It's sick but the more McCain distances himself from Bush the more like him he gets!

The other day I noted President Bush, hoping to inoculate his party and his presidential legacy from election-year anger over the economy, heaped criticism on the Democratic-led Congress on Tuesday for "letting the American people down." He said he'd consider a summer suspension of federal gasoline taxes. But he offered no new ideas for a range of economic worries now facing the country, from record gas prices and soaring food costs to rising inflation, layoffs and home foreclosures, and a credit crunch that even has sparked fears of a college student loan squeeze.

He rejected a new economic stimulus package, saying the tax rebate checks that began going out this week from a $168 billion economic aid plan adopted in February must first be given time to work. He also rejected bipartisan suggestions that the government stop filling the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve while oil costs so much, saying it involves such a tiny amount of supply that doing so wouldn't push prices down. Instead, the president tried to shift the focus to Congress, saying he long ago sent lawmakers proposals to deal with many of the nation's economic problems, only to see them sit or be replaced with approaches that he deems unacceptable.

Today it dawned on me the more McCain tries to distance himself from Bush the more like him he gets. John McCain's obsession with banishing "wasteful government" spending in the form of "earmarked" projects has long annoyed his colleagues in Congress. But he may have gone a bit too far lately. In New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward last week, McCain startled reporters when he said Congress was partly to blame for the failed response to Hurricane Katrina, because it "funded pork-barrel projects" instead of "projects that were needed here." Funny I thought Katrina was allowed to do what it did and it was Bush's fault!This week, McCain blamed earmarks for the deadly 2007 collapse of a Minnesota bridge. According to the Associated Press, he told reporters that the bridge "collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects." What the heck is that?

The collapse, which killed 13, remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, but authorities suspect a "serious design error" as a factor. Some Minnesota leaders didn't take well to McCain's musings. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible McCain running mate, distanced himself from the senator's comments by saying he was waiting for the agency's report. McCain is beating Bush and is alienating his party before he is even elected. As a result According to AP, McCain backtracked somewhat Thursday, stating that he couldn't be sure if redirected spending would have prevented the tragedy. "Do I know specifically whether it would have replaced that bridge in Minneapolis? No, but I know that funding would have been available for higher-priority projects," he said. McCain blames bridge collapse on earmarks -- then backs off

* Not only that but as he gets deeper Sen. John McCain yesterday attempted to clarify comments about last summer's deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis, saying he never intended to say federal budget earmarks led to the disaster. Responding to reporter's questions as he traveled through Iowa, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee said he meant to say only that earmarks divert money from necessary projects toward unneeded pork-barrel ones. "When you divert money to projects that are unneeded and unwanted, any project that is deserved is not going to receive the funding that's necessary," he said. "And I will maintain again that I believe that when you fund a bridge to Alaska or you fund a highway in Florida that the people there don't even want, then money is diverted from much-needed projects." I have to tell you, that Bridge to no where in Alaska and the Florida highway are Republican projects. All pork projects bother me and there is an easy answer to them and to help the country at the same time.

We can strengthen our homeland defense that is another facade and in reality has been totally ignored. At the same time we can solve the pork problem that both parties take advantage of. They can have their pork and help their state and the country at the same time! We can clean up the abuse of the Political, legal, and financial system, and stop altogether the impetus of politicians to find loopholes to go around the soft money issue by having their special interest donations donated to a Presidential runners home State, an interest of the donor, or the States own school system that may benefit from the money. We should find out right away whether a nominee has the right thing in mind or his or hers own interest in mind. I am sick of al the underhanded childish games only for Political gain while the country is rapidly going down the tubes.

James Joiner
Gardner Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com