Bush Raises Steel Money Before Tariff Decision

[Khephra]

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - President Bush picked up $850,000 in campaign contributions in America's steel industry heartland on Tuesday even as he prepared to lift tariffs that have been helping steelmakers.

Supporters of the tariffs lodged a last-ditch effort to keep the protections in place. Bush heard arguments from Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter and U.S. Steel Corp. Chairman Tom Usher, a sponsor of the fund-raiser, which the Bush re-election campaign said had been planned long before the steel decision became imminent.

Scores of steelworkers demonstrated near the site of Bush's Pittsburgh event.

Administration officials said they still expected Bush to announce a decision this week, possibly on Thursday, to lift the tariffs, in place since March 2002 and ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. If he does not, the European Union has vowed to retaliate on $2.2 billion worth of U.S. exports.

more........

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3927280

[cthrumatrix]

1. get the dough...before you tell them "no"....I hope folks in Penn.

remember this when it's time to vote..

[Orrin_73]

8. Agree, this will hurt W in those steel states (Ohio and Penn)

[Bozita]

2. On the farm, you milk the cow before ... sending her off to market

Look out, steelworkers.

[madrchsod]

3. $850,000 for what?

huge tax deductions on new equiment. the steel industry has poured millions in new equiment in the last few years ,now that they can`t get the price,well...another fucking brick in the wall

[young_at_heart]

4. What a guy!!!!

He just has no trouble at all "sticking it" to anyone. I love it when he flashes his "folksy" smile (he's in his element).

[Rose Siding]

5. He's a piece of work

I hope they at least got kissed.

[Kinkistyle]

6. He's in full "Slash and Burn" mode.

Its his last term, just get the burn the villages, steal the booty, rape the women and move on. As long as he can get into office this next term, he'll be able to fully cement his dynasty and by 2008 with full martial law in place and neverending war going on, it won't matter what the steelworkers think.

[dusty64]

9. The full throttle push

to enact their extremist agenda certainly raises questions of their motivation, it smells of desperation. Of course with the chimp's "heroic" turkey visit and the media shilling mightily about our newfound economic "recovery" the strategy is out for all to see. Add in hackable "voting" machines and things really get scary. I simply can't imagine what our regime will pull next if they get another four years and no longer have to worry about being elected. :scared:

[PurityOfEssence]

7. Nice little smelter; wouldn't wanna see it burn to the ground, would you?

Shakedown Georgie marches to the sea. I wonder how ol' "Magic Bullet" Arlen likes this, especially after having to be the hatchet man to cut time-and-a-half overtime?

This is extortion, plain and simple.

[joeunderdog]

10. It's a lose,lose situation for the loser. n/t