Bush, the Humanitarian Who Cares... (Yeah. Sure.)

SusanG over at Daily Kos has a fascinating article comparing Dubya's actions against his own words. F'rinstance:

People appreciate somebody who sets a tone, a tone that values life.
-- George W. Bush, June 5, 2000

Fact: Estimated 100,000+ Iraqi civilian deaths.

Fact: 2,506 coalition military deaths as of 3/3/06

Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life.
-- George W. Bush, Feb. 2, 2005

Fact: 16,742 American military wounded as of 3/3/06.

Fact: Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.

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I believe the most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the American people.
--George W. Bush, March 31, 2005

Fact: 1300+ dead in Katrina

Fact: 1,900+ still missing from Katrina as of 2/22/06.

Fact: Hurricane Katrina exposed the U.S. government's failure to learn the lessons of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as leaders from President Bush down disregarded ample warnings of the threat to New Orleans and did not execute emergency plans or share information that would have saved lives, according to a blistering report by House investigators.

Still not buying it? Try this one on for size:

In our time, respect for the right to life calls us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, and all who are weak and vulnerable.
George W. Bush, January 23, 2006

Fact: Estimated 55,000 deaths and 160,000 heart attacks due to Vioxx, a pain reliever for those suffering from arthritis.

Fact: Dr. David J. Graham of the FDA's Office of Drug Safety told Senate investigators he faced resistance to his findings within the FDA and that instead of acting as a public watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration was busy challenging its own expert and calling his work scientific rumor.

Fact: Graham's testimony at the hearing became front-page news after he identified the FDA's handling of Vioxx as the worst public health disaster in its history, resulting in a probable 30,000-55,000 deaths. No official could credibly challenge his Vioxx findings, and he identified five other suspect drugs: Accutane, Bextra, Crestor, Meridia, and Serevent.

A week after the hearing, sympathetic insider colleagues and press contacts warned Graham that the FDA was finalizing plans to exile him from drug safety work within days.

Read the rest of the article. Although it is ostensibly an argument concerning his stance on abortion, it brings together several instances where George W. Bush - a so-called "pro-lifer" - has indirectly caused, or at the very least sopported efforts that caused, the loss of numerous lives.

"Pro-lifer," indeed.

All the best,
Derek
(DCF)