Tal said move it here so here it is.

This took a lot of time but here's what my research has found in regards to issues with Bush and Chenney. This is my response to Jmac and Chipmunk's criticism of Kerry.  I will be compiling a second list in a few days and since there is so much in terms of lies and flip-flopping by both Bush and Cheney.

The "Coalition":

30 Nation Coalition:

Afghanistan
Albania
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bulgaria
Colombia
Czech Republic
Denmark
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Georgia
Hungary
Italy
Japan (post war)
Korea
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Philippines (has withdrawn troops)
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
Uzbekistan

[Source: CBC News - Coalition has 30 Members: Powell, Tuesday March 18th, 2003]

Most of these countries are 2nd and 3rd world nations with small GDP's and small militaries.  Very few actually have contributed troops to the war, more have contributed aid, others have joined the effort because of fear of their aid being cut by the United States.  We have the small coalition of the "willing", and a larger coalition of support for increased foreign aid dollars. From the GDP numbers given you can see how small some of the economies of these countries are, which makes it harder for them to have large militaries.  As well all know, most do not ever have troops on the ground so to call this some sort of grand global coalition is false.

Same-sex Marriage:

2000 Republican Primary: "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue."

[Source: 2/15/00 Republican primary debate, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/15/lkl.00.html; www.johnkerry.com]

Larry King Interview:

Larry King: "If a state were voting on gay marriage, you would suggest to that state not to approve it?"

Bush: "The state can do what they want to do,"

[Source: Marriage amendment: Will it help or hurt Bush?, http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/25/elec04.prez.bush.marriage/]

Now he has put forward a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

McCain-Feingold Bill:

Bush said he would veto this bill during the Republic Primary, then signed it when it passed through Congress.

January 23, 2000: ABC News This Week

George F. Will: "Would you veto the McCain-Feingold bill[?]"

Governor Bush: "[Y]es I would"

[Source: Bush's Broken Promise, http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry022102.shtml]

Veterans:

Bush has promised to help Veterans and has claimed that spending on Veterans health care has gone up, however, it has gone up 5.4% a year while costs rise 13% a year and "the Bush administration opposed a Senate addition to the Iraq supplemental bill that would have added $1.3 billion to veterans' health care."  Bush also closed 7 veterans hospitals, proposed to double costs of perscription drugs for veterans and cut healthcare benefits for 160,000 middle-income veterans.

[Source: Bush Cuts Funds for Veterans' Health Care, http://www.democrats.org/specialreports/veterans/health.html]


Second Security Council Resolution About Iraq:

Bush said he would bring a second resolution for the Security Council to vote on.

[Source: Bush Opens Push for Second UN Iraq Resolution, http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/02/22/sprj.irq.iraq.wrap/index.html

But there was never a vote on a second resolution.  In fact the resolution was never brought forward for a vote.

Free Trade:

First Bush is for free trade and against tariffs: "Fearful people want to build walls around America. Confident people believe we ought to tear them down"

[Source: Bush Gives Prescription to Cure Economic ills, http://edition.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/14/bush.trip/index.html]

Then Bush is for tariffs and imposed a 30% steel tariff.

[Source: Bush Backs Steel Tariffs, http://edition.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/03/05/steel/index.html?related]

Then Bush backs free trade. He says the US needs to "[M]ak[e] sure trade is free and fair[.]"

[Source: Bush touts Economy, 'free and fair' Trade, http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/10/elec04.prez.bush.campaign/index.html]

Fair Trade:

First the administration refuses to budge on agricultural subsidies during WTO talks in Mexico.

[Source: WTO Talks Collapse, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/16/world/main573583.shtml]

Then Bush campaigns on a promise of fair trade. He says the US needs to "[M]ak[e] sure trade is free and fair[.]"

[Source: Bush touts Economy, 'free and fair' Trade, http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/10/elec04.prez.bush.campaign/index.html]

Thats the research I managed to do.  Now it's time to use Jmac's strategy and paste research already done.

Bush Flip-Flops on Independent 9/11 Commission:
Bush Flip: Initially Opposed to Independent 9/11 Commission
Bush opposed an independent inquiry into 9/11, arguing it would duplicate a probe conducted by Congress. In July 2002, his administration issued a "statement of policy" that read "...the Administration would oppose an amendment that would create a new commission to conduct a similar review [to Congress's investigation]." [Statement of Administration Policy, Executive Office of the President, 7/24/02; LA Times, 11/28/02]

Bush Flop: Bush Relented and Appointed Independent Commission
President Bush finally agreed to support an independent investigation into the 9/11 attacks after "the congressional committees unearthed more and more examples of intelligence lapses, the administration reversed its stance." [Los Angeles Times, 11/28/02]

Bush Flip-Flops on Independent WMD Commission:
Bush Flip: Refuses to Call for Independent Bipartisan Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction
"President Bush said on January 30, 2004, 'I want to know the facts' about any intelligence failures concerning Saddam Hussein's alleged cache of forbidden weapons but he declined to endorse calls for an independent investigation." [AP, 1/30/04]

