About a year ago, a 205 mph tornado took out 95 percent of the town of Greensburg, Kansas. Since then, the people of Greensburg have worked hard to rebuild, and even though the town's high school had been leveled, 10 boys and eight girls made it through their senior year in "a makeshift campus of trailers."These young people became instant celebrities when President George W. Bush came to town to address, for the first time, a high school graduating class. The only problem with the prez wanting to drop in and offer a few pieces of his wisdom at their commencement was that his daughter, Jenna, had planned her wedding on the same day, May 10.
So, the soon-to-be graduates agreed to bump up their big day to today, May 4, which is exactly one year since the devastation occurred.
Why would Bush do this? Is he trying to make up for Katrina? The Feds have doled out more than $62 million to help rebuild Greensburg, a worthy effort. At the same time, however, we still have thousands of Katrina victims without homes or jobs, wandering lost around the country. Has Bush forgotten about them?
Bush told those assembled that "The federal government will honor its commitments, and stand by you." Because the people of Greensburg are very nice, they didn't laugh out loud, but some were reminded of that old joke with the punch line, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you," and I'm sure there were a few giggles in the crowd.
The prez also said that the people of Greensburg were guided through their recovery efforts by "the power of faith, the love of family and the bonds of friendship." That may be true, but there isn't any way that Bush could know that.
But then these kinds of presidential remarks are more for the country as a whole, not so much just for the folks in Greensburg - they're to show everyone what a kind, loving, caring president we have.
And as you might have guessed, he somehow managed to throw in 9/11, too...comparing the "resolve" of the Greensburg people to that of the victims of other disasters, such as 9/11.
He went on to say that this graduating class has sent a powerful message to the nation, "Greensburg, Kansas, is back and its best days are ahead."
I think the eleven people who died in the tornado might take issue with that!
Nevertheless, the prez is out and about, no doubt looking to burnish his "legacy." That's the only reason I can think of that would prod him to mosey off to Greensburg, Kansas, to talk to 18 high school graduates. And if ever a legacy needed burnishing, it's his. Many people, I think, feel like this man, who, upon hearing that Bush was going to Greensburg, said he wasn't surprised 'cause "Wherever you find death and destruction, you find Bush."
There are many of us cynics around the country who simply can't believe that Bush gives a rat's ass about the people of Greensburg, but see his visit as nothing more than a barely disguised publicity stunt to try to portray him as other than the lying, ruthless, anti-constitutional tyrant we know him to be.
There isn't anything he can do to restore his legacy! He is the worst president in the world, ever!
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