Not so brave without his Army tracksuit and military escort, is he?According to a New York Times news analysis this morning, “President Bush had little choice on Thursday when he reversed himself and lifted the tariffs on imported steel that he imposed last year.” So did he travel to a steel mill to break the news in person, look the steel workers in the eye and explain why he was forced to reverse the tariffs he had promised would last at least three years? Nope. Probably wouldn’t have gotten quite the same reception he got in Iraq, though. Did he at least make a public statement to those who feel betrayed by him? Well . . . sort of:
"These safeguard measures have now achieved their purpose, and as a result of changed economic circumstances, it is time to lift them,” the president said in a statement on Thursday read by his spokesman.Let me run that for you again in case you missed it. He had his spokesman read his statement for him. Here’s a man who has made a point of telling us how, when he meets with foreign leaders like Putin, Sharon, and Abbas, he “look[s them] in the eye”. Can’t he summon the same respect or courage for his own constituents?