Bush Flop: Bush Appoints WMD Investigation Commission
President Bush named a nine-member bipartisan commission to investigate U.S. intelligence-gathering capabilities in February 2004. The AP noted, "Bush had initially opposed a commission, but agreed to do so as calls grew from Republican lawmakers as well as Democrats." The Los Angeles Times reported, "The White House opposed that panel initially, then backed down under pressure, and some say administration officials now regret doing so because the administration has become locked in a series of embarrassing battles with the Sept. 11 commission." The New York Times noted Bush "gave the panel until March 2005, well after the November elections, to submit its conclusions." [NY Times, 2/7/04; LA Times, 2/1/04; AP, 2/6/04]

Bush Flip-Flops on Time He'll Spend With 9/11 Commission:
Bush Flip: Would Meet For Only One Hour With 9/11 Commission
McClellan: Obviously, as part of this, the President will be meeting with the chairman and vice chairman at some point in the near future. We are still working on the exact time of that meeting. We have discussed with the commission what we believe is a reasonable period of time to provide the chairman and vice chairman with answers to all of their questions.
Q: Is that the one-hour time frame?
McClellan: That's what I'm referring to. [WH Press Briefing, 3/9/04]

Bush Flop: White House Says No Time Limit on President's Testimony
"President George W. Bush will privately answer all questions raised by the federal commission investigating the September 11 attacks, the White House said, suggesting that Bush might allow the interview to extend beyond the one-hour limit originally offered to the panel by the White House. 'He's going to answer all the questions they want to raise,' said the White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, whose remarks suggested that the White House was softening its negotiating stance toward the bipartisan commission. 'Nobody's watching the clock.'" [WH Press Briefing, 3/9/04; International Herald Tribune, 3/11/04]

Bush Flip-Flops On Calling For A U.N. Vote On Iraq War:
Bush Flip: U.S. Will Seek U.N. Vote For War With Iraq
Bush: ...yes, we'll call for a vote.
Question: No matter what?
Bush: No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam. [Bush News Conference, 3/6/03, emphasis added]

Bush Flop: Bush Attacked Iraq Without U.N. Vote
Bush "failed to win explicit [security] council approval for the use of force" in Iraq. Two days before bombs began to fall in Iraq, the Bush administration withdrew its resolution from the UN Security Council that would have authorized military force. Bush abandoned his call for a vote after it became clear that the US could muster only four votes in support of force. [Washington Post, 3/21/03; Los Angeles Times, 3/18/03]

Bush Flip-Flops on Department Of Homeland Security:
Bush Flip: Bush Thought Homeland Security Cabinet Position Was "Just Not Necessary"
In October 2001, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush opposed creating Office of Homeland Security position for Ridge. "[T]he president has suggested to members of Congress that they do not need to make this a statutory post, that he [Ridge] does not need Cabinet rank, for example, there does not need to be a Cabinet-level Office of Homeland Security is because there is such overlap among the various agencies, because every agency of the government has security concerns," Fleischer said. [White House Press Briefing, 10/24/01]

Bush Flop: Bush Decides to Support Homeland Security
The New York Times reported, "Bush initially resisted Democratic proposals for a Cabinet-level agency. But once he endorsed it, the president pushed Congress for fast action as it debated such issues as whistle-blower protections, concerns over civil liberties and collective bargaining for department employees."

In remarks to Homeland Security Department employees, Bush claimed credit for supporting the Department: "In just 12 months, under the leadership of your President...you faced the challenges standing up this new Department and you get a -- and a gold star for a job well done." [New York Times, 2/28/03; Bush Remarks at One-Year Anniversary of DHS, 3/2/04]

Bush Flip-Flops on Gay Marriage:
Bush Flip: It's Up to the States to Decide
In a 2000 presidential primary debate, candidate George W. Bush said gay marriage was a state's issue, saying, "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Presidential Primary Debate, 2/15/00]

Bush Flop: Bush Supports Constitutional Amendment That Restricts States' Rights
Bush: "If we are to prevent the meaning of marriage from being changed forever, our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in America. Decisive and democratic action is needed, because attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city could have serious consequences throughout the country." [Bush, 2/24/04]

Bush Flip-Flops on Using Military For Nation Building:
Bush Flip: Bush Promised Not to Use Military for Nation Building
In a campaign rally in Tennessee, then-Presidential candidate Bush criticized the Clinton administration for using the military in nation-building missions. Bush said, "I'm worried about an opponent who uses nation-building and the military in the same sentence. See, our view of the military is for our military to be properly prepared to fight and win war and, therefore, prevent war from happening in the first place." [Governor George W. Bush, 11/6/00]

Bush Flop: President Used Military for Nation Building in Afghanistan and Iraq
After the removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Bush met with soldiers stationed in Afghanistan at the White House and thanked them for their nation building efforts. A senior administration official said, "The administration, with its international partners, is doing something akin to nation-building." The plans for a post war Iraq also included nation building measures and, according to the Baltimore Sun, "Secretary of State Colin L. Powell confirmed...that Bush was considering, among other options, installing a U.S.-led occupation government if Hussein's regime is removed." [Baltimore Sun, 10/19/02]

Bush Flip-Flops on Hybrid Automobiles:
Bush Flip: Bush Mocked Gore's Tax Credit for Hybrid Cars
"'How many of you own hybrid electric gasoline engine vehicles? If you look under there, you'll see that's one of the criteria necessary to receive tax relief. So when he talks about targeted tax relief that's pretty darn targeted,' Bush told the Arlington Heights rally, drawing laughs." [Chicago Sun-Times, 10/29/00]

