Daily Kos

White House In Crisis: Part One Of Three

Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 09:53:11 PM PDT

By Doug Ferrari, Comedian

    The title was borrowed from Keith Olbermann on "Countdown", who said that if he had to use that logo for Monica Lewinsky, it certainly should now.  It is obvious that the Bush presidency is over, but you can choose what the actual last nail in the coffin was: when twelve Republicans went into the Oval Office and told Bush he lacked all credibility and they wouldn’t accept reports on Iraq from him anymore, or when the new "Cheney" book came out and proved what we’ve all known for six years, that Bush is not the real President—take your pick.  But it’s obvious the wheels have come off the bus they’re throwing everybody under...

    (For more, please see the ongoing "Bush Scandals" series, "Gonzalesgate, "Iraqapalooza", and the upcoming "Iraqapalooza: The Fifty-Year War".)

    The mainstream media reports daily that Bush’ poll numbers are "down to 28%, the lowest of any President since Nixon after Watergate".  But that just makes some of us wonder: who the hell is that 28% who still believe him?  Are they just country-fan Nascar-fan Confederate flag-on-the-gunrack people who don’t read newspapers and only watch Fox News?  Or are the polls wrong and he’s even lower?  Only five percent believe him on Iraq, the lowest poll number ever recorded. But 28% are still brainwashed, or captive to "President worship"?  People keep saying Bush is like Nixon during Watergate.  Are they kidding?  He’s even worse than Nixon.  Nixon picked Gerald Ford, who couldn’t hurt anything unless he fell on it.  Bush picked Dick Cheney .

    We all know Bush was never elected to anything in his life, but the media parrot the Pod People and constantly say, every day, that he "won" in 2004 (he didn’t) because of "moral values issues".  What they didn’t tell us was that all the polls showed that Americans defined "moral values issues" in terms of 42% Iraq, and nine percent gay marriage.  How did he win on that?
   
    Bush has made it impossible for a Republican to become President.  Now I like him.  The Republicans have to have their convention in Minneapolis near the collapsed bridge and they all have to pass Larry Craig’s bathroom.  I can’t make that better!  

    And what did Bush do immediately after the bridge collapsed.  He cut taxes again.  But it’s okay, it’s going to trickle down.  Hedge fund owners will be fixing our bridges any time now.  He’s let our infrastructure go to hell.  Washington, D.C. has water pipes that are 160 years old.  There is sewage in their drinking water.  And you thought it was the Kool-Aid.

    Which brings us to Katrina, the first great crisis of Bush’s presidency—that the American people ever noticed.  Only one-third of the recovery money for New Orleans has been spent.  Only 20% of the levees are up to par.  And there’s a "Recovery Czar"!  I haven’t heard from him, have you?  He must be in the secret bunker next to Cheney’s with the "War Czar" and the "Drug Czar".

     Poor Republican candidates.  Six percent of serving Republicans were convicted of crimes or indicted in August alone.  25% of Americans say they wouldn't vote for a Mormon.  I've seen 43%.  33% wouldn't vote for Guiliani because he's on his third marriage (and was sleeping with his third wife while still with his second, and she found out he left her by hearing him give a public press conference, but who's counting?)  42% wouldn't endorse a 72-year old—McCain.  He  seemed to fall asleep during Bush's State Of The Union Address, but who blame him for that?

    The right-wing fundamentalist evangelical jihadi Jesus Freaks call the Republican candidates "two pagans and a Mormon".  Nothing (false?) Christians hate more than other Christians with different names.  It's just like our American version of Sunni vs. Shia.  And yet all the Republicans in the debates are prattling on about how they were made in God's image -- well, maybe not them personally, but...um, somebody.  According to them, God is an old fat pasty-faced white man.  I think that's offensive to Her.

    And they think their savior is Fred Thompson.  Well, he’s a perfect Republican candidate – he’s been a lobbyist for five years.  He can buy himself off.

