Bush to make "brief" tsunami statement, $20million is a "loan", not aid

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of Americans remain missing two days after devastating tsunamis struck Asia, but the State Department says a large number have been located and are safe. Responding to the disaster, the U.S. Agency for International Development added $20 million to the already promised $15 million.

The State Department said Tuesday that 12 Americans had died, seven in Sri Lanka and five in Thailand.

Bush administration officials sought to allay concerns about the missing Americans, saying it might simply be a matter of not getting in touch with U.S. authorities in Asia....

Describing the $20 million as a "line of credit," Ereli said, "We have identified an additional $20 million that we will be working to make available" to countries struck by the worst natural disaster in four decades.....

On Wednesday, President Bush is to make a brief statement at his Texas ranch about the Asian disaster following a regularly scheduled National Security Council meeting during which he will be updated on relief and recovery efforts, said White House deputy press secretary Trent Duffy.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041229/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_quake

[Bouncy Ball]

1. It's a LOAN????

Seriously?

What about the other countries who are ponying up money to help? Are they giving it as a gift or a loan? I'd be curious to know....

[Bluebear]

2. Just a "line of credit", you see. Only Iraq's debts are forgiven.

Evidently not a lot of oil in them thar Sue Nami countries.

[NYC]

3. Line of credit?

Were they clear on that?

At least the original $15 million is an outright gift, unless there is something I don't know about.

Even the $15 million and the $20 million put together are cheaper than the cost of Bush's inaugural balls.

[morgan2]

4. a line of credit at the halliburton gift store.

[Bluebear]

5. BINGO

Even now Halliburton is probably researching Sri Lankan architecture.

[Disturbed]

11. If this jerk had an ounce of compasion..

he would cancell the Coronation and those stupid parties. Just be sworn in as the false Pres. in a simple manner. Will he do that?

[Bluebear]

13. Of course we know he could give a shit.

He's probably rehearsing his "brief" statement with the apporpraite prayerful scowls.

[Nikepallas]

6. THAT IS FUCKIN SICK!!!!! I'm embarrassed to be in the same country as he

is !?!?!!!!

[onefreespiritedchick]

28. I'm embarrased to be in the same country alongside most Americans...

These days.

[Be Brave]

7. You have got to be kidding me!!! n/t

[Digit]

8. Probably a personal loan from * at 35% interest.

[Inland]

9. When Kerry tried to make the $20 BILLION in Iraq aid a loan, Bush said no

Bush insisted it be a gift from us to the country with the world's second largest oil reserves. Now, granted, at the time we didn't know how badly Bush was going to fuck up the occupation and how far he would put Iraq in an economic hole, and it turns out that expecting to be repaid is completely silly, but hey, if the principle for giving without strings twenty BILLION dollars was good then, THEN WHY CAN'T WE NOT LOOK LIKE A COUNTRY OF FUCKING DICKS AND COUGH UP 35 MILLION, A SUM THAT ISN'T EVEN EQUAL TO THE COSTS OF BUSH'S FUCKING INAUGURAL DAY PARTIES.

Say, have I been swearing a lot lately?

[yojon]

10. Looks like he has committed half as much to relief

as to his fucking coronation....

[KlatooBNikto]

12. I hope we get a perspective when we realize that the U.S. is spending

a billion dollars every three days in Iraq.

[LynnTheDem]

14. A loan...

:wow:

$20 million LOAN...

:wow:

And $200 BILLION to INVADE and OCCUPY, aka WAR OF AGGRESSION, a nation that was doing NOTHING to ANYONE...

:wow:

[HEyHEY]

15. This is from the onion right?

[Bluebear]

16. You would think, but sadly no.

Happy Holidays to you HH!

[HEyHEY]

19. Smae to you BB!

[Greylyn58]

17. You gotta be kiddin me???

This is a joke right? A loan? This man and everyone connected to him is on a fast track to HELL!!

He has absolutely no compassion!! He wouldn't know what it was even if it jumped up and bit him in the ass!!!

:grr: :mad:

[Logansquare]

18. Can we just "loan" him the 30 mill. for his inauguration?

At 20 percent interest?

[Tinoire]

20. WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Could we be any more humiliated to have

Could we be any more humiliated to have that ()*&^()_P faudulent microcephalic cretin in the White House?!

I am in SHOCK. Stunned at the absolute uncouthness.

Jesus! I have to go out for a walk now. I can't believe this crap.

Hey W dipshit

E.S.A.D.!

[diamond14]

30. bush* punishes those who won't send troops to " IRAQ coalition"....

bush* thinks GOD is punishing them too....


24/7...all bush* fundie TV and fundi radio are exclaiming that GOD-did-this to punish them for not joining our christian leader bush* in the crusading in Iraq....

"you're with us or against us" (bush* DOCTRINE)

[proudbluestater]

21. Perspective: US Military Budget 2004 -- 460 BILLION

Stop the madness!

[Be Brave]

23. That's 38.3 billion a month, 1.3 billion a day.

But hey, you feel safer, don't you? :puke:

[librechik]

24. more perspective: Inaug. "celebration" budget $30 Million taxpayer $

and that won't cover "security"

[Bluebear]

25. Disgusting.

[diamond14]

29. wrong - US Military Budget 2004 ---- $586 BILLION (link)

the pentagoon has been very sly in INCREASING it's budget, and you didn't really notice it.... Current Military Budget $536 BILLION, with added $ 50 BILLION for bush* TWO continuous wars on terror...and it equals $ 586 BILLION...

