Run on Bush's Record?

I couldn’t believe my eyes so I read it again in our local paper. Giuliani is quoted as saying “We’re going to run on President Bush’s record, we’re not going to run away from it” (as he implies the democrats have been doing with Kerry’s record).

Ignore for the moment the fact that Republican attack ads have virtually all been negative because there is nothing positive to say about Bush’s accomplishments, and try to imagine, if you will, what running on Bush’s record might entail:

Let’s see…there’s the national debt higher than it has ever been and destined to go even higher.

There is the “resounding success” in Afghanistan where the drug trade has grown larger than it ever was before and the country is virtually a total mess. Bin Laden is neither captured nor killed despite Cowboy George’s boast to that effect, the Taliban have regrouped, warlords control most of the country as they always did, and aid workers have had to flee the country and the election has been postponed because of the lack of security.

The economy has not created enough jobs to keep up with the unemployment rate that is the most dismal under any Presidency in history. But apparently the term “economy” doesn’t include jobs in Bush’s definition as he is currently boasting that the economy is growing faster than anytime in the past 20 years. There is considerable doubt that Bush has any idea what the term is supposed to mean.

Then there is the marvelous job Bush has done on the Israeli-Palestinian question. The so-called Road Map has vanished, Israeli near-genocide continues unabated, and Sharon seems to be in charge of the entire world, repeatedly thumbing his nose at the U.N. and nothing is done about it. Here at home the Bushites seem content to wait for the coming “Rapture.”

Corporate assaults on the environment grow bolder and bolder, encouraged by the full cooperation of the White House in overturning or ignoring any and all environmental rules and regulations created over years and years of effort. Air and water are dirtier than ever and CEO’s just received a 20% increase in their already obscenely bloated paychecks.

The earth’s temperature keeps rising but Bush assures us there is no problem and refuses to cooperate with the rest of the world in trying to do something about it (after all, why do anything if it is not a problem).

Still no solution to the anthrax attacks, no solution to the “outing” of a CIA operative, no solution to the Cheney energy question, no solution to the Florida voting rights scandal, and on and on.

Did I mention Iraq?

Rudy, sure you weren’t misquoted?