Bush Lies Again On African Aid, This Time On Malaria

Bush announced $1.2 billion in aid to Africa to fight malaria. Sounds great, just like that $15 billion he promised to spend in fighting AIDS (and then didn't).

But look closer and you'll realize Bush isn't announcing $1.2 billion in NEW funding, heaven forfend. No, despite the entire world focusing on Africa and trying to take radical steps to attack that continent's problems with a combination of targeted debt relief, increased aid and fair trade practices; despite our closest ally Britain begging Bush to step up to the plate at this historic moment; despite the obvious benefits of proving to the Muslim world Bush doesn't just want to bomb countries but genuinely wants to help, Bush says NO.

All Bush is doing is moving money around from one part of the budget to another, a shell game, really, to trick people into thinking he's being proactive and caring.

This dodge reached its obscene peak in Darfur, where Bush moved in funds to feed the starving children in that war-torn area ravaged by genocide. But how did Bush feed those kids? By moving funding away from other regions of the Sudan and focusing on Darfur because that's where the world was watching. Quite literally, he took food out of the mouths of little children to feed other children farther away and called it humanitarian relief.

Now he's doing the same thing with malaria funding. What would Jesus do? Give until it hurts or, like Bush, hurt until people give in?