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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



The Bush Agenda

Posted: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 9:02 AM by Huma Zaidi
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Also today, Bush will also give interviews to FOX and the Wall Street Journal editorial board. 

The Wall Street Journal follows up on yesterday's New York Times report on Bush's latest controversial executive order: "A White House move to tighten its control over federal regulations is providing fresh evidence of the Bush administration's intent to leave its conservative imprint on government over the next two years...  Most notably, the White House has given itself more review authority over many informal agency dictates known as guidance.  Critics say the executive order gives the White House a chokehold over new guidance it dislikes.  White House officials deny that, saying it is simply strengthening a review process that already occurs in many instances." 

As NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported last night, the Financial Times says today that scientists claim the Administration "has routinely suppressed or ­distorted communication of climate change science to the public."  Their "testimony risks embarrassing the Bush administration ahead of the release on Friday of a landmark report on climate change science that will say there is a 90 per cent certainty that human activity is changing the world’s climate and temperatures will rise by 3 degrees Celsius by 2100." 

The Los Angeles Times looks at how "[l]egislation to curb global warming is still a long shot in Congress, because there is no consensus on a solution" -- but the Democratic Hill leadership and most of the contenders for president "are far ahead of [Bush] in proposing ways to reduce carbon emissions." 

Today is White House counsel Harriet Miers' last day.

