The President hits new lows!
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Don't ask me why I was doing it, but this morning I watched the President Bush give his morning address to the nation. His address was to let the nation and the rest of the world know that the Tsunami stricken countries and people would be receiving a "we're sorry for your loss," $35 million, a handful of top notch disaster inspectors, and some military people to help with the clean up and keeping order. Seems like one heck of a nice gesture. Then there was the format from which he delivered this speech.
First, he didn't have the decency to appear for this speech from a place where he could be filmed. Nope, instead he was at home in Crawford Texas to deliver what amounted to nothing more than a radio address. I'm sorry, but I would think if I was addressing the families, friends, and countrymen of 60,000+ dead I would have the decency to at least appear to care. We are living in the 21st century, television has been around for some time now. The President of the U.S. can be wherever he wants to be almost whenever he wants to be there. The American people pay for it. This is not 1944 when FDR had nothing but the radio to address the masses en mass. This is 2004, and if you have something important to say to the American people, and the world, GET ON TV! Even the Pope gets it.
Further, he was CLEARLY reading a pre-prepared speech that he didn't even write. Mr. President, after listening to your half hearted speech even I had no problem remembering how much aid you are sending. You on the other hand couldn't even say that Laura and yourself were sorry for their loss without a verbal "um" or 3! I learned to deliver 8 minute prepared speeches from rote memory by the age of 19. The only time I speak with visualized pauses like "ums" is when I try to explain something hard, like law when I am unsure. Was this beyond the President's facile cognitive grasp? Why can't the President of the United States just READ one sentence in the first paragraph without a vocal pause? Not that anyone should need a prepared speech to tell the world that America is sorry that 60,000+ people are dead. $35 million is a nice round number, easy to remember. Maybe the President could learn extemporaneous speaking and the use of talking points?
Then what's up with justifying the $35 million? The world knows that our budgets are strapped. The American people know what kind of deficit that is being run up. Deficits were a big Kerry point in the election debates. Oh wait, that's because this won't even be close to the amount of money needed. Here's a hint. This is an AWFUL tragedy, truly terrible. Everyone from the most stone cold conservative to the biggest bleeding heart liberal will understand running up our deficit to help these people. Justify to me why we aren't sending more. Justify why we are spending so much in Iraq, but not in properly arming our troops. Justify to me why we can short change these traumatized people, but spend money to court marshal the woman who scavenged US military equipment to better prepare her troops. Don't try to make this seem like a lot by saying that the US sends so much aid to the rest of the world. Bottom line, it's NOT!
posted by ZEUS @ 9:18 AM,
