Bush's "real, live Americans"

Bush's "real, live Americans"
Jim Hightower
March 2001

George W. Bush is cute when he lies, isn't he?

His latest whopper was in the form of a warm and fuzzy photo op that his handlers staged for him outside the White House. The purpose of this media event was to convince you that his $1.6 trillion tax cut is all about helping the regular Joes and Janes of America. And there they were, not one or two Joes and Janes, but 21 families trotted out for the TV cameras--Tammy the waitress, Ken the car repairman, Denise the stay-at-home mom, Michael the UPS truck driver, and so many more, all with their spouses and children. George got all gushy, referring to his props as "real, live Americans," and saying with a straight face that these folks are the ones he wants to help with his tax giveaway.

But where were the dot-com gabillionaires, the corporate CEOs, and the Wall Street elite? Why not a photo op with the jet set, he wealthiest one percent of Americans who'll pocket nearly half of Bush's giveaway, not getting a few hundred bucks, but a few hundred thousand bucks each? Wasn't Bush the guy who promised last year that he'd bring a new honesty to Washington?

Here's the honesty that he practices away from the cameras--after he had cheerfully posed outside the White House with his collection of "real, live Americans" George went inside to have lunch, not with the 21 families, but with 22 corporate executives and lobbyists. The honchos of Gap, General Mills, and the National Association of Manufacturers were among those getting a free lunch at the White House and a private tête-à-tête with the president, urging that while Bush is cutting their personal taxes, he should whack corporate taxes too.

This is Jim Hightower saying . . . George W's idea of honesty is to put working families out front while he's in the back room giving away the national treasury to his wealthy pals.

Sources: "Taxing my patience"by Maureen Dowd. New York Times: February 7, 2001.
"Bush reunites working families backing his tax cut to blunt criticism" by Marc Lacey with Richard W. Stevenson. New York Times: February 8, 2001.