    One of the first things Bush did that sealed his fate was trying to take Medicare and medicine from old people.  When they turned against him, it was all downhill from there. The Medicare "Reform" Bill was written by Big Pharma, all 1,000 indecipherable pages of it, and it was voted on before anyone could read it, at three o’clock in the morning.   They said it would cost $350 billion, but it cost $500 billion and will cost $1.2 trillion, the same as the war in Iraq.  Big Pharma bought it for only $10 million in bribes – rather, donations.  Boy, Republicans can be bought so cheap!!!  The bribes they take are so small it’s a wonder the Democrats don’t just bribe them to do the right thing in the first place...

    The truth behind the Medicare bill is that the government would have to have one trillion dollars invested to pay for it.  Amount they have invested?  Zero dollars.  Big Pharma has become under Bush the second largest business in America (number one, of course, is defense).  Big Pharma knows how to spend its money, too—that’s how they bought this Administration lock, stock, and barrel.  They spend $4 billion a year on advertising, and $22 million a year trying to cure diseases. Maybe that’s why their drug ads tell you all about how many diseases their pills actually give you. The TV commercial for Celebrex, which is just for arthritis, says that one of the side effects is "death".  Is death a "side effect"?  I think that’s the whole effect right there.  Maybe you die, but your corpse won’t have joint pain or nasal drip, and it will be minty fresh. But I digress.

    Bush doesn’t even care anymore.  He even vetoed a bill for children’s health insurance, saying "go to an emergency room".  He’s obviously never had to go to an emergency room.  By the time a kid gets seen by the pediatrician, he’ll be ready for the adult hospital.

   There’s a new Pod Person book being peddled called "War Crimes:  The Left’s Campaign to Destroy Our Military And Lose The War On Terror".  Too late.  Bush did that already. Sorry.

dougferrari.com

Tags: Doug Ferrari, George W. Bush, Scandals, Hurricane Katrina, Republican Candidates, Big Pharma, Fred Thompson, Rescued (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 29 comments

  •  Excellent rant. (12+ / 0-)

    This is my fav:

    The bribes they take are so small it’s a wonder the Democrats don’t just bribe them to do the right thing in the first place...

    •  No kidding! I can't believe I didn't think (6+ / 0-)

      of that! Why am I sending money to ActBlue when we can just collectively bribe the R's!

      Hey, can we just make this a new ActBlue page? Bribe a Republican to vote for [insert bill number here] We can just cut out the middleman!

      Good on you Dougzilla!

      Ferengi Rules of Acquisition: #34 "War is good for business...but only from a distance, the closer to the front lines, the less profitable it gets"-8.25, -6.21

      by Jacques on Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 10:35:17 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Hey Jacques (5+ / 0-)

        Thanks a lot for your electronic laugh? applause?  It's very gratifying to a comedian who's sitting in a room alone typing.

        You've got a great idea there.  I'd do a diary on it if I were you.

        P.S.  A religious war is an oxymoron, like "military intelligence" or "Fox News".

        Doug
        doug@dougferrari.com

        "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

        by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:16:06 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Dear X (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      splashy

      Thanks so much for the electronic applause.  It's almost like the real thing, now that I'm getting used to it.

      It's a pleasure to finally talk to the real "X".  I always wondered where you were.  I've heard so much about you.

      Check out my other crap, and I'll keep responding.

      You rock!

      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:13:50 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Yes, that jumped out at me too! (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      x

      Why not just pay them to vote for the people instead of the corporations? Since they are for hire, why not hire them away?

      Makes me think of Jayne in the Firefly series. Come up with more money, and they will jump to our side.

      "A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." Douglas Adams

      by splashy on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 11:52:29 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Great Diary (5+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    x, Rogneid, Ekaterin, Cliss, KingCranky

    ,where's the tip jar.

    A patriot must be ready to defend his country against his government. Edward Abbey

    by mattwynn on Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 10:17:25 PM PDT

    •  Hey Mattwynn (2+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      splashy, Cliss

      Thanks, but why do people keep talking about a tip jar?  That's lounge piano players.  If comedians had to live on a tip jar, we'd starve to death.

      Appreciate your support.

      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:17:13 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  You've inspired me!! (6+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    x, mm201, 0hio, Rogneid, jds1978, KingCranky

    When I was a teen/college student in LA, you could drive down Sunset Blvd and see "tour the stars' homes" map hawkers with their lawn chair/TV tray/Umbrella setups on strategic corners.  Usually they just sold you a map with X's on it and names of stars scrawled over the X.

    I think I'll go to Minneapolis a couple of days before the convention and set up little concession stands at the exits from the security gate areas for airline flights.  My crew will sell little floor-plans and maps of the city with the I-35 bridge, any Veterans cemetery, and the Larry Craig Memorial restroom clearly marked on them.  I wouldn't want any Repug to miss seeing what they've wrought in even this one fine city in their not-brief-enough time in office.

    Then I'll donate the profits to a charity that helps the surviving spouses and children of the 3,700 plus victims of their perfidy.

    Conservatism is a function of age - Rousseau
    I've been 19 longer'n you've been alive - me

    by watercarrier4diogenes on Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 10:33:35 PM PDT

    •  Dear watercarrier4diogenes (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      splashy

      That's such a great idea!  Please write about it, and even actually do it, or something like it.  What a great prank/stunt!  We don't have enough of those anymore.  I quit after the "Creampieing" Scare Of 1975.

      Why did Diogenes need a water carrier?  Was he the one with the mouthful of pebbles yelling over the ocean?  Must have been thirsty.  Or was he the seeker of truth?  I was kicked out of college.

      Thanks a lot,
      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:19:51 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Gee, you mean like Bill Gates? (lol) (1+ / 0-)

        Recommended by:
        splashy

        I just figure that with bushshit having so many watercarriers, the least I could do is carry Diogenes' water for him as he continues to search for truth in this vast wasteland of bushshit's bushshit.

        Wish I could land a job that involves traveling to Minnesota.  I'd seriously love to explore setting up a few map kiosks...

        Conservatism is a function of age - Rousseau
        I've been 19 longer'n you've been alive - me

        by watercarrier4diogenes on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 11:45:47 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  I hadn't noticed (0+ / 0-)

    It is obvious that the Bush presidency is over

    They're still pretty much running things their way with minimal oversight or opposition.

    We're still in Iraq.

    •  Demi Moaned (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      splashy

      Well, you're right, but I am too, because, maybe, it's not a "Presidency" anymore, it's a dictatorship?  Or that he's lost the support of the people, except that 28%, and who the fuck are those bozoes?  And don't think Bush took us into Iraq without Cheney's arm up his ass moving his mouth.
      (So what's Petraeus?  A puppet of a puppet?  Stay tuned...)

      Thanks much,
      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:22:11 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Excellent Piece (5+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    x, jimreyn, Cliss, jds1978, thursdays child

    Undoubtedly, it was the Federal non-response to Katrina for three days after the storm hit, New Orleans and the Gulf Coast drowned and people died that really did the damage to W

    When competent, strong, effective leadership was called for from the President, he froze up instead, while continuing a fund-raising vacation that showed his true priorities for all to see, and as always, money took precedence over lost lives and property

    Rove was laid up, Condi was far too busy shopping for shoes and checking out Broadway plays to be bothered coordinating the incoming offers of aid from other nations, Cheney was, as always, in the Bunker and Rummy was off planning his next clever display of forgetting to hit "Off" on the "Stupid" Remote Control

    While others, of both parties, at all Govt levels, local, state and federal bore much of the blame for the willfully neglectful response which has left much of the region still looking like it did immediately after Katrina hit, as President, it's W who gets all the attention

    And he failed, miserably, for the entire world to see, in real time, and unable to hide behind Bush Sr for even a single, solitary, miserable second

    Why would W's miserly response to the plight of his own people give the Iraqis reason to think he values their lives or property any more than those of US citizens in Katrina's path?

