James Nagy – 2/16/05

This page was last updated on February 26, 2005.

Dishonesty must not pay; James Nagy; Beaver County Times; February 16, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“President Bush has done many dishonest things.”

[RWC] If that were true, it’s too bad Mr. Nagy provides no proof.

“The Iraq war has had its dishonesties. About 50 FAA intelligence reports out of 100 in the months before Sept. 11, 2001, warned of bin Laden, al-Qaida and suicidal building attacks. Yet the president implies that these reports don’t exist.”

[RWC] Mr. Nagy forgot to mention most of these referenced overseas risks and none provided information specific enough to have prevented 9/11. I’m not saying that we as a country could not have done better for years, but there’s nothing to indicate anyone in the Bush administration was careless. Indeed, Mr. Nagy fails to note security alerts were sent to airports and the airlines.

“Reports on weapons of mass destruction were deceptive. The ‘a few bad apples’ approach to prisoner abuse doesn’t account for the 100-plus offenders charged. The incidences of propaganda paid for by tax money is dishonest. Claims that Social Security is backed only with IOUs misrepresents the value of Treasury bonds.”

[RWC] I’d like to know Mr. Nagy’s information source. Regarding WMD, every “post mortem” conducted concluded that the Bush administration did not pressure intelligence agencies into conclusions and that the Bush administration did not misrepresent the reports. Mr. Nagy also forgets many in Congress – Democrats and Republicans – had the same intelligence sources as President Bush.

When Mr. Nagy claims “propaganda paid for by tax money is dishonest,” I agree. That said, every word out of an elected official’s mouth is “propaganda paid for by tax money.” I just read a news release by a local state representative that said the PA Corporate Net Income tax rate was going down when the CNI tax collections are actually going up.

Regarding Socialist Security IOUs, that’s exactly what they are. You can try to sugarcoat them any way you want, but the federal government doesn’t have the money to pay back the IOUs without borrowing or increasing taxes.

“Bush may not be charged, as the government might cease to operate as it struggles to straighten out all these lies. If someone can get a message to Bush, my suggestion would be to ask Vice President Dick Cheney to resign because of ‘ill health.’”

[RWC] Charged with what? I can see Mr. Nagy wishes President Bush had the same problem with the truth as his predecessor.

At this point, Mr. Nagy appears to be going off the deep end.

“Bush could then appoint his replacement before he followed in President Nixon’s footsteps. I don’t know why he would, but one can hope.”

[RWC] Humoring Mr. Nagy’s fantasy, why would President Bush not want VP Cheney to be his replacement?

“My guess is that this would put Karl Rove into power. If he is as Machiavellian as reported, I’d rather have him on point (the first soldier in a recon patrol) so we can keep an eye on him.”

[RWC] Perhaps Mr. Nagy should get some writing lessons and consider a career writing fiction.