Bush Called "Incompetent" In Recent Poll

I didn't vote for President Bush, but I do feel sorry for him as a man who's clearly on the wrong path. Here's the article, with a link to the orginal work.

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent Thu Mar 16, 12:32 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deep doubts about the Iraq war and pessimism about America's future have shattered public confidence in President George W. Bush and helped drive his approval ratings to their lowest level ever, pollsters say.

As Bush launched a series of speeches to drum up support for the war, a new round of opinion polls found growing skepticism about Iraq and distrust of Bush. His image declined sharply, with one poll finding "incompetent" to be the most frequent description of his leadership.

Bush's approval rating dipped as low as 33 percent in one recent poll after a string of bad news for the White House, including uproars over a now-dead Arab port deal, a secret eavesdropping program, a series of ethics scandals involving high-profile Republicans and a bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.

The political storm has left Bush's second-term legislative agenda in tatters, threatened Republican control of the U.S. Congress in November's elections and shredded his personal image as an effective leader.

"His strong points as a president were being seen as personally credible, as a strong leader. That has all but disappeared," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, whose latest independent poll found a dramatic decline in Bush's credibility.

A majority of Americans, 56 percent, believe Bush is "out of touch," the poll found. When asked for a one-word description of Bush, the most frequent response was "incompetent," followed by "good," "idiot" and "liar." In February 2005, the most frequent reply was "honest."

"The transformation from being seen as honest to being seen as incompetent is an extraordinary indicator of how far he has fallen," Kohut said.

Bush's slump is deep enough to put Republican majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives at risk, pollsters said. Democrats must gain 15 House seats and six Senate seats to regain power in each chamber.

"It's not the environment that we want to be running in," Republican pollster David Winston said. "Republicans can still hold the House and the Senate, but it's becoming increasingly more complicated."

In a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 61 percent said the Iraq war would be a very important or the most important issue in deciding their vote for Congress. As the third anniversary of the invasion approaches, they preferred Democrats over Republicans in handling Iraq by 48 to 40 percent.

WAR 'A BIG ISSUE'

"I think it is a big issue," House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said. "When the country is at war there is a certain unsettling that occurs with people around the country, as you might expect."

Boehner said the anxiety over Iraq was coloring the public's view on other issues like the economy, which he said is performing well.

"People don't look at the president's handling of the economy very well, and frankly I think it is a result of this anxiety over the fact that we are at war," he said.

A recent CBS poll found 66 percent of the public believed the country was headed down the wrong track, while a Harris Interactive poll put the number at 60 percent.

Views on Iraq and the war on terrorism were equally pessimistic, with 67 percent of respondents in the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll saying Bush did not have a clear plan for handling Iraq.

Independent pollster Dick Bennett of American Research Group said Bush's failure to acknowledge public anxieties added to his troubles.

"The biggest problem the White House faces is reconnecting with people. People simply aren't buying it anymore," Bennett said. "People can see for themselves that things actually are not fine."

Bush's ratings are still above historical lows recorded since Gallup started presidential polling after World War Two.

The approval ratings for Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and the first George Bush, the current president's father, all dropped into the 20s.

Pats Cut Wille McGinest; Browns Pick Him Up

Pats Lineman and USC Trojan Willie McGinest was reunited with his old defensive coach Romeo Crenel today. It's a great move for the Browns as he knows the defense the Browns run -- it was the same as that he played within in New England. The Pats, on the other hand, lose a great team leader.

The Browns are on a serious free agency tear. They've got DT Ted Washington, WR Joe Juervicious, to name some of the more famous names. Let's see how this impacts their draft postion. Will they trade down?

Tammy NYP Sex Video, Bukit Batok Video, and The Paris Hilton View - Wow

It seems that we get constant reminders that the first use of the Internet is for the communication of sex. The latest proof of this is in the massive person-hunt for the unseen Bukit Batok Video, which reportedly shows a couple having sex in a park withing that region of Singapore. Before that, it was the Paris Hilton Sex Video, which is all over the Internet.

Look, I'm not interested in watching two people get it on. I'm far more interested in being one of the two and the other's got to be female. You can also leave the video camera at home.

I'm sorry. But I've never been turned on by the standard couple sex in porn movies. It's another way of saying that porn movies don't do a thing for me -- unless it's just the woman. And I mean a full blown adult woman. Someone like Christine Roth, a female bodybuilder.

Ok. The only time I'd watch a video is if it were just the woman. But I told you that.

And beyond all that, I can't show those tapes on this site, anyway!

