Talk Elections

"Bush plans to give aid to Palestinians" (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2004/November/middleeast_November469.xml&section=middleeast)

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration plans to give $20 million in aid directly to the Palestinian Authority, bypassing congressional restrictions as part of a renewed push for peace in the Middle East, sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.


The administration notified key congressional committees on Wednesday of its plans, which could be announced when outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with Palestinian officials in the West Bank early next week.



Feel free to read the rest.

This reeks of a parting gift to Powell.  Not really all that bad a move, but maybe just too soon.

The money should be carefully watched and some of it used to pay for the upcoming election.  Would be good to send the message that we support democracy.

Terror, like Communism, breeds in a climate of misery.  A Marshall Plan for Palestine (and, to a lesser extent, the entire Middle East) is exactly what we need.

this is going to piss off all those scorched-earth GOP neocons.  Good for him.  That move took balls.  That's the George Bush I voted for.  Summa you moderate GOP types ought to come out of the closet and help heal the wounded (or forgotten) left wing of this party so it can fly like the Eagle that it used to be.  Call it a parting shot (or a parthinan shot) to Colin, whatever you want, but, as Erc points out, it's the right thing to do.  And GWB is showing the world a huge pair.  No wonder he walks with such a cocky swagger.  With a huge pair like that dangling, you'd walk funny too.  :)

FOUR MORE YEARS

Here here!

The 'left wing' of the GOP, if there is any of it left, should follow the rest of us to the Democratic party. 

This nonsensical money-giving will do nothing to reduce the hatred. 

I thought you wanted to purge liberal elements from the G.O.P. I guess that was the "old opebo"

Back then I was worried about economic leftism, now I'm worried about the social agenda of the christian right - I was blind, but now I see!

you're a regular martin luther, what with all the soul-searching and hard gut-wrenching decisions you have made. 

Actually,

Its neocons like me who have been asking for more aid to the Middle Eatern friendlies all along.

Its neocons like me who complained the loudest about the slow pace of reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan (see: N. Gingrich).

Its neocons like me who didn't need WMD or some other self interest based justification to remove a totalitarian thug.

We are the moderate wing of the party.  We are the liberals on economics, rejecting the harsh laissez faire of the hard right.  We are also the moderates on foreign policy, rejecting the traditional (and cold) realpolitik of the Scowcroft-Baker wing and the hysterical isolationism of the Buchanan right (if he can even be called right anymore).  The Rockefeller wing is not the moderate wing, just the self centered wing that does not believe in their responsibilities to the less fortunate among us and the less fortuante around the world.

Sounds similar to Truman.

Aid here, Aid there, Aid everywhere!


Awwwww, Palestine, your brave leader died. :(

Here, take the fruits of our disgruntled taxpayers!