Recently, while going through an airport during one of his many trips, President Bush encountered a man with long gray hair and beard, wearing a white robe and sandals, holding a staff.
President Bush went up to the man and said, 'Has anyone told you that you look like Moses?'
The man didn't answer. He just kept staring straight ahead.
The president said, 'Moses!' in a loud voice. The man just stared ahead, never acknowledging the president.
The president then pulled a Secret Service agent aside and, pointing to the robed man, asked, 'Am I crazy or does that man not look like Moses to you? The Secret Service agent looked at the man and agreed.
'Well,' said the president, 'every time I say his name, he ignores me and stares straight ahead, refusing to speak. 'Watch!'. Again the president yelled, 'Moses!' and again the man ignored him.
The Secret Service agent went up to the man in the white robe and whispered, 'You look just like Moses. Are you Moses?'
The man leaned over and whispered back, 'Shhhh! Yes, I am Moses. But the last time I talked to a bush, I spent 40 years wandering in the desert and ended up leading my people to the only spot in the entire Middle East with no oil.'
You've heard the term Ugly American, well there are ugly Christians it seems. Slander and judgment based on half truths and lies sure doesn't seem right to me. Or maybe far right I guess.
I'm not even going to sling any mud on your guys, they're on the ropes now and fighting dirty all the way. It's too sad and so not what most Americans want to hear.
Hailed as an American hero for his role in pulling Iraq back from the brink of all-out civil war, U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus takes on an even more challenging job on Friday as the head of U.S. Central Command.
The warrior-scholar with a doctorate in international relations from Princeton University takes responsibility for U.S. military operations in a volatile swathe of the world that includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and the Gulf.
As the top commander in Iraq, Petraeus presided over a surge of 30,000 extra U.S. troops into the country and implemented a strategy focused on protecting the Iraqi population, which contributed to a steep decline in violence.
The turnaround in Iraq was also due to other factors -- including Sunni former insurgents turning against al Qaeda and a ceasefire by radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr -- but Petraeus has received widespread credit for his leadership....
However, analysts say the authority of his office -- the head of Central Command is one of the top posts in the U.S. military -- and his own personal reputation will give Petraeus substantial influence across the region and in Washington.
In Pakistan, no one is seriously suggesting a large influx of U.S. troops to fight militants there so Petraeus will have to focus largely on persuading and assisting the Pakistani military to carry out effective operations.
Military leaders in Pakistan, where al Qaeda has regrouped in areas bordering Afghanistan, will be keen to learn from Petraeus, said Shuja Nawaz, the author of a book on the Pakistani army called "Crossed Swords."
"The knowledge that he's acquired in fighting ... militancy in Iraq is going to be listened to," Nawaz said.
"Also, Gen. Petraeus' knowledge of political systems and working with politicians is something that would be valuable."
Petraeus always argues that defeating insurgencies requires much more than military force and stresses the importance of political deals and economic development.
With his intellectual air and high media profile, Petraeus is not universally loved in the U.S. military. Some believe he regards himself too highly and nickname him "King David." ....
Rasmussen Reports is an American public opinion polling firm. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen, co-founder of ESPN and Evangelical Christian, the company updates its President's job approval rating daily and publishes at least one poll a month for each United States Senate and state governor race on its website.
Exxon Mobil posts biggest US quarterly profit ever
HOUSTON – Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, says it shattered its own record for the biggest profit from operations by a U.S. corporation, earning $14.83 billion in the third quarter.
Bolstered by this summer's record crude prices, the Irving, Texas-based company said Thursday that net income jumped nearly 58 percent, or $2.86 a share in the July-September. That compares with $9.41 billion, or $1.70 a share, a year ago.
The previous record for U.S. corporate profit was set earlier this year, when Exxon Mobil earned $11.68 billion in the second quarter.
Revenue rose 35 percent to $137.7 billion.
On average, analysts expected the company to earn $2.39 per share in the latest quarter on revenue of $131.4 billion.
Just watch, whenever they are together you see them really looking at each other and often have their arms around each other too.
Don't be mean 'cause Obama's an intelligent guy, we need some smarts in the Oval Office. It's about time. I'd say the advisers have been running the whole show for waaaay too long.
Don't think so, at least now it isn't. Gonna take a whole lot of reforming and that is never easy. At least he is talking about it and paying attention to the middle class unlike some.
Part of the reason is that the fed gov uses the money that's supposed to be kept for SS, borrowing it.
Clinton (don' like him either) left us in the red but he did allow outsourcing of too many jobs.
Buch pretty much took care of special interests and tax cuts while waging a very expensive war, and deregulation was a big theme during his administration. I don't think any of that was for the average American.
There is so much waste and corruption in Gov spending, always has been part of the business as usual buying favors crap. It all needs to be cleaned up including reversing the wealthy tax cuts.
We need money people, it ain't gonna grow on trees.
Skybow Forum Posts (1,146)
RE: Obama for President.........Decency became a Tsunami!
OBAMA All the waaaaaay.