HEADLINE NEWS

The election in America is upon us. The clear choice is for peace, prosperity and freedom… or war and continued attacks on the Constitution, a downward spiral of society and continued chaos in the markets.HEADLINE NEWS

The election in America is upon us. The clear choice is for peace, prosperity and freedom… or war and continued attacks on the Constitution, a downward spiral of society and continued chaos in the markets. Even the FBI reported on Monday, October 28 that crime is up in the United States for the first time in a decade (that would be during the last Republican president – the first George Bush).

The only thing that has prevented a complete right-wing takeover of Washington is one vote in the Senate… one lousy vote. The Democrats control the Senate by one vote. If Democrats should lose that, the Republicans with their warlords, fanatical Christians, gun nuts and corporate interest allies will rule society without opposition. They will control the three branches of government… all with fanaticism never seen in U.S. history. Republicans will lead this nation into wars without end, a new theocracy dominated by intolerants such as John Ashcroft, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Our civil liberties, long a target of the right wing, will erode in the name of war and security. The government will zip up into secrecy releasing only reports and information that benefit their cause. Their ideology and doctrines will be shouted at us by Rush Limbaugh and the corporate media, while dissent will be repressed, and reporters silenced. All because “we are at war.”

Sounds like fiction doesn’t it? Well, look at the players and look at how they set up their secret government. How they answer to the corporate interests and give the finger to the world, and how they couldn’t care less about the environment. Two of the biggest factors must be considered: 1) this Bush regime was not elected, and 2) the U.S. was brutally attacked on 9/11. After 9/11 when this country was shocked and temporarily beaten down, Americans naturally rallied around the only president we had, albeit an unelected one. George W. Bush drew his sword and we waved the flag. Now things are different. Bush the Great has abandoned that fight for a new one. And the elections are here. Winning issues for Bush’s opponents include the corporate scandals of which he, himself, and his vice president, Dick Cheney, were being investigated as to their complicity into shenanigans. Probes were getting dangerously close. So they decide to wage war, a winning issue for Republicans.

Voices are rising. As reported by Newsweek, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) reminded everyone that Bush was “selected” not elected. She accused the Bush machine of ruining the reputations of Democrats and planning to “depress the turnout” of the election next week.

The civil liberties organization “People for the American Way” has begun running television ads warning of the one-vote balance that protects us from right-wing control. The ad says “And with just one more vote [the Republicans will] control the U.S. Senate. Their unchecked political power would be devastating for a woman’s right to choose, our environment, social security and corporate accountability, and could guarantee a Supreme Court controlled by the far right for decades. With your family’s future at stake, should one political party have this much power? Your vote for Senator counts on November 5th.”

That one vote looms even larger in a more ominous perspective. The most progressive of all U.S. senators was killed last week in a mysterious plane crash while campaigning in a close race to retain his Senate seat. Remember the plane crash two years ago that killed the Democrat who was challenging John Ashcroft as Ashcroft battled to retain his seat (then eventually lost, then was immediately appointed Attorney General by newly installed George W. Bush)? That one too sent Democrats into panic, but resulted in a victory.

Minnesota Democrat Paul Wellstone’s death sent shock and panic throughout the Democratic Party. But, politically the Democrats should not only recover but be victorious in this race. Minnesota has a favorite son, an elder statesman who is likely to run a one-week campaign and by all odds win. Walter Mondale, long-time senator, vice president, presidential candidate and ambassador will be welcomed with open arms by all progressives and Democrats. Republicans are already attacking Mondale, even with lies (no surprise there). As reported by the Washington Post, Republican rabid dog, Newt Gingrich lied about Mondale’s stand on social security issues. There’s one more week for more lies and attacks. Watch for it. You’ll hear lots about Mondale representing “the past.” What would that make Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld I wonder? By the way, since Newt has re-emerged on the political scene, let’s remind everyone that it was he, in 1994 as Speaker of the House, who created the poisonous tone in Washington. It was Newt Gingrich who developed, with his Republicans, the infamous “Contract for America” that let business run wild and unregulated, setting up the current Enron-style scandals.

We have no money to really educate our kids or provide real healthcare, but we do have billions to spend on Bush’s war plans, on Bush’s Star Wars, and on Bush’s tax relief for his corporate friends. Bush the Great intends to raise his sword and lead U.S. troops marching across the globe. It amazes my every waking moment that one political party, the Republicans of course, can declare themselves the judgers of the entire world, and then can take our money for their purposes, but let the disadvantaged and working poor suffer even more.

Instead of finishing his very unfinished war against the terrorists who attacked the United States on 9/11, Bush is marching this country, this military and this world into a war of which he’s ignorant of all results and consequences. Osama bin who? Remember him? That’s the guy who Bush vowed to track down “dead or alive.” Now everything is Saddam, Saddam, Saddam. He screams his war message at every fundraiser and hears the enthusiastic applause and whistles, from strictly Republican audiences.

