Our Funky President

The Nixon-era James Brown song "Funky President" reminds me of our current president. Although he campaigned as a "compassionate conservative" in 2000 George Bush and his cohorts in The Cabinet and Congress have been like a gasoline enema at a bonfire to minorities, the elderly, the disabled, the working poor, the struggling middle class and anyone who gives a darn about them. Everything they do seems aimed to make life easier for those who can contribute to the Republican Party's coffers while making it harder for those struggling under its policies.

On Friday it was reported that The Senate approved a $2.6 trillion budget Thursday that eliminated the compassionate conservative's plans for cutting Medicaid, community development and school aid. They also shot down his plan to cut funding for education, local police and fire and emergency workers.

Cut funding for local police? Bush, whose party preaches law and order as well as morality wants to cut funding from those whose duty it is to preserve it? This is yet another example of the political walk not matching the political talk.

Bush is a privileged son of a privileged son of a privileged son. So, naturally, his compassion is for those who can attend Republican fundraisers. The Americans that Bush and his party ignore has been waited four years, three months and counting for some inkling of compassion to trickle down on them. What has trickled on them doesn't resemble compassion. It does resemble but sure as hell isn't lemonade.