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Political commissars making sure that political correctness rules. Maybe this is one of many reasons that iraq has been such a fiasco and causing unneeded americans deaths. Before anyone says that 2 + 2 = 4 be sure and run it by rove and his political correct police.
Well this latest executive order should just about cripple the Federal Government. Can't we impeach this madman and send him back to Crawford.
This Administration has routinely suppressed anything it does not agree with. Business groups hailed Bush's executive order because it means they will be able to influence each and every government study released if they choose to. If anyone doesn't believe this is another step in corporate control of the government (fascism), please let me know what you do think. Remember, Bush once said things would be easier if he were a dictator.
The White House wants to tighten it's control over federal regulations? I don't like the sound of that. I think I have a better idea. What if Bush stuck to his stand-up comedy routine and kept his fingers off anything that could affect the country for good or bad? If he wants to toy with something, give him a TV remote to tinker with. It's not like he has ever done anything right, unless you're a billionaire, so that would put him in a great position as a consultant to someone taking over his job after he resigned who new what the hell he/she was doing. It would work like this: Anytime you have a knotty question about what to do about something, you ask Bush, and do the exact opposite. Your chances of going wrong would be infinitesimally minute. After you had solved most of the world's problems in this way, you could reward him with a job as a circus clown. You could call him Bozo. You could even start calling him that now if you like. His main job would be to sit in a dunking booth while customers threw baseballs at a target for a buck a throw. Hitting the bullseye would land him in a vat of ice water. Democrats would pay twenty a throw to cut down on crowds. Cheney could do a burlessque routine wearing high heels, fishnet stockings and a tutu. I can't think of anything these two could do that would provide a better service to citizens of this country.
The public perception of Bush Administration incompetence is off the mark. They are not incompetent. They are implementing their plan to destroy the government's ability to do anything except wage continuous war and establish a police state. Notice they're plenty competent on those fronts.
I keep expecting cheney and bush to burn the constitution on the whitehouse lawn anytime now.
Excellent point John B. Questions: will actions like having political "appointees" for agency oversight be withdrawn with a new administration, or will the power to have this type of control be too overwhelming for our next president? Is it indeed a corporate monster that we cannot control?
Emperor George signing more power over to himself. Huh. Too bad we have no over-sight branches of government, but I guess that's how it goes.
I beleive its called a vast rght wing conspericy, now who said that ?
Suggested reading: "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis. Written in the 1930's it again has resonance today. Oh and that feeling tightening around your throat... it's called Corporate Fascism.
I see bush is pushing for high school drug testing, I have long pushed for drug and alcohol testing for all politicians, preferably before every vote is taken, this especialy applies to bush and cheney(he should be tested before being alloed to pick up a loaded gun).
This obstructionism, trying to water down all the reports from the scientists working on the global warming issue, taking the information gleaned from the best and the brightest on the planet and putting it in the hands of know-nothings and industry shills is another crime against humanity that further imperils the future sustainability of human life on the planet and is another reason that impeachment must be put back on the table by Pelosi et al.
Impeachment is a very distracting and polarizing process that should only be used (like war)as a last resort. I think the Bush Admin. is actually trying to destroy America as we know it. Impeachment appears to be the only way to stop this guy.
Watched a tv show about the new Police Academy of Baghdad today. This building was built by American contractor Parsons at a cost of 63 million taxpayer dollars. It was a mess. The reporter said it looked like a building that had been decaying for 50 years. It looked unsafe to be in the building. Rebar exposed that was not cover by the cement. Apparently no over site what so ever. I guess they are going to spend another 100,000 to tear it as that would be cheaper than repairing this new building. Now I realized I watched this show on a LIBERAL media and not Fox but I might miss seeing it on Fox.
I remember when I was still in grade school in the '70's our teachers telling us about a group of leading scientists who were claiming that we were heading into another ice age. Pollution was credited then too with being one of the leading causes. Some of the horrific consequences that were mentioned was world-wide hunger due to a serious reduction in food production. Much of our farmland, they contended, would become frozen tundra incapable of producing crops. Many highly populated areas would supposedly become so frigid that we wouldn't even be able to heat our homes because traditional would methods would be absolutely useless. Many of Earth's inhabitants would be forced to migrate towards the equator and even some tropical areas would be hit with heavy snow and ice storms. The solution? Some scientists suggested partially melting the polar ice caps. This would be done by spreading massive amounts of soot on the caps. Sea levels, they said, wouldn't rise enought to be a threat except in the most low-lying coastal areas. No doubt global warming is real, but humans aren't likely the major cause. The Earth's climate is in constant flux, alternately warming and cooling. Can greenhouse gas emissions be blamed for past warm periods? Of course not. There weren't too many people driving around in SUV's 1500 years ago. In fact, even if we could reduce emissions by 70-80% within the next 10 years it would have a negligible effect on the Earth's average temperature. At best it MIGHT be possible to reduce the average temp by 1/10 of one degree over a 50 year period. Should we do all we casn to reduce pollutants? Of course. It would be ridiculous not to. But I thought the conspiracy theory nuts usually came from the far-right? Sounds like something the black helicopter crowd would come up with to me.
We should worry I made the same comaprision earlier that this is like fiction vs reality. Take Star Wars. Emperor Palpitine was slowly taking over the Republic until it was too late for the Jedi to do anything about it. The Democrats in office are like the Jedi and they don't see what's happening for what it is. Before we know it Bush will take over the country and rule with an iron fist he will kill all of our deomcratic leaders just like Emperor Palpatine killed the Jedi in the movie. That's just the begining then he will try to take over the world so he can spread his vision of peace all of this through the guise of keeping us safe. Striking how parralled this actually is...We need to impeach the president before he can carry out his diabolical plot. We need to wake up our leaders and make them take notice or it will be too late. Bush can already listen to our phone conversations, and arrest us without a warrent and soon he'll be coming for us. We need to stand up and as the people of this great country we need to demand an emergency re-election or something but we should not stand for this anymore it's gone too far. Now he wants to tell us global warming isn't real? Has he even stepped outside? It's warm everywhere when it should be cold. It's winter time but I guess Bush suffers from an inconvinient truth. He lied and people died. Whoever came up with that saying was right on.
Does this mean the CIA will install a 'Commissar' over at National Public Radio? Looks like "Marxism-Nixonism" is in the final stages of fine tuning. "All Hail Dubious Dubya and Trickier Dick!"
Sue, watch Sheppard Smith on FOX @ 3 & 7 pm ( est).He is probably the Only reporter from there with a favorable rating. As for there Political Appointee's, it's just another step on the way 2 Martial law, that will no doubt be instituted around nov-1-2008 if Not sooner, unless John Conyer's or some other congressman start's Impeachment Proceeding's ASAP.
I assume FAUX and the Wall Street Jourinal, will write the answers for Dubya, as well as the questions. Since they're on the same wavelength, they can save Rove the trouble of doing it. Remember guys, two syllables or less.
Hell may be freezing over today! I didn't think I would agree with Bush on anything, but today: "The president acknowledged people's continuing nervousness about their financial picture, despite a string of similar reports that provide some reason for optimism. He said some workers are being left behind in the booming economy and the disparity between the rich and the poor is growing. "The fact is that income inequality is real. It has been rising for more than 25 years," the president said. "The earnings gap is now twice as wide as it was in 1980," Bush said, adding that more education and training can lift peoples' salaries. He said he realized that stories about the enormous salaries and other perks for CEOs, for instance, create anger and uncertainty that affect the country's investors.
George Bush is the anti-Christ
I too think impeachment is a drastic measure at this time, but I could really go for about ten years jail time for the crimes of impersonating an officer of the US Air Force as Bush did during Operation Mission Accomplished, and desecration of the American flag by wearing it on his lapel. But I would settle for nine years and eleven months. But it would have to be a real jail.
John B is pretty much correct. The Bush administration can continue to prosecute this war until it is out of office with no accountability. The Republicans are too cowardly and divided to make a unified stand against any of his proposals. The Dems are afraid of a political backlash (foxnews) of a Democrat only attempt to curb the presidents authority and war powers. Win for Rove and Bush. America loses.
Ex Marine viet vet, If Bush came out and said he wanted to suspend the constitution there would be people who respond to this blog and several members of congress who would say it was a great idea and we should give it a chance to work.
Larry L LOL!!! ...Bush is not going to be dictator he's not going to kill all of the democrats...and there is no such thing as a re-election. In less than 2 years we'll have a new president. I've seen you post before and I must say each time you bring a smile to my face...so thankyou, for that. Now step away from the computer and go watch star wars like a good little boy.
"George Bush is the anti-Christ " By accounts, the anti-Christ is supposed to be a "mezmerizing" speaker. That ain't George. Obama has me a little worried.
Impeach this man before he has a chance to nuke Tehran.
Respected hurricane deflector, one-time Presidential Candidate, and pinch-eyed healer of maladies ranging from terminal acne to tumors the size and shape of Mount Rushmore, Pat 'the Baptist' Robertson, said a couple years ago that the Anti-Christ is a Jewish man who is alive at this moment. If Dubya is the Anti-Christ, as you all say, then he's Jewish, but he might be just the manservant of the Anti-Christ, who may or may not be Joe Leiberman, or he's not Jewish and is in fact the Anti-Henny Youngman, or he's not Jewish but IS the Anti-Christ? If the last one is the case, then Pat is...Anglo-God Forbid...Wrong! Either way, the rest of Pat's message remains current. "The End Is Near. Send Money".
rufus gibbons sad but too true
The Soviet Communists assigned political officers to make sure people acted in accordance with the principles of the Communist Party. The Stasi assigned political officers to do the same in East Germany. The Gestapo also had a similar role. Let's learn from history. Congress should pass a law making it a criminal act to modify publicly disclosed information for political purposes. Expand the whistle blower laws to let us have some comfort that our government employees can act in our best interests.
Mad Mike please leave me alone I'm not talking to you.


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