altara

Sunday, December 07, 2003

BUSHSPEAK

Once again, we are treated to the Bush administration's ability to disguise what's going on and to fool a portion of the American voting public.

As the President well knew, the steel tariffs he imposed were likely to be ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. When that ruling came down the European Union countries were free to retaliate and made canny choices in threats to do so. Countervailing tariffs would be imposed on products coming from states that Bush needs in the 2004 election.

Faced with these truths and this pressure, Mr Bush rescinded the steel tariffs with the smokescreen statement that "The safeguard measures have now achieved their purpose, and as a result of changed economic circumstances, it is time to lift them" Tell that to the steelworkers.

Instead of just once again it's really twice again recently. The administration continued its creative use of names with the "Healthy Forests Restoration Act" a law relaxing controls and likely to hurt our National Forests.