    And this Administration knows just how closely it will be watched the next time a Hurricane hits with a few days advance warning, and its worried, for good reason, based on it's atrocious immediate response, it's obvious this Administration is even less capable of responding to a surprise event than it was on Sept 11, 2001

    And in the end, what Katrina did was completely undercut W's anti-terrorism meme, of "fight terrorists over there so we don't fight them here", as what's the point of fighting "terrorists over there" while not giving a damn about people "over here"?

    Definitely looking forward to Parts 2 & 3

    Oh, and regarding maps to the GOP hot spots in Minneapolis, put that together with guided tours, and you might make a nice, tidy sum, make sure to sell pictures and other souvenirs as well

    When it comes to Texas Politics, "Stupid" Plays Very Well

    by KingCranky on Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 11:19:09 PM PDT

    •  Hey King Cranky (2+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      splashy, Cliss

      See the earlier reply where a woman wants to do that exact same tour guide idea.  Somebody has to!

      You should do a diary on that.  It's just past the two-year anniversary, and New Orleans still looks like Iraq.  We must never forget.

      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:23:59 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Why can't we just tag it as narcissism ? (0+ / 0-)

      Sane people don't get things this wrong, this consistently.

      Reality intrudes.

      What we're seeing with little-bush is narcissistic personality disorder.

      Bush meets the legal criteria for this diagnosis. There's nothing about NPD that he doesn't match perfectly.

      It's way past time to call a crazy-spade a crazy-spade.

      Dixie Chicks, Amy Winehouse, Imus, and Rev. Wright. Overcome our evil with good.

      by vets74 on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 06:11:05 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Maestro...Musica! (2+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    x, jds1978

    Republican't Leadership is a dangerous combination of cut-backs and incompetence.

    by casamurphy on Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 11:31:13 PM PDT

    •  Hey casamurphy (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      jimreyn

      That was fucking hilarious!  Did you do that?  If not, who did?

      I think I was the first comic to have the longest list of bad side-effects bit out there.  My original bit is:

      "Social phobia?  Anxiety?  Depression?  Try Paxwell.  Paxwell will get you back on your feet and get you smiling again.  Paxwell is not for everyone.  Paxwell may cause heart attack, stroke, leukemia, emphysema, diabetes, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, sweating, shaking, frequent urination, no urination, Restless Leg Synrome, excema, seborrhea, the heartbreak of psoriasis, oily discharge, impotence, rectal bleeding, or anal leakage.  Try Paxwell, and stop worrying!"

      "I'm worried to death just watching the fucking ad!  I think I have three of those things already, shut up!"

      Thanks for the good laugh.  I'm going to pass that puppy around!

      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:30:28 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Where's the tip jar? (3+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Cliss, jds1978, Mulkum

    Clapping in front of my monitor just doesn't cut it.

    •  fight2befree (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      splashy

      What is all this about a fucking tip jar?!? Comics don't have a tip jar.  We have to tell the audience to tip the waitresses, or we don't get booked back.  We get paid slave wages (usually, if we get paid) and if we had to live on tips, we'd die in the street.

      Thanks for the clapping.  I can almost hear it...

      Doug
      doug@dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 05:32:05 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Good diary. And I agree with ya. (2+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    splashy, vets74

    Bush is finished.  I absolutely agree with you, about Katrina.  There was no way he could redeem himself after that.

    Watching that whole thing was surreal.  Yeah, the whole country saw that.  I thought it was great that Bush started to sweat, big time, for the first time in his miserable life, probably.

    It's only been downhill ever since.

    Now?   Every day is enjoyable, at long last.

    •  Bush has forgotten about Katrina. (0+ / 0-)

      Bush's twisted NPD mind has it all blamed on Brown, the one guy who was working hard 24/7 through the crisis.

