Politics Presidential News Conference

Jamison

Cadet
Just wanted to see what everyone thought about the news conference this evening (if you watched it).

I, for one, was not impressed, and felt he contradicted himself numerous times.


Your take?
 
First of all, I HATED this speech because it made me miss the OC. Second of all, it was boring. Third of all, I noticed he kept saying things like, "My social security plan will be designed to help those that need it the most" and other vague things that didn't say HOW this was going to be done.
 
um, well, i didn't really know there was going to be one :blush: . but after he started talking about his social security plan, i threw a pillow at the tv and quit watching. after all, a rerun of law and order: svu was on...
 
So The O.C. didn't air because of Bush?? Great! Thank you, asswipe!

I'm sick of that monkey and his weapons of mass deception. All his lies, his bullcrap Social Security plan, which he's made as clear as the view on a foggy, rainy day. Just wait as the Republicans continue to gain more power, soon the Christian conservatives will jump in and try to take over the world, imposing their religious beliefs on everyone else and attempting to change the constitution.

Oh, wait, that's right, that's already happening!

You voted for Bush, and all I got was this thermonukular apocalypse!


What's funny is that guy they showed the other day from that "megachurch", some big church event or something that aired on TV, saying how liberals are so intolerant. Then 15 seconds later he says how horrible it would be for 2 men to marry each other. Intolerant, indeed. Actually, that's way beyond intolerant - it's hateful.

And liberals are not trying to impose beliefs on anybody. If anything, they're trying to stop these fanatical hypocrites from changing the constitution.

What's worse is all of these people mixing Church and State. As bad as it is for the Government to get mixed up with religion, it's worse for Christians to do it because the Bible clearly states to not get involved with politics. God is your leader. Follow him and live your lives - serve him, dedicate your lives to God because that's the message the Bible states. Don't you believe all these people will go to hell and you'll go to heaven? Just make sure your family isn't having abortions or same-sex marriages and you'll all have a tea party in heaven, while us liberals burn in hell. ^_^

I better stop now.

Hillary 2008 Who's with me?? ^_^
 
reporter for the financial times
when comparing george bush and tony blair
"for one thing our prime minister does not
emasculate the english language as your president
does..."
w is simply not in reality...
 
ivand67 said:
So The O.C. didn't air because of Bush?? Great! Thank you, asswipe!

What's funny is that guy they showed the other day from that "megachurch", some big church event or something that aired on TV, saying how liberals are so intolerant. Then 15 seconds later he says how horrible it would be for 2 men to marry each other. Intolerant, indeed. Actually, that's way beyond intolerant - it's hateful.
Hillary 2008 Who's with me??  ^_^
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So, you watch the OC and the Daily Show too?
 
lol...I knew that people would be mad about the OC :lol:

CBS and NBC were not going to air it, because originally it was supposed to air at 8:30 but that would cut into their top shows...so the White House had to move it back...thus Bush's snarky comment at the end ("Don't want to cut into people's tv shows).

I felt that it was more of the same...and that's not good (early polls are showing that people were not at all impressed).

I did find it rather amusing that he made a big deal at the very beginning about how religion is a "personal" matter and he has respect for everyone whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc...or if they don't practice a religion or believe in a god.

Yet, at the very end of the speech he said "God Bless America"...gee, way to keep it personal, George.


I'd take Jon Stewart over Bush any day, whether for TV or president!

Oh man, I so completely agree!! (y)
 
ivand67 said:
And liberals are not trying to impose beliefs on anybody. If anything, they're trying to stop these fanatical hypocrites from changing the constitution.


Hillary 2008 Who's with me??  ^_^
[post="1320108"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​
I must disagree. By nature, those who are opinionated seek to alter the opinions of others, it doesn't matter what party they are in. Liberals do the same, they are just out of power right now.
 
ok first: if you guys are actually more concerned about missing the OC than the future of our country then i truely feel sorry for you because thats the saddest thing ive ever heard

second: social security is going to be a real problem in comming years so it is an important issue to bring up as soon as possible
after all, when you retire 40-50 yrs down the road wouldnt you be pissed if there is no social secuirity for you to have?

Third: yeah im a bush supporter and i will be one forever so -_-
 
SkyGirl5 said:
second: social security is going to be a real problem in comming years so it is an important issue to bring up as soon as possible
after all, when you retire 40-50 yrs down the road wouldnt you be pissed if there is no social secuirity for you to have?
[post="1320662"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​


Bush's plan will never be passed though...too many people disagree with it in Congress. And over 70% of the public disagrees with it, along with his energy plan.

And in regards to the OC...at least that was something new (though I don't watch it). Bush just said the same old same old.
 
Hey, I'd be pretty pissed if it pre-empted Alias. Anyway, how can so many people be so opposed to a plan that they know no specifics about? I know some specifics kinda becasue i looked for them, but as everyone has been saying, he didnt lay them out in his speech.
 
AliasHombre said:
Hey, I'd be pretty pissed if it pre-empted Alias.  Anyway, how can so many people be so opposed to a plan that they know no specifics about?  I know some specifics kinda becasue i looked for them, but as everyone has been saying, he didnt lay them out in his speech.
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I think that's the main problem! They are opposed because he really hasn't said exactly how this is going to help or what's going to do. They know that it's going to cost over 3 trillion dollars and it will require privitization. People don't want it privitized...which is the largest issue. And he refused to budge and that aspect, he keeps saying that privitization is necessary, and I'm really not sure that it is.

I'm not worried about it, because it won't get passed.

Here's an article from the Washington Post on his Social Security Reform.


Bush Social Security Plan Would Cut Future Benefits

By Jim VandeHei and Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, April 29, 2005; A01



President Bush called on Congress last night to curtail future Social Security benefits for all but low-income retirees in an urgent new effort to address the popular program's shaky finances.

With virtually every Democrat, as well as many Republicans, opposed to his plan for private investment accounts, Bush sought to shift the focus of the Social Security debate to a new proposal that would reduce benefits more as workers' incomes rise.

"I believe the reformed system should protect those who depend on Social Security the most," he said in a nationally televised news conference. "So I propose a Social Security system in the future where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off." This is the first time Bush has backed a specific plan to reduce future benefits for tens of millions of Americans.

Bush also urged Iraq to follow the U.S.-brokered timetable to complete its political transition, intensified pressure on a nuclear-armed North Korea, defended embattled U.N. ambassador nominee John R. Bolton and pointedly disagreed with social conservatives who say Democrats' efforts to block the president's judges amount to an attack on people of faith.

Bush's prime-time news conference, held in the East Room of the White House, was the first of his second term and fourth of his presidency. It came at a time of uncertainty for a president facing sagging poll numbers, a slowing economy and general unease about his domestic agenda, especially the Social Security plan.

After winning reelection with the largest vote total ever and vowing to pursue a far-reaching agenda, Bush's ambitions have collided with a Democratic Party unified in its opposition and a Congress consumed by judicial nominees, ethics disputes and partisan warfare.

Bush, who aides said is concerned his agenda is being eclipsed by congressional bickering, requested the coveted a prime-time hour during "sweeps week" in hopes of reclaiming the upper hand in negotiations over Social Security, energy legislation and Bolton's nomination, a top aide said before the speech.

"I'm not surprised that some are balking at doing hard work," Bush said of the Republican-controlled House and Senate when asked why he was having so much trouble pushing through his initiatives.

In his 10-minute opening statement, Bush spoke only about Social Security and his energy plan, which has been mired on Capitol Hill for nearly four years.

The president said he understands the pain consumers feel with such high gasoline prices. "Millions of American families and small businesses are hurting because of higher gasoline prices. My administration is doing everything we can to make gasoline more affordable." Still, he said that his plan would do little to lower prices in the short term.

Bush supports a mix of incentives, tax breaks and regulatory changes to increase domestic production of energy, including oil and several renewable fuels. The House recently passed a bill loaded with tax breaks for oil and gas companies, some of which Bush opposes. The Senate is considering its own plan.

The freshest proposal concerned Social Security, which is projected to pay out $3.7 trillion more than it takes in over the next 75 years, but does not face immediate fiscal troubles. Bush, for the first time, endorsed the idea of progressive indexing, which reduces the rate of growth of benefits for most Americans while protecting those for low-income retirees.

Bush said his plan would ensure that "future generations receive benefits equal to or greater than the benefits today's seniors get." Benefits currently increase each year based on the annual growth of wages.

The White House, in documents released during the speech, says the Bush plan would take care of about 70 percent of the program's projected shortfall. Bush said he is open to other ideas, such as increasing the limit on income subject to the payroll tax that funds Social Security and raising the retirement age.

Despite opposition from Democrats and a lukewarm response from the public, he intensified his push for private accounts financed by a portion of a worker's payroll taxes. To pacify those worried about the risk associated with investment, the president, for the first time, said one of the investment options should be no-risk Treasury bonds.

His proposal to reduce guaranteed benefits for everyone but the working poor is designed to provide specific direction to Congress on how to shore up the system -- and pressure Democrats to support a plan that protects those earning the least.

The public "understands Social Security is headed for serious financial trouble, and they expect their leaders in Washington to address the problem," Bush said. The system, he added, is "on the path to bankruptcy" by 2041. Critics say that claim is misleading.

The Social Security Administration calculates that the system will deplete its reserve of Treasury bonds by 2041, after which it will be able to pay out in benefits only what it receives in taxes. But even then, benefits would be almost three-quarters what is currently promised, and considerably higher in inflation-adjusted terms than they are now. If nothing is done to Social Security, the system will be able to meet the president's promise to ensure that all seniors receive a benefit larger than current levels.

On the day Iraq finally announced its new government, Bush urged Baghdad to move quickly to write a constitution and prevent more slippage in the U.S.-brokered timetable to complete its political transition. Bush told reporters that in a telephone conversation with new Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari, he had stressed the need to meet the mid-August deadline for a constitution.

Top Iraqi officials had recently indicated privately that they would seek a six-month delay because it took so long to form a government, a process not yet complete since some ministries have not been named. Until now, the administration has been reluctant to weigh in publicly about the prolonged political negotiations, which have coincided with a major increase in insurgent attacks. "They've got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers," Bush said. He declined to set a timetable for withdrawing the nearly 140,000 troops in Iraq.

Asked to explain why under his watch the number of terrorist attacks around the world last year reached a record high, Bush said: "Well, we have made the decision to defeat the terrorists abroad so we don't have to face them here at home. And when you engage the terrorists abroad, it causes activity and action."

On other foreign policy matters, Bush expressed displeasure with Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to sell antiaircraft missiles to Syria. "We didn't appreciate that," he said, "but we made ourselves clear." Bush and Putin are scheduled to meet in Moscow early next month.

On a day when the director of defense intelligence became the first U.S. official to say North Korea has the ability to place nuclear weapons on missiles that may be able to reach U.S. soil, Bush continued to express confidence in ongoing diplomatic efforts to persuade Kim Jong Il to curb his country's nuclear ambitions.

"Look, Kim Jong Il is a dangerous person. He's a man who starves his people. He's got huge concentration camps," Bush said. ". . . There is concern about his capacity to deliver a nuclear weapon. We don't know if he can or not, but I think it's best, when you're dealing with a tyrant like Kim Jong Il, to assume he can."

Still, Bush said, the stalled six-party talks, which include China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, offer the best hope for a peaceful solution.

Bush urged the Senate to take "up or down" votes on his judicial choices. Democrats have blocked 10 of Bush's appeals court nominees, and the dispute over their fate is threatening to tear apart an already fractured Senate.

Bush said he disagrees with a conservative group's charge that Democrats' opposition represents an attack on people of religious faith. "I think people are opposing my nominees because they don't like the judicial philosophy of the people I've nominated," he said. "I don't ascribe a person's opposing my nominations to an issue of faith."

With Bolton facing intensifying criticism for berating and bullying colleagues, Bush defended him as a "blunt guy" who will not be "afraid to speak his mind at the United Nations."

"Sometimes people say I'm a little too blunt," Bush said.
 
^ But wasn't that the point of the news conference? To tell us the plan?

If that wasn't the point then I missed the OC Spring Break Episode for NOTHING. Sorry. I'll stop being bitter about that now.
 
AliasHombre said:
Why don't you reserve judgement until you know the details of the plan.
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I've researched what he's doing with the plan and don't at all agree with it. I don't think Social Security is in the dire straights he makes it out to be, through statistics I've seen. And privitization is SO not the answer.

But I can't speak for all of the other people who are opposed to it, but I imagine the privitization thing is what really has them bothered, at least from the polls that I'm seeing that is definitely the number one issue...and the issue that Bush is refusing to budge on.
 
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