Corporate Rewards

Lee Raymond
When you stop at the gas station(it seems like I'm stopping more often lately) think about Lee Raymond, retiring head of Exxon Mobil. Mr. Raymond is credited with boosting this company to the largest profits ever "earned" by any company anywhere. So of course Exxon plans on treating Lee Raymond right. When he retires, he will receive a package worth 400 million dollars. His former salary wasn't bad either. Think of the several minutes it takes to pump those $3 gallons - Mr. Raymond will be making $6,000 per minute as you reach for the hose and clunk it into your tank and hold the trigger.

Checking my facts, I believe this 400 million dollar figure written of elsewhere may be wrong. According to the AFL-CIO's Executive Paywatch site, Raymond only gets 6.5 million dollars per year in retirement. Kind of like winning the Lottery every year for the rest of your life. He also has a deal where he can take a lump sum of 80 mill up front.

Still, think of Mr. Raymond as those minutes tick by - he doesn't count minutes at the pump like we do; he probably has his chauffeur do that sort of thing.

A Modest Proposal

In July 1953, new President Dwight Eisehower "ended" the Korean War by going there as he had promised. Agreements were signed and an uneasy peace continues there to this day.

In this spirit, I am recommending that President Bush go to Iraq. His presence there during the "last throes" of this not civil war, might be just the tipping point to inspire the faltering purple thumb government.Since we have so much of our Army in place, as well as so many thousands of highly trained Iraqi security forces (I forget exactly how many there are now), certainly the President could make it from Baghdad's Airport to the Green Zone. To effect an even more forceful statement, Our Leader should also bring Laura, Jenna, not-Jenna, and the entire Cheney family.Mission accomplished !

One caution: Make sure you leave Barney in the States: he may be needed.

Repeated Lies

Once again, at his most recent press conference, President Bush repeated one of his recurrent lies to Helen Thomas. He claimed that Saddam "chose to deny inspectors" to look for WMDs. Why does he continue to say this? This lie totally rejects reality. Everyone knows that Hans Blix's team was in Iraq feverishly searching ; they only had to leave when Bush ordered the first bombings.I guess he can say this because ignorant voters and lazy, biased journalists allow it.

My New Hero

Harry Taylor
In North Carolina today in a public forum Harry Taylor made this comment to George W. Bush:

Q You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you’d like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are –

THE PRESIDENT: I’m not your favorite guy. Go ahead. (Laughter and applause.) Go on, what’s your question?

Q Okay, I don’t have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I — in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and –

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: No, wait a sec — let him speak.

Q And I would hope — I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration, and I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I’m saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about.

THE PRESIDENT: It is, yes. (Applause.)

Q And I know that this doesn’t come welcome to most of the people in this room, but I do appreciate that.

This transcript is from Think Progress ; video is there too. I think many of us have wanted to say what Mr. Taylor said to the Worst President Ever. However,I don't think I could have improved on Harry Taylor, my new hero.
(Please notice the expression on the lady Harry stands next to - it's priceless !)

After Mr. Taylor's comments, the President goes on to explain why he didn't think he had to obey the FISA law. More of the same power grab.