Bush nixes Denver visit, citing invite to Assange

So he doesn't want to be part of a forum that invites people with different views, even though that person will not be attending. An odd idea of what a "forum" is, and an odd response from a person with an odd idea of what a forum is.

Officially today, he declined the offer to visit Denver.

Plus, Denver will hold a big solidarity for Wisconsin union dispute. And Texas has just arrested one Saudi terrorist yesterday who was plotting to kill "W". I think Bush made a good decision not attending.

Sherzer said Bush doesn’t want to be part of a forum that invited someone who has “willfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the United States.”

that pretty well nixes his forum-attending career then.

"George W Bush said Friday he will not visit Denver this weekend as planned because WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was invited to attend one of the same events as the former president."

No doubt Assange has a bevy of bush secrets, so the former president doesn't want to be embarrassed. Can't blame him -- the guy couldn't debate his way out of a kindergarten... trying to talk to Assange would be tantamount to him stepping into the ring with Tyson (back in his prime), or actually doing his military duty instead of skipping out.

smmithinjapan: "No doubt Assange has a bevy of bush secrets, so the former president doesn't want to be embarrassed.

I'm assuming that smithinjapan is being childish here, refusing to capitalize the names of ppl he doens't like, and means secrets about the former two-term US president, not outback survival skills or such.

Why doesn't big bad Julian release these secrets? Although a rapist and a total cad Assange could regain his "cred" with the whackos on the far Left who despise Bush, but are ironically mouthing the same hopes for Libya and Egypt that Bush did...

I have to ask - - Do ya still hope - sorry, think - Assange has anything about 9-11 being a, you know, inside job???

Why do the Wiki warriors keep so many already unstable ppl in such an excited state??? It's so cruel...

Sherzer said Bush doesn’t want to be part of a forum that invited someone who has “willfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the United States.”

Actually, the question is whether he has done any great harm to the United States. Seems more like he has done great harm to many other countries, but as for the USA it seems he has exposed that the USA seems to have a reasonably competent State Department, out in the world gathering information. They aren't reporting on the USA itself, though that would be very interesting if they did.

Otherwise, enjoyed the assessment of smithinjapan's thought processes, keep them coming. And some friendly (seriously) advice, the "whackos on the far Left" line is past its sell-by date.

Why the heck was Bush invited to a "Global Leadership Forum" anyway? The man led in the same way the Pied Piper did, with America as the rats. Even his (and now Obama's) Secretary of Defense has warned against any more military adventures like Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush spent his life avoiding hardship and accepting shortcuts. Assange, conversely, has shown the cojones to create historical precedent knowing full well the personal risk it brought to him; anyone who doesn't suspect the Swedish charges does not understand how the world works.

The eagerness I would attend any meeting feating Assange matches the eagerness I'd avoid one featuring Bush.

SolidariTea: "...not outback survival skills or such."

Huh?

"Why do the Wiki warriors keep so many already unstable ppl in such an excited state??? It's so cruel..."

No kidding... the banks are in a serious panic at the moment, and ultra-rightists are just ITCHING to see Assange extradited to Sweden.

Seriously, bush couldn't live up to anything in his life as president or leading up to it, why should he do so in retirement? Do people on the right actually expect he'd get up off his rump and leave Camp David (he barely did when he was president, so again, why now?)?

smithinjapan, SolidariTea was just showing his knowledge of Australian lingo there, actually a pretty good line. Bush (I am using capitals, so don't get mad at me!) equals outback, in fact it is the much more common term when you are in Australia.

As for the banks being in a panic, the question is what could Wikileaks have that is worse than is already known.

Seriously, bush couldn't live up to anything in his life as president or leading up to it, why should he do so in retirement?

2 term president of the most powerful nation on earth and before that governor of a state with an economy roughly the size of Canada's .

Yeah, what would HE know about leadership? I mean, attempting repeal of the tax cuts Bush put in place left Obama so flummoxed he had to call in Clinton to drop the bomb on his gullible base and tell them that even with majorities in both houses Obama lacked the leadership skills it took to make good on any of his campaign promises.

No kidding... the banks are in a serious panic at the moment, and ultra-rightists are just ITCHING to see Assange extradited to Sweden

The "rightists" want him extradited? You think feminism is "rightist"? LOL

GJDailleult: "smithinjapan, SolidariTea was just showing his knowledge of Australian lingo there, actually a pretty good line."

