorite Bushism has now been edged out by a fresh contender I cannot resist.
Posted on Jan 16, 2004

IVINS: Bush's Bracero Program
Bush's brilliant new immigration proposal primarily benefits one group and one group only -- big business.
Posted on Jan 14, 2004

WMD Search Ends
The resignation of David Cay signals the end of the all important search for weapons of mass destruction.
Posted on Jan 6, 2004

Read Right
An annual roundup of great books.
Posted on Dec 23, 2003

IVINS: Axis of Avarice
Unlike the Germans, the French and the Russians, Halliburton was not punished by the Bush administration for dealing with the dictator.
Posted on Dec 18, 2003

IVINS: The Perfect Holiday Gift
Tired of holiday shopping? Skip the mall and save the world -- for just 37 cents a pop.
Posted on Dec 16, 2003

IVINS: The Cockroach Theory
Talk about the lunatics running the asylum. Former lobbyists for special interests now dominate the top of the bureaucracies -- not to regulate, but to facilitate corporate rip-offs.
Posted on Dec 11, 2003

Dean for a Fightin' Chance
If 2004 is the year to be sensible, look for a winner, find a moderate and all that good stuff the expert political players do, then Dean is the man to support.
Posted on Dec 5, 2003

IVINS: The Grownups Have Left the Building
Call them -- irresponsible ... Call them -- unreliable ... Throw in -- undependable, too ... Yes, it's undeniably true -- the Congress of the United States makes Bart Simpson look like Averell Harriman.
Posted on Dec 2, 2003

Energy Industry Gets Boost
Congress' record-shattering bad legislation immediately eclipsed by record-shattering bad legislation.
Posted on Nov 26, 2003

If He Says It's Progress, It Must Be, Right?
Sheesh, it's hard to keep up with this administration. Forget a constitution, we have to hand it all over to the Iraqis right away.
Posted on Nov 17, 2003

Won't Run, Will Bug Out
It's hard to keep up with a White House that one day says we'll stick it out in Iraq no matter what and then does a 180-degree shift the next.
Posted on Nov 14, 2003

Call Me a Bush-Hater
Sneering, jeering, bad manners, hideous diplomacy, threats, demands, lies, arrogance, bluster, tax cuts for the rich. And you wonder why we think he's a lousy president?
Posted on Nov 14, 2003

The Corporate Welfare Congress
Congress has conspired to rip off senior citizens while padding the wallets of drug companies and big oil.
Posted on Nov 11, 2003

IVINS: Remembering Reagan
We've just had a fierce public debate over a docudrama no one has seen, culminating in a form of censorship.
Posted on Nov 6, 2003

Little People
So what's been going on with your money in mutual funds? Late trading, short trading and insider trading.
Posted on Nov 4, 2003

PR Smokescreens
Despite what I am sure are the invaluable services of the many PR people of our nation, sometimes it is actually smarter to attack the problem itself than the public relations surrounding it.
Posted on Oct 28, 2003

IVINS: The Latest
No weapons of mass destruction and still more lies are told by Bush and company all the time.
Posted on Oct 23, 2003

DeLay's Bacardi Mix
Tom DeLay suggests an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill designed to give campaign contributor favorite Bacardi an edge over rival Havana Club rum.
Posted on Oct 21, 2003

The Great Liberal Backlash of 2003
It ain't just Bush-hating. You don't have to hate the guy to know he's wrong.
Posted on Oct 16, 2003

IVINS: Mutual Fund Manipulation
Whether or not there is any leadership from the Bush administration, it is time for those creaky regulatory agencies to bestir themselves before something awful does happen.
Posted on Oct 14, 2003

Iraq Booty
The naked profiteering by various Bushies on the Iraq War is downright sickening.
Posted on Oct 9, 2003

Dubya Dubya II
Good thing we won the war, because the peace sure looks like a quagmire.
Posted on Oct 7, 2003

Missing Link
No weapons of mass destruction and no link to Al Qaeda -- I think we need to go back and explain how we got where we are.
Posted on Oct 2, 2003

Dems' Class of 2004
For Democrats only: I think our field is shaping up quite nicely. But we really need to winnow it down.
Posted on Sep 30, 2003

Richard Grasso -- Predictable Symbol of American Greed
People -- like former NYSE CEO Richard A. Grasso -- who have special advantages almost always manage to convince themselves that they are entitled to those advantages.
Posted on Sep 25, 2003

Bush-haters
It is not necessary to hate George W. Bush to think he's a bad president.
Posted on Sep 23, 2003

Under Clear Skies
Clear Skies sets up a system under which dirty plants can buy "pollution credits" from clean plants and keep polluting.
Posted on Sep 19, 2003

Stop the Thieves
Conservatives are stealing the idea that there's a common good, that we're all in this together, that we all do better when we all do better. And it's up to us to take it back.
Posted on Sep 17, 2003

Case Closed
Unless a miracle occurs, Sept. 13 will see the end of the open courts provision of the Texas Constitution.
Posted on Sep 11, 2003

Won't Just Get Over It
I opposed our unprovoked, unnecessary invasion of Iraq on the grounds that it would be a short, easy war followed by the peace from hell. I was right, and I'm not going to apologize for it.
Posted on Sep 9, 2003

Reconstruction Run-around
In an effort to be constructive, even in the face of a developing catastrophe, I have been combing the public prints in an effort to find something positive to suggest.
Posted on Sep 4, 2003

