Jet Set
Much like Clinton's haircuts, who cares? Was it political showmanship? Almost certainly. What a huge shock, a president participating in political showmanship. Was the press office disingenuous about the distance of the carrier? Yes. Wow, spin from the White House press office. Now, we don't we have some important things going on, like, say, that whole Iraq thing, the tax cuts debate, and, you know, SARS?
Comments
SARS? You aren't worried about that are you?
You have a greater risk of being harmed by bad weather than of catching SARS.
It is interesting to note that the containment of the desease was hampered by a government in a country with socialized health care.
The genetic code of the virus has been cracked, if a vacine can be found (not a certainty with a virus) it will be soon or not at all. Freer nations (even some closed ones - Vietnam) are having less trouble containing and reducing the incident rates. Modern nations are able to treat the symptoms well enough that the mortality rate is lower than it is for other more common ailments (pneumonia is higher).
But that tax cut debate and the record amount of pork passed by the alleged fiscal conservatives ... now that is troubling.
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_NewsRelease_04092003
Posted by: Justin | May 8, 2003 05:47 PM
Well, I'd agree, if he wasn't gutting the states to pay for his beloved tax cut. I think he should pay for his own campaign commercials.
Posted by: julia | May 8, 2003 06:02 PM
No, I'm not worried about catching it. But still, there are other nations who are affected by it, and, you know, it seems more important to me than the whole aircraft carrier thing.
Posted by: Lesley | May 8, 2003 06:03 PM
If I believed that the cost of the whole thing would make a significant difference, I'd be upset about it, Julia. But I just don't.
Posted by: Lesley | May 8, 2003 06:13 PM
Julia,
How is he "gutting the states?" He is mortgaging the future (with much cooperation from the senate and house - nothing new there), but I have yet to see any federal policy demanding the state governments hand over their tax reciepts. The states may be facing a self created fiscal crisis, but that was not (except for Texas) shrubs creation.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/2003-01-15-chart-spending.htm
Leslie,
SARS is more serious than the speech platform, just transfered some frustration over the chicken little crap I here from some of my relatives. I swear some of them are so medically paranoid some of my aunts will be complaining that they have come down with prostate cancer.
Posted by: justin | May 8, 2003 06:56 PM
forget about SARS... I think I've had enough dealing with this nasty bout of strep throat!
Posted by: Countess DeSquirrel | May 9, 2003 02:44 PM
You're probably right, but it seems to me to be a fair metaphor for his priorities, which I suppose are what really upset me.
Well, there's the unfunded mandates, just to start, for education and homeland security.
Posted by: julia | May 9, 2003 05:47 PM
justin:
The phase out of the federal estate tax reduces revenues to most states (because they were taking a cut of the federal assesment.) AND the states lose their portion faster.
Posted by: Just John | May 10, 2003 12:22 PM