Oh, I caught the 'outback' reference (ie. bush), and although it was unusually clever for the poster, it was still unrelated, in my opinion, since clearly I was addressing the bush in the article -- not Australia. Saying 'sheila-pleasing skills' would have been even more impressive, but equally unrelated. :)

Uh, SolidariTea, either you do not understand this tax issue or you should write with more clarity. Bush specifically designed his tax reductions on the wealthy to expire in 2010 so as to create a rosier 15-year budget deficit prediction. He did this with full knowledge that his predecessor would be forced either to ALLOW the tax reductions to expire, thus earning the black mark of a 'tax-raiser,' or to vote to continue them. Either way, Bush must have known that his successor would be screwed. But then again, that, to him, was leadership.

Typo - 'predecessor' should read 'successor.'

SolidariTea at 08:28 PM JST - 26th February: The "rightists" want him extradited? You think feminism is "rightist"? LOL

So are you're saying that "rightists" don't actually want to see him extradited, only feminists do? That seems to go completely against the comments I've read here, including your own. You do, after all, describe Assange as "a rapist and a total cad". Seems strange that you wouldn't want to then see him extradited. I think you're getting your message mixed up.

smith, a "sheila" or "bruce" reference would have been very impressive indeed, but the comment made is still pretty good for an American (inside Canadian joke there, butt of the joke is not Americans). Even better would have been a reference to "The Prisoner", probably before smith's time, but wow, Karen Travers was gorgeous. Assange is basically the Karen Travers of the 21st century, minus the gorgeous bit.

Myself I have no problem differentiating the guy, Assange, from the organization, Wikileaks. Suspect he is not a guy I would want to have a beer with, but doesn't mean that he isn't be doing something useful. Not sure why that goes over so many heads, as my head is very close to the ground.

Come on, smith. Bush practically handed you your roots in radicalism. Surely you should throw some respect to the man for doing that. Without him you wouldn't have pulled off your single biggest game-changing event in message board history...the refusal to capitalize his last name. It was that "gauntlet" that you so aptly threw down (and still do to this day) that really defined you as a person in the political spectrum: a middle-class Canadian boy sticking it to the man all in the name of justice over the internet.

And hasn't assange (thank you) already spilled the beans on Bush? He released the Iraq and Afghanistan war files. I think it got brushed aside since people decided their imagination about "what really happened" was far more interesting. Ah, sweet memories...

SuperLib: "Come on, smith. Bush practically handed you your roots in radicalism."

Ah, the old, "Extremists should be shot" argument. I'm not a radical in the least... radical.

"Surely you should throw some respect to the man for doing that."

The shrub deserves respect for nothing. In fact, he deserves to have toilet paper with his image printed on it so I can finally show him what he deserves to his face.

".the refusal to capitalize his last name."

The fact that this bothers you guys so much instead of how badly the man destroyed your nation is really quite amusing. I don't capitalize the names of people who don't deserve it, or those who don't themselves, bottom line. bush certainly does not deserve to have his name capitalized... not one bit.

"a middle-class Canadian boy sticking it to the man all in the name of justice over the internet."

Says the guy posting on... wait... the internet.

"And hasn't assange (thank you) already spilled the beans on Bush?"

I have never ever suggested, as you do in your line subsequent to this, and SolidariTea did before he made himself look silly with his posts on the economy and contradicted himself on Assange (or wait... does he NOT want Assange extradited?), that there was any conspiracy about 9/11. I merely said that Assange probably has heaps of stuff on bush -- YOU guys are the ones who immediately jumped to conspiracy theories, which again is quite humorous.

"Ah, sweet memories..."

I don't think 9/11 is 'sweet' at all, you guys jumping to conclusions or not. Why would anyone, let alone you.

Moderator: From now on, please capitalize people's names, whether you think they deserve it. This is to keep the discussion at a reasonable level.

GJDailleult: "Even better would have been a reference to "The Prisoner", probably before smith's time, but wow, Karen Travers was gorgeous. "

GJ, I loved both the original and remake of The Prisoner (who on earth could ever forget the big white ball??), though I have to say I liked the remake more mostly because I LOVE everything and anything Ian McKellen stars in (some duds, for sure, but he MAKES them better).

Still, the 'shiela' and 'bush' reference would have shown more with because it also would involve, albeit rather negatively, why Assange might be extradited on bogus charges to Sweden.

SolidariTea: "The "rightists" want him extradited? You think feminism is "rightist"? LOL"

Ummm, no. I know you find this hard to understand, but me referring to American ultra-rightists means I was referring to American ultra-rightists. I KNOW! Imagine that! Pretty funny to see at least a few others point out to you the obvious 'error' in your comment soon after, though. :) Not surprising one bit, but pretty funny.

Or wait... by 'you' do you think I mean 'women' or 'feminists'?

donkusai: "Seems strange that you wouldn't want to then see him extradited."

Until you realize whom you are talking to, yes.

Bush specifically designed his tax reductions on the wealthy to expire in 2010 so as to create a rosier 15-year budget deficit prediction.

