Terrorism? What Terrorism? - January 26, 2004


January 26, 2004
Terrorism? What Terrorism?
On Tuesday night, Mr. Bush offered no specific evidence to back up his more general and much less disputed statement that 'terrorists continue to plot against America and the civilized world.'" - Elisabeth Bumiller and Richard Stevenson, January 21.



Not Bad For a Dumb Guy

"Mr. Bush still does not enjoy delivering impromptu public remarks, but he has mastered the art of teleprompter reading." - Alessandra Stanley reacting to Bush's State of the Union, January 21.



Talking Up A "Fat Tax"
"You might also voice your support for a tax on snack items and a ban on television advertising on children's programs for nutritionally questionable foods, for example, those that exceed a certain fat or sugar ratio to healthful nutrients.An end result may be legislation that requires food companies to advertise healthy eating plans." - Health writer Jane Brody, January 20.



Karl Rove, Evil Genius
"Elusive to reporters, infamous for browbeating Republican operatives (and members of Congress) who displease him, Mr. Rove is the man who told Republicans they should use the war on terrorism for partisan advantage." - Elisabeth Bumiller, January 19.

Reality Check:
"We can go to the country on this issue, because they trust the Republican Party to do a better job of protecting and strengthening America's military might and thereby protecting America." - Rove to the Republican National Committee in January 2002.



"Tainted" by "Cold War Paranoia"

"Then, to dramatize America's willful naivete during those years, [playwright Dan Hurlin] contrasts the maiden's story with that of a sheltered, middle-class American boy. Sheltered yes, but tainted by the cold war paranoia of bomb drills in school and dire media warnings about the Soviet threat." - Margo Jefferson, January 20.



Reciting Left-Wing Environmental Talking Points
"A national alliance of public environmental workers says the efforts are evidence of a new program of 'faith-based parks' promoted by the Bush administration with the strong support of conservative groups. The apparent trend, the alliance says, has resulted in a willingness by Republican appointees now in senior positions in the Park Service to resolve disputes by protecting religious or conservative content, even in the face of arguments that the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which safeguards the separation of church and state, is being violated." - Michael Janofsky, January 18.



The Wrath of Bush
"Iraq, with its long record of defying the United Nations, was the first to absorb the Bush administration's wrath." - David Sanger and Neil MacFarquhar, January 20.



Gov. Pataki's High-Spending Love-In
"This year, the governor stressed togetherness and optimism in his 55-minute budget address. Gone was his hard-line stance against raising taxes or spending." - James McKinley Jr., January 21.