Thank you to The Truth about George for the latest update. Here are the bits that were most compelling to me. The site is a project of the National Organization for Women. Go to the site for much much more!

"Ten million people people have registered to vote in Afghanistan in the upcoming presidential election." Later in the debate Bush remarked, "It’s a phenomenal statistic." Human Rights Watch released a 53-page report on Sept. 28 that stated the figure was significantly inaccurate. Many eligible Afghan voters have registered numerous times, believing their voting cards would entitle them to benefits or food rations, a problem believed to be widespread. The report also declared that few voters have faith in the secrecy of the balloting. Some voters claim to have been threatened or bribed by militia groups.

"Forty-one percent of those 10 million are women." This figure is also inaccurate. Tens of thousands of Afghan women, as well as men, have registered to vote multiple times hoping to obtain benefits or food rations. In addition, this figure masks regional variations. Data from some southern provinces shows that less than 10 percent of those registered are women.

"It’s the hardest decision a president makes. So I went to the United Nations. I didn’t need anybody to tell me to go to the United Nations. I decided to go there myself." While Bush did initially seek guidance from the United Nations, the administration quickly rejected the compromised plan of action.

"Saddam Hussein had no intention of disarming." Bush asserts that by "no intention of disarming," Saddam Hussein assumed responsibility for weapons of mass destruction and would disarm according to sanctions enforced by the United Nations. However, Iraq insisted there were none of these weapons in its filing with the United Nations in December of 2002.

"Of course, we’re after Saddam Hussein—I mean bin Laden. He’s isolated. Seventy-five percent of his people have been brought to justice." Not only did Bush mix up Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, just as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld did in September, Bush’s assertion was also misleading. His claim about al Qaeda refers to the deaths or arrests of 75 percent of bin Laden’s network at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. According to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, those in charge of the terrorist organization today are using the U.S. occupation of Iraq to fuel anti-American sentiment and recruit new members.

"As well, help is on the way, but it’s certainly hard to tell it when he voted against the $87 billion supplemental to provide equipment for our troops, and then said he actually did vote for it before he voted against it. Not what a commander-in-chief does when you’re trying to lead troops." What the Bush campaign has failed to acknowledge is that the Senate process is based on voting for different versions of the bill. Bush demanded a war budget of $87 billion, to include support for our troops and Iraqi reconstruction efforts. Many Republicans and Democrats in the both the House and the Senate opposed the plan, asking for the funds to be acquired through loans, Iraqi oil sales, or financed by a temporary 3.2% increase in tax rates for incomes greater than $312,000. Kerry favored increased taxes and an inclusion of other nations in sharing the financial burden of reconstruction. When the loan provision was dropped, Kerry and Edwards were two of 11 Democrats to vote against the loan. In a televised program prior to the final vote, Kerry was asked how he would vote on the $87 billion package, Kerry stated "I don’t think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops and recklessly leave Iraq to—to whatever follows as a result of simply cutting and running. That’s irresponsible." The Bush campaign has harped on this quote since the beginning though failing to give the public the continuance, "What is responsible is for the administration to do this properly now. And I am laying out the way in which the administration could unite the American people, could bring other countries to the table, and I think could give the American people a sense that they’re on the right track."

"And now we’re fighting them now. And it’s hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it’s necessary work." Obviously Bush doesn’t understand the seriousness of the situation if he only deals with casualty and television reports. As a member of the National Guard during the Vietnam War, he never saw combat. As for all the "hard work" he supposedly puts into his job, Bush holds the record for taking the second longest vacation of any U.S. president. Bush’s vacation in Aug. 2001 was just three days short of Richard Nixon’s record of 30 days. According to an April 2004 news report, Bush has spent 42.4 percent, all or part of 535 days, of his time in the White House at a vacation spot. Since April, Bush has spent an additional 33 days at either Camp David or his Crawford, Texas ranch. Lest we question his commitment to the job, Bush reminded us of all the "hard work" he does and the "tough decisions" he’s made 21 times throughout the 90-minute debate.

"Actually, we’ve increased funding for dealing with nuclear proliferation about 35 percent since I’ve been the president." Instead of an increase in funding for curtailing nuclear proliferation, Bush proposed an initial budget cut for this funding by 13%—approximately $116 million.

"Again, I can’t tell you how big a mistake I think that is, to have bilateral talks with North Korea." During the first round of presidential debates, Bush insisted that a bilateral meeting between the U.S. and North Korea would break up the six-party process and "drive away China." The reality is that while the other four states have had bilateral discussions with North Korea, China has specifically requested to be excluded from the talks and suggested that the U.S. speak directly with Pyongyang.

Bush Administration Pressures Agencies to Skew Facts.
The Bush administration’s attempts to "enshrine religious beliefs in government agencies" have led to the release of altered or misleading reports on important health issues. Despite the absence of scientific evidence proving that abstinence-only programs are effective in reducing teen sexual activity, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) removed a link from its website to a list of sex education programs that combined abstinence education with information on contraception. The CDC and the U.S. Agency for International Development hid scientific evidence proving that condoms were an effective means of preventing HIV/AIDS. The National Cancer Institute misrepresented the scientific evidence that having an abortion does not make a woman more likely to contract breast cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to allow the over-the-counter sale of emergency contraception, overruling the recommendations of the FDA staff and two advisory panels. In addition to these examples, the Environmental Protection Agency has reportedly been pressured to issue misleading reports to protect Bush’s allies in big agriculture and the mining and oil industries.

Bush Fails in Promise to ‘Leave No Child Behind’
In 2000, Bush promised our country an education plan that would rival those of the most progressive developed nations. According to the Center for American Progress, Bush’s budget is now $9.4 billion less than the levels agreed to under the No Child Left Behind Act. Bush’s failed education program mirrors the nation’s worst budget shortfalls since World War II. The decrease in funding has eliminated 38 education programs, including after-school care, teacher quality initiatives, and school counseling.