Aid Grows Amid Remarks About President's Absence

[Jon8503]

Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 29, 2004; Page A01

The Bush administration more than doubled its financial commitment yesterday to provide relief to nations suffering from the Indian Ocean tsunami, amid complaints that the vacationing President Bush has been insensitive to a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.

As the death toll surpassed 50,000 with no sign of abating, the U.S. Agency for International Development added $20 million to an earlier pledge of $15 million to provide relief, and the Pentagon dispatched an aircraft carrier and other military assets to the region. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, in morning television appearances, chafed at a top U.N. aid official's comment on Monday that wealthy countries were being stingy with aid. "The United States is not stingy," Powell said on CNN._ Tsunami in South Asia ___

Although U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland yesterday withdrew his earlier comment, domestic criticism of Bush continued to rise. Skeptics said the initial aid sums -- as well as Bush's decision at first to remain cloistered on his Texas ranch for the Christmas holiday rather than speak in person about the tragedy -- showed scant appreciation for the magnitude of suffering and for the rescue and rebuilding work facing such nations as Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia.

After a day of repeated inquiries from reporters about his public absence, Bush late yesterday afternoon announced plans to hold a National Security Council meeting by teleconference to discuss several issues, including the tsunami, followed by a short public statement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32337-2004Dec28.html?referrer=emailarticle

[Jo March]

1. How nice of him to hold a teleconference

Wouldn't want to make him work too hard, would we?

He is the most useless excuse for a person.

[scarlett1]

13. Welcome to the lame duck Presidency

not that Bush did anything before. But now there is nothing he has to do because he doesn't face an election to win/ lose.

[flordehinojos]

2. as powell said,

"the United States is not stingy" -- and powell is not an ass.

[Inland]

3. Letting the FIRED Powell address the issue.....

keeping the aid low until shamed into raising it by a UN functionary....then making the aid in forms of loans....Nothing is worse than no charity, except charity given grudgingly without respect to the receiver. Bush manages to alienate the world while giving it money, because the man has no class, no grace.

[Racenut20]

4. I once worked for a guy who pissed people off while giving a pay raise.

[shanti]

15. that's his m.o.

he learned it from poppy. read "the family" and you'll see...poppy was a stingy SOB.

[Javaman]

5. Pseudo born agains, care nothing for the unwashed, non-christian...

people of the world.
It begrudges them to help anyone else other than self-righteous, self-centered pseudo born agains.
I believe, and this is very twisted logic, that they think, if they help someone from this very horrible disaster, it will slow down the path to rapture.
I have overheard a couple of born agains here at work say something to this effect.
Very weird sense of entitlement.

[MaryH]

6. Wow, What an Attitude.

The people I work with are not like that. The Evangelicals here are all nice people. They would jump right in and help along with everyone else.

[daa]

I agree with Javaman

They are the most selfish, hypocritcal beings on the face of the earth.

[LibDemAlways]

11. I heard some nutcase callers to c-span

yesterday suggest that "muslim" nations ought to come to the aid of these countries because they are not "Christian." Ignorance knows no limits in the US today. And as for being "Christian".....forget it. Jesus would puke.

[lebkuchen]

7. The US spends $5 billion a month on Afghanistan and Iraq now

That does not include reconstruction/supply costs. And $35 mil is the best Bush and Powell can come up with. Gotta love the compassion of Americans. Good luck to the US getting foreign help of any kind the next time its security get caught with its pants down again.

[4_TN_TITANS]

8. Good Ole Dubya....

Working hard to spread good will and compassion around the world. How can people NOT see what a self-serving, egotistical ass he is??????
:wtf:

[jackster]

12. people can't see what an....

self-serving, egotistical ass gwb is because MOST OF HIS SUPPORTERS ARE self-serving, egotistical asses themselves! They are (primarily ) either selfish and wealthy (or pretty well off), ignorant and voluntarily incapable of empathy, or the religious far (self)right(eous) who can't lower themselves to help the dirty unwashed masses.

Phhht - I spit on GWB and his supporters - evil evil evil!

This nonaction by GWB should be OUR talking point for the next little while - this man is wrecking not only our country but our planet.

[ZR2]

14. Hell, the US could put 30 billion dollars into those areas

And the people there still would not like the US.

[jackofhearts]

9. He vacationed while the "system was blinking red"

and allowed Al Queda to attack America...what is so surprising about him not giving a shit about all the victims of the waves? This man is responsible for 100,000 dead innocent Iraqi citizens do you really think he cares about this?

[DeepModem Mom]

10. dupe?

[Moderator]

16. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1105364&mesg_id=1105364