US Aid for Tsunami $15M; Bush inaugural $40M; Iraq $6M/hour

[Inland]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=363515
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/FA941DCC70DC031786256F7500074ADF?OpenDocument&Headline=Bush's+inaugural+committee+gets+millions+in+gifts

You want to talk values? You can't find a single American who in good conscience believes our values are reflected in the corporate kleptocracy and military industrial state that is Bush.

You think that Bush could ask his corporate backers to spend one million less on quality champagne and send it to some worthy cause.
Think of the goodwill that Bush could win around the world--think of the good it would do--if Bush just moved one tenth of the gifts going to throw a PARTY glorifying him personally to the victims of the tsunami.

Now that you have thought of it, realize that Bush never will. He'll never consider it.

The corporations giving the money know Bush and his cronies will reward a gift to his party in a way that a gift to charity will not be rewarded. That's what Bush values. Himself, his glory and his power to compel others to open their pocketbooks which he will never use for any purpose besides his Power and Glory Forever, Amen. Dick.

Bush is the problem, HIS personal sin that infects our nation.

[Meme]

1. wow... just.. wow

just can´t imagine the amount of money he gets and could use for something good... wow. That just really sucks

[G_j]

2. the recent failed missile test: 18 million

gotta keep those priorities straight.

this is how "compassionate conservatism" works.

[tk2kewl]

11. Compassionate conservatism:

God bless you in your suffering. We'll pray for you. The cash, however, is mine.

[JI7]

3. the Inauguration will be seen as a "support the troops" type of thing

kind of like those "support the troops" yellow ribbon magnets people put on their cars. it will be a lot of symbolism without much substance . but the media will back him up on it and they will all feel proud of themselves for showing they love the troops even though there wont be any substance type of support such as pay, equipment, relief etc.

[Forkboy]

4. Not suprising in the least

American values...gotta love 'em!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

5. Bush's reaction to inauguration indignation is "Yo MAMA."

He's going to spend the $40 million on himself in a one-night party, he doesn;t care what the world thinks of him for doing it, and as much as I would like to see him "do the right thing," I have to look at the man's record and KNOW it's not going to happen.

The $40 million "Praise Bush" rally on January 20th WILL go on as planned. God's little chosen prince will be honored. The poor and the suffering? LET THEM EAT CAKE.



http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2004/story.html

George W. Bush is about to set a political record. The first TIME poll since the election has his approval rating at 49%. Gallup has it at 53%, which doesn't sound bad unless you consider that it's the lowest December rating for a re-elected President in Gallup's history. That is not a great concern, however, since he has run his last race, and it is not a surprise to a President who tends to measure his progress by the enemies he makes. "Sometimes you're defined by your critics," he says. "My presidency is one that has drawn some fire, whether it be at home or around the world. Unfortunately, if you're doing big things, most of the time you're never going to be around to see them , whether it be cultural change or spreading democracy in parts of the world where people just don't believe it can happen. I understand that. I don't expect many short-term historians to write nice things about me."

An ordinary politician tells swing voters what they want to hear; Bush invited them to vote for him because he refused to. Ordinary politicians need to be liked; Bush finds the hostility of his critics reassuring. Challengers run as outsiders, promising change; it's an extraordinary politician who tries this while holding the title Leader of the Free World. Ordinary Presidents have made mistakes and then sought to redeem themselves by admitting them; when Bush was told by some fellow Republicans that his fate depended on confessing his errors, he blew them off.

[Sporadicus]

6. Trying to Find Donations from Foreign Countries in the Wake of 9/11

I'm sure the total exceeds $15M from more than one nation. For the * administration to pony up such a pittance is a GD disgrace! (does NOT mean General Discussion)

[No Mandate Here.]

7. But the * motto is "It's all about ME!!!" EOM

[spooked911]

8. 15 million is an embarrassment

besides a few GOP slugs like Cheney, Hastert and Delay-- would anyone complain if we sent more like 150 million or even 500 million?

[Kindigger]

9. Caller on Washington Journal

guest: Ambassador to Sri Lanka

"Why should we send more aid? We still have people in Florida who need help."

