Bush Books

I was there and know that this book is based on facts. How could these things have possibly happened. In Ohio, the local election boards are made up of two democrats and two republicans, any disputes among the 4 board members that ended up tied were settled by the Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell [a republican and chairman of Bush's re-election campaign in Ohio] Therefore, the republicans on the local boards called all the shots and dictated the allocation of experienced workers and working voting machines.

I worked the polls on election day as a witness and watched a democratic leaning precinct and a republican leaning precinct vote side by side in Medina County, Ohio. The republican line moved like an express line with experienced poll workers and plenty of voting machines. There was seldom a line of more than 10 people, and the poll workers had long stretches of no voters in line.

The democratic line, on the other hand, moved at 1/2 the rate with inexperienced workers and fewer working machines. The democratic line had as many as 80 people waiting most of the day, with an hour to 2 hour wait common. Once the chief poll worker [a republican working his first election in that position] of the demcratic precinct stopped the line completely for over 30 minutes so they could catch up on their paper work. I spent a good part of my day at the back of the line encouraging people to stay in line. Many people left the line in frustration. We had at least 12 'lost' voters that were incorrectly directed to the democratic precinct, one had visited 3 different polling places and had spent over 4 hours trying find the right place to vote.

Funny thing is that the vote totals for these two precincts were nearly the same at the end of the day.

I also worked as a poll worker during the primary and the same board of election provided 5 republican voting machines and 3 democratic voting machines at my precinct. Repeated calls for more voting machines were ignored. The result was long waits for the democrats as the republicans had almost no waiting. We spent much of the day telling those waiting in line, "If you're voting republican please move to the front of the line".

This book is a must read for those concerned about the direction our country is headed.

This collection is a must-have for any author, researcher or concerned citizen interested in studying the volume of evidence strongly suggesting fraud in the 2004 Ohio election. The first 300 pages lays out the framework through a series of essays on how a well-devised multi-pronged plan of attack was implemented; the last 400 pages comprise the Appendix - those essential documents of record from pleadings, affidavits, official letters and statistical analyses, to a complete reprint of John Conyers' (D-MI) "Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio."

Books like these help Americans realize the inappropriate presence of machines in democratic elections, although it's far from the first. VoteScam: The Stealing of America by the Collier brothers (1992) and Black Box Voting: Ballot Tampering in the 21st Century by Bev Harris (2004) are two excellent resources for a more detailed understanding of how easy it is to tamper with election results when machines or computers are involved. "Essential Documents" goes one step further by detailing the tactics involved in vote suppression, voter intimidation, and public record obfuscation. When read together, no doubt remains about this or previous elections.

Fitrakis's book should be required reading, especially for those that would prefer to have the next election be fair and honest. The problems in 2000 were not a result of incompetence, instead were created by those who successfully controlled the outcome. Fitrakis's book shows how the level of deceit, corruption, and control was escalated in 2004. Because of the silence of the media, we are faced with ever increasing levels of fraud and manipulation in upcoming elections. But this book sheds light on a very dark place. We will never recover the democractic form of government (that has been lost) until we reestablish honest elections. Nothing could be more important.

(It is not necessary to read all of the backup documents, the essence of the book is covered in 318 pages.

Hey Kids, let's find Jacktar and "Matt from Georgia" and give them a quiz to see if they've really even read this book!! I suspect that they are really just a couple of lurking right wingers so devoid of a life that they have nothing better to do than flame those evil liberals and their confounded, well-researched books. Thanks, guys. You really do your stereotype proud!!

Honest elections shouldn't be part of our national heritage. This book documents the theft of our Democracy. Anyone who waves the flag should read this book.

There are boatloads of liberal-bashing books out there written by conservatives (make that neoconservatives), and boatloads of conservative-bashing books by liberals (make that progressives). They're usually just preaching to their respective choirs, with diminishing returns when it comes to true political knowledge or enlightenment. John Powers starts his book with a very promising premise, in that we're living in a world of partisan bickering so virulent that it has reduced all perceptions to black-and-white, us-and-them dichotomies. As they say, either you're with us (them) or against us (them). Powers starts things off here with the idea that exasperated non-extremist real Americans are starved for insight into gray areas and complicated political realities, and the book shows early signs of being a groundbreaker. But this promise of inclusive perceptiveness and realism disappears soon after the introduction.

Instead of using moderate or realist thought to satisfy the intellectual cravings of non-extremist America, Powers merely proves that he's adept at endlessly criticizing both the Right and the Left. His critiques are quite often accurate and truthful, but Powers merely combines the two types of partisan writing that he initially lamented, rather than opening up a new type of non-partisanship, which he is convinced he's doing. Meanwhile, the second half of the book descends into tiresome and obsessive reviews of TV, movies, books, and music, which I suspect are expanded versions of Powers' magazine columns. Here he is merely pretending to do a wide-ranging political analysis via his personal (and often very longwinded) opinions on cultural phenomena, occasionally dropping the anemic term "Bush World" to remind you of which book you're reading. And that's what we have in a nutshell – yet another parade of personal opinions pretending to be an analysis of the exasperating world of modern American politics. And Powers pulls off the dubious feat of combining the worst of all worlds. [~doomsdayer520~]

I love a good anti-W book as much as the next guy. But instead of meat, I got this collection of garnishes and cleverly-folded napkins. Pretty, but hardly nutritious.

John Powers has put together a well-written, witty book that swipes to the right and occasionally to left. The book is topical, with clever and frequent references to current events and popular trends. It is entertaining and fun.

But it has absolutely nothing new to offer. No new anecdotes, no new perspectives, no new insights. From chapter to chapter, I waited to learn something important, something to justify the hours I had invested in the book. About 3/4 of the way through, I gave up.

The book's conceit is that its show us a snapshot of American culture in "Bushworld," a sobriquet lifed straight out of Maureen D. Every American trend, from reality TV to corporate greed to Mel Gibson's Jesus movie is supposed to be a reflection of the kultur that gave us Kaiser George II. While that may create a unifying thread for Powers' narrative, it is hardly a compelling argument. Nor, seemingly, is it intended to be. While the book started with an interesting take on Bush and his politic allies - that they are sore winners who savage their defeated foes - it quickly fizzled into a meaningless and disconnected panoply of pop references and catty, evanescent remarks.

After valuable books by Ivins, Dean, Conason and Dowd, this volume is a waste of time.

(By the way, I mistakely gave this book 5 stars rather than the more appropriate 2. Sorry about that!)

I could only rate this book with 4 stars for the following reason: I started out loving the book, but soon grew weary of the author's constant self-references, his attempts to show off his erudition (who cares?), and his wishy-washy opinions about both liberals and conservatives.

He makes some interesting points and shows a lot of insight into current American culture, but do we really need the arcane words he bandies about or the references to highly obscure films? Do we really need the constant remarks as to HIS opinions on the subjects discussed? Do we really need the snarky attacks on the Left? Powers repeatedly claims in this book to be a liberal, but he is far too soft on the Bush administration, and far too hard on liberals and liberal ideas. Oh wait...maybe he's just trying to be "fair and balanced", like Fox News claims to be.

If Doubleday would re-edit this book and re-release it, it would be much better. It needs to be read by every American, if only for the insights into the "sore winner" syndrome and other aspects of culture in "Bush World."

If you read anything about Bush you've have to read this. It's not your typical Bush bashing diatribe but a well written analysis of how in the world a guy who has failed at everything could succeed at being president. The kinetics of W's inner circle is explored with a great expose on Colin Powell who seems to be virtually powerless in the face of Rumsfield and Cheney. ---A++ John Powers writing style shines throughout!!

It would be easy in this day and age to pen yet another anti-Bush diatribe, just as it would a pro-Bush one (just look at the best-seller list if you don't believe me). But John Powers takes a step back from the rhetoric and looks at the culture as a whole in this post-9/11 world. It might be overstating the point at this juncture, but "Sore Winners" may well become the primary source for future generations seeking to understand why we are the way we are since that terrible day in September.