      Bush's motto: "It's not how you play the game. It's how you spread the blame."

      Dixie Chicks, Amy Winehouse, Imus, and Rev. Wright. Overcome our evil with good.

      by vets74 on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 06:14:18 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  To vets74 (1+ / 0-)

        Recommended by:
        Cliss

        You're right about Bush's motto. He is chronically, pathologically immature.  He's like a kid whose mother walks in the room, and he's alone in the house with a broken vase in front of him, and says, "
        I didn't do it."  He is sociopathically incapable of saying "I'm sorry" about anything, anytime.  He thinks he's "tough" because he almost showed up to th Air National Guard (until he disappeared when he found out his physical included drug testing) and because he wore a flight suit with a sock in his crotch on that aircraft carrier.

        Check out my other diaries and let please let me know what you think.  Much more ahead--stay tuned..

        "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

        by Doug Ferrari on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 07:12:23 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Please check "NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER" (0+ / 0-)

          Wikipedia and DSM IV have solid entries.

          Bush is a 100% match with the principal legal criteria for this diagnosis.

          It's nothing but medical ignorance that keeps people from connecting the most common personality disorders to obviously irrational behvior.

          BTW: the recent sexual crimes attached to GOP senators have more to do with compulsive risk taking as to any remote connection to sexual pleasure.

          And then there's Cheney....

          Dixie Chicks, Amy Winehouse, Imus, and Rev. Wright. Overcome our evil with good.

          by vets74 on Sun Sep 16, 2007 at 05:36:18 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  To vets74 (0+ / 0-)

            I agree with you. He's also supposed to be dyslexic, which is why he didn't invade Iran (old joke!)

            I am in recovery from mental health diseases. It's a long struggle, but I don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or control the US military, so everyone is safe.  For more info, go to my site.

            Thanks for your comment--I'll try to fit that in in the future.

            Doug

            "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

            by Doug Ferrari on Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 08:53:13 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

    •  To Cliss (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      Cliss

      Thanks.  I would say that every day for me is a combination of two things: supreme frustration and anger at the way my country is being desroyed from the inside, and supreme happines that I have a bottomless well of bullshit from which to get comedy material. I'm torn.

      Check out my other diaries, and please let me know what you think.  I'm new at this, and I'm having a ball!  You guys rock!

      dougferrari.com

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 07:09:32 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  The power behind the throne isn't NASCAR (0+ / 0-)

    I think we give too much credit to the "Confederate flag, gunrack" crowd for keeping Bush in office.   I read...here, in fact...when Bush was mentioned at NASCAR last year, the crowd booed.  So I don't think they're all on board, nor do I think the fanatic dipshits among them are sufficient in numbers to be critically important.  We don't often enough discuss the big money guys who are heavily invested in keeping the status quo...they aren't as visible as the pathetic "military families" supporting the war that Bush keeps quoting; they aren't in our faces like the anti-science, "values" crowd, but they pull the strings. It's, as you note, pharma, physicians, oil/mining, defense, and the big retailers like Home Depot and Walmart.  Even if, as I suspect, the rich corporatists have given up on Bush, they want a Republican in office who will ignore regulations and keep reducing their taxes at the expense of public welfare.  

    Nicely done, doug.

    •  To cas2 (0+ / 0-)

      I couldn't agree with you more.  Not enough attention is paid, especially by Dem candidates, to the real power behind the throne.  I don't talk about it enough, either.  I should never assume everyone gets that, especially theater and comedy club audiences.  It's not just Big Pharma--have you seen Robert Greenwald's Walmart doc?  It was so fucking depressing I couldn't watch it all.
      I myself boycott Walmart and many other American companies.  I wish more people would, especially thsoe whose children are being poisoned by Barbies.

      Thanks for your comment and your support.  I really appreciate it!

      Doug

      "Dying is hard, but not as hard as doing comedy". --Actor Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed

      by Doug Ferrari on Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 08:55:45 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

Permalink | 29 comments