Two events give us the Bush agenda in a nutshell

[Hurin_Rules]

1. After making loud noises about individuals filing for bankrupcy, Bush passes a bill lobbied for by banks and big credit card corporations which prevents more of the American people from filing for bankrupcy:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...nkruptcy_dc_18

2. A few days later, when a federal judge allows United Airlines, while in bankrupcy protection, to eliminate its own pension plan to save money, Bush is completely silent. While the pension plan will have to be handed over to the government, give reduced benefits and be paid for by American taxpayers, the pension plans of top executives, on the other hand, are 'proofed' and therefore won't suffer:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.../buggs/1884536

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050510/...nited_airlines

The message: don't you dare default on your responsibilities, unless you're a major corporation, in which case, go ahead, and remember to get the American people to pay so you can make higher profits.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

The message: don't you dare default on your responsibilities, unless you're a major corporation, in which case, go ahead, and remember to get the American people to pay so you can make higher profits.

Its always been so unfourtunatly. Bush is no better or worse than other presidents in this matter.

[Pindar]

Regarding #1: good (though it is actually the President who signs the bill, the Congress passed it).

Regarding #2: The President doesn't control the Courts.

[Hurin_Rules]

Regarding #2: The President doesn't control the Courts.

When the Schiavo thing went down the Republicans went ballistic and tried to use congress to get the courts to intervene. Bush even came back from his holiday early to sign it in the middle of the night. When a corporation takes advantage of its employees and makes the US taxpayer foot the bill, however, there is complete silence. I find that telling.

[Pindar]

When the Schiavo thing went down the Republicans went ballistic and tried to use congress to get the courts to intervene. Bush even came back from his holiday early to sign it in the middle of the night. When a corporation takes advantage of its employees and makes the US taxpayer foot the bill, however, there is complete silence. I find that telling.

The Schiavo thing, as it were, was a Congressional action (which was not limited to Republicans if you note the vote): specifically a call by the Congress for a Denovo Review. A Denovo ruling, if allowed, permits new evidence to be introduced at the Appellate level. Typically, such is not possible as appeals are constrained by what preceded them. Bush signed the bill as he has with every other bill brought before him. He has not vetoed once in five years. The Court did not recognize this action (and rightly so in my opinion). This reinforces the earlier point. Neither the Congress nor the Executive dictate Court action.

If the point is that the President should complain about the ruling even though he has no jurisdiction or impact on the issue, I'm not sure that really constitutes a deep insight into an agenda.

[Hurin_Rules]

If the point is that the President should complain about the ruling even though he has no jurisdiction or impact on the issue, I'm not sure that really constitutes a deep insight into an agenda.

Come now Pindar, I'm not asking the president to 'complain', and as president he most certainly could have a huge impact on the issue if he chose. Why couldn't he have gotten legislation passed to prevent corporations from doing exactly the same thing that he and congress just prevented individuals from doing? Obviously, because he is fine with laws that protect corporations, but vocal in his assaults on laws that protect the American people.