I think the surprise election results in Spain are a good indication that people EVERYWHERE are not pleased with the US/BUSH policy in IRAQ--The polls at home don't seem to me to be quite right-the published 5% difference between Bush and Kerry seems a little fishy to me --
in any case, the voters will speak and if the Bush campaign tries to make it seem like we don't care about terrorism by voting against him-- he may in fact be inviting a new wave of attacks---

IRAN gave back the hostages when we elected Reagan--IMMEDIATELY--remember? Carter didn't have a chance.
I don't see Kerry as a weak hand in SECURITY

They were angry with the vote, feelling that it will set up all of Europe for attacks. Al Queda's web site was stating how they changed the election and what power they had over the weak westerners.

France recieved a threat today, if they go through with the law banning head scarves and religious attire in school they will face random bombings. (we all remember their stance on Iraq).

Its a bad precedent in Spain but there were other issues. Asner perceived as untruthfull for a while.

Bush is Prodding Kerry in this manner because Kerry does double speak, he's saying troops have were underprepared but, he voted no to giving them money for troop spending. I've said all along Kerry will have a tough time shedding this Image. Mass, is a brutally run state, and he's been here a long time!

I have no horse in this race either.

Keith

Kerry has promised to repeal the tax cuts. This will send the ecomony into a tail-spin along with all our investments.

Kerry will also start many new social programs in effort to shore up his base. (i.e. big labor unions) Not a very good way to make the economy grow. It is inflationary because he will want to raise minimum wages. (bad)

Kerry also has a very liberal anti-military voting record and he is already trying to play himself as a world orderist in order to court support from the world by playing the US as a weaker role. This will only invite more terrorist attacks and kill the market.

On the flip side.

President Bush has made a tax cut that has kept the US out of a deeper recession that it already was in. He has also weakened the US dollar in effort to bring in foreign investment.

But, President Bush has also played the US as a Ass Kicker with a "who cares what the world thinks" attitude. That is a bad decision that will come back to hurt the US economy in the long run. He has also burned alot of bridges by not respecting the inputs of Europe (our biggest trading partner)

President Bush has also encouraged a nationism that has created much isolationism in the US and fueled and anti-European feeling. Europe and the US are too closely related by economics to just get in a pissing contest at the expense of all.

I am not rooting either way here. I see this as a choice of 2 wimps running for President. The real question is one of economics......Which one will help?????

I report..........you decide....

All of your points are great. On Kerry what I find amusing is this supposed love of the unions.
Fact: In Boston all Firefighters, policemen and teachers are without contracts. (more double speak for the union hero).

On Bush, and Europe, he had some of Europe with him some against France, before this issue had stated they did not like a bully in charge and would like to see a "top 3" of countries to run the world. Obviously France feels they are one of the three.
A way to attain this is to not give in to what the U.S. wants. This is a written and spoken of policy by French officials. They don't want to be U.S. lapdogs. I don't blame them, they have no power to speak of except that U.N. Veto.

Teuf this is not a rebuttal to you just an addition. I could analyze this crap all day, I find inner political workings fascinating!

You are absolutely correct in that Kerry's connections with the union are very interesting since they may loose their contract. However, the unions are playing politics in effort to use as politicians as a bargining chip as they have always done since their conception.

As to Bush and Europe, I agree that France thinks itself bigger than they are but in reality Germany is the real powerhouse of Europe.

Had Bush not been so cowboyish with Europe, Gerhard Schroeder would not have had anything to attack and would have lost the election and a much more Business oriented Edmund Stoiber Then Stoiber would be Chancellor of Germany who was much more pro American and much much more pro-business. Not the leftist, Green Party backed Gerhard Schroeder.

Additionally, I think President Bush realized he screwed up and began to mending fenses with Germany. (smart move)

I think Bush needs to patch up the US relations with Europe. He would best be served by using the bombing in Spain as a starting point. He needs to offer intelligence services, money, whatever to show the Europeans the US (particularly Bush) is a good partner to do business with now.

Teuf, Basically I agree, also I wasn't saying the unions weren't powerful.

With Germany, I have no knowledge on their election process etc. You have frustrated my response process because I lack the fundamentals on that one.

Trade in the GREEN

Sorry to go on. I started to ramble. I ust be tired. I have been in numbers, reports, and stock DD for 12 hours now.

I had family obligations or I'm sure my last response would have droned on.