"Beth's Oscar Party" - A Video Of Our Trip To "The Academy of Friends" Oscar Party in San Francisco For The Academy Awards

My great friend Beth Schnitzer throws the best parties. One of them is an annual gathering of friends to watch the Academy Awards, and where this author has served as ballot scorer and three-time first prize winner (in six years!)

This year, Beth wanted to try something different, and with that decided to arrange for us to attend the San Francisco Academy of Friends Benefit Party. Held at the Concourse Exhibition Center, this emormous event drew an estimated 2,500 people. It features food and drink from 32 San Francisco Restaurants, an auction, and just plain fun all to raise money to attack AIDS.

A good portion of the attendees are Gay (maybe the majority), and so it presents a great slice of San Francisco life. And candidly I write that it's an event everyone should attend at least once and if only to just get over whatever "stuff" they may be dealing with and learn to just plain enjoy people. Everyone's very nice and funny, and if you're a single straight guy like me there's loads of attractive women. But that written, our group was full of beautiful, smart women so there was no real need to go elsewhere.

The video I took (which you can see with a click here or on the title of this post and with the QuickTime application) presents Beth at her best: always with a smile, introducing us not just to anyone, but heavy-hitters, energetic, lively, fun, and yet very professional all at the same time. I keep telling her she should run for office, as I think she'd make an excellent San Francisco Supervisor--or Mayor!

The video is also a celebration of our friends, including the very talkative and expressive Mr. Abraham (that's me). I don't resist a time to get my face in the video as you're going to see. And even when I'm not in the picture, you can hear my voice and that cacaling laugh of mine.

Also, listen for the Oscar picts of our friends. It's interesting to see who picked what and their inflections of confidence that "Brokeback Mountain" was going to take the best picture award.

The flick itself has parts where it seems like the camera's on while being carried in a rush. It is. I started to edit out that part but as I watched it, I felt just like I did at the time when the camcoder was on: in a chaotic, fun rush. I know you'll feel the same way!

Sports Illustrated's Mike Silver Sheds Light on The Edgerrin James Deal Sending Him to Arizona

Mike Silver's got a knack for getting to the real story behind NFL players. He does that here with Edgerrin James, the former Indy Colt who's now running back for the Arizona Cardinals.

But knowing Mike, he may have even hit a bar in South Beach while on the story! (Click on this post's title to read it.)

A Nice Day, But A Mean Guy At The Grove on Chestnut

Today was one of those great days Ice Cube rapped about, but I didn't see the need for an AK. It was nice, even though I was sick for much of it.

I've got a kind of cold bug that will not let go of me for whatever reason. So, I've got Vitamin C, B-6 which is what my late Dad told me to take a lot of, and asprin and zinc. Plus, I've got other medicine, too.

With all that, I tried to work out today, and do webwork too. Ouch.

To get myself in the mood, I drove over to The Grove on Chesnut in SF, and was fortunate to get a good place at one of those tables with the pillow seating and the electric power pluggins. As I did, I sat next to A VERY MEAN MAN.

He was not mean to me, but to some defenseless old woman who -- I don't know what happened -- but he YELLED at her in the cafe, and as others (even the people she was talking to) said nothing to him.

Something about her seemingly not wanting him to sit there. The guy told me he "threw" her umbrella at her -- the one she use to save the table. I don't know.

All I know is he was trying to bully her. He was also buying his weak-ass male friend as they were playing Backgamon. Yelling at him not to make another mistake, and learning forward and pointing his finger in the guy's face.

He was really pissing me off. After holding my mouth, I did tell him he should appologize to the lady. Of course, he objected and explained what she did. I told him he should have taken it up with the manager of the cafe. He agreed.

But after some talking, he fell back into his normal ass-hole mode: "It's not my job to make others happy," he said in response to my call for him to "Make others happy." He seemed to delight in being mean, making snide remarks about the lady to his friend.

I finally left, but not before telling the manager -- who knew of the lady's problem with the man -- that if that guy did that again, I'd send him to jail myself.

So, I came back to Oakland and went to The Alley to sing.

NFL Free Agency Roundup

Man. Gone a few days and the NFL turns upside down. To find out who-went-where at a glance, I went to NFL.com. This is what I learned:

Mike Anderson signed with Baltimore away from Denver.

Egderin James is now with the Arizona Cardinals! (I guess he doesn't want a Super Bowl ring after all!)

John Kitna bolted Cincinnati for The Detroit Lions, leaving the Bengals in the hunt for a quaterback to spell the healing Carson Palmer.

