WH must figure that it's got the 2004 election in the bag to say this

[JewelDigger]

First Mokhiber wants to know if the president knows how many people have been killed and wounded in Iraq since the beginning of the war? (question never answered). Then Mokhiber wants to know if the President supports a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution?

The part at the bottom is the real 'meat'. To me, it means that the WH has already taken it as a 'given' that * will win in 2004.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0902-10.htm
and
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030902-1.html

<snip>
At the end of the official White House transcript, we find the following: * The President supports a balanced budget amendment, and is working to restrain spending so that we can reduce the deficit. However, the President also believes that protecting the lives and liberties of the American people may demand temporary borrowing, which is why he believes a balanced budget amendment should include exceptions for war, emergency and economic recession. The President has a plan to cut the deficit in half in five years through stronger economic growth and responsible spending restraint. His budget proposal for next year would cut the growth of spending by more than 50 percent from the levels of the past five years. Government spending should not grow faster than family incomes.
<snip>

[soleft]

1. Again the trifecta

"war, emergency and economic recession"

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. 9/11 was Bush's fault and we have to pin it on him

Either through indifference or incompetence, Bush and Condi dropped the ball on 9/11 and we have to make it stick.
Clinton wasn't president, Bush was.

[wtmusic]

3. old, old trick

the implication is that *'s incredibly effective policies can't be expected to show fruition in four years, no, 5 to 8 years and all that money the multimillionaires will be saving will be generously forwarded on to their employees as raises and bonuses, instead of being used to purchase boats, planes, and summer homes.

(?)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Go to the reagan '84 re-election playbook

Bush thinks he has inherited the Reagan mantle. Just look at what Reagan did in '84. The economy sucked BAD in 82-83. Reagan's mantra? "Stay the course". If we maintain Bush's current tac, we are all dead.

[ixion]

5. My dad's business went belly up in the Reagan recession

Because he focused on providing the scientific data for Environmental Impact Statements, which the Reagan admin pretty much scrapped the concept of finding out the consequences before building a dam, or draining a wetlands.

Pretty much SOP for the neocons, IMHO.

[JewelDigger]

6. The neocons remind me of the character Sgt. Schultz

from the old Hogan's Hero's show.

I see nothing
I hear nothing
I know n o t h i n g !

They don't want to know and they don't want the people to know. I'm sorry about your dad's business.