Powers spares no one with his withering attacks (or his unusual defenses, such as that for George W. Bush from those who think he's homophobic), and his prose grabs you right off the bat and makes for a compulsive read. But there's more going on here, too: for all his ruminations on the nature of "American Idol" or Dave Eggers's career, Powers never loses sight of his focus on the way the Bush administration has influenced culture these past four years. Through all his wanderings, he comes back to a distinct thought: As Bush has been defined by 9/11 and Iraq, so too has the country through Bush's behaviour.

Conservatives will have plenty to grumble about (especially his warrented dismissals of Ann Coulter and Fox News), but the left doesn't come up smelling like roses, either. In fact, it would be fair to say that Powers is an equal-opportunity offender. On occasion, his statements can seem childish, but often he comes through with a laser-sharp remark (like calling Sean Hannity the "guy who didn't get Jimmy Kimmel's job on 'The Man Show'.") that makes it worthwhile.

There will no doubt be more scholarly works attempting to discern the nature of American culture at this peculiar time (our obsession with consumerism at a time when we're under attack will inspire some good ole-fashioned Socialist revisionism), but for now, Powers' is a good text to start with. Through all the verbal jokes and throwaway statements, Powers's book nonetheless is very serious about our post-9/11 culture and the impact of having neo-cons in control has had on our world. He ends with a call to vote out the bastards which seems achingly painful in the wake of reading this post-2004 elections, but the message is still applicable: you don't have to take this crap lying down.

In many ways, this book reminded me of Tony Hendra's "Going Too Far", in the sense that it analyzes a wide spectrum of topics under a particular unifying theme. In fact, I'd venture that the two could be companion volumes, for Hendra's book doesn't just address satire but the nation into which it took effect after WWII. It would be fair to say that satire has died a slow death during George W. Bush's watch.

The world is a weird and confusing place now, and it may be easy to get caught up in the emotions of our time. But "Sore Winners" lays bare the course of events that have brought us to a point where we choose fear over common sense. For that, it will continue to resonate long after the figures it discusses are heaped upon the dustbin of history.

If you want a constant smile on your face! Bought 4 copies for family and friends because it will do the same!

Enjoyable read. Got quite a few chuckles. Even my 89 year old aunt (who is Republican) got a few laughs out of it. A good gift for friends and family - regardless of who wins in November.

This straightforward little book is an easy, fun read that besides creating some laughs also provides a pretty pointed attack on George W's competence and moral compass. However, even my republican-voting dad laughed when he flipped through it. The book could benefit from more illustrations/comics!

WWWD gets you to reflect on where "W" is leading us. The book brings to light critical issues in a true and funny manner. Those that can face the truth about W will find it hilarious. This is the best parody of W out there!

"What Would W Do" is intelligent, thoughtful and hilarious. My favorite part is one of the responses to what W would do if he was captain of the Titanic: "Tell Iceburg it hates freedom." That kills me. I bought this book a little while ago and I keep reading it over and over, sharing it with my friends...it was my best purchase of the summer! You must read this book!

I was hoping for more insider tips to help someone moving to Texas. Instead it was mostly stories about her experiences. Not what I would call a "survival guide."

Since moving to Texas, I've been puzzled by some 'odd' behavior by friends. Now I GET IT. This book is hilarious, well-written, and absolutely on target.

As a new Texan, and yes a Yankee Chick, I found this book extremely helpful. I understand my new adopted state a little better, but I understand how different I may appear to my new found friends due solely to this book. Thanks to my best friend up North for buying this book for me as a going away present. I read it on the way here on the plane, I could not put the book down. It is time again for me to read it... it's that good.

I'm contemplating a move to Texas, and this book is just what I needed. It's funny, the author is charming and the info is perfect. As a native Californian, I really had no idea what to expect from Texas, but after reading this, I think I do. It seems like everything is different in Texas, from customs to state pride to guns to food, and it would be easy to be confused. It would be great if someone could write this book about every state in the nation. I think we'd all understand each other better.
I also think this would be a great gift to give someone who has moved to Texas in the past five years or so. It's really funny.

This should be required reading for any Yankee Chick moving to Texas as well as any one who embraces the many cultural differences that make this country great. Ms. Dembling's insight and sharp wit had me laughing out loud many times and I don't even live in Texas or the South; I'm just a Yankee Chick living up North in Yankee land. Before reading this delightful book (which I read on a lark during a biz trip to Dallas) I had no interest in Texas, but now - hell, I think I'd like to plan a vacation there, perhaps find my self some good old boys to hang out with! Her pride in being a Yankee Chick and her love of Texas is evident throughout and it translates into a sincerity that makes this book so special. Hurry, buy this book!!!!

This is a good book for reference and summary. Issues are organized with simple narrative of the rhetoric and conflicting actions taken Bush Administration.

I didn't read the whole book because every section ends with, "You're not stupid! Get the truth!" making me feel a bit battered after only a few sections.

I'll keep the book to refer to issues when I would like background.

Obviously, not enough people read You're Not Stupid before the 2004 election, otherwise Cox's Brief on the Bush Presidency might have helped overcome the rigged computerized voting in Ohio and minority voter intimidation in Florida to give the Supreme Court yet another chance to anoint a president over the will of the people.

The Downing Street Documents have now proven that Bush stole another election by lying to us about the origins of the Iraq War. He, and only he, is responsible for the resulting deaths and maiming of thousands of our finest young women and men. Moreover, every day we allow him to remain in office, we, all of us are responsible for the daily blood bath in Iraq and the harm Bush's War is inflicting on the Iraqi people.

Every day, American television and newspapers conclusively establish that Bush utterly failed to avoid the deaths of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims before it struck and stupidly failed to care for its victims in its aftermath.

What more do the American voters need than the images of the president riding his new bicycle, strumming a guitar, playing golf, and, in the midst of a horrible tragedy, bragging about the good times he had in New Orleans during the days when he was "drinking and carousing and fumbling around?"

Those who have been fooled once or twice by the smirking chimp currently on display in the White House zoo should get a copy of You're Not Stupid. As a compilation of all other books in the genre at the time it was published, it will remain a valuable reference book in the future. It's a quality edition and is probably the best buy on the market.

You're Not Stupid chillingly predicts the future if the voters fail to Get the Truth: "Some day, when our children's grandchildren look back at this moment, they will see the world we live in as it is, not the imaginary perceptions our president and his gang of zealots have attempted to pass off as the truth. History will judge us, not by what we believe, but by what we do. Awareness will be presumed, and ignorance will be no defense. If we continue to allow the commission of horrible crimes against others on hour behalf, without protest, our names shall be joined in the indictment engraved upon the monument of our civilization. Will it be with pride that our descendants read the chronicle of our lives or will they be filled with shame?"

You're Not Stupid! Get The Truth: A Brief on the Bush Presidency is an unabashed wake up call to what President Bush and his "neocons" are doing to the country. From a hyper-focus on testing children that ignores real problems with public education - Bush's own home state of Texas has an abysmal graduation and college attendance rate, partly in due to pressures to have substandard achievers drop out rather than bring down test scores - to the lies surrounding the war in Iraq, to how much warning the Bush administration had before the 9/11 attacks, to the overwhelming array of tax favoritism for the wealthy in Bush fiscal policy and more, You're Not Stupid! Get The Truth blunty exposes lies as lies. A brutally honest, well-researched book that debunks common myths and sharply warns readers to be vigilant against being manipulated, and strongly recommended reading for all eligible voters.

After reading Hare's review I do not have anything to add other than to say that this book is a wonderful compelemnt to "The Unauthorized Biography of George Bush" by Webster Tarpley, whose book on 9/11 I also recommend very highly.

As documented by this book, this attorney and author, George Bush is one of the most crooked, inept, and deceitful people ever to serve in the Presidency. By no means alone, he never-the-less takes mendacity to a new level, and this author is to be congratulated for his painstaking effort to document the facts--I only regret that we could not reach enough Americans in 2004 to prevent a second four years.