This is very, very wrong. Bush tried repeatedly to make the tax cuts permanent, not just extend them til 2010. They were not specifically designed to expire. Politically, that was all they could get.

Ah, the old, "Extremists should be shot" argument. I'm not a radical in the least... radical.

You are one of the most virulent Bush haters on here. It doesn't matter what he does or says, you hate on him. Even now you still lack objectivity. Whats amusing is you turn around and vigorously defend Obama, even when what he does is indefensible. Considering some of his extremist positions, the mental gymnastics involved must be horrible. I do feel for you though, I went through the same thing with Bush, before deciding he simply wasn't a conservative, and realizing I didn't like him.

The shrub deserves respect for nothing. In fact, he deserves to have toilet paper with his image printed on it so I can finally show him what he deserves to his face.

Must be some of that civiiity in our National discussion talked about by President Obama recently.

Molenir: "You are one of the most virulent Bush haters on here."

And so that makes someone a 'radical'. Come on... you guys are the same lot that think 'all Muslims should die by the sword', and then call others extreme.

"Whats amusing is you turn around and vigorously defend Obama, even when what he does is indefensible."

I find this amusing, coming off the heels of judging me as lacking objectivity.

"Considering some of his extremist positions,..."

Please... not while I'm drinking coffee! But again, and keep in mind you have suggested I am extreme and not at all objective, what are Obama's 'extremist positions'? Let me guess, you think his stance on health care is 'extremist'? :)

"the mental gymnastics involved must be horrible."

bush is a religious fanatic who opposed stem-cell research, and everything else he didn't agree with; except for the fact he claimed to have participated in war when in fact he, and his draft dodger #1 VP, did nothing but avoid combat through daddy. It takes no gymnastics to not like such scum. On the contrary, it's quite amusing to watch the gymnastics you guys go through to defend him and even, very sadly, try to EMULATE him (though why you would want to act like a donkey is the biggest question mark).

Moderator: Sorry, we asked you to capitalize people's names.

Molenir, you have I assume heard of the Byrd Rule:

The Byrd Rule is a Senate rule that amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to allow Senators, during the Reconciliation Process, to block a piece of legislation if it purports significantly to increase the federal deficit beyond a ten-year term or is otherwise an "extraneous matter" as set forth in the Budget Act.

To quote Businessinsider:

Had the tax breaks been made permanent—or even extended beyond Sept. 30, 2011—the fledgling Bush administration would have had to muster a 60-vote Senate majority under the so-called Byrd Rule. (The final version, cutting taxes by $1.35 trillion, garnered 58 votes.) And by moving up the expiration date by nine months, the Bush team saved $100 billion and made the bill’s deficit-busting impact appear smaller.

Bush's actions were clear: he finessed the system, orchestrating massive tax reductions on the wealthy with no offsetting budget cuts, and the only way he was able to do so was to sunset those cuts just before the ten-year cutoff. To say that he would have preferred permanent cuts is disingenuous: that is the raison d'être of the Tea Party, the right-flank of the Republican party revolting against eight years of Republican misrule, and the reason why Republicans will not again regain the presidency in the foreseeable future.

Laguna: Why do you always show them what they don't want to see? You KNOW they never reappear after you embarrass them as such, so that they can claim the same things later and pretend they just haven't seen the truth!

Sigh. What you have said is VERY true, but look forward to it being forgetting before it's completely read.

Assange should be on trial in Sweden.

errr... being FORGOTTEN, not 'forgetting'. Auto-correct decided the present participle to be more proper.

Breaking news: a judge has ruled that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face charges of sex crimes.

Breaking news: a judge has ruled that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face charges of sex crimes.

Poor Julian Assange; to those of of us who are Libertarians his cause was interesting to follow.

I guess Sweden is the new canada, in that 'human rights tribunals' trump all.

Breaking news: a judge has ruled that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face charges of sex crimes.

...and his defense team already have an appeal planned. This will most likely take a few years before it is all played out. Until it does, Assange won't be leaving the U.K., and he certainly won't be attending a forum in Denver. Seems a little disingenuous of Bush to use this as an excuse to not attend.

Bush tried repeatedly to make the tax cuts permanent, not just extend them til 2010.

The 10 year thing was a budget trick, which I was going to point out, but I see it was done above already.

Agree about the reason for not attending being disingenuous too. For all we know Assange was invited only because the organizers knew he wouldn't be able to attend, but they thought sending an invitation would give them some "cred". Real reason for not attending probably something else.

Bush's actions were clear: he finessed the system, orchestrating massive tax reductions on the wealthy

Nonsense. The top 10 percent of wage earners in Bush's America paid 71 percent of the taxes. And he did nothing to lower the nation's corporate tax, highest in the world now.