WSJ: President backs off pledge to fund Global Aids fight (a Bush Lie??)

[papau]

From the daily "Mis-Lead" email


WALL STREET JOURNAL: PRESIDENT BACKS OFF PLEDGE TO FUND GLOBAL AIDS FIGHT

The Wall Street Journal today reports, "President Bush plans to ask Congress for relatively small funding increases to fight AIDS and poverty in the developing world, stepping back from his highly publicized pledge to spend huge sums to help fight them." The President's decision is just the latest step in a calculated effort to slowly - but surely - abandon his own commitment to fully fund the global fight against AIDS.

Just last year in his State of the Union speech, the President said "I ask the Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years...to turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean. Seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do so much for so many."At face value, it was an historic request, with Congress and AIDS activistsecstatic about the promise to pump $3 billion a year into combating AIDSthroughout the world. U2 Singer Bono, who has been one of the leaders of theAIDS fight, "hailed" the President's speech, saying "If we can turn thepresident's bold long term vision into near term results we're excited,"adding, "any delay in increased funding means more lives lost and an evenbigger check in the future."

Unfortunately, as the LA Times reported, just five days later, the Presidentintroduced a budget in which he "only sought $2 billion for the year" forAIDS - 33% less than he had promised. The Senate later voted to increase thePresident's request, and Bono visited with the President to urge him to keephis promise. Nonetheless, the White House "repeated its strong opposition toany funding beyond $2 billion" while claiming with a straight-face that thePresident was doing all he could. When questioned about the discrepancy,White House spokesman Scott McClellan simply refused to address the issue,saying only "The President has shown unprecedented leadership in the fightagainst AIDS."

Read the Mis-Lead -->
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1338421&l=11609

[Fleshdancer]

1. sounds about right.

I want to be furious, but the truth is I saw this one coming. Hard not too, he pulls this crap all the time.

[UpInArms]

2. why would anyone be surprised by the lie

and the deception?

Say one thing - do another - deny you said the thing in the first place or question the patriotism of anyone daring to question der fuhrer

give me a break!

I knew when he said he would fund the fight for aids that it was just the photo-op that he was talking for -

that way they have it on record pictorially and can change the words and the meanings later to suit them.

ah, don't ya just love the smell of honor and dignity in the whitehouse?

[ima_sinnic]

3. *yawn*--what else is new with this slimeball?

I am sending a link to this article to our local a-hole RW radio host who was going on those months ago about what a great guy Bushit was for his magnanimous gesture to Africa in the fight against AIDS.

[Don Claybrook]

4. Why is it that Republicans don't LIE?

Earlier today, there was a headline about Arnold "backing off" of campaign promises.

Now we have Bush "backing off" of a pledge.

In the interest of more precise language, couldn't some reporter actually say these people are LYING? That is what they're doing, after all.

[tom_paine]

15. Because the Imperial Family wants it that way.

And Corporate Pravda obliges.

Remember when America was a Republic with a Free Press. It seems like eons ago...

[trapper914]

5. Wonder What Colin Powell thinks now?

I remember there being a theory that Colin Powell's 180 on the Iraq invasion could very well be based on Bush's Aids Money pledge.

[Palacsinta]

6. War on Terra trumps War on Aids

every time.

[kskiska]

7. After his big Africa trip to show up Bill Clinton

where looked out to sea at Goree Island for his photo-op, and had little exposure to the locals since the villages had been cleared of people (security), and where he pledged money for AIDS. Never mind.

[xxqqqzme]

8. when this came spilling out of

squatter's mouth during SOTU, any and everyone w/ half a brain knew it was yet another unfunded election year BS policy. There is no shame here. squatter will say, and do, anything his puppet masters tell him.

[Robb]

9. I'm sorry, but what a fucker.

He can say whatever he wants in the SOTU, because he can just change it later and no one calls him on it. :grr:

[jwcomer]

11. 2BB is better than none.

Let me get this straight. Bush is putting 2BB into the fight against AIDS instead fothe 3BB the originally proposed. This is heck of a lot more than we were spending before. Frankly, I commend him for doing this. It is one of the only compasionate things he has done.

[Hobarticus]

13. Not in this case

The money's totally based on whether or not the aid agencies involved follow strict guidelines, such as teaching abstinence instead of condom usage in Africa, or restricting women's reproductive choices.

Now, granted, only total abstinence guarantees 100% effectiveness against AIDS, but WTF??? People are DYING, and instead of offering a helping hand without question (ie the "Christian" thing to do), we're wrapping the cash up in sanctomonious morality?

Which is better? $2B if they do as we ordain them from halfway around the world, down from a promised $3B once the cameras are off, or nothing and millions continue to die because abstinence has a 100% failure rate?

Think that's the kind of compassion Africa and the rest of the world doesn't need.

[cap]

14. $2B salt in the wound

this money was to be lent to the countries with AIDS at COMMERCIAL RATES. Yes, we are lending dying people money for their meds at commercial rates!!!

And Bush finds he can't live up to even this.

[Hobarticus]

10. GOP doesn't know how NOT to lie anymore...

He had no intention of making good on this once the applause died down. Throw it on the heap along with NCLB.

Dem candidates, a statement...anyone?

If lodging one's head firmly in one's ass is "unprecedented leadership", then hooray!!!

[qanda]

12. I'm sure you meant to say...

ANOTHER Bush* lie!

[DemoTex]

16. Bu$h lie?

Bu$h has never told the truth, even by mistake. Bu$h's life is a lie, as most of the world now knows.

[hadrons]

17. remember how suckers like Richard Gere & others fell for this ....

we knew so much better here

[SilasSoule]

19. Exactly....I specifically remember the DU thread on this when

It was announced by the WH. The post in that thread that I especially liked went something like (paraphrasing)

"You know it's not going to happen...a few months down the line and they'll ditch this or greatly reduce the funding. You can't have millions of dollars going to help sick people in Africa when we've got wealthy people right here at home that are struggling to buy their 8th vacation home who despeartly need another tax cut."

[jayfish]

18. Ya, Ya, Ya... But ...

would someone please tell me how Lacie Peterson case is coming along? You people really have your priorities wrong. </sarcasm> :shrug:

Jay

[drb]

20. "Bush Lie"?

Isn't that like being redundant all over again?

[Gloria]

21. Over the months I've listened to various reports about AIDS

via shortwave, particularly the BBC, and esp. about Africa. A couple of months ago I heard an interview with a leader was asked about the money promised from the US. The poor, naive man said he believed it would be coming and he understood the US budget process took some time.

Poor, dear man....what are you thinking now?

[dusty64]

22. This really does need to

be more widely reported as the chimp made SUCH a big deal outta it. Once again they say one thing and do another, I didn't see a word about it in my local rag (surprise).

[Buns_of_Fire]

23. BushCo had the magic refutation phrase handed to them

Be it a question about AIDS funding, NCLB funding, why all the unfunded mandates, and on, and on, they have the stock answer:

9-11! 9-11! Terrorism! Terrorism! Remember what "they" did to us on 9-11?

Listen to any "speech" Commander Codpiece or his minions give. Count the references to "9-11" or "terraists." It's their excuse and their justification for anything and everything.