Bush Flop: Bush Supported Investing in Hybrid Cars
In his State of the Union speech, Bush said, "Tonight I am proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles. ... Join me in this important innovation, to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy." [White House, "President Delivers 'State of the Union,'" 1/28/03]

Bush Flip-Flops on Assault Weapons Ban:
Bush Flip: Bush Supports Extending Assault Weapons Ban
Ashcroft: "It is my understanding that the president-elect of the United States has indicated his clear support for extending the assault weapons ban, and I will be pleased to move forward with that position." [Confirmation Hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/17/01]

Bush Flop: Bush Opposes Extension of Assault Weapons Ban
"The White House is opposing addition of gun show and assault weapons restrictions to a bill shielding firearms makers and dealers from lawsuits, prompting angry complaints from Democrats that President Bush is reneging on earlier support for the two proposals...In a statement [on February 24, 2004], the White House urged passage of the lawsuits measure without amendments that might delay its enactment. 'Any amendment that would delay enactment of the bill beyond this year is unacceptable,' the statement said. Democrats interpreted this as an effort to undermine support for the gun-control measures. 'For the president to say he is for the assault weapons ban but then act against it is a flip-flop if there ever was one,' said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of several sponsors of the assault weapons proposal in the Senate." [Washington Post, 2/26/04]

Bush Flip-Flops on Steel Tariffs:
Bush Flip: Bush Imposes Steel Tariffs
"President Bush on [March 5, 2002] slapped punishing tariffs of 8% to 30% on several types of imported steel in an effort to help the ailing U.S. industry, drawing criticism from American allies and mixed reviews at home. 'An integral part of our commitment to free trade is our commitment to enforcing trade laws to make sure that America's industries and workers compete on a level playing field,' Bush said in a statement issued by the White House." [USA Today, 3/5/02]

Bush Flop: Bush Rescinds Steel Tariffs
"Facing a potential global trade war, President Bush on [December 4, 2003] lifted tariffs he imposed on foreign steel 21 months ago, declaring the U.S. steel industry healthy and ready to compete despite the industry's claim that it needs more time to recover." [Chicago Tribune, 12/5/03]

[Source: www.democrats.org]

NOTE: The following two pieces were found at www.democrats.org.  The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired an episode of The Fifth Estate, an investigative journalism program, both of these items were brought forward there as well.  I am currently trying to find a transcript of it to provide additional proof of these 2 items.

Dick Cheney and Halliburton:

As the Iraq war began in March 2003, the Pentagon awarded Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), the construction wing of Halliburton, a no-bid contract to help rebuild Iraqi oil fields and conduct "operation of facilities and distribution of products." The initial deal was thought to be worth as much as $7 billion. In postwar Iraq, Halliburton is the largest private contractor, with potential deals totaling over $11 billion.4

While Vice President Cheney served as chairman and chief executive of Halliburton, the company acquired two subsidiaries, Dresser-Rand and Ingersoll Dresser Pump Co., which had signed contracts to sell oil production equipment to Iraq under the oil-for-food program for more than $73 million.5

The military investigated Halliburton and found that it overcharged for gas it imported into Iraq from Kuwait by as much as $61 million. In March 2003, the Pentagon announced it would withhold nearly $300 million in payments to Halliburton due to the company's overcharging on food contracts. "Halliburton spokeswoman Wendy Hall said the company disagreed with the decision and hoped to persuade the Pentagon to drop its plans."6

In his retirement package from Halliburton, Cheney was granted deferred compensation that paid out his salary from 1999 over a five-year period and his bonus from that year in 2001. Following his departure from Halliburton, Cheney retained possession of 433,333 options of Halliburton stock. The Cheneys announced they were committing the options to three charities. The Congressional Research Service released a report saying that federal ethics laws consider both Cheney's deferred compensation and his unexercised stock options as a lingering financial interest in the company.7

[Sources: 4Los Angeles Times, 5/7/03; Washington Post, 2/10/04; 5Washington Post, 6/23/01; Petroleum Economist, 6/93; 6Associated Press, 2/9/04; Reuters, 2/23/04; Associated Press, 3/17/04; 7"Income: Type and amount," Schedule A, Standard Form 278, Richard B. Cheney Personal Financial Disclosure, May 15, 2002; May 15, 2003; White House Press Release, 4/13/01; Washington Post, 9/26/03, www.democrats.org, The Fifth Estate]

Exposing a Covert CIA Agent for Revenge:

Ambassador Joseph Wilson publicly disclosed in July 2003 that he had investigated and debunked intelligence linking Iraqi nuclear ambitions to the African nation of Niger. Wilson's investigation concluded in March 2002, nearly a year before Bush made the assertion in his State of the Union address that Iraq sought uranium in Africa. Days after Wilson went public, columnist Robert Novak revealed that his wife was a CIA operative.

