Evidently not all networks think this is an important speech. Only Fox and NBC will carry the pResident's speech. All other networks will have regular programming, including CBS. Poor George, he can't even get all the networks to give a f**k what he says anymore.
Posted by Judith at May 15, 2006 12:33 PMI am very uniformed when it comes to the armed services. Why is the National Guard the only service that is being called upon to fight a war and guard our borders? If you are going to use the military, why not another branch?
Posted by Judith at May 15, 2006 12:37 PMThis post by Steve points out the continuing role of the Media in Bush's Big Lie program. Here he is, trying to look like he's doing something about the border, when it is clear he is to blame for exacerbating the problem to start with. Will the Media play up the story that The Leftcoaster notes here??? Nah. They'll just let Bush get away with another Big Lie. Will the time come when the Media will show the nerve that The Leftcoaster does daily? Come on ABC - fight back! Put someone on the air that will remind America of the Border Patrol cuts and blow little Georgie's speech out of the water.
Posted by T2 at May 15, 2006 12:46 PMJudith: "I am very uniformed when it comes to the armed services." Now there's a Freudian slip that's funny. Anyway, check Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act. It seems to me that W is using this as the first step in federalizing the National Guard like he wanted to do after Katrina. Only tonight he'll be saying that Al Qaeda is at the back door and we should be afraid now. This perhaps is the first wedge of the Admin. to move toward martial law - say after Iran retaliates with an assymetric war against the U.S. and Israel after W starts the bombing runs over Tehran, or Henny Penny dies of the avian flu.
In other words, be afraid. Be very afraid. Hey, look over there - it's Osama! (;>
Posted by Donald Cormac at May 15, 2006 12:58 PMThey'll just let Bush get away with another Big Lie.
He's got all their numbers....they're kind of trapped right now.
Posted by ann at May 15, 2006 01:00 PMIf you are going to use the military, why not another branch?
Judith, the armed forces are all tapped out - no one is enlisting. And Bush is too much of a coward to call for a draft, so this is his version of conscription. I say let the Minutemen keep guarding the borders. Even racists need to feel useful.
Posted by ann at May 15, 2006 01:04 PMEven racists need to feel useful.
True, but I feel hesitant about giving those yahoos guns or any weapon.
How about we let them patrol the border only if each one of them agrees to wear a collar and a leash?
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 15, 2006 01:17 PMChimpy's gonna put out a call tonight for nat'l guard volunteers for border patrol, and a bunch of righties are gonna sign up for some good ol' fashioned bigotry on the border. Then Bush'll bait and switch them to Iran. And I'm gonna laugh.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 15, 2006 01:18 PMTrue, but I feel hesitant about giving those yahoos guns or any weapon.
Don't they all have guns already?
Posted by ann at May 15, 2006 01:23 PMI heard that the national guard is having problems with recuitment and is now taking illegals :)
Posted by Goose1 at May 15, 2006 01:29 PMFrom www.macyapper.com blog
*(AP) Bush, in a speech to the nation Monday, will propose using the troops as a stopgap measure while the Border Patrol builds up its resources to more effectively secure the 2,000-mile line between the U.S. and Mexico, said two White House officials speaking on a condition of anonymity before the president is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m. EDT.
*Nothing like stop gap, temporary, ad-hoc, on the fly, band aid, cut and paste, quick fix, transparently sucking up to rapidly deteriorating base, absolute bulls__t solutions to major league real problems.
*Leadership, it's a wonderful thing.
*Bush also will mention the need for immigrants to learn English.
*Shouldn't he lead by example?
Posted by john mcintire at May 15, 2006 01:30 PM"Temporarily" means until Fall elections are over right? I'll be curious to see the reaction from the Governors who, rightly so, try and keep their own Nat'l Guardsmen close to home, especially during Wildfire and Hurricane Season. I liked Roger Ailes comment yesterday along the lines that one of the hurdles is to find transportation home from Iraq for the Guard. Cause there ain't enough to go around no mo! Ah, yes, the exit strategy.
