Molly Ivins: Bait, switch and then claim credit anyway

Naples Daily News ^ | 10 March 2004 | Molly Ivins

[MegaSilver]

AUSTIN, Texas — Living proof that the Democrats haven't gotten any smarter since the last time they ran a candidate for president. Much huffing (and a huffy Democrat is a terrifying sight) over the fact that George W. Bush used images of 9-11 and of the firefighters at Ground Zero to tout his candidacy in his first campaign ad. How crass, said the D's. Exploiting a national tragedy for political purposes — oh, how tacky.

Dammit, the problem is not that the ad is in bad taste, the problem is that Bush screwed the firefighters in a famous case of his favorite bait-and-switch tactic, and now he has the chutzpah to exploit them anyway and that, my friends, is gall. Bait, switch and then claim credit anyway.

For those of you who have forgotten what happened (apparently including the entire Bush campaign) shortly after the 9-11 attacks, President Bush promised a $3.5 billion aid package to provide equipment and training in dealing with such attacks to local police and fire departments. For over 18 months, no money appeared, and when money finally did appear, it was nowhere near the promised levels (hey, he had to cut those taxes on the richest 1 percent of Americans).

Furthermore, the New York City firefighters who worked Ground Zero were specifically screwed. They were promised $90 million to monitor the long-term health effects of breathing in all that ash for months while they cleaned up. The money was to have been included in the overall post 9-11 aid package for New York City, but it got shifted to another bill that Bush rejected the following August. About half the workers screened before the money ran out suffered from respiratory problems.

Republicans in Congress twice voted down first-responder money. New York's congressional delegation, led by Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, put up a huge battle before the long-promised $90 million was finally pried out of a reluctant Congress and White House, but the responder money is still not fully funded to this good day.

Despite disingenuous statements put out by the White House ("There's more assistance going to state and local officials than ever before"), Bush is still behind on his initial commitment. You do not have to be an ace Washington reporter to figure this out. Ask your local fire department.

You can see that this is already shaping up as a campaign where the media observe Kerry under a microscope (has he switched to earth-tones yet?) and neglect to point out the obvious facts about Bush's record. Kerry, say the Republicans solemnly, is given to flip-flopping. Kerry is?

Let's just start counting off the top of our heads: George W. Bush was opposed to a commission to investigate how and why 9-11 occurred, but then he changed his mind and backed it. (Political pressure.) He was certainly opposed to a commission to investigate the intelligence failures on Iraq, but then he changed his mind and backed it. (Political pressure.) He now brags, "I went to the U.N. (before invading Iraq)"? Who recalls why he changed his mind about doing that? He originally said he not only did not need to consult the United Nations, he said he did not even have to consult the U.S. Congress.

Anyone remember how Bush, the corporate ethicist of Harken Energy, opposed the Sarbanes-Oxley bill? Sarbanes-Oxley was a mildly reformist piece of legislation deemed slightly necessary in the wake of the staggering accounting scandals that caused the collapse of Enron, Tyco and WorldCom. There seemed to be a new record-bankruptcy every week, but our president didn't think we needed any new laws to prevent such things, my no. When did he change his mind and decide to sign it? After it passed the House of Representatives with one vote against it.

Remember when we weren't gong to negotiate with North Korea? Then we weren't gong to negotiate with North Korea again, but we would "talk" to North Korea, but only in multilateral "talking," until Bush changed his mind yet again and now we're in multilateral negotiations.

Remember when the United Nations was "unnecessary" and "irrelevant," and boy was Bush ever ready to tell them to go jump in the lake? We now think the United Nations is so useful and necessary, we call on it not just for Iraq, but Haiti and other trouble spots, as well.

Remember when we didn't need any civilian or international advice about how to pacify and reconstruct Iraq, our military could do it just fine, thank you?

Remember when "nation-building" was a dirty word?

Boy, that John Kerry, he just flip-flops all the time, doesn't he?

[MegaSilver]

Someone refute this woman; I'm too tired to do it myself.

[sam_paine]

She's right to some extent. Yet, the points she makes about Bush (like the painful stretch to say that he flipped on North Korea) are so weak that they underscore the problem Bush's opposition has. It's hard to make these cases against a fella with principles.

[Paul Atreides]

and a huffy Democrat is a terrifying sight

Well, now, I wouldn't say thaaaaaat.

[clintonh8r]

Molly Ivins....the original mad cow.