The Washington Post reported that "a senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife." President Bush later told reporters: "I don't know if we're going to find out the senior administration official...I have no idea whether we'll find out who the leaker is." He claimed he had ordered his staff to "cooperate fully" in the investigation of the leak.3

[Sources: 3Washington Post, 9/28/03; Bush Media Availability, 10/7/03, www.democrats.org, The Fifth Estate]

Bush on Iraq
1. "Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." [Bush Remarks, Cincinnati OH, 10/7/02]
Fact:Saddam Did not Have Chief Requirements for Nuclear Weapons

The Washington Post reported, "What Hussein did not have was the principal requirement for a nuclear weapon, a sufficient quantity of highly enriched uranium or plutonium. And the U.S. government, authoritative intelligence officials said, had only circumstantial evidence that Iraq was trying to obtain those materials." Inspectors in postwar Iraq have "found the former nuclear weapons program, described as a 'grave and gathering danger' by President Bush and a 'mortal threat' by Vice President Cheney, in much the same shattered state left by U.N. inspectors in the 1990s." [Washington Post, 8/10/03, 1/7/04]

2. "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." [Bush, State of the Union, 1/28/03]
Fact: Bush Administration Knew Claim Was False

In March 2002, both the CIA and State Department learned that evidence linking Iraq to Niger was unfounded. In October, CIA Director Tenet personally intervened with Condoleezza Rice's deputy National Security Advisor to have the charge removed from Bush's speech to the nation. Rice herself was sent a memo debunking the claim. In January, just days before Bush uttered the false charge CIA officials tried again to remove the language, but the White House insisted it remain -- with added the caveat that they had received the information from British sources. [Bush State of the Union, 1/28/03; Time, 7/21/03 Issue; Hadley/Bartlett Gaggle, 7/22/03; New York Times, 7/13/03; Washington Post, 7/20/03; NPR, 6/19/03]

3. "In an interview with Polish television on May 30, Mr. Bush cited the trailers [found in postwar Iraq] as evidence that the United States had 'found the weapons of mass destruction' it was looking for." [New York Times, 6/26/03]
Fact: State Department Said Bush Rushed to Judgment

The New York Times reported, "The State Department's intelligence division is disputing the Central Intelligence Agency's conclusion that mysterious trailers found in Iraq were for making biological weapons, United States government officials said today. In a classified June 2 [2003] memorandum, the officials said, the department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research said it was premature to conclude that the trailers were evidence of an Iraqi biological weapons program, as President Bush has done...Administration officials said the State Department agency was given no warning that the C.I.A. report was being produced, or made public." [New York Times, 6/26/03]

4. "The 'Mission Accomplished' sign, of course, was put up by the members of the USS Abraham Lincoln saying that their mission was accomplished." [Bush, News Conference, 10/28/03]
Fact: Sign Was Produced by White House

"White House press secretary Scott McClellan later acknowledged that the sign was produced by the White House," though he claimed that the Lincoln's crew had requested some sort of banner. According to reports, "The man responsible for the banner, Scott Sforza, a former ABC producer now with the White House communications office...is known for the production of the sophisticated backdrops that appear behind Mr. Bush with the White House message of the day, like 'Helping Small Business,' repeated over and over." [Washington Post, 10/29/03; New York Times, 10/29/03]

Bush on the Economy
5. "Our budget will run a deficit that will be small and short-term." [Bush, State of the Union, 2002]
Fact: Deficit Will Be Largest in History and Will Exceed $400 Billion Every Year for Next Ten Years

The deficit will exceed $400 billion every year through 2014. By 2014, the deficit will reach $708 billion. In 2004, the deficit is projected to reach a record high of $477 billion, dwarfing the previous record of $290 billion posted by Bush's father in 1992. [Congressional Budget Office, 1/26/04, 2/27/04; Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, 1/21/04, 2/1/04]

6. "Tax relief is central to my plan to encourage economic growth, and we can proceed with tax relief without fear of budget deficits, even if the economy softens," Bush promised. [Bush Remarks at Western Michigan University, 3/27/01]
Fact: Bush Deficits Due Largely to Tax Cuts

In 2002, due largely to Bush's tax cuts, the federal government posted a deficit of $158 billion and returned to deficit for the first time since 1997. In 2004, Bush's three tax cuts over as many years reduced revenues by $270 billion. Over 35 percent of the $9.9 trillion deterioration from 2002-2011 is due to Bush's tax cuts. By 2014, tax cuts will account for 40 percent of the deterioration. Despite Bush's claims to the contrary, only 6 percent of the $477 billion deficit in 2004 is due to the lackluster economy. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10/21/03; Congressional Budget Office, 3/04; CBO, Historical Budget Data, Table 1 http://www.cbo.gov; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10/27/03]

Bush on His Own Policies
7. "We must uncover every detail and learn every lesson September the 11th." [Bush 11/27/02]
Fact: Bush Initially Opposed Independent 9-11 Commission

Bush opposed an independent inquiry into 9/11, arguing it would duplicate a probe conducted by Congress. In July 2002, his administration issued a "statement of policy" that read "...the Administration would oppose an amendment that would create a new commission to conduct a similar review [to Congress's investigation]." [Statement of Administration Policy, Executive Office of the President, 7/24/02; Los Angeles Times, 11/28/02]

8. "Bush had pushed hard for the Medicare drug benefit, but said he would not sign anything that exceeded $400 billion." [Boston Globe, 1/30/04]
Fact: Bush Administration Intentionally Hid Cost of Plan To Win Votes in Congress

In late January 2004, the Administration announced they had underestimated the total cost of the package by $135 billion. Bush relied on a $400 billion figure for the first decade of the prescription drug benefit in persuading fiscal conservatives to support the plan last November. But less than two months after signing the legislation, and two years before the benefit becomes available to seniors, the Department of Health and Human Services revised the number up to $535 billion. According to the Washington Post, "Among a small group of lawmakers who negotiated the bill's final version, 'it was an open secret' that administration officials believed 'there is no way this is $400 billion.'" [New York Times, 1/30/04; Washington Times, 12/8/03; Washington Post, 1/31/04; Boston Globe, 1/30/04; New York Times, 2/2/04]

9. "We will require all power plants to meet clean air standards in order to reduce emissions of...carbon dioxide." [Bush speech, "A Comprehensive National Energy Policy," 9/29/00, Saginaw, MI]
Fact: Bush Overruled Whitman, Broke Campaign Promise to Regulate Carbon Dioxide Emissions

In March 2001, in a letter to Republican Senators, Bush overruled then-E.P.A. Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and backed off a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, after encountering strong resistance from the coal and oil industries, as well as Republicans. "I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act," Bush wrote in his letter. Many conservationists view curbing carbon dioxide emissions, like "greenhouse gases," as a key to reducing global warming. [AP, 3/13/01; Washington Post, 3/14/01; Bush letter to Senator Chuck Hagel, 3/13/01]

Bush on Bush
10. "I'm a uniter, not a divider." [Bush, Austin American-Statesman, 7/30/00]
Fact: No, He's a Divider

The Washington Post reported, "As Bush begins the final year of his term with Tuesday night's State of the Union address, partisans on both sides say the tone of political discourse is as bad as ever -- if not worse." One senior administration official said, Bush could have built "trust and goodwill" by pursuing more broadly appealing initiatives. One former Bush aide said the White House "relished the 'us versus them' thing." [Washington Post, 1/18/04]

After former Ambassador Joseph Wilson publicly challenged Bush's claim that Iraq sought uranium in Africa, his wife--a covert CIA operative--was exposed by columnist Robert Novak. Novak said her identity was given to him by senior administration officials. "A senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife... 'Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge,' the senior official said of the alleged leak. Sources familiar with the conversations said the leakers were seeking to undercut Wilson's credibility." [Washington Post, 9/28/03]

Bush called on senior White House advisers and the Republican Party leadership to wage attacks against Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. According to the Washington Times, "The White House is escalating its attacks against Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle... [W]ith polls showing the Republican Party is losing some support in its handling of the economy, President Bush last week ordered senior advisers to take the gloves off and sharpen their rhetoric." [Washington Times, 12/7/01]

[Source: www.democrats.org]
 
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*DarkDragoons*
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +
SL/SFC_Afyon/2SQD/2PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE/[LoR][IH][CoH(2)][SoA]
"No I expect to leave you on some beach with no name at all while I say away on my ship...and then I'll shout the name back to you...saavy?"

Woah woah woah!!!

The Catholic Church never declared it a sin to vote for John Kerry.  And especially not because of the gay marriage issue, the only thing ever considered was not allowing Kerry to receive communion, and this was because of his stance on abortion, not gay marriage.

This could really make me say something about protestants and this issue, but I will let it go if everyone else lets it go.  Now onto the other subject.

Who says we needed to take out Saddam, at least at this time.  I wished since I was in the 5th grade for a war agaisnt Saddam, but that was when we didn't have a direct terrorist threat, nor the nations that were seeking nukes.

And who says they didn't work in '98?  Sure we didn't kill Saddam, but that wasn't the intended mission, it intended to take out military and WMD facilities.  And as it appears, Clinton succeeded.  We also did not see any massive exterminations of people like we did post-Gulf War.
 
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TRP/CPL Anubis Benor/4SQD/1PLT/1COMP/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE
Wraith Squad
Vast Empire Army

the wise thing would have been to let saddam rant and rave in iraq as his nuclear capabilities declined and take out north korea, then by the time we got threw all the red tape and name calling involved there saddam would have died (probably of old age) and iraq would be in total chaos, like it is now, except we wouldnt be stuck there in the middle.
 
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The Comnet Hermit
-Raider Squad-
TRP/SSG Sniping101/CrazyRAIDERS/1PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [LoR][IH][BoA]
"A spanking new Athlon reduced to a Gameboy Emulator"- Gabe from Penny Arcade.
"As long as their is Space, Im going to stare off into it"-Garfield
I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I see an ARC all short and stout, BOOM! I kiss him and love him all the night out! - Modified by Me, original by -anonymous

we could always go in once it was in chaos too, but constant day-to-day chaos is basicaly whats going on there now, so yeah.

and i realy dont get the whole gay marriage thing, its not like it hurts anybody, sure you may think its wrong, so dont do it yourself.
 
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The Comnet Hermit
-Raider Squad-
TRP/SSG Sniping101/CrazyRAIDERS/1PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [LoR][IH][BoA]
"A spanking new Athlon reduced to a Gameboy Emulator"- Gabe from Penny Arcade.
"As long as their is Space, Im going to stare off into it"-Garfield
I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I see an ARC all short and stout, BOOM! I kiss him and love him all the night out! - Modified by Me, original by -anonymous

Get your facts right Chipmunk.  The American Association of pediatrics has recently released a study stating very clearly that homosxuals adopting children does not harm a child psychologically in any way nor does it impact their development, sexual orientation or sexual functions.  I'll see if I can find a copy of the report for ya, even a transcript of Sunday's Meet the Press will be good enough, Tim Russert used that report in response to Pete Coors who was waffling on the adoption on children by homosexuals.

