Saturday, March 01, 2008

Mr. President

I am not one to post about politics but I am finding it harder and harder not to as the Bush presidency winds down and the election looming.

This is going to be as bad for George W. Bush as his father's astonishment over the wonders of a grocery store price scanner was.
From yesterday's press conference, our President answers a question:


Q: Can I follow up on that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: Maybe.
Q: The –
THE PRESIDENT: I guess you are — I haven't said yes. (Laughter.)
Q: What's your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline, a lot of people facing –
THE PRESIDENT: Wait, what did you just say? You're predicting $4 a gallon gasoline?
Q: A number of analysts are predicting –
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yeah?
Q: – $4 a gallon gasoline this spring when they reformulate.
THE PRESIDENT: That's interesting. I hadn't heard that.
Q: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I know it's high now.
Q: And the other economic problems facing people. Beyond your concern that you stated here, and your expectations for these stimulus checks, what kind of hope can you offer to people who are in dire straits?
THE PRESIDENT: Permanent tax — keep the tax cuts permanent, for starters. There's a lot of economic uncertainty. You just said that. You just said the price of gasoline may be up to $4 a gallon — or some expert told you that — and that creates a lot of uncertainty if you're out there wondering whether or not — you know, what your life is going to be like and you're looking at $4 a gallon, that's uncertain. And when you couple with the idea that taxes may be going up in a couple of years, that's double uncertainty. And therefore one way to deal with uncertainty is for Congress to make the tax cuts permanent.

He then talks about conservation and new oil prospects and then returns to the stimulus checks and the idea of those helping. That is a Band-Aid for a ripped off leg.

Another reason to love the Internet. The White House puts full transscripts of all press conferences and such.

No comments: