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January 16, 2007

Bush and Iraq Executions – The President and his Hypocrisy have reached a new Low

By Steven Leser

The question is who is Bush to say any of this? While Governor of Texas, Bush had over One Hundred and Fifty Five people put to death.

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Queue the circus music, P.T. Barnum would have loved this. George W. Bush, executioner extraordinaire while Governor of Texas is chiding the government of Iraq for its recent executions. It is not that the recent executions are undeserving of criticism. Bush is right that the executions were 'fumbled' and that they "looked like ... kind of a revenge killing". Bush's remarks reported in the Associated Press, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070116/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_iraq_8 were delivered in an interview with PBS' Jim Lehrer. The question is who is Bush to say any of this? While Governor of Texas, Bush had over One Hundred and Fifty Five people put to death. Anti-Death Penalty groups have evidence that they claim suggests that at least nine of those people were innocent. Bush also said "And it just goes to show that this is a government that has still got some maturation to do". Perhaps we need to direct the President's attention to this Excerpt from The Houston Chronicle dated August 10, 1999: "Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer criticized Gov. George W. Bush Tuesday for making fun of an executed Texas woman in an interview Bush gave to Talk magazine. "I think it is nothing short of unbelievable that the governor of a major state running for president thought it was acceptable to mock a woman he decided to put to death," Bauer said of Bush. Bush is portrayed in Talk as ridiculing pickax killer Karla Faye Tucker of Houston for an interview she did with CNN broadcaster Larry King shortly before she was executed last year. Just before her execution date, Tucker appealed for clemency on the grounds that she had become a born-again Christian. "Please," Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "don't kill me." ----------------------------------------------- I guess this is George W. Bush's idea of a mature government and executive. Compared to Bush's treatment of the Karla Faye Tucker execution, Iraq's recent executions have the maturity of a Methuselah. Isn't this the problem with just about everything that comes from this President and his administration? Nothing seems honest and everything seems contrived, hypocritical or completely outrageous. Around the world, allies, enemies and everyone in between look at our President and laugh at everything he says with a mixture of amusement and derision. The President talks about how not winning in Iraq would send the wrong message to the world, particularly our enemies. Nothing sends as bad a message as the complete bumbling, poor excuse for leadership the President and his administration have exhibited since coming to office. I only hope that at some point in my lifetime, the rest of the world can forget what Bush has done and can start to take us seriously again.

Authors Website: http://www.ibtimes.com/blog/steven-leser_103/bio/

Authors Bio:
A political blogger for the International Business Times, Steve Leser is a hot national political pundit. He has appeared on MSNBC's Coundown with Keith Olbermann, Comedy Central's Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Russia Today's (RT) Crosstalk with Peter Lavelle. But, Leser is most known for his work as commentator and the progressive counterpoint on the very conservative FOX News cable network. Steve Leser has been frequently featured on Your World with Neil Cavuto, Bulls & Bears, and Cashing In against such FOX notables as Neil Cavuto and Stuart Varney. Leser gave the stirring live commentary on FOX as news broke of the resignation of Sarah Palin as Governor of Alaska.

Steve Leser is in demand in New York as keynote speaker for his authority on the power and machinations of Republican think tanks, the economy, health care reform and various other political topics.

Leser is also a political organizer and has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.

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