The U.S. Needs Foreign Aid?

While the price tag for killing almost a million Iraqis and killing and maiming tens of thousands of Americans in George W. Bush's Iraq and Mid-East Debacle and making Bush's friends obscenely rich beyond their wildest dreams while their supporters giggle and drool their way through their trolling fishing trips here and elsewhere approaches half a trillion dollars... Mayor Nagin and the city leaders of New Orleans have received just over half of the $320 million FEMA has obligated for rebuilding city infrastructure and emergency response related costs. The city has estimated its damage at far more than that - at least $1 billion.

$1 billion? $1 billion? Approximately ONE FIVE HUNDREDTH of the money Bush and Cheney have spent creating the Iraq Debacle.

Bush's administration has not only been unwilling to provide the aid that New Orleans needs, it continues to block foreign aid offers.

NEW ORLEANS -- The cash-strapped city of New Orleans is turning to foreign countries for help to rebuild as federal hurricane-recovery dollars remain slow to flow.

Kenya Smith, director of intergovernmental relations for Mayor Ray Nagin, said city leaders are talking with more than five countries. He wouldn't identify the countries, saying discussions were in the early stages. But he said the city is "very serious" about pursuing foreign help.
...
Discussions with foreign representatives have been occurring off and on since the storm, but Smith said the city became re-engaged after a news report in April that millions of dollars in aid offered by foreign countries after Hurricane Katrina went unaccepted.

It wasn't clear how much of the $854 million in aid originally offered remained on the table. In Katrina's wake, Cuban President Fidel Castro's proposal to send more than 1,000 medical personnel to New Orleans was among the offers of aid.

Compassionate Conservat(dry heave)ism.


[Cross-posted at Edgeing]