The Old Insult to Injury
What the Bush administration knows about working-class Americans would fit in a gnat's eye.
Posted on Aug 28, 2003

Mr. Schwarzenegger
Arnold simply doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to public policy.
Posted on Aug 26, 2003

Disagree with DeLay, You'll Be OK
When in doubt, I find it most useful to consult those two polar stars of utter wrongheadedness, Tom DeLay and The Wall Street Journal's editorial page.
Posted on Aug 21, 2003

All-American Blame Game
It would be a refreshing change, would it not, if somebody just stood up and said, "My fault."
Posted on Aug 19, 2003

Bad Ideas of the Week
The general theme of the week seems to be that the country is going to hell in a handbasket.
Posted on Aug 14, 2003

Mileposts in Degradation
Let us stop to observe a few mileposts on the downward path to the utter degradation of political discourse in this country.
Posted on Aug 11, 2003

Government by Deception
Leaving aside the missing weapons of mass destruction (hey, we found the oil), I found so many little things that fit the same pattern of lies.
Posted on Aug 5, 2003

But It's Not Fair!
That's the reason 12 Democratic senators from Texas are on the lam in New Mexico.
Posted on Aug 1, 2003

Intelligence Fiasco
Intelligence agencies are suffering not just from mismanagement, but by political manipulation that renders their work all but meaningless.
Posted on Jul 30, 2003

The Other Great State
It is so easy to fall in love with Alaska, and most of the people are as enchanting as the wildlife -- friendly, hospitable, helpful, tough and resilient.
Posted on Jul 24, 2003

The Decline in Civility
Has the adversary system at the heart of the legal profession produced the decline in civility?
Posted on Jul 22, 2003

Fixing Education
There are two keys to better teachers: higher salaries and better schools of education.
Posted on Jul 18, 2003

The Peace from Hell
That the occupation is not going well is apparent to everyone but Donald Rumsfeld. Now is not the time to stand back timidly hoping it will work out well in the end.
Posted on Jul 15, 2003

Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, where they gradually bled the Red Army to death and caused the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Posted on Jul 8, 2003

Happy Birthday, America!
Two-hundred twenty-seven years old and still ready to boogie 'til we puke.
Posted on Jul 3, 2003

Supreme Tantrums
Recent Supreme Court decisions have caused certain justices to throw nasty tantrums.
Posted on Jul 2, 2003

Emissions Omission
Bush's solution to global warming: Eliminate references to studies concluding that warming is at least partly caused by rising concentrations of smokestack and tailpipe emissions.
Posted on Jun 26, 2003

Medicare Prescription for Disaster
Everybody's in favor of a plan to help senior citizens with prescription drug costs. The question is whether the bills currently in the House and Senate are actually an improvement.
Posted on Jun 24, 2003

A WorldCom of Trouble
The Iraqi Gold Rush is on. Even corporate criminal WorldCom --perpetrator of the largest accounting fraud in American history -- is getting in on the riches.
Posted on Jun 20, 2003

The Clinton Wars
Recent books by Hillary Clinton and Sid Blumenthal recall the scandal plagued Clinton presidency.
Posted on Jun 18, 2003

People First
All this big talk about tax cuts from Washington comes down to taking away after-school programs and health clinics and firefighters.
Posted on Jun 12, 2003

One Word 'Wind'
Wind power makes so much sense that no one really needs to make the case for it.
Posted on Jun 10, 2003

Working for Nothing
All over this country, working people are losing out. 2.7 million jobs have already disappeared and we stand to lose much more.
Posted on Jun 5, 2003

The WMD Question
"Where are the weapons of mass destruction?" is a fairly obvious question at this point. But if you ask, expect to be shot down.
Posted on Jun 3, 2003

Rotten, Old-Fashioned Corruption at the FCC
The FCC has been captured by the industry it is supposed to regulate.
Posted on May 29, 2003

Texas Toil
It was horrible and sickening, but I could not stop watching the final days of the Texas Legislature. Fellow Texans, the ripple effects of this disaster will come to haunt us all.
Posted on May 27, 2003

Um, Folks, This Doesn't Look Like Victory
Good thing we won the war, because the peace sure looks like a quagmire.

Posted on May 22, 2003

Lawmakers on the Lam
True, it has been 50 years since a legislature has overturned a court-ordered redistricting plan; on the other hand, nothing says they can't.
Posted on May 16, 2003

'Damn, We're Americans!'
The Bush administration apparently feels entitled to take actions punishing close old friends for not siding with us in a war we may have lied about.
Posted on May 8, 2003

Weapons of Mass Deception
The rest of the world is not going to forget that WMDs were our primary reason for an unprovoked, pre-emptive war.
Posted on Apr 29, 2003

Workplace Flexibility
The Bush administration is leading the charge with proposed new rules that will erode the 40-hour workweek and affect more than 80 million workers now protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Posted on Apr 24, 2003

Is There Anybody Here with a Lick of Sense?
New nominations for the hotly contested "What Were They Thinking?" title, also known as, "Is There Anybody Here With a Lick of Sense?"
Posted on Apr 21, 2003

Scary Times in the USA
Feeling paranoid about government control lately? You've got good reason to be concerned.
Posted on Nov 24, 2002

Bush administration makes a mockery of corporate cleanup
Molly Ivins is very smart so we all say yes yes yes.
Posted on Nov 5, 2002