President George W. Bush said today he is “eager” to sign legislation that triples money to fight AIDS and other diseases around the world – an initiative that has won him praise from some of his harshest critics, as reported by Associated Press.
Earlier this week, by a vote of 303-115, the House sent the five-year, $48 BILLION plan to the president. The Senate also attached a measure, welcomed by AIDS advocates, that ends a two-decade-old policy that made it difficult for those infected and shown to be HIV-positive to get visas to the United States as immigrants, students or tourists.
Of course, this lavish economic appropriation wins him praise. His “harshest critics” consider America the nanny to the world’s ills and regard Bush as a fool. With this poorly conceived action, he is proving them right on both counts. The U.S. is currently funding a $15 BILLION authorization, which expires at the end of September.
We are at war. Our nation’s citizens are facing rapidly escalating food, utility and gas prices. Record numbers of homes are in foreclosure, banks are failing and our trade deficits continue to rise, placing us at long-term risk of economic instability.
We simply cannot afford, nor are we ever given credit for, being the global caretaker by America’s detractors.
July 26, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I hate to say it, but George is a jerk.
July 26, 2008 at 3:26 pm
It’s not just our “detractors” who think we are a bottomless money pit, it’s obviously also a view George Bush ascribes to. There are always more dollars, don’cha know?. Taxpayers have pockets in the front and back of their pants.
July 26, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I’m “eager,” too. I’m eager to be rid of Dubya. I voted for him twice although by the second time I was not thrilled to be doing so. Why are we so limited as to viable choices for president? Now with McCain it seems we are looking at Bob Dole all over again. I wish I could take credit for that line. My neighbor said that the other day and I thought it was an excellent assessment.
July 26, 2008 at 8:51 pm
While I cerainly would not wish AIDS on any person, cancer and heart disease still kill more Americans than AIDS ever has. I lost my mom and MIL to horrible cancers and just received my own diagnosis. We just lost Prof. Randy Pausch, a brilliant man and wonderful teacher, to pancreatic cancer. Why isn’t 48 billion going to cancer research to end pancreatic cancer and all the other terrible cancers that affect Americans of all ages? We cannot save the world and we are losing the ability to save ourselves.
July 26, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Sherri:
Sorry to read about your family members and all they went through. I agree completely that we need to take care of Americans. We are not the parents of the entire world. Being noble sounds so good, but it is impossible to achieve on this scale and comes at a great price.