[plain talk]

Don't need to refute her. Its pathetic and not worth it. If this is all she's got I feel better. There's a difference between flip-flops for political convenience based on no principles and changing tactics in response to a war. Nation building in haiti and rebuilding Iraq are not the same thing.

[freekitty]

They just keep throwing that bs out there.

[MegaSilver]

They just keep throwing that bs out there.

Newspapers must be desperate for columnists.

[Crossbow Eel]

New york was given several Billion to spend on these with the clean up money. They got the money as well as millions in fire fighter equipment. The homeland security Dept has spent billions on top of all this.

What Molly is bitching about is they dems wanted the feds to give billions to the states in additional money and they said it was for homeland security issues.

[reformedliberal]

dems wanted the feds to give billions to the states in additional money and they said it was for homeland security issues.

---

And they did this because the UNIONS that *represent* the firefighters and police (and perhaps the EMTs?) donate to the DNC and Hillary. She has been flogging this for months, if not years.

[passionfruit]

In the weeks and months after 911 I remember numerous spending bills related to 911 flying through both houses with record breaking speed. I also have heard nothing but criticisem of President Bush for not using his veto power. How is it that she accuses him of delaying approval?

[KantianBurke]

"Remember when the United Nations was "unnecessary" and "irrelevant," and boy was Bush ever ready to tell them to go jump in the lake? We now think the United Nations is so useful and necessary, we call on it not just for Iraq, but Haiti and other trouble spots, as well."

"Remember when we didn't need any civilian or international advice about how to pacify and reconstruct Iraq, our military could do it just fine, thank you?"

"Remember when "nation-building" was a dirty word?"

Yes I do and I wish you were wrong Molly you pig. But sadly she's right.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Molly,

Answer this: Is (was) Arafatt a statesman?

[cjmae]

Oh Hillary, the savior of the fire fighters.(HA)
I'll tell you how the attacks of 9/11 occurred.
A bunch of peace hating savages hijacked air planes and flew them into a bunch of unsuspecting peace loving, happy people who were just doing their jobs. I don't care if you are a republican or a democrat, if you don't know its coming there is not much you can do about it and unless I'm mistaken, the CIA does not employ psychics.
So, what can anyone tell the 9/11 commission?
Well, we tried to monitor everyone taking flying lessons but the free people of America started crying about their constitutional rights being violated.
Give me a flippen break!
As for promised funds that were not promptly delivered, I can only assume there was a legitimate reason since the mainstream press does not focus on it. (I can't comment because I don't know).
If the united states government did not call on the UN occasionally, it would be irrelevant. Doesn't it seem funny that when nations are concerned about trouble spots they call on the US to fix it? Why don't the UN step up? Why does Russia, China and France want us to talk with North Korea all alone? Why does France want us to fix the Haiti situation? Why is it when a democrat affiliated administration bombs innocent Serbian people without UN approval they are hailed as liberators of the people who were taking over a sovereign land (not saying unspeakable things didn't occur but there was certainly no threat to our security) and when a republican administration enforces UN resolution after resolution to try and salvage the legitimacy of the the very institution that imposed such resolutions after laying out the case of national security based on evidence that Hillary herself believed not to mention France, Germany, the UN, John Kerry and Bill Clinton among many others, They are considered unilateral mavericks.
What a bunch of crap!!!
I only wish I were more articulate so I could really go off.
She should thank Artillery Hillary for all of us for without her support (and the wonderful Mr. Kerry) we would have never removed Saddam Husein from power!

[GailA]

MODS please add a BARF alert.

[BerniesFriend]

Ok..let's go over this one more time..molly is a frustrated loser who thought that her friend then Texas gov ann richards was going to be vp or presidential material..but was sorely devastated when George W. Bush soundly beat ma richards in her re election bid in 1994..now molly has nothing but raw hate for our President..If President Bush could walk on water..hateful molly would write a column complaining that the President can't swim..

[pawdoggie]

There was never a guarantee of a blank check on "aid to first responders". The individual states were supposed to draft plans for how to use the money, and the Feds would provide same. Some states did just that, and received money. Other states, particularly those with Democrat Governors, were looking for a block grant that the could use for any number of purposes other than that for which the money was intended. My understanding is that in the case of Nueva York, Pataki and the legislature had already committed state money to "first responder" projects, so they got their money.

[olde north church]

why bother with this dried up old scag? Why not just kick her down the steps and let the dusk fly off until there's nothing left.
Did I by any chance call her a dried up old scag?