Secondly, the term marriage means one thing in the bible and another thing in civil law.  All couples who get married, regardless of religion, must sign a "marriage license".  Atheists still get "married" under civil law.  Buddhists get "married" under civil law, etc.  Therefore marriage is a religious term for some religious groups but it is a term in civil law which applies to everyone who signs a marriage license.  Therefore you can't state that the term marriage is solely a term from the bible and therefore can't be extended to homosexuals.  Under civil law marriage currently means (I am assuming the US uses the same definition that Canada has): The union of a man and a woman to the exclusion on all others.  It does not make reference to the bible in anyway, it's simply saying these two ppl are united, they are subsequently allowed a specific set of benefits under civil law.  The definition the supreme courts of 6 provinces and territories in Canada have adopted is: The union of two persons to the exclusion of all others.  And again under civil law they are entitled specific benefits because of this.

My point is, marriage yes is a term from the bible but it is also a term of civil law with a specific meaning that grants couples specific benefits.  If there is seperation of church and state in the US which is what it certainly says it has, then there shouldn't be any problem changing the definition of a term in civil law.  The churches by all means can continue to define marriage its way but under civil law marriage can be defined in any way the government or courts decide.
 
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*DarkDragoons*
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +
SL/SFC_Afyon/2SQD/2PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE/[LoR][IH][CoH(2)][SoA]
"No I expect to leave you on some beach with no name at all while I say away on my ship...and then I'll shout the name back to you...saavy?"

As for the WMD's and the UN (sorry about the extra post, had to go back and read what you said about that.

1. Resolution 1441 mentions "significant consequences".  It does not specify what specific consequences were to be and according to UN procedure, any action under Chapter VII, whether it be authorize the use of force, peacemaking (not peacekeeping, peacekeeping is a Chapter VI authorization), or economic sanctions, must be passed in a second resolution by the Security Council.

On top of this, the US stated that Iraq was a threat, yet the UN does not allow pre-emptive war against a nation percieved to be a threat.  The use of force can only be authorized for a Chapter VII peacemaking mission, whether it be between two states or between rebel groups or the government and a rebel group.  It does not have a provision for pre-emptive war.  In fact the only force a state can use without a Security Council resolution is specified in Chapter VII Article 51:

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Regardless how many UN resolutions Iraq violated, the US did not have the authorization to go to war under any of those resolutions.  Since invading Iraq would not by any stretch classify as a peacemaking mission and it was not a response to an armed attack against a member of the UN, under Chapter VII no force can be authorized.  Sanctions to force a nation to comply can be authorized but not force.  Therefore your entire argument that the US had the authority from UN resolutions to invade is completely false.  "The UN resolutions specifically said that if Saddam did not disarm, the use of force was authorized. " Is completely false Chipmunk.

2. My point by showing the list of the coalition is not the grand powerful coalition Bush advertises that he has.  It is filled with tiny, many former Soviet Bloc and most of the rest 3rd world countries and lacks most key world players.  Sure its a coalition and some nations are giving money and troops, some are giving nothing at all mind you (kind of stupid to give money to the US war which came from the US as aid).  The lack of a really significant coalition was my point.  The US is the primary player in Iraq with some help from Britain, and Bush managed to isolate almost all the US' allies, which include many more countries than France, Germany, and Russia.  A substantial number of NATO countries aren't involved nor did they offer support, and many other US allies aren't on this list either.  To build this up as a grand coalition is false.  Its 2 main players and some others.

3.  The United States and Britain stated that they had intelligence saying Iraq had "massive stockpiles" of weapons.  That they had "significant quantities of nerve cas, mustard gas, sarin gas, vx, etc."  That Iraq had considerable weapons programs and was making more.  I don't see what is significant about 12 artillery shells with only residue of chemicals, 3 trailers that had some equipment to possibly make biological weapons, and 2 exploded sheels that had sarin gas.  The US has been there over a year, where are these stockpiles?  Oh ya and let's not forget Iraq's supposedly reconstitued nuclear weapons program and Saddam Hussein buying uranium for Niger.  There is more than enough evidence to say the buying uranium from Niger is false and when Saddam Hussein was trying to acquire yellow cake, that was 15 years ago when Saddam Hussein was, surprise surprise, an American ally.

4. Yes he did have chemical weapons at one time.  Guess who supplied the equipment to make them with?  Guess who supplied them with ingredients to try and make biological weapons?  Guess who covered up Iraq's use of WMD's in the Iran-Iraq war?  Guess who supplied the helicopters used to deliver these weapons to Kurdish villages?  Guess which nation was a friend of Saddam Hussein for years?  Guess which nation provided reconnaisance missions to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war?

The United States.

Let us not forget some of the key players in these incidents.  Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and others.

5. Ah how nice it is to insult your allies who didn't go to war and accuse them of profiteering while forgetting your own roots.  US businesses made a lot of money selling supplies to Iraq, Halliburton had dealings with Saddam Hussein while Cheney was CEO.  Halliburton also got around US trade embargos against Iran by creating a subsidiary company in a tax haven in the Caribbean.  This company was a postal box which, guess what, had its mail auto-forwarded to Halliburton's HQ in Texas.

6. One final little bit of interresting fact.  During the first Gulf War, Defence Secretary Dick Cheney stated they had satellite photos of tens of thousands of Iraqi troops and 1,500 tanks massing on the border of Saudi Arabia.  A news agency obtained satellite passes from Russian spy satellites over the exact same area from the exact same time.  Guess what they found?  Or rather...guess what they didn't find?  They handed the photots over to military analysts who agreed, no troops and certainly no tanks on the Saudi border.

7.  One totally unrelated thing.  I find this utterly shocking.  The US is one of only TWO countries who has not signed on to the Universal Declaration on the Rights of the Child.  The other nation is Somalia who has no functioning government and therefore can not sign UN declarations.  191 UN nations of the 193 have signed this.  I find that outrageous.
 
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*DarkDragoons*
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +
SL/SFC_Afyon/2SQD/2PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE/[LoR][IH][CoH(2)][SoA]
"No I expect to leave you on some beach with no name at all while I say away on my ship...and then I'll shout the name back to you...saavy?"

er, if af said it was about same sex marriages, the survey was about same sex mariages, however a copy of that survey would be interesting, but i realy dont care, i'm perfectly happy believing you.
 
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The Comnet Hermit
-Raider Squad-
TRP/SSG Sniping101/CrazyRAIDERS/1PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [LoR][IH][BoA]
"A spanking new Athlon reduced to a Gameboy Emulator"- Gabe from Penny Arcade.
"As long as their is Space, Im going to stare off into it"-Garfield
I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I see an ARC all short and stout, BOOM! I kiss him and love him all the night out! - Modified by Me, original by -anonymous

He did win the silver star and 3 purple hearts, lets face it, the silver star is the 2nd highest award in the US, they dont exactly toss them out to ppl.

Bush like others (Cheney, Clinton, etc) managed to cleverly get themselves deferments to avoid the draft.  This was allowed because a bill went through congress allowing college students to get deferments.  So the rich at these colleges just stayed there while the poor, and general africa-american and other minorities, got to get shipped off to Vietnam to die for a wrong war and die for the sake of the rich who were allowed to simply avoid the draft.  Who says the US doesnt have a class system.
 
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*DarkDragoons*
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +
SL/SFC_Afyon/2SQD/2PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE/[LoR][IH][CoH(2)][SoA]
"No I expect to leave you on some beach with no name at all while I say away on my ship...and then I'll shout the name back to you...saavy?"

arr, alright, so maybe its a bit (or alot) conceted of bush to dodge the draft, once you put it in that perspective.

still bravery while getting shot at is diffrent than running a country, alot diffrent, hell I've been shot at, and i wouldnt know what to do with a country if you gave me one.
 
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The Comnet Hermit
-Raider Squad-
TRP/SSG Sniping101/CrazyRAIDERS/1PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [LoR][IH][BoA]
"A spanking new Athlon reduced to a Gameboy Emulator"- Gabe from Penny Arcade.
"As long as their is Space, Im going to stare off into it"-Garfield
I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I see an ARC all short and stout, BOOM! I kiss him and love him all the night out! - Modified by Me, original by -anonymous

Here's the problem with that: inflation. What do we need to do? Cut government spending so that we can cut taxes and have less government involvement in our lives. Kerry wants to do the opposite.
 
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FL/PO2 Chipmunk Man/Kaph 3-1/Phoenix/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)[LoC][MC:1]

Explorer Post 1863 photos - - Explorer Post 1863 Main Site - - Co. D 62nd PA Volunteer Infantry

Co. E 30th PA Volunteer Infantry - - James Buchanan's Wheatland

"And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy or my Chevrolet
For your Escalade or your freak parade,
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town!" -Big & Rich

I may have mentioned this somewhere already, but I'll return to it.

John Locke, classical libral and political philosopher (note:classical librals were nothing like today's librals, they're closer to libertarians than anything else) from the 1700's. In his thoery of the State of Nature, he talks about why our primitive forefathers set up a government at all. See, before we had government, we all lived in what Locke calls the "state of nature," meaning that there are no laws and everyone is free to do exactly as they please.

The only problem with this is that that freedom includes bopping other people on the head and stealling all their stuff. So, our primitive forefathers set up a government, with rules meant to establish order and protect everyone from being bopped on the head and having all their stuff stolen. Thus, the role of government should be to establish order, and nothing else. The government should not concern itself with things like economic matters, except where companies like Enron try to screw everyone over, as that upsets order.

The less government involves itself in our personal lives, the more personal freedom we have. This is something that conservatives support. Law and order, coupled with economic freedom. If you like that idea, vote for Bush.
 
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FL/PO2 Chipmunk Man/Kaph 3-1/Phoenix/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)[LoC][MC:1]

Explorer Post 1863 photos - - Explorer Post 1863 Main Site - - Co. D 62nd PA Volunteer Infantry

Co. E 30th PA Volunteer Infantry - - James Buchanan's Wheatland

"And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy or my Chevrolet
For your Escalade or your freak parade,
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town!" -Big & Rich

Well, it's kind of difficult when you have Al-Quida killing Americans for joy. I saw Bush in Hershy, PA on Thursday, and he said something about how things should settle down once Iraq has its elections and the new government is in place. The reason these terrorists are fighting so hard is because a free Iraq is a serious blow to their whole wacko ideology. So, once the elections are held and the country stabalizes, Bush can get back to the business of uphoalding conservative ideology.

