Hey madkow ......

The Bush White House cut funding to the aqueducts in Louisiana.  Just like they cut money for other infrastructure line items like roads, hospitals, bridges ...... but - even with these cuts the deficit climbs.  Don't blame the governor unless you decide to blame all governors for a failure to get money for anything except war machinery or aid ($8 billion a month) to Pakistan, for instance.

You can't win the hearts and minds of other countries by not being above really bad ideas - like torture.  Two wrongs have never equaled a right.  It just makes two wrongs.  By the way - you don't get reliable intelligence thru torture.  Millions of people said they were witches/warlocks or Christians under torture - when they weren't.  History gives us lots of information if we decide to listen.

The last check I did on the US economy and taxes collected - nearly 80% of taxes come from the middle class and small businesses.  The poor are exempt and the rich make use of the loop holes.  The very rich and big business take their profit and put it in their pockets.  They reinvest as little as possible and only a few "give back" via charity unless they need the write off.  The gap between the very rich and the very poor has never before been so huge as we see today.   

The last I heard from all our politicians and military personnel - including your president when he lobbied for the "surge"-  we need a "political" solution in Iraq.  How does replacing a general make that happen?

Sorry - have to disagree with you madkow. 

I can't remember an administration I more wanted to see go away, but I have to admit that I'm really a little uneasy over what will fill the White House next.

It's very premature to say that this administration will be judged as one of the worst.  It certainly will not be considered the best, but you cannot base this administration's legacy on today's popular opinion.  Remember JFK, who is for some reason lauded as one of the best presidents?  Even though some historians now consider him to have been a mediocre president?  Or that Hoover, who suffers one of the worst reputations, didn't actually cause the Great Depression?  It was caused by policies that were instituted before he was president.  I hate being put in the position of defending Bush, but I don't think it's fair to merely jump on the bandwagon and call him completely incompetent when we don't yet have the advantage of retrospect.

As for the specifics:

"The bush administration continues to ignore the devastating results of Katrina"
    Louisiana, in my opinion, carries much of the blame for this.  Bush did tell Gov. Blanco to order an evacuation, which she failed to do until the last minute.  Living in New Orleans carries a risk, and everyone that lived there was well aware of that risk.  I don't want to play "blame the victim" but when you are in a hurricane-prone area you need to know what to do when one is barreling toward your city.  They certainly can't blame the media for not warning them...  The residents of the coastal states have the responsibility to take care of themselves, without relying on the federal government to step in and "kiss it and make it all better."  If an earthquake were to happen in California, we are prepared to deal with some hard times, and we have the proper insurance!

"The bush administration thinks torture is ok"
    If we were to always abide by the Geneva conventions, we would be a sitting duck with out hands tied behind our back.  The Geneva Conventions are obsolete when our enemies don't abide by them either.  This is not a genteel war.  In WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf we were fighting a country (or countries).  Soldiers fighting for their country do not have the same level of loyalty as soldiers fighting for a radical religion.  And in a war it is imperative to gather intelligence.  What do you suggest we do to get that intelligence?  Let them live in relative luxury like we allowed the Nazi POWs to do for the duration of WWII ?  Their camps followed the Geneva Conventions to the letter.  Do you think they were effective for gathering intelligence?

"The Bush administration has provided tax cuts to the very, very, very rich"
    This one is simple.  Who do you think, of all people in this country, invests their money more in the economy?  Is it Middle class Joe Schmo with his lousy $300 tax refund?  Or is it Richie Rich with his multi-million dollar refund?  It is based on the theory of supply-side economics, which is the theory that when people are given incentives to produce goods and services, the people themselves will cause economic growth.  It is a theory; macroeconomics is not always definite and it takes a very long time for economic theories to play out and reveal whether they are viable or faulty.

"Bush has replaced all the military leaders who disagreed with him"
    If they're not doing their job of winning the war, then they should be replaced.  Would you expect to keep your job when you are incapable of succeeding?