Priorities

Jeremy Elton Jacquot frames the bailout in the right way. He notes that the Bush administration is happy to ask for $700 billion to help their rich friends but is willing to spend nothing on anything else. The case Jacquot mentions is a very reasonably priced $70 million plan to help save salmon populations.

While I agree that some kind of bailout is necessary, just what could be done with that money? Go catch Osama Bin Laden. A national healthcare plan. Subsidies for alternative energy technologies. Providing mass transit around the nation. Any number of small programs that would make life better for Americans. But this will never happen. For Republicans, there are 2 things worth spending money on. Giving it to rich people and fighting wars. That's it. McCain last night kept talking about cutting spending except for defense. He wants more defense spending. A terrible idea. Just horrid.