December 31, 2004

THAT'S THE TICKET:

In Efforts to Organize Aid, Powell and Governor Bush Will Tour Ravaged Areas (STEVEN R. WEISMAN and DAVID E. SANGER, 12/31/04, NY Times)

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, seeking to raise the American profile in the international relief effort in Asia, will tour devastated parts of the region next week to assess the need for future aid programs along with Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, the White House announced Thursday.

Mr. Powell also moved on Thursday to step up coordination between the United Nations and a core group of countries organized earlier in the week by the Bush administration to speed aid and avoid duplication. The "core group" - consisting of India, Japan and Australia, as well as the United States - was established earlier this week.

The decision to send Mr. Powell and Governor Bush, President Bush's brother, was seen by administration officials as likely to help defuse whatever hurt feelings there might be in Asia that the president was slow to respond, at least compared with how quickly many other nations reacted to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Administration officials also said a diplomatic payoff might also grow out of the current crisis, if disaster relief efforts encourage cooperation in areas of Indonesia and Sri Lanka with long-running separatist insurgencies.


In reality, it's Jeb's first campaign swing for '08.

 Posted by Orrin Judd at December 31, 2004 9:09 AM
Comments

Two points -

1) I find the criticism of Bush's response time to the tsunami (and compared to 9/11) misleading. By mid-afternoon on 9/11 it sort of became clear the attacks were over. And the attacks were centered on 3 sites (NYC, Pentagon, PA field). In contrast the tsunami, where a week later they are still trying to determine the scope, hit a bunch of countries over a huge area. As noted in a previous thread the MSM seems to have wanted Bush to rush out and "feel people's pain" rather than carefully plan and organize aid and support.

2) Jeb Bush is easily the strongest GOP candidate in '08. The only negative (so far) is the perception that the American people don't want another Bush in the White House. If this perception is wrong (I think it is at least overstated) then Bush could be the '08 nominee.

Posted by: AWW at December 31, 2004 9:48 AM

Romney - Bush '08!

Posted by: Phil at December 31, 2004 11:13 AM

GWB could have immediatly returned to Washington, addressed the nation, telephoned the leaders of each nation affected and contacted Koffi Annan face to face and made a starting pledge of $50 million and shifted whatever military might we have that's not in Afganistan or Iraq to assist w/rescue & recovery efforts immediatly, and Bush/America haters would still be spweing thier hate and bashing him/us.

Posted by: Dave W. at December 31, 2004 11:21 AM

I really dislike the Presidetial tours of disaster areas. Its just a photo op and pork pass out. Taking this M.O. global just makes me dislike it more.

I like Jeb Bush, probably more than I like George Bush, but I don't really think the country would elect yet another Bush into the White House, not until at least 1 person with a different name came in between.

Bush Clinton Bush Clinton Bush -- /shudder.

Posted by: AML at January 1, 2005 2:53 AM
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