If George W. Bush raises $1 from the right wingers for Haiti...

[berni_mccoy]

Then Obama was justified in asking him to do it.

It is just that simple.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Roger that Berni

A good cause is a good cause.

[Parker CA]

2. That's half a week's pay for many people in Haiti who have jobs. K&R

[CBR]

3. I agree Berni! nt

[gateley]

4. Has he agreed to it?

I'd only heard that Obama asked him -- I don't know what his response was. Thanks.

and I agree. Help should come from wherever they can get it. And Bush owes the peoples of the world.

[CBR]

6. I saw on Twitter that he had agreed. Reuters said he had. nt

[gateley]

9. Thanks. It will be interesting to see how he goes about it. nt

[gateley]

10. PS -- and I bet he's not happy about it. nt

[arcadian]

5. What?

$1 is pretty cheap to whitewash past criminal acts.

[gateley]

7. He could raise $1 billion, and it wouldn't whitewash his past criminal acts. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

12. Former Illinois Governor George Ryan placed a moratorium on his state's death penalty...

....which I believe was a very noble and courageous thing of him to do.

He was also rightfully convicted of charges such as tax fraud, money laundering and racketeering for actions related to his term in office, and is currently serving a prison term.

Support of a noble action from an un-noble person isn't necessarily a contradiction.

[gateley]

14. Did he do it of his own volition, did he believe the death penalty was wrong? I don't think

Bush would be lifting a finger had he not been asked by Obama. I don't think he cares. Regardless of the amount of money he may raise, I don't view his participation as a "noble" action on his part.

[Posteritatis]

25. Nobody's saying it would. (nt)

[BolivarianHero]

8. Any money that Bush raises...

It will go right into the pockets of surviving Duvaliers.

[monmouth]

11. All he has to do is call a couple of buddies in the oil business and

he'll be golden... They'll do anything to make Bush look at least a little better and I say good for all of them. This is about helping these poor people and if it takes scoundrels so be it...

[bigwillq]

13. That country needs all the help it can get

even if it's from GWB.

[EFerrari]

15. Tell ya what, berni. I'm going to follow the money.

No matter where it goes, I'll post it here. How's that?

[berni_mccoy]

17. If you think your time is well spent doing that, more power to you.

[EFerrari]

19. It will be. Because unless I'm wrong (which happens)

for every dollar he raises, his cronies will get one and the Haitian people will be indebted two.

But, whatever, I'll do my best to track it down and post it.

[Political Heretic]

21. Actually, its all about Shock Doctrine Disaster Capitalism in action.

money raised will come with development conditions, long term aid will take the form of loans with economic conditions that serve the interests of places like the Heritage Foundation and its cronies.

Here's the scenario:
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/14/naomi_klein_issues_haiti_disaster_capitalism

[EFerrari]

22. Yes.

[Marr]

24. I expect you'll be proven correct. That's certainly been the pattern in the past. n/t

[EFerrari]

27. I'm listening to Naomi Klein read this off of the Heritage Foundation site

on a clip Amy ran this morning:

Amidst the Suffering, Crisis in Haiti Offers Opportunities to the U.S.
In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti’s long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region…

While on the ground in Haiti, the U.S. military can also interrupt the nightly flights of cocaine to Haiti and the Dominican Republic from the Venezuelan coast and counter the ongoing efforts of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to destabilize the island of Hispaniola. This U.S. military presence, which should also include a large contingent of U.S. Coast Guard assets, can also prevent any large-scale movement by Haitians to take to the sea in rickety watercraft to try to enter the U.S. illegally.

Meanwhile, the U.S. must be prepared to insist that the Haiti government work closely with the U.S. to insure that corruption does not infect the humanitarian assistance flowing to Haiti. Long-term reforms for Haitian democracy and its economy are also badly overdue.

* * *

Apparently, they took it down a few hours later. But I found it here (I don't know anything about this site but this was the text Klien was reading

http://www.phuckpolitics.com/

[shireen]

16. he's giving W a chance to do something good ...

let's see if he does the right thing.

[Political Heretic]

18. Not if there is a better righ-wing outreach figure who also does not happen to be a war criminal.

If someone else could raise 2 dollars to Bush's every 1, then it was a bad choice.

[spanone]

20. use the useless shit to raise money for someone other than the rich

[SmileyRose]

23. WhistleAss is gifted at picking pockets and funneling the money

May as well use for something other than enriching the already rich for once.

[RoyGBiv]

26. Yup n/t