Progressive Minds

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that George Bush's approval rating is at 39%.

It also showed that just 2 % of African-Americans approve of the job that Bush is doing.

On the Today show this morning, Matt Lauer and guest Tim Russert seemed surprised at this statistic, with Tim Russert remarking that he could not find a time when any President had received a measly 2% approval rating from African-Americans in a poll.

Well, this statistic has me somewhat baffled, too; 2% seems way too high for Bush, who has shunned the African-American community at almost every turn, refusing to meet regularly with the Congressional Black Caucus, and refusing to accept the NAACP's invitation to speak at their annual conferences.  And then there's the matter that Bush just lost an entire city of predominantly African-Americans. 

I'd like to find that 2%, and ask them why they support a 'President' (not a term I would use for Bushie) who clearly does not have their best interests in mind.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1816160,00.html

The Associated Press reports that today's teleconference between George Bush and U.S. soldiers (and one Iraqi soldier) was staged.

Some excerpts from the rehearsal before the teleconference, according to the AP:

"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"

"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.

"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.

"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.

And so it went.

"If the question comes up about partnering — how often do we train with the Iraqi military — who does he go to?" Barber asked.

"That's going to go to Captain Pratt," one of the soldiers said.

"And then if we're going to talk a little bit about the folks in Tikrit — the hometown — and how they're handling the political process, who are we going to give that to?" she asked.

No wonder so many veterans from the Iraq war (i.e. Paul Hackett) are returning home as Democrats, and running for political office. They have seen, up close, the consequences of having a Commander-in-Chief who really doesn't have their interests at heart.  They see the consequences of having a Commander-in-Chief who doesn't want the reality of what is happening on the ground in Iraq; he only wants those who will lie to him and tell him everything is coming up roses in Iraq.

Paul Rieckhoff, Director of Operation Truth, said "If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference.  He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051014/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_iraq