The Bengals signed Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Defensive Back Dexter Jackson away from the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Drew Brees is now a New Orleans Saint, which eliminates their need to draft a quarterback.

The Oakland Raiders have done nothing on the free agency market -- yet.

Why Am I Readng About Clay Aiken?

I noticed this over at Technorati today. What's the deal? As I read the psts, he's done nothing newsworthy at all! Someone tell me?

San Francisco Station KGO's TalkGuy Ronn Owens Gets Award For "News/Talk Local Personality of the Year"

Yep. He was awarded this at the R&R 2006 News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards on March 4, in Washington D.C.

Ya know, since I've got the entire press release, and I'm not feeling well, here it is:

San Francisco, CA – March 7 2006 – KGO NEWSTALK AM 810 made a clean sweep at the R&R 2006 News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards on March 4, in Washington D.C. KGO Radio was honored with News/Talk Station of the Year, KGO's Ronn Owens was awarded News/Talk Local Personality of the Year, tied with a Los Angles Station and KGO's Jack Swanson was awarded News/Talk Program Director of the Year. Radio and Records Inc. is a radio broadcast industry magazine.

Ronn Owens' exceptional interviewing skills have made him one of the best in the business. Ronn recently celebrated 30 years at KGO Radio. Owens' unique style, contemporary approach and wide-ranging knowledge on local, national and international issues has additionally won him the prestigious Marconi Award for Major Market Personality of the Year by the 2003 National Association of Broadcasters, recognizing the most outstanding radio personality in the country. The Ronn Owens Program can be heard 9am-Noon, weekdays on KGO AM 810.

Jack Swanson joined KGO Radio in 1979 as News Director. He later became Program Director for eight years maintaining KGO's top-rated status. Jack's second stint at KGO Radio as Program Director began in 1994 and his reign continues today preserving KGO's 107+ consecutive #1 Arbitron surveys. Jack has enjoyed a tremendous run of success and recognition having been voted the #1 Program Director several times by industry organizations and has been the recipient of this R&R award in 2001, 2002 and 2006.


As Mickey Luckoff, President and General Manger, accepted the Station of the Year award, he stated, "It is the personnel past and present that makes KGO great. That is why we have won this award 3 times over the past 6 years."

Vanity Fair: Bush Had Ties to Abramoff

Here's the report on what Vanity Fair's releasing next Month. Wow.

"Janitor Jack" Spills The Beans in The April Vanity Fair

Wow. I've got to get a copy of the April Vanity Fair. Jack Abrimoff's ratting on everyone in the GOP, according to Arriana Huffington.

Another "Tapestry" Episode Tonight

Without going into length or detail, I'll explain that I went out to work at this cafe and in the process of getting dressed after my gym visit Saturday, realized I was wearing basically the same combination of clothes I had on when I went to that party I blogged about.

I thought, I'd I run into the people from that party.

Well, I did. All the ones I wrote about.

There was one person I sent the link to the blog to, and I did it in part because I knew he'd pass the information on one way or another. He played true to form, and I know this without physical evidence, just my hyper-sensitive feelings.

Part of me feels good this happened-- very good -- the other part of me is puzzled why this weird combination of interwined events and people keeps happening each day. I mean, Wednesday I meet a person -- the African American woman who seemed just plain not interested in meeting the only other black man in a group of people we both knew -- who's at the event I attend the next day , and who knows other people that I know through different people. But all in the same room.

There's also some reason for the occurence of actions that cause me to know more about some people than I really wish to know.

There's some reason for it. This "tapestry" event happens and lasts sometimes for days, or with breaks, or in 2004 it was 60 unbroken days long. 60 days where I met someone one day who knew someone I knew and that person came up in conversation and then I saw that person or the person we were talking about the very next day in another setting where I didn't plan to see them, and with yet another person I knew that they didn't know I was acquainted with.

60 straight days.

But for the first time I think I may be aware of how to get at the reason. I will have to pray more to get it, but I feel I know that some message is being sent to me. Either from my late father and stepfather and God -- something.

I think what gets me is that after years on Earth of really doing a lot of interesting things, there's this spritual push that is telling those who would cause me to feel "invisible" that I'm here.

But also it's a push that says "These folks may not be the people who will be friends to you." It goes with the overall lesson I've gained since the death of my father and stepfather last year. It's this:

There are two kinds of people: the ones you want to be your friends, and those who really are your friends. Sometimes, the people who are your friends may not look the way you want them to, or have this or that, but they do possess kind hearts and are there for you. That's what matters the most.

Cherish them.

This is something my mother has been trying to tell me as well. I hear it loud and clear.