Stark Differences

Katherine Jean Lopez prints an excerpt from a George W. Bush love moment email.

I don't know if you've been listening to President Bush's press conference this morning, but it offered several reminders of how much there is to like about him. When a reporter pressed him on why he hadn't initiated a large-scale government campaign to encourage energy conservation, the President said (and I paraphrase),

"The American people are smart enough to figure it out. They know the price of gas. They're already driving less and seeking smaller cars. I don't need to tell them; they can balance their checkbook." It's sad that our next President, whoever he is, will not think and say these things.

Once we get over the gushing love the right wing still has for the most unpopular president in modern history, it's easy to see the vast differences Republicans and Democrats have concerning government's role. Apparently to Republicans the American people are on their own (aka smart enough to figure it out) and don't need government intervention into their fiscal matters in order to help the economy. But businesses that can't balance their checkbooks (aka not smart enough) get multibillion dollar bailouts. So it's easy to see the different views of government: failed businesses that can't balance their checkbooks need constant government intervention and hundred billion dollar tax payer funded bailouts and the American people needn't muster anything except being smart. It's sad that this is just one reminder of "how much there is to like about him."