All Politics; No Policy

Solemn duty indeed. Washington Post (07.20.06):

"Poverty forced its way to the top of President Bush's agenda in the confusing days after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast and flooded New Orleans. Confronted with one of the most pressing political crises of his presidency, Bush, who in the past had faced withering criticism for speaking little about the poor, said the nation has a solemn duty to help them.

As it happened, poverty's turn in the presidential limelight was brief."

Bush's Poverty Talk Is Now All but Silent

"Bush has talked little about the issue since the immediate crisis passed, while pursuing policies that his liberal critics say will hurt the poor."

"He has publicly mentioned domestic poverty six times since giving back-to-back speeches on the issue in September. Domestic poverty did not come up in his State of the Union address in January, and his most recent budget included no new initiatives directed at the poor."

Why? Because he doesn't give a shit. Uncertain Principles (02.01.06):

"This administration doesn't do policy, they do politics. If Bush says something in a speech, it's because they think it will sound good in a speech, period.

That doesn't mean there's a concrete proposal in the works -- if the line in he speech is poorly received, odds are it will disappear without a trace."

Show Me the Pony

"And even if the line sounds good, that doesn't mean there will be any follow-through -- ask the people of New York, Afghanistan, Iraq, and New Orleans about that."