TresSugar

Front Page: Bush Makes Debut as Motivational Speaker

TresSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:35 -0700

Former president George W. Bush made his debut as a motivational speaker yesterday when he spoke at the Get Motivated! seminar in Texas. - Washington Post
Senate majority leader Harry Reid says the Senate's healthcare bill will include a public option that lets states opt out. - New York Times
During a three-day sting, federal officials have arrested 700 people involved in child prostitution. - LA Times
A new study reveals that kids between the ages of two and five watch 32 hours of television per week. - AP
A French court has convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud. - BBC News

Say What? Why He Threw the Shoe

TresSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

I am not a hero. But I have a point of view. I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated; and to see my Baghdad burned, my people killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, pushing me towards the path of confrontation.

- Iraqi Muntadhar al-Zaidi reminded the world that he's a journalist yesterday by using powerful words to explain why he decided to throw his shoes at George W. Bush. The emotional statement he released is filled with sad images of war, but it gives some insight into his actions. Zaidi received a hero's welcome when he was released from prison this week.

Iraqi Shoe Thrower Ducks Countless Marriage Proposals

TresSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0700

When Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the man who threw his shoes at George. W. Bush, is released from prison next Monday, he will receive a hero's welcome. The Iraqi journalist has already fielded countless marriage proposals while hanging out in his jail cell. An Iraqi in Morocco offered to send his daughter and women in Saudi Arabia are asking for Zaidi's hand in marriage. One family even said, "We are willing to present him with a bride loaded with gold."

Zaidi's ballsy shoe toss is attracting women - and a lot of swag! His former boss built him a four-bedroom house. In addition, he'll have a new car waiting for him along with thousands of dollars, donated to help pay off his legal bills.

Do you think the Iraqi shoe thrower deserves all the love?

Front Page: Bush Says Life Out of Office Is Liberating

TresSugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:00:24 -0700

While delivering a high school commencement speech, George W. Bush told students that it's liberating being out of office, even though he has to do things like pick up dog poop. - MSNBC
Malls across the US have become ghost towns thanks to hard times. - Wall Street Journal
Bill Gates thinks technology will help get the US out of the recession. - Reuters
Critics are dismissing a congressman's proposal to make 2010 the "year of the Bible" as either unconstitutional or a waste of time. - Politico
A town known for killings by the KKK during the civil rights era has elected its first African American mayor. - New York Times

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GOP Losing Women and Almost Every Other Demographic

TresSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:05:00 -0700

According to a new Gallup poll, the Republican party has lost support in nearly every demographic of American society - be it low-income, high-income, college educated, male, female, southern, white, or nonwhite voters. Support remains steady only among frequent churchgoers.

In the general population, Republicans trail Democrats in support by a 14-point margin, compared to an even split in 2001. Among women, support for the GOP is down 5 percentage points since George W. Bush's first year in office. Today, only 35 percent of American women lean Republican and overall fewer women than men are Republican.

So what has caused this movement away from the GOP? For my thoughts, read more.

I suspect that after eight years in the White House, the Republican party became synonymous with the Bush administration, which also means it's synonymous with two wars, the recession, Hurricane Katrina, and some strong religion-based positions such as support for abstinence-only education, overturning Roe v. Wade, and bans on stem-cell research and same-sex marriage. Judging by the poll results, Americans who previously supported the Republican agenda and ideology are ready to try something new.

Why do you think women - and almost all other demographic groups - are moving away from the Republican party? If you're not Republican, what would you need to hear from GOP leaders to make you consider supporting them?

