Back to normal, more of the same Bush crap

So now as my site traffic falls back down to earth (see this lovely chart thanks to sitemeter), I should change the subject back to all the other stuff happening in the world:

Nearly 200 people are dead in Madrid, Spain from a series of sequenced bombing attacks that smells like Al-Queada is being denied by ETA, a Basque-separatist group like the IRA in the 1980s. More sure to follow out of this. Keep in mind Spain was part of Rummy's "new Europe" AKA those that went to bat for the Bush Administration on Iraq.

Bush has out a negative attack ad on John Kerry which claims Kerry would raise taxes by $900 billion (cue Dr. Evil), weaken the PATRIOT Act that catches terrorists (like Jose Padilla?) and it uses a "generic terrorist" to do so. This looks like your average South Asian (Indian/Pakistani) with a sinister look on his face and shifty eyes (like that dog on the Simpsons).

"It undercuts the very thing the president committed himself to after 9/11," said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute. "It tries to create an identity between terrorists and that face. It can only be called a negative stereotype, it can only be called regrettable." Oh by the way, Zogby's the brother of that famous pollster too. "If they wanted to put Osama bin Laden up there that's fine, but using just a face stereotypes," he added, asking Bush to take down the "Muhammad Horton ad"

Bush folks don't get it, telling the Globe that the man was "generic" and not meant to stereotype. The right wing blogophere agrees with the tactic of using an Arab man saying they are "calling a spade a spade" DailyKos, of course, is more on Zogby's side. All of these links are thanks to TNR's Ryan Lizza.

But wait there's more! Bush as a companion dirty radio ad, along with this more "positive" attack ad with a nice fantasy touch, saying Bush will continue to "reduce health care costs" and "create jobs" as well as "reform education" while John Kerry will destroy all this by rolling back the tax cuts for the richest 1%.

First of all, Bush has lost just shy of 3 Million Jobs and created 21,000 jobs last month nearly all of which were government jobs so much for a smaller government George.

Secondly, there is nothing Bush has done to reduce health care costs, the prescription drug bill they force through congress by lying to their fellow Republicans (by threatening HHS officials with their jobs if they told the Congress the real cost estimates would be higher than $400 billion-- they ended up being $551 billion)...Oh and the bill specifically had no cost containment procedures; in fact, the law prohibited the government from trying to save money.

On Education Reform. OK well that is true, you reformed education. But change is not improvement, just ask any school district or state legislature in the country what they think of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). I think you would get an earful about "unfunded mandates."

John Kerry's camp now has a a respons ad to the Bush attack ad up, "expected, the Globe says, "to be aired in the same competitive markets where the Bush ads are running."

Meanwhile, the Colorado Senate race beckons. It is looking more and more like Democrats are poised for a pick up! According to GOP sources of the National Journal, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) will announce this p.m. that he will not run. Nor will Rep. Scott McInnis (R-CO), according to the Pueblo Chieftain who says the retiring McInnis "reportedly will announce today that he also will forego the race." Also out are CO Gov. Bill Owens (R) and Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) who is choosing instead to defend his razor thin 100+ vote seat in Colorado's 7th. So who's left to challenge CO AG Ken Salazar (D)? Ex-RNC chair Jim Nicholson "indicated he may announce as early as today whether he'll join the race" according to the Rocky Mountain News.

That's the best you can get? Well I shouldn't laugh, just look at now MS Gov. Halley Barbour, also an ex-RNC chair. With that title comes lots of people you know who can give lots of money.

And in the Land of Lincoln, a Research 2000 IL poll of Dem likely voters found Barack Obama with 36% support; Dan Hynes 21%; Maria Pappas 15% and Blair Hull 14%. A poll of GOP likely voters found Jack Ryan with 36% support; Jim Oberweis 16%; Andrew McKenna 11% and Steve Rauschenberger 10%. The state primary is in on Tuesday. Obama vs. Ryan looks to be the results. Can't wait.