Obama asks George W. Bush to assist Haiti relief efforts.

[stevedeshazer]

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/14/obama-haiti-bush-relief/

Yesterday, following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the conservative Heritage Foundation suggested that “President Obama…reach out to a senior Republican figure, perhaps former President George W. Bush, to lead the bipartisan effort” to assist the beleaguered Caribbean country. Indeed, it is now being reported that Obama has asked the former Republican president to join with U.N. special envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton to raise funds for the nation:

Former US president George W. Bush will join former president Bill Clinton to help lead the US relief effort in response to the earthquake that devastated Haiti, an official close to Bush said Thursday.

Bush, President Barack Obama’s predecessor, “will join president Clinton in helping with disaster relief” after the catastrophe, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

While Bush can lead a sorely needed hand to help assist raising funds for the recovery effort, it’s also important to recall the former president’s legacy on the island nation. Under Bush’s watch, the democratically elected leader of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was deposed by a military coup led by rebel elements, which the Bush administration and allied groups supported. Following the coup — after which looting “cost Haitian businesses hundreds of millions of dollars,” over half of the country’s police “officers quit,” and the price of rice “more than doubled” — Aristide was interviewed by CNN and described his Bush-ordered exodus from the country as a “coup d’etat.”

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This is like asking Colonel Sanders to feed the chickens.

[Mari333]

1. yeah, keep legitimizing that war criminal, obama

you know, the one who started 2 illegal occupations and murdered millions of people. yeah, that one.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. You took the words right out of my fingers.

[JamesA1102]

11. Put partisanship aside for a moment

This is a tragedy with many human beings dead or dying. Reach out to a former President is a good thing. It shows that all Americans are united in trying to help the people of Haiti. As liberals we should care about relieving human suffering above all else, even hatred of George W. Bush.

[tomp]

19. bullshit! gwb should be in jail...

...and obama's justice department is who should be putting him there. putting it mildly, reaching out to a traitorous and incompetent bastard is not going to help haiti or the u.s. obama's failure to prosecute bush is complicity, as is bolstering the idea that bush has anything to offer anyone.

[femrap]

24. Good God and Goddess....

W is incapable of helping anyone! He just breaks things and enjoys it immensely.

What a terrible decision. The man is a sadistic, evil creature. What's he gonna do in Haiti? Look what he did for New Orleans.

I would think the people of Haiti would be horrified to see this creature in their nation.

Just keep him in Texas with his booze.

WTF is Obama thinking of??????

[tomp]

12. agreed. obama=fail.

i outright reject the mental competence and/or patriotism of anyone who gives the least credence to w. may any and all of his supporters rot in hell.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Bi-partisanship gone too far. GWB never showed an ability to 'manage' anything. Bubba can do it. nt

[SemiCharmedQuark]

33. He's not managing anything. He's just holding the hat for money.

And hopefully the 23%ers who hate Clinton and Obama but love his sorry ass will cough up some money.

[Subdivisions]

3. Another bush/Clinton team-up. Great. n/t

[Raschel]

4. I think it's the usual protocol.

[FarCenter]

5. There must be some brush he can clear!

[RoccoR5955]

6. Dumbya is too busy with his new career... A "motivational speaker."

For big bucks!

[moondust]

7. Old Heckuvajob?

The Pretzel Warrior?

Just don't let him touch anything.

[niyad]

8. hey, you hate-mongering bigots at heritage, the situation in Haiti is NOT about "bi-partisanship"

it is NOT political, but humanitarian. but then, you thugs wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

[LiberalFighter]

9. It would be better to send Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, or Gerald Ford

They would be a better ambassador of good will dead than with Bush alive.

[femrap]

25. Send W's dog....

a much better choice.

Send anything but W!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. It's no time for political divisiveness, of course, BUT...

as long as Obama's team is doing a great job it's not the dumbest idea in the world to remind people how bad President 'have your cake and genocide too' Bush fucked up Katrina.

[tjwash]

14. Heck of a job Barack-ey

That would probably be the extent of W's help.

[Orsino]

15. Good God. The whole island will sink into the earth's mantle. n/t

[Fleshdancer]

16. I love that the Obama admin told the press about this

While I believe the people of Haiti deserve better than W, I do like that he is forced to do charitable work for a change.

[JohnnyLib2]

17. IMO, Obama is following one of the US's better traditional paths:

A strong humanitarian effort, looking beyond partisanship.

Good for him.

[tomp]

20. bullshit. see above. nt

[HopeHoops]

18. Dubya answered, "Sorry, but I don'ts likes goin's to Africa."

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. I see this all the time.

Redistributed crime and punishment. These fuckheads strip their communities, and then, when they need a PR boost they do some kind of good deed, expecting everyone to forget all the wrong they committed.

George Bush was always about the photo opportunity. Nothing has changed.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Blue Owl]

22. And a flyover doesn't count...

n/t/

[AngryOldDem]

23. Nice gesture, but I think in the end -- useless.

I mean, what can you expect from someone who has shown no motivation throughout most of his life?

[thelordofhell]

26. Maybe he'll eat a cake and strum a guitar

Or send Condi shoe shopping

[Octafish]

27. Odd choice, seeing how BFEE helped create the conditions of poverty on Haiti.

The first time Aristide got the bounce, the generals didn't like the guy interfering with their drug trade. Aristide got the bounce the second time for trying to tax the wealth of the top 1-percent of Haitians. Both times, a Bush "served" as POTUS and sided with power.

[femrap]

29. Maybe the Haitians will

tar and feather him! I'm sure they don't want him in their country after they saw what he did in New Orleans.

Think of all the damned Secret Service that will be needed...what an expense!

Plus W will demand his favorite foods, an A/C tent, clean water, etc. This will cost a fortune.

[glitch]

35. It is another opportunity for shock doctrine in action. Bush did so well in New Orleans after all.nt

:puke:

[joeybee12]

30. Yeck! But I actually think Obama is right...get the old fart involved,

so when the repukes hammer on about partisanship, point to this.

[Missy Vixen]

31. He's lost his mind

There's a difference between "bipartisanship" and choosing someone who's actually going to get something done.

Then again, why am I surprised?

:mad: :mad: :mad:

The people of Haiti deserve better, just like the people of the Gulf Coast.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

32. His ONLY job is to raise funds. Something that W. was pretty good at.

Actually, just about the only thing W. was good at.


How can he mess that up? It's not like people can donate negative dollars.

[Booster]

34. Maybe all that "brush clearing" will pay off. He's good at that.