Bush's foolhardy fund-raising
"They're more interested in Washington's special
interests than they are in the interests of protecting
the American people," he said in Nashville of his
Senate opponents, referring to Democrats who object
to his proposal for a Department of Homeland
Defense. This from a man who is the toast of every
health industry and energy lobbyist in town."
sfgate.com
Marc Sandalow
Monday, September 23, 2002
PRESIDENT Bush and a small army of White House
aides flew to Nashville last week to deliver this
important message to a group of schoolchildren,
parents and teachers: "There's an old saying in
Tennessee, I know it's in Texas, probably in
Tennessee, that says: fool me once, shame on --
shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled
again."
That's probably not exactly how they say it in
Tennessee, but his point -- which had to do with
whether to trust Saddam Hussein -- is well taken.
The broader issue here is not the president's
command of the English language, a never-ending
source of childish delight for hypercritical journalists.
The question is why Bush felt compelled to board
Marine One, helicopter to Andrews Air Force Base,
fly Air Force One some 669 miles to Nashville, and
then motorcade to East Literature Magnet School in
order to make his point.
The answer is obvious from looking at the president's
schedule. Just prior to the school event, Bush
attended a lunch for Republican U.S. Senate
candidate Lamar Alexander, where more than 800
donors paid $1,000 each to hear Bush deliver an
attack on the Democratic-controlled Senate.
The president had no other business on his
Tennessee schedule. He left 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
at 10:12 a.m. and was back home just after 5 p.m.
There was nothing unusual about Bush's itinerary.
The day before, Bush traveled 852 miles to
Davenport, Iowa, where he delivered a boilerplate
speech to 400 employees at a manufacturing plant.
As soon as he finished, he motorcaded over to a
fund-raiser for GOP Rep. Jim Nussle, before boarding
Air Force One for the trip home.
The president has attended 54 fund-raisers and
raised more than $115 million this year, according to
one count. The tour continues today, as Bush is
scheduled to arrive mid-morning in Trenton, N.J.,
where it just so happens that he is the guest speaker
at a Doug Forrester-for-Senate luncheon.
No one at the White House even tries to pretend that
the fund-raisers are scheduled to fit into the public
appearances, rather than the other way around.
The GOP's money people know that so long as Bush
can squeeze in a public appearance, the taxpayers
foot the $57,000 per hour cost of Air Force One and
most of the other staggering costs associated with
moving the president around the country.
Bush is certainly not the first president to use the
perks of office for his party's political gain. Bill Clinton
all but sold seats on Air Force One to help his party
build a campaign war chest.
What is striking is the extent to which President
Bush -- who is on pace to shatter Clinton's
fund-raising records -- still cloaks himself in anti-
Washington, anti-politics rhetoric.
"They're more interested in Washington's special
interests than they are in the interests of protecting
the American people," he said in Nashville of his
Senate opponents, referring to Democrats who object
to his proposal for a Department of Homeland
Defense. This from a man who is the toast of every
health industry and energy lobbyist in town.
Bush won a lot of votes from Americans angry at the
previous administration's single-minded devotion to
raising money and political advantage. It may dawn
on some voters that Bush's claim that he represents
a break from the old ways of Washington is little
more than campaign doublespeak.
There's an old saying, probably older than Texas,
which goes: "Fool me once,
shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
It was Pete Townsend of "The Who" who said "We
won't get fooled again."
Marc Sandalow is the Chronicle's Washington bureau
chief. E-mail him at msandalow@sfchronicle.com. |
