BURNING BUSH

November 14, 2008 Blog

The Star-Ledger of Tuesday, November 11, 2008, reported that a New Jersey man was charged in a flag-burning incident. Terrence Byrnes, 57, was issued a disorderly conduct summons after he was spotted burning a flag that was flying on a pole in Bergenfield.

It made headlines because that doesn't happen very often in America. Americans only burn their President.

We have had a "Burning Bush" for eight years and Americans will continue to burn him for the next four years, led by our new President. The Republican battle cry was "Drill, Baby, Drill!" Democrats and not a few Republicans cheer, "Burn, Bush, Burn!"

A friend of mine sent an article about this situation to his friends including me. You can read the article at the following address if you want:
http://drinkthis.typepad.com/shapiro/2008/11/treatment-bush.html

One recipient sent a short response which I also received. He or she wrote (I only got the email address with no name attached): "I am sure President Bush will be percieved [sic] by history as one of the worst presidents we've ever elected to office....he is a good man but has not been a good leader."

I must comment on the above statement about President Bush. Please forgive me if I step on toes here. I am more than willing to be corrected if wrong.

I am not a died-in-the-wool Republican nor was I always happy with what President Bush did. I was unhappy that Bush signed a law allowing the media to hold monopolies. That cost McCain! I was also unhappy about the $700 Billion bailout that he (and most other politicians) pushed and finally got passed. I only voted for Congressmen who were against the bail-out.

But I believe in honesty and clarity when condemning Bush or anyone else including Democrats.

Since America elected a Democratic Congress in 2006, we have seen regular gasoline soar from $2 a gallon to $4 per gallon and back down to under $2 per gallon again. It just isn't fair to make high prices President Bush's fault and give the Democratic Congress credit for lower prices.

When war was declared in Iraq, the Dems accused Bush of going after the nations' oil. During the presidential campaign they ran ads accusing Bush of NOT taking their oil.

When George W. Bush took office in 2001, the unemployment rate was 4.76%. When the Dems won a majority in Congress, 2006, it was 4.63%. That was in spite of the attacks on September 11. Since 2006, the unemployment rate has shot up to a 22-year high of 7.6% (when Ronald Reagan inherited the White House from Jimmy Carter).
http://www.miseryindex.us/urbyyear.asp

America's economy was thriving and home equity was rising in 2006 when the Democrats took control of Congress. American households have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars since then. Stocks and mutual fund losses amount to another $2.3 trillion in that same time period.

I would never contend that the Democrats are wholly to blame for unemployment or the housing crisis, but blaming George W. Bush is unethical.

Remember it's Congress that makes law and not the President.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html

Taxes under Clinton 1999	Taxes under Bush 2008
Single making 30K - tax $8,400	Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $14,000	Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $23,250	Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K - tax $16,800	Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $21,000	Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $38,750	Married making 125K - tax $31,250