IF THE SHOE FITS...

Yesterday in Iraq a disgruntled Iraqi reporter did something about 300 million Americans would probably like to do and something American journalists never had the courage to do in print. He threw not one but two shoes at Bush's head who was standing at a podium with Malakey. The Iraqi missed with both shoes but I think throwing shoes at a cardboard figure of Bush's head might catch on at carnivals and county fairs all over the US. Id love to have the concessions.

But while the shoes missed there is something else that could be thrown at Bush by the Congress that wouldn't miss. And that is denying Bush his golden parachute.

No President in history has visited more disaster on the United States than George W. Bush. ( lets hope Obama doesn't come in a close second).

Bush's actions and inaction were responsible for getting at least 8000 Americans killed during his Presidency, Americans who'd be alive today if it weren't for his ineptitude and his policies not to mention all the other disasters and hardships he has caused this country.

Any one of the disasters brought on by Bush would be enough to condemn any Presidency. But there were not one but four. And they were the four of the biggest catastrophes to ever hit the country. And they happened not just during the Bush administration but because of it.

Thanks to Bush and Rice and their incompetent decision making in trivializing and dismissing terrorism as a threat to national security, privately expressing the belief that Clinton's warning that Al-Qaeda was the biggest threat to US national security in the world was overblown, and then ignoring 8 months of warnings that a terrorist attack against the US was imminent and doing nothing about it, New York was hit on Sept 11 with, the worst attack and worst loss of life on American soil committed by a foreign enemy in US history. This from the national security chest thumping Republicans who focused their attention on getting out of the ABM treaty with Russia so they could pursue a Star Wars initiative. and ignoring the terrorist threat ( it was the Republicans who accused Clinton of Wag the Dog when he ordered a missile attack on Al-Qaeda training camps trying to kill Bin Laden.)

There is enough evidence to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that 911 could have and would have been prevented by any President who took terrorism seriously. The dirty little secret never talked about and not touched by the press is that 911 could have been stopped, something I will prove in a subsequent post. But neither Bush nor Rice did a thing about the threat of Al-Qaeda until it was too late and 3000 people were killed.

Then there was Iraq, a totally dishonest war sold by dishonest means with a President, Vice President, National Security Advisor (Rice) and Secretary of Defense lying through their teeth every day for months ( helped by the same dishonest, incompetent cowardly press who gave Bush a pass on 911) trying to drum up support for a war that wasnt neccessary.

Not only was this the first pre-emptive war in American history violating American policy for 200 years, it was also, thanks to Bush the most mismanaged, and incompetently conceived war and post war occupation in history. There was a necessary war to be fought and every military and intelligence knew it was in Afghanistan. Instead Bush went for Iraq.

Then if that wasn't enough there was Katrina, a natural disaster that no one could have prevented except that a category 4 hurricane hitting New Orleans is one of five major disasters the NSC tells every incoming President he has has to have plans in place to deal with. Despite having a two day heads up that Katrina was going to hit New Orleans, it took Bush and his administration 5 days to get food, water and medicine into the city after Katrina hit. Not getting help to that city was responsible for people dropping dead on a US interstates, dying in hospitals and nursing homes or on the streets of New Orleans because they had no food,water, medicine or shelter.

Now the country is dealing with what most economists are calling the worst economic crisis since the Depression, also caused by Bush and Republican policies of deregulation and a Bush appointed Republican chairman of the SEC who never did his job. Bush let the foxes guard the chicken coop and the results are the mess the country is in now.

No President in history has deserved to have a shoe thrown at him more than Bush. But there is one the taxpayers, through the Congress can throw themelves.

Every President once they leave office gets the governments version of a golden parachute at taxpayers expense. The taxpayers provide a lifetime pension at full salary.The taxpayers provide for an office and full staff maintained forever. All transition expenses are paid for by the taxpayers. All travel expenses to anywhere in the US or abroad is paid for by the tax payers. A former President has use of private jets and all kinds of additional perks all at taxpayers expense..

Bush should receive none of this. Let Bush keep his Secret Service protection. But the tax payers should not be asked to provide him with a lifetime pension, an office, a staff and all the other perks that former Presidents get. He should be denied these things for the unprecedented mess he has caused and the disasters his Presidency has caused. He deserves no perks and they are not required except for Secret Service protection.

So how to do the taxpayers go about throwing this shoe at Bush? The place to start is with Charlie Rangel Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. There should be demands that the Congress deny Bush his golden parachute.

It would have to go for a vote on the floor and politics being what it is, mealy mouthed Democrats like Pelosi and Reid might very well stand in the way, but given the economic catastrophe Bush has caused along with all the other catastrophes of his administration, the taxpayers should not be footing the bill for a lifetime pension and other perks for Bush.

Calling and writing Charlie Rangel is the place to start demanding no golden parachute for Bush. He doesn't need the money anyway, but that's besides the point. It is a statement that the taxpayers can make about the Bush Presidency. And it would be the taxpayers way of letting the other shoe drop. And this one wouldn't miss.