What Are Gas Prices Again?

General theme of Bush's "makes us all feel better about the economy" news conference: It's all the Democrats and Congress' fault (that firm hold they've had on the executive branch for eight years); don't worry, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be just fine; there's no short-term fix except for offshore oil drilling; and how much are gas prices now?


Didn't think Bush's approval ratings could go any lower but he's proving me wrong. He's like Josh Hamilton in the home run derby: Already has the record and keeps knocking our more disapproval home runs anyway.

And did you notice how the stock market dropped during the conference. It was like all the Mortimer and Dukes were yelling out, "sell! sell!" all at once. I would too after watching that travesty.

Betancourt Rescue: Something Fishy?

I truly hate going into conspiracy theory territory.

Trying to find the aliens at Area 51 is fruitless when all they were doing was testing the stealth fighter. Trying to find the other shooter in the JFK assassination negates the tragedy of that day. Saying 9-11 was a controlled demolition spits on the graves of every single person who died on that day.

But I can’t help but think that there’s something fishy about an unusual visit by John McCain coinciding with the rescue of 15 hostages from the Colombian FARC rebels.

I don’t mean to downplay the truly joyous moment of seeing Ingrid Betancourt, three American prisoners and 11 other held for nearly six years enjoy their new freedom. But watching official government news agency (for now) Fox News and other right-wing media proclaim McCain as having something to do with the rescue got the wheels turning.

Then came word that the White House knew in advance about the plan to go after the hostages (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hX5TF0FO-soIVFBJfsd6YRHIFHhg), possibly as early as President Bush’s own trip to Colombia in March. And we now know that McCain made the visit at the urging for both the executive branch’s state department and one his top fund-raisers: Chiquita CEO Carl H. Lindner Jr., who is so happens got in trouble recently for giving more than $1 million to another Colombia terrorist group, the AUC.

Following along? Well, just ask this: Why in the midst of the competitive 2008 presidential race was McCain making a side trip to Colombia? Not exactly a hotbed for electoral votes.

McCain claims it was under the guise of a trip to promote free trade with Colombia … and if there’s one issue that’s on the front-burner of American voters minds right now, it’s not the economy, Iraq or health care, it’s free trade with Colombia.

Might just be too much of a conspiracy theory, but when you run a secretive and manipulative administration like the one currently in power – with its secret courts, Constitutional violations and wars under false pretenses – you have to give it at least a thought.