A lot of money is getting SUCKED out of all other Federal agencies for bush* mad military....

This great Federal PieChart explains the deceptions in the way bush* presents the budget to Americans....it also show that if you add PAST Military Expenditures that we are still paying....you get a total of HALF the Federal Budget going ONLY FOR MILITARY...it's getting to be real heavy (but BIG BUCKS for war-profiteers), considering that every other country spend less than 5 % on military.....


here's the entire Federal budget breakdown, complete with PIE chart
http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm

[proudbluestater]

35. The figure I gave was 2004. You gave the 2005 budget

This country in no way possible belongs to us.

[brindis_desala]

22. It's a line of credit to let the poor slobs know

that if they want more cash they have to hire Bechtel and Halliburton at premium cost to do the rebuilding. Then Cheney's cronies will promptly farm out to some local for a quarter cut. Our tax dollars at work making our fascist fat cats fatter. Disgusting...

[quaoar]

26. What happens if they can't pay back the line of credit?

Do we repossess Sri Lanka?

Does Cheney send some goons to break their kneecaps?

Just when you think Bush can't possibly sink any lower into the slime pit, he up and surprises you.

[onefreespiritedchick]

27. A Line of Credit...

As if their poor suffering goverments could pay this back. Yes, compassionate conservatism at it's best. NOT!

[AgadorSparticus]

31. O.M.F.G. I am in SHOCK. I didn't think it could get worse.

it's a goddamn loan??!?!!!?! :nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke:

i'm so pissed off. i'll come back when i'm calmer....

[Straight Shooter]

32. My first reaction was to laugh in total shock.

I mean the absurdity of it all, the absolute absurdity. As the saying goes, "You cannot make this shit up."

Compassion. Yeah, right.

[onecitizen]

33. Hmmmmm......

that's interesting.

Anybody read "Confessions of an Economic Hit man"?

[More Than A Feeling]

34. I won't believe this unless I see a cancelled check

Bush has promised money and then neglected to actually do anything about it before. I believe it did it with money towards fighting AIDS

[Bluebear]

36. Kick for the morning crew

[Dem2theMax]

37. More ammo for F 9-11 part two.

I'm sure MM is taking notes on this one.

Dear God, * makes me SICK! :puke:

[displacedtexan]

38. That story has just been scrubbed.

Click the link you posted, and you'll find a new & improved story.

'Tis a ponderous chain, George W.!

[bklyncowgirl]

39. A loan. What a cheap piece of shit.

How about taking some of that money from that disgusting spectacle that will be his inaugural celebration.

[salin]

40. I would be interested in knowing how much $$ they spend on their

"PR Efforts" to "win over the Muslim world" to support the US. There isn't much coverage on the issue anymore but we apparently have PR firms working on this we have bought media stations to promote "our virtues".... etc.

So now there is a HUGE tragedy, much of it hitting the Muslim world - and we give less than HALF of the cost of Bush's inaugeration... and then offer a paltry LOAN...

If not for humanitarian - or dare I say Christian reasons - perhaps moving the entire PR budget for aid in this crisis might be a heck of a lot more effective in their "war for the hearts and minds..."

[Delphinus]

41. A loan? Bullshit!!

That's unbelievable! Have we ever sunk so low before? How many millions (billions) of loans did they just forgive Iraq? This stinks.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

42. par for the course i guess..........oh mighty bush how compassionate ye be

eom.

[DinahMoeHum]

43. Well, what did you expect from an Indian-giver like Bush?

Unless he and his family can personally profit from it, he's not interested.


:evilfrown:

[newyawker99]

44. Disgraceful! Compassionate conservative....NOT!

:puke:

[Tinoire]

45. Updated link for that story since Yahoo has yanked it / State Dept Brief

Yahoo has already yanked that story and switched that URL to a kinder, gentler one that totally ignores anything about it being a loan:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=366121


& State Department Site

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2004/40083.htm

Daily Press Briefing
Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 28, 2004

(snip)


QUESTION: Adam, can you just -- the $20 million, exactly what is the status of that? Is that to be disbursed fairly soon or is it just --


MR. ERELI: Like the $11 million, it will be -- the 11 million additional, it will be disbursed to our missions and to local NGOs and other organizations as the need arises. The way to think of it is as a line of credit, frankly, that here is money available to be drawn upon to get equipment, to develop capacity, to provide supplies and relief to the people in need, as those needs are identified and as the institutions are identified that are capable of making use of the money. So think of it as a line of credit to be drawn down upon, as opposed to just a pot of money to be thrown out there.


QUESTION: Is it cash, credits and goods, or all three, or what?

MR. ERELI: I believe it's credit. It's basically money available to pay bills.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2004/40083.htm

[Bluebear]

46. Thanks for the update, Tinoire.

We can't have a "pot of money to be thrown out there", can we? I wonder what interest rate Bush will charge the nations in question.

[alexisfree]

47. Fucking unbelievable!!!!

He’s majesty is getting too compassionated to the human suffering, he’s coronation should be a crown of thorns...!:nuke: