noise to signal

It warms my heart to know our President, having just extended his "condolances" to those taken to pieces my the tsunami, proudly pledged $14 Million (not half of my CEO's bonus this year) in U.S. relief, and with that set out for Crawford, where today we find him riding his bike and havin a good ol time.

Yeah, I already complained about that on my husband's blog, but I'm gonna complain about it some more. That he cannot be bothered to go to the site of the worst natural disaster in recorded history, which is heading towards a six-figure death toll, is beyond shameful. Part of the job of a head of state is symbolic. For Bush to go to the site would demonstrate that he recognizes the enormity of the event and stands with the affected countries in solidarity (as the rest of the world did with us just a few short years ago in our own hour of need). For him to take a vacation under these circumstances is beyond a slap in the face. The arrogance, superiority and narcissism of this gesture is beyond measure.

This of course is a fact not lost on the rest of the world, especially considering that virtually every country out there responded immediately to our plight after 9/11--even the ones that generally don't like us. Which counters the Bush aides' statement that the Prez didn't wanna make a wan symbolic appearance before offering something concrete. We sure appreciated the symbolic gestures when they came . . .

Guess he's just spending some o' that political capital of his.

So true, and it breaks my heart. I think Blue America should designate Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter our Unofficial Emergency Symbolic Presidential Team and send them to Sri Lanka on our behalf.

Fuckin-a tweetie!

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/opinion/30thu2.html

"President Bush finally roused himself yesterday from his vacation in Crawford, Tex., to telephone his sympathy to the leaders of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, and to speak publicly about the devastation of Sunday's tsunamis in Asia. He also hurried to put as much distance as possible between himself and America's initial measly aid offer of $15 million, and he took issue with an earlier statement by the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator, Jan Egeland, who had called the overall aid efforts by rich Western nations "stingy." "The person who made that statement was very misguided and ill informed," the president said.

We beg to differ. Mr. Egeland was right on target. We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15 million. That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend on the Bush inaugural festivities."

Mercy Corps ( http://www.mercycorps.org) is another good one.

I cannot even think straight when I start to contemplate this Administration's actions (and inactions). GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! It makes me SOOOOOOOOOOO mad!!!!!! Suffice it to say, I concur with the suggestion to send Clinton and Carter.

The scale of this tragedy is horrible. I hope that, in addition to all the food and medical supplies, they are sending over psychologists and counselors to help now and throughout the coming year on the psychological and physical trauma these people have experienced.

Two words "World Bank" they offered $250m (yeah, million) today ... and they are not a nation. Think the "Reds" will spin that?

(remember when we said "reds" and we meant the Russians ... my how times have changed)

But they're still the bad guys! :)

heh... true ...

Someone in the White House reads Dave's blog!

"US pledges $350m in tsunami aid"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4138763.stm

Clinton & Carter? Are you nuts?! Hey wait...(again, one ear to the blog).... Howzabout Clinton & the Big Bopper Daddy-o himself?