Back again...

Greetings Everyone,

My vacation was spectacular. The Pacific Ocean was tremendous, and many of the images of the water, the sunsets, and the lush mountains I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. If you have the opportunity I really would encourage you to travel outside of your country. It will help to remind you of your place in the universe while giving you the chance to witness the store house of the Earth's beauty. I loved it there, but I have to admit that there was much I missed about America. I am very happy to return.

It's even better that it seems that nothing much has erupted in the world of politics in the US. There still is the debate over the anti-Kerry ads (See my post on Cowardly Kerry) that Bush and his cadre addressed yesterday.

Did anyone see that news conference? Good lord! The way the Bush team walked out of Bush's Crawford Ranch--Rice, Rumsfeld, Chaney, and Bush--it looked like the movie poster for Reservoir Dogs. All they needed were cigarettes and black suits (I'm guessing Rumsfeld would be Mr. Pink).

Of course Bush's response to the attack ads were just as pre-arranged as his entrance looked. He said that the 527 ads (These are ads by independent groups that raise money in unlimited amounts--illegal under McCain-Feingold bill{Don't worry, I didn't know what 527s were either}) are "...They're bad for the system...“That means that ad, every other ad...I can’t be more plain about it. And I wish — I hope my opponent joins me in saying — condemning these activities of the 527s. It’s — I think they’re bad for the system. That’s why I signed the bill, McCain-Feingold.” " But offered no apology to Kerry for the blantant lies that those ads made against the Democratic canididate. In fact when we study the rhetoric of Bush's statement we see that in his "criticism" he takes no guilt on himself or his team, but instead seeks to disperse the blame.

Not to say...sigh, I hate doing this...that the Democrats haven't used the 527s commercials. After further research I have found that the Demos maybe even have the lead in the 527 ad war through such organizations at moveon.org. However I believe that here we don't find the blame in the existence of the 527 ads, but it the validity of the ad. I mean, when a newspaper or a magazine endorses a canidate do we call that a 527? Should Americans be denied a right to endorse or advertise a canidate, with their own money, if they choose? Sounds to me like a denial of freedom of speech.

No, the idea of the 527 ad doesn't really bother me, so much as the question of honesty and the unbridled capacity for fundraising as they have. The government shouldn't seek to dispose of the 527 as they should limit the amount of money they the 527 organization should take in. The individual canidate must also bear some burden as to what the message of the 527 entails. It should either be endorsed by the canidate or denied. If a 527 is a lie, then don't allow the lie to remain unchallenged if the lie is spoken in your name. That is the really issue that is at hand. Bush seeks to hide behind a law that he was relunctant to sign in the first place, and uses that wall to continue to distort the truth and avoid any admittance of guilt.