William Cox is a lawyer who specializes in criminal investigation. He currently serves as Senior Trial Deputy for the State Bar of California. Cox previously worked as a prosecutor, a public interest lawyer, and a law enforcement policy analyst.

Cox tackles the Bush Administration in the manner of a skilled prosecutor. His style is reminiscent of that of Vincent Bugliosi, also a former California prosecutor, in "The Betrayal of America" when he examined the egregious theft of the 2000 presidential election, taking particular aim at the United State Supreme Court majority that stopped an ongoing recount in Florida.

While Bugliosi presented an excellent brief in terms of that groundbreaking election, Cox covers it as well as what led up to Bush's selection, extending forward to a period in 2004 nearing the end of the first term of the Cheney-Bush Administration.

Cox recognizes, as does John Nichols, who wrote about the person really in charge, that Dick Cheney and the neoconservatives are the driving force in the Bush Administration. He examines the sordid route that brought the neocons to power. Cox explores the systematic character demolition of John McCain in South Carolina and the ensuing general election campaign when Al Gore was hideously misrepresented as untruthful while the smears and deception pattern actually came from the Bush campaign.

It is noted how Gore was misquoted on stating that he had invented the Internet and criticized unfairly over stating the name of the wrong person at FEMA during a debate with Bush, a common error under the circumstances, and how elements of the media falsely accused the Democratic candidate of claiming to be the subject of Erich Segal's "Love Story" when all he did was react to a story that appeared in a Nashville newspaper.

Meanwhile the Bush campaign, aided by a helpful mainstream media, took the aforementioned and made a case for Gore being less than truthful. Character was made an issue when Bush had on his resume a failed Texas oil venture in which he appears to have violated federal law and could have gone to prison if tried and convicted. He was spared further investigation by the Justice Department when his father, then President George H. W. Bush, terminated the effort.

There was also the matter of going AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard, which went uninvestigated by the mainstream media, and his reckless lifestyle that saw him drink heavily until the age of 40 and reputedly take drugs as well. When an independent investigator learned about Bush's drunk driving arrest conviction and broke the story, this was denounced in many circles as a somehow unethical act by some of the same sources that looked the other way during the slimy South Carolina Republican Primary.

The title of Cox's book of "You're Not Stupid" is a theme he uses to denote how campaign operatives with huge advertising war chests financed by lobbyists have combined with commentators and journalists beholden to those same corporate interests to create false impressions, using 30-second television advertising to distort reality. By using such tactics millions of Americans voted for George W. Bush in 2000 on the basis of character.

Cox warns Americans not to be fooled and study the issues themselves, hence the twin declarations of "you're not stupid" and "get the truth." The warning that Cox delivered can be analyzed alongside what millions of American voters did in the 2004 election.

Many voters revealed in exit polls that they voted for Bush because he made them feel safer and that they believed that Saddam Hussein actually possessed weapons of mass destruction. There was also a strong belief on the part of so many that there was a link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.

The author hones in on Bush early, delivering a zinging analysis in the first paragraph of the first chapter, which is entitled "Who's Bush?" Cox writes:

"How is it that a lying and denying alcoholic, with arrests for theft and disturbing the peace and a conviction for drunk driving; one born with a silver spoon in his mouth, with no empathy for the plight of ordinary people; an inarticulate spoiled brat who just didn't get the lessons of a good education; a chronically failed businessman who's never earned anything on his own; and a high school cheerleader who avoided military service in Viet Nam by joining the National Guard and then going AWOL-gets himself elected as President of the United States? Well, you can be darn sure he didn't exactly tell us the truth about his background."

We are taken through Bush's first term as the disastrous tax cuts skewed toward the rich are examined. Cox also skewers Bush on his education proposals and his bizarre behavior during 9/11, along with that of Cheney, culminating with refusal to testify under oath at an official 9/11 commission convened only after pressures built to the point where the Cheney-Bush duo could no longer prolong such action.

