quote:
Originally posted by Azred:
Votes? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] For what? Bush doesn't need votes; he's in office for another 2 years.
He needs votes for The Republicans in the congressional elections.
By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 17, 2002; Page A02
President Bush admonished Latin America yesterday against straying from the path of free markets, a sign of mounting worries in Washington that Argentina's wrenching economic crisis may lead Buenos Aires and neighboring countries to resort to protectionism and government intervention.
"Argentina -- and nations throughout the hemisphere -- need to strengthen our commitment to market-based reform, not weaken it," Bush declared. Although expressing sympathy for that nation's plight and reiterating that Washington will support international aid for Argentina's new government provided it embraces a "sound and sustainable economic plan," Bush said, "Shortcuts to reform only lead to more trouble."
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That last sentence may well come back to haunt him. George Bush is engaged in pure pork-barrel politics, paying off his debts to big business whilst at the same time looking for votes for fellow republicans in the upcoming congressional elections in steel states such as West Virginia and Ohio.
Of course the US is the biggest boy in the playground and if you want to bully the rest of the world you can. But even Bush's poodle is yapping around his ankles:
Blair condemns US steel tariffs
Staff and agencies
Wednesday March 6, 2002
Tony Blair today condemned the US decision to impose punitive tariffs on steel imports as "unacceptable and wrong" in a rare attack on the Bush administration.
Despite "standing shoulder to shoulder" with the US on most issues, Mr Blair did not mince his words during prime minister's question time as he called America's move totally unjustified.
Mr Blair called on the US steel industry to restructure rather than hide behind trade barriers, adding: "We have made representations at every level of government. We will continue to do so through the European Union."
Number 10 said President Bush's move clearly flouted World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and that Britain would introduce "safeguard measures" to protect British steel firms.