What I find interesting is that lately Kerry has been so desperate to get elected that he's pretending to be conservative. All of a sudden he's started to talk about "taking his faith with him to the white house," something that he cursed and called horrible before, and he even went hunting the other day to try and pretend that h'e a "real man." He hasn't fooled the NRA, though. They still hae his guts. If I remember correctly, Kerry has made a few comments about wanting to repeal the 2nd ammendment entirely. Heh, disaster. Kerry is certainly no friend of gun owners.
 
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FL/PO2 Chipmunk Man/Kaph 3-1/Phoenix/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)[LoC][MC:1]

Explorer Post 1863 photos - - Explorer Post 1863 Main Site - - Co. D 62nd PA Volunteer Infantry

Co. E 30th PA Volunteer Infantry - - James Buchanan's Wheatland

"And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy or my Chevrolet
For your Escalade or your freak parade,
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town!" -Big & Rich

Chipmunk, the problem with prices in the US right now is that inflation is higher than most income growth.  The solution isnt lower taxes but rather to ensure wages rise at a level equal to inflation.  Also, the US faced a brief period of stagflation where inflation was 8% but almost no jobs were created and there is still a net loss of jobs.  Now the US is facing another recession thanks to higher oil prices.  What I find amazing is that with the falling US dollar, US exports have actually dropped.  You need look no further than to Canada to see this.  Canada is one of the US' trading partners, yet Canada's trade surplus grew, despite the fact the Canadian dollar has risen 17 cents against the US dollar since Bush was in office.  Exports to the US fell slightly while imports from the US to Canada fell dramatically.  All of this is hurting the US economy.

Lower taxes isn't the solution to everything.  Using taxes for better purposes is.  For example, universal healthcare would save US citizens and US business billions of dollars.  The US filed a protest to NAFTA several years ago saying Canada's universal healthcare was an unfair trade advantage as Canadian companies don't need to provide health insurance.  most provide some dental coverage and some additional prescription drug benefits but most other healthcare costs are paid for by the government.  Because of this, Canadian businesses, especially small businesses, are much more competitive and people don't need to worry about this expense.  Tax dollars can also be used for better public education which will increase output in the long run, as well as other social programs such as a national childcare program, better maternity benefits for mothers and fathers.  In Sweden both men and women can take a year off with full pay to take care of a newborn baby.  There also needs to be gender equality in the workforce.  Currently women earn considerably less than men for the same amount of work performed, that is simply unacceptable.  Tax dollars can be used to fund recycling programs, environmental projects, research and development, job training programs, infrastructure upgrades, etc.  All of these projects can help stimulate an economy.  But the other key aspect in this, is a balanced budget.  Clinton had balanced the budget before Bush flew it.  The one problem facing most western countries is trying to achieve a balanced budget.  Canada has had one for 7 straight years and will have one for at least 4 more according to predictions.  It is possible to balance a budget and keep it balanced while still increasing funding each year to government programs.  In fact it is even possible to cut taxes occasionally.

Finally, why does America need a tax cut?  In the OECD, the US has the lowest taxation rates, Scandinavia the highest, and Canada and Britain are right in the middle.  the US has the fewest social programs, Scandinavia the most, and Canada in the middle.  Interrestingly, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Canada all are rated consistently ahead of the US in terms of the best country to live in.  THe US achieves high marks because GDP per capita is factored in.  However in the other catergories it fails to hit the top 10.  The US would be better off if it stopped funding research for nuclear weapons, cut its 447 billion dollar military budget, and put money into social programs.  Also, higher taxes for the wealthy, fewer corporate tax loopholes, and penalties for corporations who create subsidiaries in tax free havens would help to balance the federal budget and fund new social programs.

In Sweden, it is a cradle to grave society.  You are taxed more but the only expenses you have is lodging, food, and whatever other consumer goods you want.  If you can't afford these basic items the government will ensure you can.  No one is left behind in Sweden because of this and despite arguments that higher taxes and large amounts of government itnerference being bad for the economy, Sweden quietly continues to grow quite steadily between 2-3% a year which is exactly what it should aim for.  Government interference is not a bad thing, Americans seem to fear it for some reason but government power is not necessarily bad if its used for a good purpose.  Think about this, wouldn't be nice not to have to worry about getting a job that gives you health insurance because the government provides healthcare?  Think about not having to worry about high costs of daycare and worrying about the quality if the government provided a national childcare program which provided very affordable high quality childcare with a large educational portion to promote early development.  Think about it, wouldn't it be nice to have to worry about food, clothing and shelter and not medical costs, prescription costs, and other such costs the government would pay for you.  What you recieve of your paycheck is yours to spend as you will without having to worry about setting aside money for the doctor, your prescriptions, childcare, etc.  I don't know about you but I happy as hell I don't live in the US, sure you keep more money but it doesn't go very far does it?
 
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*DarkDragoons*
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +
SL/SFC_Afyon/2SQD/2PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE/[LoR][IH][CoH(2)][SoA]
"No I expect to leave you on some beach with no name at all while I say away on my ship...and then I'll shout the name back to you...saavy?"