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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (288889)	8/21/2002 2:07:40 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 769670

Since when has informed speculation been banned from this board? Geeze, FADG is replete with uninformed speculation. LOLOL

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (288889)	8/21/2002 2:19:36 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Do you think this has some truth: 08:26 -- Now we know why dubya unsigned the international court treaty. He was already contemplating an illegal invasion into Iraq and didn't want his butt hauled into an international court for war-crimes.

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (288889)	8/21/2002 2:47:09 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

You squeal like a stuck pig if any of us push speculation, flappie.

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (288889)	8/21/2002 2:55:49 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 769670

President displays interest in Florida Politics, family ties play role August 20, 2002 Posted: 9:18 AM EDT (1318 GMT) Florida Gov. Jeb Bush finds the president -- his brother -- has a lot of interest in his state. TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) -- Whether it's brotherly love or an effort to gain support in a state that nearly cost him the presidency, George W. Bush has been paying an awful lot of attention to Florida. The president has given Florida money to restore the Everglades, bought back oil drilling leases and visited Florida often since the 2000 election. Florida also has benefited from rule bending to expand a prescription drug program. Democrats say the president is doing whatever he can to give his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, material to boast about while he seeks re-election this November. If Jeb Bush wins, that could help George W. Bush's chances of remaining in the White House past 2004. But Republicans say George W. Bush would be doing Florida favors no matter who was in office because he'll want to carry the state in 2004 by more than the disputed 537-vote victory in 2000. President Bush has visited Florida 10 times since taking office. "This isn't just a case of getting policies because of 'You're my brother,"' said Matt Corrigan, a University of North Florida political science professor. "It's also working together to make sure that Florida remains a Republican state in the presidential level in 2004." Few political observers doubt that some of President Bush's policy decisions in Florida are influenced by the relationship. The best example is his agreeing to have the federal government buy oil drilling leases in the Everglades and off the Panhandle coast. The decision is at odds with his policy in other states, including Democratic-leaning California. The president has encouraged oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Rocky Mountain Front and other areas, but Jeb Bush opposes drilling off Florida and has made the Everglades restoration a high priority. "It would be nice if it wasn't so blatantly politically motivated," said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Ryan Banfill. "My mother, who's a taxpayer in Kansas, is paying for this stuff. This should alarm voters across the country." It likely won't alarm the vast majority of Florida voters. "Ninety percent of Floridians believe that it's a good thing that that relationship exists, even those who don't intend to vote for us in the fall," said Republican Party of Florida Chairman Al Cardenas. He played down the idea that President Bush is doing Florida favors simply because Jeb Bush is his brother, though he didn't deny that sometimes plays a role. "We don't have a magic wand to know where this relationship goes the extra mile, but I know that it does and it has to do with the fact of the governor's unlimited access," Cardenas said. "Just the fact that his brother can get ahold of him to discuss these matters is very helpful to Florida." Jeb Bush said he speaks to his brother about once every two weeks. "We don't really talk that much about policy, just how the kids are doing," he said. He readily admits that he's worked better with Washington since his brother replaced Democrat Bill Clinton, but said it has been tough building relationships beyond kinship. "We've worked really hard in developing a relationship, not president-to-governor or brother-to-brother," he said. White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo dismissed the suggestion that the family relationship plays into decision making, saying the president simply shares common concerns with his brother on issues like education, the environment and democracy in Cuba. "Florida is an important state," she said. "The issues that we've been there to talk about are important to the nation as well." President Bush has visited Florida 10 times since taking office, second to 12 visits to Pennsylvania, Mamo said. Several of those visits have been to help raise money for his brother's re-election bid, putting millions of dollars in the state Republican Party's savings account. All that attention from a president with high approval ratings is frustrating for the Democrats hoping to unseat the governor. "There's no doubt that we are running against Jeb and George and the whole Bush administration," said Banfill.