Day: March 19, 2009

Bush Attracts 14 Supporters to Fund Raising Lunch

Trish

The Bushes, from George H.W. to Jeb, have always had a soft spot for Northeast Florida, finding it a profitable place for them to fund raise. And what the area might now lack in quantity of adherents, it makes up in quality. Fourteen of Bush 43’s highest potential donors in these parts met with him today to be shaken down in person.

Bush supporter: “Hopefully we can talk about some of the good times during the time he was president.” What were there, like, two?

Former President George W. Bush attended a private luncheon in downtown Jacksonville Thursday to drum up support for his presidential library from a small group of supporters.

According to a Duval County Republican Party spokesman, Bush met with 14 invited guests…

Marty Fiorentino was one of the handful of longtime supporters who were invited to attend.

“I’m excited to see the president,” Fiorentino said. “I think he’s going to tell us about the library and what he’s doing post-presidency. We’re looking forward to hearing what it’s like to be back in private life and a civilian. Hopefully we can talk about some of the good times during the time he was president and campaigns and trips through Jacksonville. We’re looking forward to that.”

It can’t have taken long to cover each and every one of those “good times” from when Bush was president. What were there, like, two?

And even though everyone refers to it as a “library,” the big guy himself is calling it the George W. Bush Presidential Center. After all, “center” is so much easier to say than, “lie-berry.”

A few downtown Jacksonville folks were put out that major streets were shut down in the middle of the noon-day rush for Bush and his 14 friends. On Facebook, one non-supporter noted, “Bush has Adams [St.] blocked off at Main [St.]. The fundamentals of lunch are still strong.”

Another said, “He is here to discuss his Presidential Library, er um, the George Bush Center for Kids Who Don’t Read Good and Want to Learn to do Other Stuff Good Too.”

Presumably everyone heeded warnings to keep their shoes on.

States Rights: Feds Will No Longer Prosecute Legal Pot Shops

Jon Ponder

Attorney General Eric Holder announced yesterday that federal legal and judicial resources will no longer be deployed against legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries in California and other states.

This is a 180-degree change from the right-wing policies of the Bush administration, which had a zero-tolerance policy against cannabis use by patients suffering from cancer, chronic pain and other ailments. During their eight years in office, Bush Justice Dept. officials spent millions of federal tax dollars to investigate and arrest operators of the dispensaries, even though the enterprises were sanctioned by state laws.

Despite the massive personnel and financial resources arrayed against hundreds of legal pot shops in California by the Bush Justice Department, only four operators have been charged with crimes over the past seven years.

GOP Leader Outraged Over Lack of AIG Bonus Caps Now Opposed Caps Last Month

Jon Ponder

Just six weeks ago, Senate Minority Leader Mitch Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rushed to microphones to argue against government-imposed salary and bonus caps for executives at companies being bailed out by American taxpayers, now McConnell claims to be outraged that the government did not impose these same caps on AIG. Via ThinkProgress:

McConnell in February:

MCCONNELL: “I really don’t want the government to take over these businesses and start telling them everything about what they can do. […] We have to resist the temptation to basically dictate to these businesses how to run every aspect of their operation.” [ABC News, 2/4/09]

McConnell in March:

MCCONNELL: “Well, it is an outrageous situation. I wrote Secretary Paulson back in October complaining about the way AIG had been doing its business. … This is an outrage.” [ABC News, 3/15/09]