:puke:

[spooked911]

12. Groan! Clearly he's not a "good-will" ambassador...

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[Inland]

18. And they aren't getting help either.

I guess Florida got screwed in a different six hours of the Iraq war.

[riverwalker]

19. yeah, they still need help

and funds to shampoo the upholstery in the Lexus after the hurricane.
Oh the horror.
This is why I never donate to American Red Cross, my money goes where it's needed.

[moondust]

10. Unconscionable.

End-stage greed and corruption of the holy men o' god.

[Meme]

13. exactly what happens at an inaugural anyway?

how on earth can something like that cost 40million dollars??? really.. is it one big party for whole America including snacks and drinks or what?

[Inland]

20. Well, it is a much smaller group than all Americans

with all the best going to that small group--think of how Bush operates the government generally and you get the picture.

[u4ic]

23. Him and his buddies

get the caviar and champagne; the rest of the schmucks of the country get Velveeta cubes.

[Cannikin]

14. "all of it from private donations"

Hmmmm

Among the largest corporate donors were ChevronTexaco of Concord, Calif., and Ameriquest Capital Corp. of Orange, Calif.

Thomas F. Petway III of Jacksonville, Fla., donated $100,000 to the inaugural committee. Petway, chief executive of Zurich Insurance Services, was a major campaign fund-raiser for Bush.

Also donating $100,000 was John Childs of Boston, president of JW Childs Associates, a private equity investment firm.

The inaugural committee has set up two categories for major donors. Sponsors contribute $100,000, and underwriters contribute $250,000. Both give donors access to inaugural balls, plus lunch and dinner with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Bush's first inauguration cost about $40 million. President Bill Clinton's second inauguration cost $29.6 million.

The other corporations that donated $250,000 in the past week were Corporate Capital LLC of New Orleans, Argent Mortgage Co. of Orange, Calif., Long Beach Acceptance Corp. of Paramus, N.J., Town and Country Credit of Irvine, Calif., and Golden Eagle Industries of Charlotte, N.C.

[Stephanie]

15. I CHALLENGE him to cancel the parties and donate the $$

the selfish little prick

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x201623

[tk2kewl]

17. I CHALLENGE him to a duel!

:evilgrin:

[sundog]

16. sick

:puke:

[Beware the Beast Man]

21. Technically, the $40 Mill. for *'s inauguration came from "gifts"

not from govt. appropriations, but that statistic is still sickening, and telling of what a "compassionate, " "caring" society we are :eyes:

[spooked911]

24. How many of the coporations that donated to the inauguration

donated as much to the Tsunami relief effort?????

[Bridget Burke]

25. Yes, but the "gifts" are really payment for services rendered.

If not in the last 4 years, in the next 4.

However, I'll bet that other Inauguration expenses (security, etc.) will be paid by US!

[Beware the Beast Man]

27. Yes, that's why I put gifts in quotes.

See, I'm throwing the RW pundit's arguement out there for your disposal. I know some sick bastard is going to claim this as their arguement against government relief money.

[Bandit]

22. It's called tough love

They need to pull themselves up by their boot straps just like Bush* has had to do. The message being sent is "We love you and pray for you but we need our money for champaigne."

[quaoar]

26. Bush wants to send more than $15 million

But first he has to make sure that none of the money will be used for family planning and that the countries getting the money sign treaties agreeing not to try to prosecute any Americans as war criminals.

[Selwynn]

28. No actually the total aid will be over 40 million according to this:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041228/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_quake

[Inland]

29. No, the total is now going to be $35M--after we are SHAMED INTO IT

So the disaster that killed some fifty thousand and ravaged coastal communities almost gets as much as a series of fetes celebrating Bush and his power. But only after we show that we have to be shamed into giving that much:

"The U.S. Agency for International Development prepared Tuesday to add $20 million to an initial $15 million contribution for Asian earthquake relief as Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) bristled at a United Nations (news - web sites) official's suggestion that the United States has been "stingy." "

One cheer for the Americans.