Let the Campaign Begin

Why is it that I'm amazed anymore? I've been amazed by the Bush administration SO many times that you'd think my capacity to be amazed might have passed by now. So what's my current beef?

After an embarrassing under-reaction to the catastrophic events in southeast Asia, our never-leave-the-learning-curve President has finally realized his world class blunder, has finally regained his footing, and has come up with a damage control plan (a relief plan for Asia is a damage control plan for Bush).

Y'know, for this administration's fabulous intuitive ability to manipulate the minds of the American voter, they're clue-less over some of the most basic other stuff!

At any rate, he's promising scads of cash, lots-n-lots of military machinery and manpower to help with cleaning and stabiliztion. To his credit, he's doing the right thing there. Finally.

But here's where even the cynical must be shaking their heads. Along with Colin Powell, Jeb Bush is heading to the scene of the devastation. "But Jeb Bush has plenty of experience in dealing with natural disasters!" you say, and you're right. But so does the head of FEMA. Thing is, the head of FEMA isn't running for President in 2008.

Jeb Bush has experience in Florida where they speak English and Spanish. In Florida, where the freeways are wide, the infrastructure is sound and there are airports out the wazoo. This isn't about experience, it's about setting himself up to look compassionate and johnny-on-the-spot years before the first campaign commercial. And I'll bet my bottom dollar that's precisely where footage of him in the midst of the devastation will end up--in a campaign commercial.

GW Bush: from giving a palty 15 million to taking the bull by the horns, becoming (finally) the world leader, and then setting your brother up to squeeze maximum benefit from it. I'm left without words adequate to express my disgust with this family.