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Front Page: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Book Joint Speech

TresSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:01:54 -0700

Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have booked a joint appearance. They will meet together in Toronto next month for a private conversation about the last 16 years. - Globe and Mail
An accused Somali pirate will face charges today in a New York court room. - Christian Science Monitor
President Obama spoke at CIA headquarters yesterday, vowing to continue support of the agency despite the revelation of previous mistakes. - Washington Post
The United Nations conference on racism is trying to recover as participants have refused to return after Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a speech attacking Israel. - New York Times
A government watchdog group has launched almost 20 criminal probes related to the $700 billion bailout plan. Investigators will look for possible corruption, fraud, or insider trading. - USA Today
Dick Cheney has slammed President Obama for shaking hands with Hugo Chavez and traveling to Europe to apologize for America. - Huffington Post
A man wrote to President Obama urging him to quit smoking, and the President wrote back. - Chicago Sun Times

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Obama Won't Charge CIA Employees For Torture - Good Call?

TresSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Individual CIA employees who carried out waterboarding (aka simulated drowning) will not be prosecuted for torture. The Obama administration announced the decision yesterday, while also releasing four "torture" memos from top legal officials in the Bush administration.

Many people are upset by President Obama's decision. Since waterboarding is widely considered to be torture, they think the perpetrators should be brought to justice. By releasing the memos, Obama hopes to at least get the facts out there, so the same thing will not happen again. He said: "This is a time for reflection not retribution."

Would you like to see the individuals who actually tortured suspects put in jail, or did Obama make the right call?

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Would You Invite President Bush to a Dinner Party?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 06:00:09 -0700

This past weekend's Washington Post featured a quaint (yet lengthy) piece about a retired couple living the "simple life" in a quiet Texas suburb. Oh yeah, the retirees also happen to be former President and First Lady, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bush.

The couple has settled into a nice routine at 10141 Daria Place in Preston Hollow. One recent dinner party went something like this:

The main dish was chicken potpie. George and Laura Bush left their cul-de-sac in the back of a dark sedan, exited through a Secret Service checkpoint and rode down streets bordered by lawn signs adorned with gigantic W's to welcome them home.

It had been a bad week for the country. President Obama spoke on television about the burdens he had inherited in office: anti-American sentiment, two wars, a recession. But it had been a good week at 10141 Daria Place. The Bushes shared stories over dinner about their return to Texas after eight years in Washington. They had improved their sprinkler system and hung custom-made green drapes. Neighbors had brought over homemade cookies and a potted houseplant.

That's got to be one heck of an adjustment, going from national security briefings to custom drapes deliberations. But the Bush's are transitioning just fine into their golden years, which also includes fundraising gigs for his $300 million presidential library.

Would you like to sit down to some chicken potpie with the new retirees?

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Karl Rove and Joe Biden in a War of Words

CitizenSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:15:54 -0700

"I'm rubber and you're glue!" Well Karl Rove didn't exactly say that to Joe Biden, but he did call him a "blowhard" and a "liar." Ouch!

Earlier this week the vice president recalled an encounter he had with President Bush. He said Bush told him "Well, Joe . . . I'm a leader." And Joe responded: "Mr. President, turn around and look behind you. No one is following."

Well Rove says it ain't so Joe. And he's Bush's brain, so he should know. Going on Fox News, Rove tried to set the record straight: "It didn't happen. It's his imagination. It's a made-up, fictional world. He ought to get out of it and get back to reality.” Rove also dropped the "blowhard" and "liar" labels, too.

Are you on Team Joe or Team Karl?

Study: President Bush's AIDS Plan Saved 1.2 Million Lives

CitizenSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:30:08 -0700

The public hasn't warmed up to George W. Bush since he left office, but a new study out of Stanford University shines a positive light on the embattled president's legacy. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, started in 2003 under Bush, has saved 1.2 million lives in Africa, according to the study published yesterday.

As the largest US foreign aid health program ever, the plan focuses on treating people already infected. So far $18.8 billion has been spent. Under Bush, a small portion also went to prevention programs that were typically abstinence-only.

Last July Congress dedicated another $48 billion to keep the program going through 2013. Although the President's Emergency Plan has kept over one million people alive, the HIV infection rates have remained steady. While it's great to see that the US has done much to keep individuals infected with AIDS alive longer with less suffering, it would be great to see a drop in infection rates over the next few years.

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