In the Bush Administration’s notion of economic recovery, the rich get richer and the poor get more numerous:

With the Midwest leading the way, the nation’s poverty rate went up in 2004 for the fourth straight year even as the U.S. economy strengthened, the Census Bureau said Tuesday.

George W. Bush has been president for a little over four and a half years. With four straight years of increasing poverty rates, the Bush record on poverty is remarkably clear.

There is an undeclared War on Poverty.

Via Crooks and Liars: Fred Barnes, a conservative pundit and frequent Bush apologist, has assailed poor people for foolishly living in areas where disasters happen:

Fred Barnes, who supports throwing endless amounts of taxpayers’ money down the rat hole called the Iraq War, says the federal government should stop providing disaster aid to places like New Orleans when they suffer hurricane damage.

Barnes, speaking on “Special Report with Brit Hume” on Monday (August 29), said people who move into such areas should assume the risk themselves rather than expect help from Congress. He noted that earlier in the day he talked to a Republican offical who also noted that as the storm raged, “every half or hour or so, you know, there’s another billion dollars, another billion dollars the federal government’s gong to have to spend.”

This is what terrorists hope for — that fear itself becomes the weapon that kills more than the mortars or the suicide bombs:

At least 600 people have been killed in a stampede of Shia pilgrims in northern Baghdad, Iraqi officials say.

The incident happened on a bridge over the Tigris River as about one million Shias marched to a shrine for an annual religious festival.

Witnesses said panic spread because of rumours that suicide bombers were in the crowd. Many victims were crushed to death or fell in the river and drowned.

They also serve, who only sit and type.

Via Crooks and Liars: finally, some recognition for the brave keyboard kommandos who brave carpal tunnel syndrome and that awful crick you can get in your neck sometimes, and who keep up the drumbeat for George W. Bush’s Iraq Adventure even as the American people turn against it. The Kombat Keyboard Badge:

These awards are restricted to those pundits who advocate the Iraq War, but refuse to serve or have family members serve, when eligible.

Those ineligible include Michael Ledeen, who sent his daughter to work in the CPA in Baghdad, The Bushes, since their children have not taken a clear stand on Iraq, and sadly, Max Boot, who has actually been to Iraq, as has Tom Friedman.

To be eligible, one must have risked nothing to advocate the war, while advocating it [vociferously]

It's not enough, I think, not to have served or sacrificed for this war. The true keyboard kommando attacks the service and belittles the sacrifice of others.

Update: Turns out the phrase “Keyboard Kommando” is not original to me.