Cox concurs with authors who believe that the official account released by the officially sanctioned commission does not answer vital questions pertaining to 9/11. He also believes strongly that an independent commission needs to be convened.

Cox's lawyer's analytical tools are never sharper when he approaches the subject of Bush and Cheney as violators of international law, as well as their repeated violations of the Bill of Rights alongside the efforts of willing Attorney General John Ashcroft.

This former prosecutor concludes that Bush, Cheney and other members of the Administration violated international law as well as engaging in unconstitutional acts in leading the country to war in Iraq.

The pattern of deception spearheaded by the full court press to conflict launched by neoconservatives within the Administration such as Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle is examined with microscopic clarity by a veteran attorney who can spot and document illegality when he sees it.

This collection makes for some funny conversations. I have read this book outloud to friends whose comments usually include "Did he really say that?" I took this book with me on a trip and found it to be a light (although scary) book to read while standing in line. It is good to laugh when we feel like crying.

The Bushisms herein are hysterically funny, but also fascinating in what they reveal about how Bush thinks, and the things that he apparently does not know. It's certainly worth a read -- you'll find yourself sharing your favorites over and over. For your sense of well-being, though, I suggest you try to forget that he's the guy with the keys to our nuclear arsenal.

From time to time, my friends and I have engaged in imitating our president's, er, style. I recall when Bush finally admitted to having "miscalculated" when planning our post-invasion strategy in Iraq. I imagined he might make a statement like this:

"We may have misunderestimated the responsiveness our troops would receptively experience, which after all was commisserate with the disparaging between a nation guided by the Almighty, and cowardly killers that kill when faced by them, the troops, that is... um, by the Iraqis. Not all Iraqis... it's just that when we set out to do a job -- and I want to be very clear about this -- we did one, and if that means we have to take some militaristic action, I'm all for it, in terms of terror and what's necessary to disabling it combatively. I mean, if errors have to necessitatively be made with respect to our accuracy, then I'm all for it if, in the larger picture, the larger sense, I mean, when the questions of the future are asked about force and those who fought it in the name of peace, I will always, and I mean ALWAYS, say that I did, and I am very proud of every one of you to have representated the fight against it."

Pay no attention to the idiot that left the review "Jealousy is a Horrible Thing, May 31, 2004"...this coward did not even use a real name.

Hey coward...why do we have to use policy to defend this book? This is not made up...these are direct quotes of the Texas Village Idiot himself in action! It is not the author's fault that DUB-YA never learned to read or write!

I still find these quotes hysterical. ONLY THE BOOK THOUGH. The fact that this guy is really our president is discouraging to say the least.

I love the funny quotes but now I want a book that lists his LIES along with the accurate truths/facts right alongside!!


Get this book and let it help you vote for the right man...KERRY!

I used to laugh at Bush's verbal gaffes too, but seldom is the question asked, is there something wrong with the man? Has he fallen off the wagon? Is his brain fried? Mine would be if I kept up the party-boy lifestyle I had as a college undergrad until I was 40. Think about it, wouldn't your brain be toast too after decades of alcohol and possibly cannibus and poppi abuse? Consider, in the August 2004 timeframe alone, Bush: > stammered some hysterically incomprehensible gibberish about tribal sovereignty to a group of native american journalists. Though it doesn't make for a good Bushism "sound byte" his incomprehensible, rambling, ad hoc answer was funny (there's a Quicktime video of this on the web...) Until you realize how remarkabley unprepared he was. His reply to a straightforward soft ball question also was offensive to native americans, who can actually be heard gasping in the background when his answer implied that native americans were "given" their sovereignty by the US government. > Actually, really, said, "Our enemies will never stop seeking ways to harm our country and its people, AND NEITHER WILL WE!" durning a press conference where he signed a $400 billion plus dollar military appropriation. Doh! > Last but not least, made a mega-freudian-faux pax on the campaing trail in front of thousands when he said something to the effect that... "we must not stop OB/GYN doctors from spreading their love of woman across the country." HA-HA-Huh?! Bear in mind, these >all occured around a one month period