Bush, Clueless in America

Ever wonder why Bush can't speak in front of anything but a friendly audience? At a commencement speech today at Oklahoma State University, not a hotbed of free thought and liberal attitudes, Bush touted the economy. It must be frustrating, having all the numbers in your favor but being unable to convince us that the economy is good.

But then, if all your living expenses have been paid during the last five years of stagnant of falling pay, ever-increasing energy costs, low inflation in the areas the Government measures but vast increases in the price of food and transportation, falling numbers of health care and erosion of benefits, rising interest rates and housing costs you'd probably think things are going well, too. My investments (an IRA and my 401k before you start thinking I'm a trust fund baby or something - I saved the money that's in them!) are doing well, over double-digit gains for a couple of years now. I'm sure those are the numbers Bush is touting, the ones that benefit his rich donor friends and the ones that have benefited from Bush's irresponsible tax cuts. As for me, my $23 per month in benefit from the tax cuts goes to pay my gas bill or gasoline for my car. In short, what King George the Clueless doesn't get is that outside of his rich circle of friends, the economy sucks.

I now limit trips and try to combine as many as possible to reduce my fuel bill. I'd love to buy a more efficient car but the erosion in the buying power of my salary and the niggardly pay raises we've received make buying a new car something I just can't swing right now. In my office, we're seriously considering a gas-price contingency plan that will allow us to work from home. That's the Bush economy in action, another cost not offset by wages.

At least the legislators are staying at home, too, afraid of the backlash should they accept trips from lobbyists or corporations. Good. They don't need to be travelling on someone with an agenda's dime. The best part of the current Repubican ethics legislation is that we're not buying it. Fifty-nine percent of us believe Congress can't police itself, forty-one percent of us are deluded or uninformed. Real, legitimate ethics reform would eliminate travel, gifts and create publically-funded campaigns. As long as Congressmen have to raise money for their elections, there's a temptation. In short, we need to reform Congress, not lobbyists and, with the right reforms, lobbyists will go mostly away. Of course, the powerful will still find ways to sell their influence or buy Congressmen but let's make as much of it as possible illegal. Only then will Congress again operate in the interests of the American people.