Boy, it’s nice to see the mainstream press finally asking some tough questions of this administration again. Things aren’t going well for the prez lately, and even the Republican fan-boys are starting to to question the administration:

Dramatic deterioration in the outlook over the last two weeks is reflected in the experience by a Republican businessman in Milwaukee trying to sell $2,000 tickets for Bush’s only appearance this year in Wisconsin on Oct. 3. In contrast to money flowing easily into the Bush war chest everywhere until now, he encountered stiff resistance. Well-heeled conservative businessmen offered to write a check for $100 or $200, but not $2,000. They gave one reason: Iraq

People are finally starting to wake up and smell the job hemorage, and asking some tough questions of their own.

Like, “Why are we spending $87 Billion in Iraq this year, when we spend less than half that amount on education here in America?” or, “Maybe Americans should get free health care of our own before we starting paying for other countries to have it.” and my favorite, “How `bout them WMD’s?!”.

This administration has been able to sidestep the tough questions for the past three years. Hopefully that practice is ending as people start to figure out that they’ve been getting lied to for the past three years and want to know the hell why.

Also, as a follow up to my last post about Anti-administration protestors being corraled to ‘free speech zones’, I’ll get the chance to see it for myself this Friday as Mr Prez. himself is going to be here in Milwaukee for some sort of rally to hype whatever his latest ‘commitment’ is. A few of us from work – and a number of other Milwaukeeans no doubt – are going to be there, but not to clap and cheer. We’re going to be protesting the administrations domestic and foreign policies. Hopefully, we can get close enough to the rally so that people out there who watch the news see that it wasn’t a total love-fest, and that their neighbors are in fact not way with the direction this country is going. Will have more on this soon….

If their intent was to marginalize people who disagree with the attorney general, they certainly did that. The way they’re going about this indicates they’re on the defensive. When the attorney general essentially sneaks into town to address a select group of people, it doesn’t raise anybody’s confidence. – Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold on yesterdays visit to Milwaukee by attorney general John Ashcroft

As a lot of people recognize though, Ashcroft doesn’t want the general public to be able to know where he’ll be speaking. Having people protesting and holding up placards against the policies of this administration would shatter the illusion shown on the 10pm news that this creep has overwhelming public support.

As Sen. Feingold says, its a PR campaign, and there’s no better proof of that than making sure you’re speaking to a ‘receptive’ audience of supporters who are naturally going to applaud when Ashcroft (or Bush for that matter) so much as scratches his nose, just so they can show their undying support for the GOP.

I think the one thing we need less of in this country is less PR spin, and more access to our leaders, something this administration just doesn’t seem comfortable with, despite their “We’re just regular down home folks” bullshit.

Gen. Wes Clark threw his hat into the ring for the Democratic nomination to run against Bush in the 2004 election today. Pretty interesting move.. Me and Jenny were both thinking he’d team up as VP with one of the more established canidates like Dean or Kerry. We also both agreed that Clark would make a heck of a ticket no matter who he ran with. So it’s pretty interesting to think he can do it on his own, especially at this late of a stage in the game.

The Wisconsin for Clark group is trying to get people together for a bus trip to hear Gen. Clark speak in Iowa City this Thursday, for a cost of $30 per ticket if anyone in the area is interested.

We’ll probably just wait for him to come to Milwaukee to hear what he has to say.. I think we’re both still on board with Dean, and now we’re trying to think of who would make a good running mate for him since Wes is on his own now. How much would a Howard Dean / Carol Moseley Braun ticket kick ass?

Interesting poll numbers out today that reflect a growing disenchantment with the prez:

• Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? 52% approve – 43% disapprove (was 59% approve 37% approve 2 weeks ago)
• In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time? 40% satisfied – 58% dis-satisfied
• Do you think the Bush administration does or does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq? 40% yes it does – 59% no it does not

And this is less than a week after prez. went on Sunday night primetime TV to ‘speak plainly to the American people about why we’re in Iraq’. Looks like most people didn’t like the explanation, while more and more are starting to disapprove of the messenger himself.