The importance of presuring Tim Russert to ask tough questions of Mr. Bush cannot be overstated. Please remember to write him at mtp@nbc.com and demand a tough interview this Sunday.
Ebo
FWIW, here is my letter:
As President Bush so rarely permits himself to be questioned by reporters, this Sunday presents Mr. Russert a unique opportunity to examine the most secretive branch of our democracy. He must be aware that many voters will be watching his interview, and shall judge not just the President, but the very integrity of NBC news, based upon the quality of his questioning. As such, it would be pedantic for me to remind him of the dire need to ask tough questions of our oft sequestered leader, and yet I feel compelled to do so, given the lackluster scrutiny Mr. Bush has enjoyed thus far. It is the sincere hope of many viewers that Russert has refused any demands to script this interview, or otherwise provide the questions to Mr. Bush in advance. Furthermore, we are concerned with a great number of issues that are highly damaging to President Bush. Please ensure this issues are addressed. A few examples include:
-Mr. Bush made numerous statements to Congress which has since proven erroneous, including numerous assertions regarding Nigerian uranium, Iraqi WMDs and the cost of his policies. Were these misrepresentations known, reckless or merely negligent? Furthermore, is Mr. Bush aware that per 18 USC 1001, each knowingly false statement made in an official document to Congress (including the State of the Union) constitutes a felony punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment.
-Mr. Bush, given the mounting evidence that you avoided military service by entering the "champaign division" of the Texas National Guard, exploited your father's connections to attain this assignment, and were absent without leave for as much as a year, what evidence can you provide that you actually appeared for duty while in Alabama?
-Did Karl Rove leak Valerie Plame's identity to conservative columnist Robert Novak? If not, who did? Also, what steps have you personally taken to uncover this felon, and why haven't you required all White House staff to swear under oath that they did not disclose this information?
-In your election campaign, you claimed to be a "fiscal conservative" yet you have produced greater deficits than any other President, including Ronald Reagan, and have expanded the government more than any President since Lyndon Johnson. Please explain to the American people just how these massive deficits comport with "fiscal conservatism."
-Why did you fail to include the rising cost of the Iraq war in your recent $2.4 billion budget?
-During your first State of the Union, you invited Teach For America founder Wendy Kopp to sit with Laura Bush. Yet your administration cut 100% of TFA's federal funding just last year. Why did you exploit Ms. Kopp for a photo opportunity then cut the legs out under her organization?
-Why was your projected cost of your controversial Medicare plan over $100 billion too low? Do you need to hire a better accountant?
-Given massive debts and an ongoing war, how do you justify spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a trip to Mars?
-Why do you oppose granting 14th Amendment rights to homosexuals? Do you oppose granting 14th Amendment rights to other suspect classes, such as blacks?
-Have you ever used cocaine?
-Why did you appoint a judge with a history of segregation to the Federal Circuit Court the day after Martin Luther King's birthday?
-Could you please summarize your judicial philosophy, and list three United States Supreme Court cases which best represent this philosophy? Why did you pick these cases, and in why do you prefer the majority opinions in those cases to those of the dissent?
Of course this is but a short list, but it should be representative of our hopes. Please do not disappoint us on Sunday, many viewers will be judging your integrity.
Sincerely,
[CaptainEbo]