Reasons why our President deserves a vacation...

Remember May 1, 2003?
A banner day for the President!



We all know President Bush has been workin' hard to bring democracy to the Middle East and here a some reasons why he needs a vacation...

1. MAY 1, 2003, ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN UNDER THE BANNER "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:"

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country."

2. OCT 23, 2003, WHITE HOUSE PRESS CONFERENCE IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" COMMENTS:

"What I was saying is there's more than just terrorist attacks that are taking place in Iraq. There's schools opening, there are hospitals opening. The electricity -- the capacity to deliver electricity to the Iraqi people is back up to pre-war levels. ... I know it's a dangerous place. And I also know our strategy to rout them out -- which is to encourage better intelligence and get more Iraqis involved, and have our strike teams ready to move -- is the right strategy."

3. JAN. 20, 2004, STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS:

"The work of building a new Iraq is hard, and it is right. And America has always been willing to do what it takes for what is right ... As democracy takes hold in Iraq, the enemies of freedom will do all in their power to spread violence and fear. They are trying to shake the will of our country and our friends, but the United States of America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins ... Month by month, Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for their own security and their own future."

4. AUG. 5, 2004, A BUSH RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN EVENT IN COLUMBUS, OHIO:

"We are safer -- we are safer and the world is better off because Saddam is sitting in a prison cell ... There must be a compelling national need to put our troops into harm's way. I felt that. I felt we had a compelling national need. I know we had tried diplomacy. I knew that diplomacy at this point couldn't possibly work because he had no intention of listening to demands of the free world. And when you put your troops in harm's way, you better have the best -- the best equipment, the best support, and the best possible pay."

5. JUNE 24, 2005, WELCOMING IRAQI PRIME MINISTER IBRAHIM JAAFARI TO THE WHITE HOUSE:

"We're optimistic that more and more Iraqi troops are becoming better trained to fight the terrorists. We're optimistic about the constitutional process. There is a political track that's moving forward in parallel with the security track. No question about -- it's difficult ... But nevertheless, progress is being made, and the defeat of the enemy -- and they will be defeated -- will be accelerated by the progress on the ground in Iraq that -- the establishment of a democratic state that listens to the hopes and aspirations of all the people in Iraq will lead to the defeat of this enemy."

6. JUNE 28, 2005, ADDRESS TO NATION FROM FORT BRAGG, N.C.:

"Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. We've made progress, but we have a lot of -- a lot more work to do. Today Iraqi security forces are at different levels of readiness ... We're building up Iraqi security forces as quickly as possible, so they can assume the lead in defeating the terrorists and insurgents."

7. OCT. 16, 2005, STATEMENT AFTER IRAQ APPROVED CONSTITUTION:

"We're making progress toward peace. We're making progress toward an ally that will join us in the war on terror, that will prevent al Qaeda from establishing safe haven in Iraq, and a country that will serve as an example for others who aspire to live in freedom."

8. NOV 30, 2005, SPEECH TO NAVAL ACADEMY IN ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND:

"In World War II, victory came when the empire of Japan surrendered on the deck of the USS Missouri. In Iraq, there will not be a signing ceremony on the deck of a battleship. Victory will come when the terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy, when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the safety of their own citizens, and when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our nation. As we make progress toward victory, Iraqis will take more responsibility for their security and fewer US forces will be needed to complete the mission. America will not abandon Iraq."
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Yesterday in Baghdad the Iraqis were exercising their democratic freedoms:



BAGHDAD (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of Shiites chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" marched through the streets of Baghdad's biggest Shiite district Friday in a show of support for Hezbollah in its battle against Israel.

No violence was reported during the rally in Sadr City. But at least 35 people were killed elsewhere in the country, most of them in a car bombing and gun battle in northern Iraq.
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Yesterday in Lebanon, with it's fledgling democracy...



Smoke rises from the Lebanese village of Bayada after a Israeli air strike yesterday. Dozens of Israeli raids overnight shook several villages in the southern regions of Tyre and Nabatiyeh, relatively far from the border to Israel. The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia said yesterday that their guerrillas had killed at least six Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
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Yesterday in Washington, DC, Senator John Kerry issued a statement including this observation:

"With at least 2,578 Americans killed, over 19,000 wounded, and no end in sight, we simply cannot sit idly by as more of our kids die for a policy that isn't working. And we cannot be silent while this Administration continues to deny reality and repeat the same mistakes."
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Yesterday in Washington, DC, President Bush announces...



he is cutting his vacation down to only 10 days — the shortest summer break of his presidency — against the backdrop of the Middle East in crisis, Baghdad beset by violence and Cuba in flux. Bush usually spends three to four weeks at his 1,600-acre spread near Crawford, Texas. His rest, though, has been marred by wars, a re-election campaign, anti-war protests and Hurricane Katrina.
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Many people have cancelled the vacation plans this summer, because of oil...



In the first six months of the year, 14,338 Iraqi civilians were killed, mostly in sectarian violence. Prime Minister Maliki acknowledged last week that an average of 100 Iraqi civilians are being killed every day. Just think about that for a second: 100 people killed every day. And the violence has only been getting worse: 2,669 civilians were killed in May, and 3,129 civilians were killed in June. That's nearly 6,000 Iraqi civilians killed in the last two months alone. And since the February 22nd bombing of the Shia mosque in Samarra, the government reports that 30,359 families - or about 182,000 people - have fled their homes due to sectarian violence and intimidation.
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And now for some light, crude humor...



U.S. Companies' Quarterly Profits Climb 19 percent, Lifted by Energy...

U.S. companies' second-quarter earnings rose by an average of 19 percent as energy producers, bolstered by record oil prices, regained their standing as the fastest-growing industry group.