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Presidential nightmare comes at a cost

bernie-head-shot.jpgSeven years ago this month, Bush stole his first election with the help of his Daddy’s Supreme Court appointees. In 2004, he accomplished that same feat with the help of his friends who owned the electronic voting machine companies.

Today, though there is no longer a single state where Bush enjoys majority support and his foreign policy failures abound, Bush still claims to have created a robust economy. Let’s look at some comparisons:

  • Seven years ago, you could buy a Canadian dollar for $.59 — now it costs you $1.07.
  • Then, you could buy a Euro for $.97 — now it costs you $1.43.
  • Then, you could pickup a gallon of milk for $2.87 — now the price has risen to around $4.18.
  • Then, a gallon of regular gas cost $1.44 — now it’s over $3.00 (and rising fast).
  • Then we had a balanced budget and a surplus. Since then, Bush has raised the national debt ceiling five times and we are now drowning in red ink.
  • Then, home foreclosures were at record lows — now they’re at record highs.
  • Then a barrel of oil was $36 — now it’s $97.
  • Today, 15% fewer Americans have health care than did back then.
  • Then we were at peace — now our brave young women and men are dying in two wars (and Cheney’s itchy trigger finger is aiming for a third.) We have money now for body bags and Blackwater but no money to fund health care for poor children.
  • Then, the dollar was the world’s preferred currency — now other countries can’t dump their dollars fast enough.

This is an economic boom? This is peace and prosperity?

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan: “Are we better off today than we were seven years ago?” Not hardly. Being good at stealing elections hasn’t translated into any other skill necessary for and worthy of our great nation.

Bush’s illegitimate nightmare cannot end soon enough.

Editors Note: Price of Milk added by Clarksville Online Editorial Staff, and not the author. Year 2000 price of milk based off of chart included in http://www.ams.usda.gov/dyfmos/mib/rtlprc_rpt_2000.pdf.

Bernie Ellis
Bernie Ellis
Bernard "Bernie" H. Ellis, Jr., MA, MPH, is the principal researcher and founder of Bernard Ellis and Associates, Inc. Mr. Ellis is a consultant epidemiologist specializing in epidemiological research strategies to assess public health program development, delivery and effectiveness. Mr. Ellis is also a political and e-voting activist. He has devoted much of his professional life to helping others.
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2 COMMENTS

  1. ????????

    I would like to address each of these claims one by one, but I don’t really care anymore. He was ELECTED twice. As far as the surplus, that is an ANNUAL surplus that Bush gave back to us. I remember getting a check for $300. We were still in debt back then. our national deficit has increased under EVERY President since Reagan. All a surplus means is that you didn’t spend what you projected, it can be argued that Clinton had exorbinant funding and since it wasn’t met, we had a surplus. By the way, I’m better off today than I was 7 years ago.

  2. From the front page of TLC today…

    Agencies see rise in homelessness
    Temperatures have yet to reach their most bitterly cold, but local groups serving the homeless are already seeing huge growth in the number of people needing help.

    I wish it was the same for all of us Scott…

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