Aid for Africa

Blair, the host of this year's summit of the major eight industrialized democracies, hopes to use the meeting in early July in Gleneagles, Scotland, to raise an extra $50 billion a year by selling bonds on the world's capital markets.

"It doesn't fit our budgetary process," Bush said last week. The Bush administration says the mechanism would conflict with U.S. budget laws by binding future governments to providing money.

(From Blair Seeks Bush Support on 2 Initiatives, Yahoo News)

Since when does Bush care at ALL about our budgetary process?

It's amazing what people will make exceptions for - or what they won't.

Btw, if you haven't figured this out already, President Bush's big announcement today to give $674 million in relief aid to Africa is not as wonderful as it sounds. It's not anywhere near the (proportional) commitment of other industrialized nations, and we would do well to direct more funds to DEVELOPMENT rather than simply food aid (immediate relief). It's just ridiculous.