BS: Bush talks to Martin

Subject: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: dianavan
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 09:07 PM

Caught a quick glimpse of Canadian Prime Minister, Martin and Bush having a little chat in front of the tv cameras the other day. I couldn't help noticing that Martin made Bush look like a 'hick'. I would say that Martin was definitely stronger in many ways. I'm not a Martin fan but, heh, why don't you throw Bush out and we can merge with Martin as our head of state? He's still better than Bush or Kerry. Of course with an election looming at the end of June, we may end up with Harper - in which case I'll probably move back to the States, regardless of who is president. Harper is just like Bush but without the military might. Goddess, help us.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Once Famous
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 09:53 PM

Just stay there.

Don't bother coming back.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: dianavan
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 10:09 PM

Actually Martin, its my choice.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: freda underhill
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 10:13 PM

Hey, i thought this was about Bush talking to Martin Gibson.. (maybe getting some advice..!!)and I looked in and there you were!

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: freda underhill
Date: 10 Jun 04 - 10:19 PM

ps great idea, Dianavan!

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: CarolC
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 10:45 AM

So who thinks that Martin will be able to maintain some degree of independence from the Bush administration while he's PM, or will he be more willing to bend over for Bush than his predecessor?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Metchosin
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 12:11 PM

Martin keeping some degree of independance from the Bush administation? Not likely. Martin, among other things, is an advocate of globalization. One of the ideas, with which he has flirted, is the Canadian adoption of American currency, which I find bizzarre. Martin's past record of gutting federal transfer payments for health care, in order to "bring down the deficit and pay off Canadian debt" is well known. However, if he was so concerned about debt, why the hell would he even consider adopting American currency, considering the massive debt which that currency is based upon. Pretty weird.

Martin, prior to the election, crticized Chretien's independant stance and was advocating closer ties with the US.

Martin sees nothing inherently wrong with his private business interests using tax loopholes to avoid paying Canadian taxes. Loopholes, that he had the opportunity to close, which he conveniently ignored I might add, when he was Finance Minister. Nor has he any problem taking any opportunity to avoid inconvenient Canadian labour laws. His justification was that this was what one must do in order to "play with the big boys". Of course, kicking out the underpinnings of Canadian universal healthcare, to the point where some misguided individuals start to believe that a US form is inherently better and cheaper, would go a long way to leveling the playing field as well. He'll definitely feel right at home with the friends of Haliburton et al.

Even this is small potatoes when one consideres his major rival, Mr. Harper and the "new world order" Conservatives and delves into their policies......pretty scary.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Metchosin
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:02 PM

Basically Canadians have a choice between of Enron or Nortel in the upcoming election.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: CarolC
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:12 PM

Wow. That really sucks. No other viable candidates then?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:37 PM

I need some new glasses, i thought it said "Bush Talks To Martian".

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:38 PM

Martian Gibson?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Once Famous
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:48 PM

Hi, Uncle "Martian" here. Cute!

Yep, dianavan, your choice.

But my suggestion.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Greg F.
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 03:02 PM

Well, President Reagan talked to astrologers as a matter of course, so Resident Dumbya talking to Martians isn't all that far fetched. Lets just hope they give better advice than the astrologers did.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 06:18 PM

Hell, I thought this thread was gonna be about Sam Bush talking to Martin Simpson. Like maybe they were gonna collaborate on an album or somethin'. Guess not. Ya'll can go back to yer politics now.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Peace
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 07:01 PM

Was it a burning bush?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: dianavan
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 08:08 PM

Carol C. - Yes, there is another candidate. His name is Jack Laytton and he is running for the NDP (primarily a labour party). In the west, NDP has a chance but not across the country. The best we can hope for is a strong opposition.

Metchosin is right. Its a choice between Nortel and Enron with a little heckling in the background. The worst thing that could happen would be Stephen Harper as P.M. That means alot of people will vote for Martin just to keep Harper out. Its really scary when you realize that Canada is in the same boat as America when it comes to election choices.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: GUEST,jaze
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 08:33 PM

Freda, I thought the same thing!

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 09:27 PM

Martin said to his man, fie, man fie.
Martin said to his man, who's the fool now?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 11:06 PM

Sorry. I also thought this was about Martin Gibson, who no doubt talks to Bush everyday.... 'er is it vice versa?...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: dianavan
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 11:51 PM

Yes, Bush talking to Martin Gibson would be very funny. Anybody want to take a swipe at it?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: freda underhill
Date: 12 Jun 04 - 01:34 AM

well, I can see that Martin could be invaluable for George W as a person who would be able to put the boot in here and there. Here is an excerpt from a recent article about Dubya:

by Doug Thompson, Capitol Hill Blue; June 4, 2004

President George W. Bush's increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately express growing concern over their leader's state of mind.
In interviews with a number of White House staffers who were willing to talk off the record, a picture of an administration under siege has emerged, led by a man who declares his decisions to be "God's will" and then tells aides to "fuck over" anyone they consider to be an opponent of the administration. In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as "enemies of the state." Worried White House aides paint a portrait of a man on the edge, increasingly wary of those who disagree with him and paranoid of a public that no longer trusts his policies in Iraq or at home.

"It reminds me of the Nixon days," says a longtime GOP political consultant with contacts in the White House. "Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out to get him. That's the mood over there." In interviews with a number of White House staffers who were willing to talk off the record, a picture of an administration under siege has emerged, led by a man who declares his decisions to be "God's will" and then tells aides to "fuck over" anyone they consider to be an opponent of the administration. "We're at war, there's no doubt about it. What I don't know anymore is just who the enemy might be," says one troubled White House aide. "We seem to spend more time trying to destroy John Kerry than al Qaeda and our enemies list just keeps growing and growing." Aides say the President gets "hung up on minor details," micromanaging to the extreme while ignoring the bigger picture. He will spend hours personally reviewing and approving every attack ad against his Democratic opponent and then kiss off a meeting on economic issues.

"This is what is killing us on Iraq," one aide says. "We lost focus. The President got hung up on the weapons of mass destruction and an unproven link to al Qaeda. We could have found other justifiable reasons for the war but the President insisted the focus stay on those two, tenuous items." Aides who raise questions quickly find themselves shut out of access to the President or other top advisors. Among top officials, Bush's inner circle is shrinking. Secretary of State Colin Powell has fallen out of favor because of his growing doubts about the administration's war against Iraq.

The President's abrupt dismissal of CIA Directory George Tenet Wednesday night is, aides say, an example of how he works. "Tenet wanted to quit last year but the President got his back up and wouldn't hear of it," says an aide. "That would have been the opportune time to make a change, not in the middle of an election campaign but when the director challenged the President during the meeting Wednesday, the President cut him off by saying 'that's it George. I cannot abide disloyalty. I want your resignation and I want it now." Tenet was allowed to resign "voluntarily" and Bush informed his shocked staff of the decision Thursday morning. One aide says the President actually described the decision as "God's will." God may also be the reason Attorney General John Ashcroft, the administration's lightning rod because of his questionable actions that critics argue threatens freedoms granted by the Constitution, remains part of the power elite. West Wing staffers call Bush and Ashcroft "the Blues Brothers" because "they're on a mission from God."

Maybe Martin helped with George Tenet's dismissal - " get outta here Tenet, you old douche bag, you, rat bastard have got exactly what you deserve. Tenet, you are a loser. you bleeding heart, scum bag unAmerican douche bag, go contemplate the ring around Uranus. "

yes, I can see that George Dubya and Martin could make a good team...

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: dianavan
Date: 12 Jun 04 - 03:51 AM

You are one brilliant Mudcat.

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: freda underhill
Date: 12 Jun 04 - 04:03 AM

much as I'd like to enjoy that inner glow - I can't lay claim here for any brilliance - these are all other people's words! martin has his own form of poetry - but I'm glad you enjoyed it dv!!

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 10:55 AM

Press release,
New Yorker

Jan. 11, 2004

... After [New Yorker reporter Ken] Auletta observed an Oval Office interview Bush gave to a British tabloid, he spoke with the President about a mutual friend, Martin Gibson, a former musician, with Bush. Gibson, a vigorous proponent of human rights, has often been criticized by liberal friends, for supporting the President. "Martin is great," Bush said, and then added, "No President has ever done more for human rights than I have."

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: GUEST,Cheryl
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 11:20 AM

And by the way, where the hell ARE you these days Martin Gibson? Still talkin'to that Bush man? Come back, all is forgiven..

Your friend

Cheryl

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Once Famous
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 03:12 PM

I haven't gone anywhere, least of all to the White House.

I made a few remarks in this thread which really went nowhere as intended because people got in the spirit of talking about me.

However, as a moderate, I have no interest in having discussions with George Bush about anything. Even less interest with John Kerry.

I would like Bush's daughters though to show their breasts to everyone. Or their Bush bush.

Happy now?

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: Willie-O
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 03:25 PM

What we are really most likely heading for, this week anyway is a lame-ass Conservative minority, which would be scary if they could actually do anything that they would like to.   Which they won't.

Or alternatively a lame-ass Liberal minority which will have to cooperate with the NDP to pass any legislation. Best possible outcome.

The good thing about a Conservative win is that there won't be ANY other party likely to cooperate with them. If, as widely speculated their most likely "ally" is the Bloc Quebecois, which of course is completely diametrically opposed to them on everything except wanting more devolution of power to the provinces, they don't have a prayer.

I'm working for the NDP, in an Ontario riding which will almost certainly re-elect a Conservative (former Alliance) member. Just feels right to me.

W-O

Subject: RE: BS: Bush talks to Martin
From: DougR
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:45 PM

Greg F: get your facts straight. Mrs. Reagan talked to a psysic, not the President. That's how rumors get started.

DougR