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A closer look at GW Bush

By Mark Graffis <ab758@virgin.vip.vi>,
1 November 2000

If you look at George W. Bush's and Al Gore's resumes as one would when considering someone for a very high level office, you will find that Al Gore is 100 times more qualified with 24 years experience in the Congress of the United States.(Tennessee elected Gore to the House of Representatives, Senate and as Vice President since 1976) George W. has held 1 and 1/2 terms as governor of Texas. Since the legislature of Texas only meets 4 months out of every two years, that would mean that George W. Bush has no more than 12 months experience if that much. Besides that, the office of the governor of Texas is a very constitutionally weak office.

Before becoming the governor of Texas, Bush never held any kind of political or public office. He is not even a lawyer. On the other hand he has only cruised through life on his father's infamous name.

While Bush, Sr. was president, Bush, Jr. 's oil company received a contract to drill off the coast of Bahrain even though that company had never drilled outside of the US nor had they ever drilled off shore. (http://www.fwweekly.com/archives/November_12_1998/cover.shtml) Six months later, Bush sold his stock for an enormous profit without informing the SEC and the company since went belly up. He has violated SEC laws four times in all. (Bush Violated Security Laws

Four Times, SEC Report Says By Knut Royce for the Center Public Integrity Washington, Oct. 4- http://www.public-i.org/story_01_100400.htm) (Copy of actual report requires adobe acrobat reader -- http://www.public-i.org/download/harkenmemo.pdf)

Around the same time, he was asked to go in on the purchase of the Texas Rangers and after milking the citizens of Arlington, TX for a stadium, Bush sold out for another enormous profit. (How George W. Bush Scored Big With the Texas Rangers By Charles Lewis and the Center for Public Integrity Washington, Jan. 18 http://www.public-i.org/story_01_011800.htm

Bush has a record of not following through with his commitments. After having the privilege of using his father's name to get into the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War and jumping over 200 names and after having the privilege to be trained as a pilot even though he scored only 25% on the entrance exam and after being made 2nd and then 1st Lieutenant without going to officer's school, George W. Bush went AWOL and blew off his last two years of service to his country. (Arizona Daily Star: http://www.azstarnet.com/star/tue/0010242fedit2fBush2f2fin2fservice.html

Paul Begala on Meet the Press, http://www.msnbc.com/news/473725.asp?cp1=1 October 8, 2000. Margaret Carlson in Time http://www.time.com/time/campaign2000/story/0,7243,57689,00.html ) He was suspended from flying because he refused to take his flight physical which is mandatory when the armed services first began testing for alcohol and drugs.(TomPaine.com Update: Governor Bush's Military Record, October 12, 2000 http://tompaine.com/opinion/2000/10/10/2.html ) (Oct.31, 2000 --

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/305/nation/Questions_remain_on_Bush_s_servic e_as_Guard_pilot+.shtml

http://www.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=426

These are acts of a ne'er do well riding on his father's coattails -- not of a man who has worked hard for what he has or worked hard for where he is.

As governor he diverted federal funds of the Children Health Insurance Program to give oil companies a tax credit and he has left 1.4 million children in Texas without health insurance in Texas. (Judge: Texas Medicaid Fails ChildrenUpdated 9:14 AM ET August 31, 2000 By CONNIE MABIN, Associated Press Writer http://www.tlsc.org/Article%20on%20Texas%20Medicaid%20System.htm ) He is the governor of one of the largest states which is also the most polluted. (Texas Said To Be Worst Air Polluter -- Associated Press- Oct 16 11:36 PM ET) http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001016/el/bush_environment_4.html ) He did not support the patients' rights bill in Texas even though he claims to have done so. Already as candidate for the presidency, Bush has Cherdomyrdon threatening to sue him because he accused him of stealing IMF money (Russia's Chernomyrdin Threatens to Sue Bush -- http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20001016/ts/campaign_russia_dc_1.html ) and he has NATO on shaky ground by saying in no uncertain terms that he would pull out of the Balkans right after we were all able to witness the most profound act of the brave people there reclaiming their government. (New York Times: Europeans Say Bush's Pledge to Pull Out of Balkans Could Split NATO http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/25/world/25EURO.html )