Black Health Statistics Made Bush Groan

[rodeodance]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/H020905A.shtml

Black Health Statistics Made Bush Groan
By James Wright
Afro American Newspapers

Tuesday 08 February 2005

Voting rights and health disparities took center stage at a meeting between the Congressional Black Caucus and President George Bush at the White House Cabinet Room. Individual CBC members raised issues such as homeland security, education, employment and social security, but it was voting rights and health care concerns that drew the greatest reaction from the president.

According to AFRO sources, Bush seemed genuinely taken aback by data presented from the CBC Health Braintrust, chaired by Rep. Donna M. Christensen (D-VI), documenting the poor state of African Americans' health relative to their White counterparts. One congressman said President Bush "audibly groaned" as each statistic revealed the stark portrait of African American's health deficit.

The Jan. 26 meeting, only one week before the State of the Union address, had a distinct purpose, noted Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), chairman of the 35-year-old organization.

"We told the president that he will have three opportunities in the next few days and weeks to signal to us his willingness to work with us to achieve closing and eliminating disparities," Watt said. "First, the president can make a public statement regarding our meeting that he embraces our agenda. Second, in his State of the Union address he will have an opportunity to speak about the disparities that exist in our Union. Finally, when the president presents his fiscal year 2006 budget, we will know whether there is a real commitment to addressing our priorities based on whether he commits resources."
..............

[Vickers]

1. He's groaning because he's thinking of what it will cost

He's a racist, penny-pinching dipshit.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. Seriously, I think you're right

a "groan" is not a normal reaction. I would be more apt to say "that's terrible", or "how horrible".
And even if he were earnest in his groaning, it just shows he's clueless- for then it's an emotional response to the previously unknown, which someone in his position SHOULD know.

[yardwork]

2. The disparities in health ARE truly shocking

Maybe busholini has a tiny heart in there someplace. However, cutting Medicaid is no way to help the problem! He may groan, he may be truly shocked, but he'll continue with his selfish, short-sighted agenda.

[elsiesummers]

7. You are right - his sheltered existence has always been the big problem.

He has never been exposed to ideas that aren't Republican and never exposed to an existence that isn't sheltered.

It isn't that he doesn't have a heart - he truely doesn't get it - he just doesn't get it.

It's sort of like people who have always heard that free trade is good "rising tide lifts all boats" and so they spout it without thinking it over. They aren't necessarily heartless - but they've bought into conventional wisdom.

I think he doesn't realize, doesn't have any sense, of how the world really operates for the rest of us.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

4. Unsurprisingly, Bush's new budget wants to cut their support further

So much for "compassionate conservatism". This monster of a budget the Bushies have assembled for this year gives a sundae with a cherry on top to corporate tax cheats and polluters, while cutting funding for health programs for Blacks and the poor, for students, even for veterans. The media, of course, is perfectly happy to give him a free pass on it.

[applegrove]

5. He groans because he just realized there are structural problems

He groans because he just realized there are structural problems involved in racism. His handlers had him convinced that racism was "so over".

[fortyfeetunder]

6. I am surprised he didn't say

Fanstastic...that's uniquely American!

[marcologico]

8. They better enjoy that groan because it's all they're getting.

And it was probably just a fart.