CANDIDATES’ VIEW ON THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

According to Mitt Romney the economic crisis is proof that we need someone who has worked in the private sector to lead the country, not someone like George Bush, though, someone like Mitt Romney. He told a group of people in Boca Raton that, “Every time I’ve seen things really get scary and the markets really collapse, I put aside my fear and say—aha, this is a buying opportunity.” After the meeting he went out and tried to buy a few votes.

Rudy Giuliani told another Florida gathering that the huge market drop didn’t worry him. “After all,” he said, “I took charge of things after 9/11. When stuff happens, I know what to do.”

John Edwards said the market drop showed the disconnect between Washington, Wall Street, and real people.

Democratic candidate Carl Perrin said, “The economic problems show how important it is to make sure that the average person will be able to afford a six-pack of beer.”

In other news, Fred Thompson says goodbye. Mike Huckleberry’s senior staff are giving up their salaries for the month, and the former Arkansas governor is cutting back on campaigning in Florida because of a shortage of funds. That’s the second Republican candidate whose staff has told the boss not to pay them this month. Pretty soon it will be McCain vs. Romney for the Republican ticket. Dr. Carl Perrin did not have to ask his senior staff to forego their salaries this month because the entire staff is volunteer. He doesn’t pay them anything.

Meanwhile the Center for Public Integrity and the Fund for Independence in Journalism found that over a two-year period the Bush administration made 935 false statements about the national security threat for Iraq. We weren’t counting, but the number doesn’t surprise us. Bushie himself lied 259 times. Darth Vader, Condi, Rummy, Wolfie, and two press secretaries also made some whoppers. So did Colin Powell, but we think the rest of that truth-challenged outfit fed the lies to Powell.

UNSUNG HEROES

Poor Al Gonzales got kicked around during his term as U. S. Attorney General, but he is finally getting his reward: The American Bar Association has named him lawyer of the year. The Bush administration is full of people who didn’t get the recognition they deserve. How about Michael Brown. They blamed him for FEMA’s disastrous handling of Hurricane Katrina. At least the president told him he was doing a heck of a job. Since Brown left, things haven’t gotten any better in New Orleans, so maybe Brownie wasn’t the only one at fault.

What about CIA Director of the year? George Tenet assured the White House gang that Iraq’s possession of WMD was a “slam dunk.” At least Tenet got the Medal of Freedom. George Bush should have a bunch of those hanging around to hand out to loyal henchmen.

Don’t forget Gonzales’s assistant, Monica Gooding. She weeded a lot of closet Democrats out of the Attorney General’s office. Did she get any thanks for that? Did the president even say, “Heck of a job, Monica”?

One of the great heroes of the Bush administration is former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, who saved a lot of money by trying to invade Iraq on the cheap. He even forced the retirement of General Shinseki when the general suggested that they need a lot more troops to do it right. Then a couple of days after the election, the administration tells Rumsfeld that they don’t require his services any more. So what’s Rummy doing now, sitting around brooding over his treatment?

Then there’s Karl Rove. Once they realize that no one likes him, they just send him back to Texas. That’s a fine thank-you.

Julie MacDonald was doing a heck of a job as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department in Interior. She had to rewrite all those reports done by scientists who were not sensitive to business interests when they wrote about endangered species and stuff. When she left, some people cheered. How’s that for appreciation?

Don’t forget Randy Tobias , who as Deputy Secretary of State urged abstinence rather than condoms to prevent AIDS while he employed the services of “DC Madam” Jeanne Palfrey. Now he’s gone home to wherever. Think about all the money he saved by not supplying condoms. Did anyone say, “You’ve done a great job, Randy”?

And of course there’s Wolfy. Paul Wolfowitz did such a great job getting the country into the war in Iraq, and then he became president of the World Bank for a while before he was forced out. Someone should at least name him Banker of the Year.