"Morality." Ain't It Grand?

Mr. Bush refuses to roll back tax cuts for the wealthy even in light of a new 200 billion+ dollar Extreme Makeover for New Orleans. This comes after a 300 billion+ dollar Extreme Makeover last season that's ended in a ratings flop over in Iraq. An encore showing of Extreme Makeover - Bush Edition, will play out next year when the real cost of a flawed Prescription Drug Benefit program weighs in at 1.2 Trillion dollars. I'm not talking Indian Rupees folks, I'm talking US Dollars.

With all of these new expenses on the table, I am now beginning to understand what Bush meant about smaller government and fiscal conservatism. His most eloquent criticism of "nation building" during the 2000 debates with Gore really played out nicely. After all, our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq aren't nation building so much as they are wealth building for those friends in high places.

Mr. Bush indicates that cuts will be made elsewhere in our federal budget. I suggest the education budget since we're on such a fiscally responsible roll already. I mean public education has gone underfunded for over 40 years now how could pulling the paltry 65 billion dollars the federal government contributes to education hurt schools any further. 23 Billion of this has gone to shore up testing efforts with the ever-essential, No Child Left Behind program. So 65 Billion could go to Hurricane Katrina efforts or into Mr. Bush's PR campaign, whichever will cost more. 65 Billion dollars is small peanuts when you consider that nearly 500 billion is earmarked for military projects. Remember we're talking US greenbacks not Rupees.

The conservative moral message plays out ever so pronounced in this simple arithmetic. Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, Dr. Rice say it best with Red, White, and Blue. Wave your flags, honk your horns, slap on the magnetic bumper-sticker ribbons, we're busy supporting FREEDOM! Funding education? Where's the honor in that? I mean what would we be FREEing our kids from? Where's the patriotism in that?

George Bush's favorite commercial between Extreme Makeover episodes is no doubt those Mastercard Ads. Unjustified War in Middle East? 200 Billion Dollars Ill-Conceived Drug Benefit Program? 1.2 Billion Dollars Tax Cuts for the Rich? Priceless For Every Other Real Need, There's Mastercard.