Some clearly understand just how wrong the Bush regime is. One of those is Senator Bob Graham, Democrat from Florida and head of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Graham continually speaks out about Bush’s out-of-touch schemes to bring this nation to war. The Senator is investigating what happened in the intelligence failures leading up to 9/11. Recently Graham said he had “important information that’s come to the attention of the joint committee. We hope that it will be declassified.” During the interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Graham further stated, “I think it is an important part of our judgments as to where our greatest threats are and what steps we need to do to protect the American people here at home.” Graham is one of a few that is not afraid to criticize Bush the Great’s march around the world. Earlier, Senator Graham warned that Bush’s war on Iraq would bring on terrorism to the U.S. from al Qaeda or Hezbollah, the terrorist network supported by Iran. He said, “Briefings that I have recently received suggest that the likelihood of such strikes within the United States is not remote or even probable – it’s highly likely.”

Mary McGrory of the Washington Post writes, “Bush is moving fast these days. The Commander in Chief spends all his time waging war on Democrats. He should perhaps pause long enough to explain to those in Congress why he withheld the news about North Korea’s nuclear program from them for 12 days, making sure that the war resolution was safely passed without any distracting revelations.” McGrory also mentioned, “George W. Bush, who had been doing a credible imitation of Alexander the Great conquering the known world, was stopped in his tracks by North Korea.” (Actually Mary, I was the first columnist to compare Bush to Alexander, but that’s okay, you can use it too. I even coined the name Bush the Great!)

There are other events that should change the equation a bit such as the Bali attack – nearly 200 people dead. Odds are this murder was carried out by Al Qaeda. Remember them? Like, bin Laden and all that? Remember that war? Nah, Bush is going after Saddam instead. And what are the consequences of Bush’s decrees to wage war wherever he damn well pleases? Will other nations become aggressors too? I’d say Russia has a beef with Chechen terrorists. Should they unleash their might now too? Would Georgia be next on their list? Britain and Ireland? The world is balking at Bush. The French call the U.S. a “hyperpower.” And how right they are. Even this past weekend, much to his surprise, Bush could not muster support for his war plans from his personal buddy Mexican President Vicente Fox.

Funny, that scary “imminent threat” from Iraq doesn’t seem to stop Bush from scrambling to every corner of the country on the campaign trail. Bush and Dick Cheney have roped in $163 million for Republicans, as Saddam supposedly plans his attacks on the world.

George W. Bush promised when he was running for election that he would preside over a “humble “ foreign policy. That was indeed a lie. During Bush’s inaugural address, he promised “purpose without arrogance.” Another lie, as pointed out by Senator John Edwards, Democrat from North Carolina and likely candidate for Bush’s job in 2004. Edwards says Bush is promoting the opposite, “arrogance without purpose.”

Important authors and celebrities are speaking out. Gore Vidal, the acclaimed writer, has written “The Enemy Within” published in Britain’s The Observer, in which he argues the “Bush junta” took advantage of 9/11 to enact a pre-existing agenda which included the erosion of civil liberties and the invasion of Afghanistan, which would lead to control of energy resources in the region. I could easily add to that… war with Iraq. Actor Sean Penn wrote an open letter to Bush warning to change before “yours is a legacy of shame and horror.” Penn accuses Bush of marginalizing critics, manipulating the media and promoting fear.

Former British Labour Minister, Gerald Kaufman says of our unelected president, “Bush, himself the most intellectually backward American president of my political lifetime, is surrounded by advisers whose bellicosity is exceeded only by their political, military and diplomatic illiteracy.”

Recent polls are quite impressive. Americans may be smarter than Bush thinks. Newsweek is showing Democrats leading Republicans 47% to 40%. ABC News/Washington Post is showing Democrats at 46% to Republicans 42%. Even right-wing Fox News is out at Democrats 45% to 42% Republicans. Time/CNN reports that 53% rate the economy bad and Bush’s approval has dropped from 65% to 61%. Their ratio of Democrats to Republicans is 47% to 43%. A Gallup/National Public Radio poll is showing Americans favor Democratic candidates by a 16% margin. In Britain, the U.S. ally in arms (the only one), support for Bush the Great’s war in Iraq has dropped to a low of 32% according to the Guardian/ICM weekly survey.

Do you, dear reader, needs some interesting economic facts to support your votes for Democrats? Dig this reporting from Slate: Since 1900, Democratic presidents have produced a 12.3% annual total return on the S&P 500. During the same period, Republican presidents mustered a measly 8% return. The Stock Trader’s Almanac reported in 2000 the figures at 13.4% for Democrats, 8.1% for Republicans. Democrats.com adds that, “most of the 20th century’s bear markets… have been Republican bear markets” which includes the Crash of 1929, the early 70’s oil fiasco, the depression of 1987 and the current situation.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Paul Krugman of the New York Times, “The administration’s inner circle must think that full control of the government can be used to lock in a permanent political advantage, even though the more the public learns about their policies, the less it likes them. The big question is whether the press, which is beginning to find its voice, will lose it again in the face of one-party government.”

The danger is presented. Vote Democrat on November 5th.

Greg Gregory has been photographing beautiful women for over two decades. He is based in Miami and provides high quality content to Webmasters through his popular Monthly CD Club and with Greg Gregory Photography (http://www.greg-gregory.com).

If you have any questions or comments about content, individual girls, custom shoots, suggestions, the monthly content club or licensing, contact Daylee at: daylee@greg-gregory.com. For any questions or comments about photography, politics, ideas, or anything else, contact Greg Gregory at greg@greg-gregory.com. All will get responses personally in a timely manner via email.