This rumor is noticable in today's market,
a slight slow down and flattening of trading,
then return to usual after this rumor was
announced as false.

Terrorists are not just killing innocent
people, they are trying to kill our
worldwide economy. Nine-eleven, the
World Trade Center. Our worldwide
economy is the easiest and most
vulnerable target.

This has nothing to do with religion,
geopolitics nor jihad.

This has everything to do with the
minds and egos of a select few madmen.

When you vote, consider a vote for a
party which affords the best chance
at defeating terrorism.

Here's an addition Chief U.N. master will be heading an investigation into food for oil program because of the Billions of Dollars going to France, Sadam, and the old U.N. leaders family (booooootross?), also some guy who ran its bank account.

This will be a major hit on U.N credibility if true. This while they say Bush is the one hurting credibility. Votes for Kerry so far: new guy in spain, Al Jazeera nice portrayal of him on their website, and Chirac.

Bad news for him.

Erin Go Brah!
Drink and eat green baby.

I was waiting for you to get involved, you started this one. It's been a long day of drinking beer, some green. By the way, I LOVE BEER.

The Teacher Union in Boston just recieved a contract. This is only important becuase I said they didn't have one earlier, which they didn't. Big threat of Boycott on Dem. Convention pulled that one off.

ON WMD's, I pray we were wrong because if the weapons are not in Iraq they're on the way here.

panic, that bomb in Iraq didn't even create a blip.

Attacks other than those in the usuall places will produce shock waves.

Don't start scaring me, you know I summer in Greece this year will not be no different. I just can't run scared. I'll be going to some island events I'm sure.

I am a beginner here, so I very well could be very wrong. I see military companies prices going down and oil companies going up (along with most of the market). What does everyone else think?

Other sectors that you see getting a good gain?

I can see the airline stocks, but why Starwood Hotels?

We should be hearing news, right about now.
It is past dawn over there.

A little bit of less tension, a little more
confidence, mild increases in prices across
all the boards.

However, fear will remain widespread. My
guess is it will take at least a decade to
reduce terrorism to less frightening levels.

Plenty of murderous madmen out there
claiming God is on their side.

don't you remember in the wizard of OZ?

It is sad -the software artist/engineers of the last decade created this wonderful internet communication system and screwed themselves out of a job with it--the jobs they were expecting to do from home are now being done in India----and other places with low cost of living and at least some level of higher education. Meanwhile illegals are still coming here packed like sardines in containers and tractor trailers--maybe PG should post her doublewide homestead pix more prominently.

NEVER EXISTED---not if you believe the intel reports made public by EVERY intel group around the world.

I have to disagree. I think that if Bin Laden is caught the market will over-react quite a bit (as will the American people). Now, I believe it will only be a 1 - 2 day jump and then retract, but I think a lot can be made during those few hours/days. Then again, if it happens on a weekend, I don't see there being much of a reaction at all on Monday.

I also think that there is a small chance that Bin Laden is actually in the group that is being surrounded and that the Pakistani and Americans know it. I think they may not want to have it leak because if he gets away again (like it is reported that he got away from the French) it will look VERY bad for Fearless Leader.

We will see soon I am sure (and as usual, you will probably be correct in the end).

President Noriega was snatched out of his country in a manner similar to, but not nearly as dramatic as Hussein.

Seeing the same patterns here that I am?

I don't wonder why the rest of the world is concerned about our policy of aggression and unilateralism.

Yes we liked when Iraq attacked Iran obviously Iran had taken hostages. It's a tough part of the world to gather allies. He was considered a threat and not just our country thought he had WMD's. When France, Germany etc didn't want war, they never said the intelligence is wrong. Saddam also never came clean when threatened with force.

Here's the good I see out of IRAQ
-Hussein gone, no complaints.
-terrorist training camp in the north is gone hopefully for good.
-Iraq no longer paying and supporting hezbollah gorrillas suicide bombing missions.
-Lybia gave up nuclear program
- North Korea opened up for discussions
- Iran and Syria towing the line with U.S. on their borders.
- Iran letting inspectors in.
- When U.N. says serious consequences they mean it.

Bad no wmd's, dead and wounded soldiers, international political arguments-no worse than the oil for food program scandal which will undermine the U.N. way more than the war did (I think it finally gave U.N. credibility). Tons of money spent.

If gas prices don't go down though Bush may loose on that alone.