The Kiss of Death

President Bush is going to the bridge collapse site in Minneapolis/St. Paul today. So, let’s see...it’s been how many days since the disaster befell Minneapolis-St. Paul? Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...Saturday...um...four days. Although, the Prez did send his wife to have a look-see yesterday and to appear empathetic in his stead. She reported back that the scene was “unbelievable”. The Washington Post reported this morning, “President Bush, who is still criticized for his administration's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina, says he will stand with Minnesota residents as they recover from this week's bridge collapse.” SLUGGISH? How about DIDN’T GIVE A FUCK! On August 27, 2005, the President knew that Louisiana Governor Blanco had declared a State of Emergency. But the President went around the country flacking his Social Security plan and other policies and then he went on vacation. Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on August 29 and the Prez went to bed without doing a damn thing or responding to Governors’ and lawmakers’ pleas for help. On August 31, while returning from vacation in Air Force One, Bush made a half-hearted and half-assed flyover along the Gulf Coast to view the scene of devastation. And we know the rest of the story. New Orleans is still in a state of emergency two years later. And the Prez still doesn’t give a fuck except insofar as how his heartless indifference will look in history books. And because of that, the Prez is going to Minneapolis today. The New York Times reported this morning that “Paul C. Light, a professor of public service at New York University, said the White House is 'so much on the defensive right now that I think their initial reaction was to say, "We just don't want to be blamed"...the president's role is to start the conversation by being above the blame, the finger-pointing,' Light said." The NYT went on to say, “In a radio address to be aired on Saturday but released by the White House on Friday, the president vowed to work closely with (Governor) Pawlenty and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak ‘to rebuild this bridge as quickly as possible’” “Perhaps even in time for the 2008 Republican convention in St. Paul?” the NYT asked. But don’t expect the Prez to bust his ass to provide mega-bucks to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure across the US. The President’s concern for disaster victims is in the short-term only and it is the Kiss of Death as far as real and lasting aid being funded to solve America’s problems at home.