Posted by mainsailset at May 15, 2006 01:33 PMI guess if one wanted to, this National Guard border patrol thing would be a great excuse to build pemanent military bases all along the Mexican border (Halliburton Const. Co.). Mexico has lots of oil, you know. If we ever, you know, needed to just take that oil for our use, and change the Regime over there in the process, those bases could be real handy.
Posted by T2 at May 15, 2006 01:44 PMand I still ask the question I asked last week - are the troops being put there to keep Mexicans out, or Americans in? In either case, they'll need more than 5,000.
Posted by T22 at May 15, 2006 01:50 PMI am very uniformed when it comes to the armed services. Why is the National Guard the only service that is being called upon to fight a war and guard our borders? If you are going to use the military, why not another branch?
Judith: because no armed forces unit would put up with that political bullshit. Not even the Chimperor would want to piss off serious military units. Not even he is that stupid.
Posted by tempus at May 15, 2006 01:57 PMIn either case, they'll need more than 5,000.
Well, sure, if the goal was in fact to actually guard the borders. But the goal is to just throw a little red meat to that faction of the base and keep our minds off Iraq, wiretapping and Karl's problems.
Posted by ann at May 15, 2006 02:08 PMAnna Quindlen has a good point:
They can refuse to eat fruits and vegetables picked by those immigrants.
Of course, they'll be paying $10 for that "American picked" head of iceberg. The marketing opportunities are fantastic: "Pay more, support American citizens."
Posted by ann at May 15, 2006 03:07 PMHave to shoot down part of this post. The article linked is from February 2005.
Government fiscal years begin on October 1. FY 2006 began Oct. 1, 2005.
In 2004 congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. A summary can be found here:
http://www.senate.gov/~govt-aff/_files/ConferenceReportSummary.doc
On page 12 they say that not less than 2000 Border Patrol Agents are to be added per fiscal year starting in FY 2006 and ending in FY 2010. That of course is dependent on Congressional funding.
In Dec. 2005 Chertoff announced funding for 1700 positions for FY 2006.
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2005_press_releases/0122005/12072005.xml
The hiring process takes 6-8 months.
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/border_patrol_factsheet.ctt/careers_bpa_fact.doc
Then there's 19 weeks of training. And probably 12 to 18 months of OJT.
In short, the benefits of additional positions doesn't begin kick in for a couple of years.
CNN is reporting that 6,000 troops will be deployed. If the deployment will be for the period needed to staff up the Border Patrol to that level, we will talking at least a four year deployment.
So, it will be very interesting to hear just how long this deployment will be.
Have to shoot down part of this post. The article linked is from February 2005.
Government fiscal years begin on October 1. FY 2006 began Oct. 1, 2005.
In 2004 congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. A summary can be found here:
http://www.senate.gov/~govt-aff/_files/ConferenceReportSummary.doc
On page 12 they say that not less than 2000 Border Patrol Agents are to be added per fiscal year starting in FY 2006 and ending in FY 2010. That of course is dependent on Congressional funding.
In Dec. 2005 Chertoff announced funding for 1700 positions for FY 2006.
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2005_press_releases/0122005/12072005.xml
The hiring process takes 6-8 months.
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/border_patrol_factsheet.ctt/careers_bpa_fact.doc
Then there's 19 weeks of training. And probably 12 to 18 months of OJT.
In short, the benefits of additional positions doesn't begin kick in for a couple of years.
CNN is reporting that 6,000 troops will be deployed. If the deployment will be for the period needed to staff up the Border Patrol to that level, we will talking at least a four year deployment.
So, it will be very interesting to hear just how long this deployment will be.
Sorry, information incorrect. CBS will cover speech. I should have questioned that in the first place.
Posted by Judith at May 15, 2006 03:46 PM"Judith: "I am very uniformed when it comes to the armed services." Now there's a Freudian slip that's funny."
Donald, it sure was a freudian slip. Not sure what the slip means, but my psychiatrist will get to the bottom of it.
Posted by Judith at May 15, 2006 03:51 PMPax:
The point is that he committed to hiring nearly 10,000 new agents over the next several years as part of the homeland security bill that he took full credit for during the campaign, and then yanked the money out after the election because he said there was no money. If he had kept his word, there would have been at least several thousand new agents in the pipeline by now.
Posted by Steve Soto at May 15, 2006 04:07 PM