Opinion
 

Bush White House exploiting 9/11

David C. Salinas

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I drove to school worrying about my chemistry exam and what the temperature was going to be during football practice. Before that afternoon, I would realize there were much more important things to worry about in this world. I, along with the rest of the nation, experienced something that I had only read about in history books and seen on television happening in foreign lands. I didn't experience a direct loss, but many did. It was a sad and surreal day.

That night George W. Bush gave a speech that reassured a worried nation. Before this day I had despised him for his personal attacks on John McCain in the 2000 presidential election and the Supreme Court decision that got him elected. But that night he was my President. I no longer saw him as a partisan, but a leader. I'll never make that mistake again. Almost three years later we see that this administration has taken the worst day in American history and politicized it to no end. This supposed "uniter" has tried to divide our country on a tragedy that affected all Americans, not one specific political party. Here are some examples of what they've done:

Bush first exploited 9/11 when he allowed a photo taken of him aboard Air Force One on 9/11 to be sold for campaign money. For $150 a photo, Bush and his party profited from the tragic deaths of nearly 3,000 people. When others had tears in their eyes for the victims that day, it seems that some strategists in this White House had dollar signs in theirs.

They also milked 9/11 politically when they chose a site for the 2004 Republican Convention, which was a decision between Tampa and New York. It was a choice between a city in a swing state, a city that helped vote in Hillary Clinton and went to Al Gore in a landslide in 2000. 

Bush and the Republicans chose New York. So why would they have a convention in a place so unabashedly Democratic? It wouldn't be because they were so close to the site of the attacks, would it? Then why would they have chosen to have the convention only a few days before the third anniversary of 9/11 when they have had it in either July or August in the past?

Recently, the Bush/Cheney campaign launched its first ads showing images of 9/11, even showing a casket draped with the flag. Many families of the victims of 9/11 have complained, as well as many New York City firefighters. The Bush administration has shrugged them off, and refused to edit the ads, saying that "we all suffered" that day and that the president has a right to talk about it. 

I find it impossible to believe that Bush suffered as much as someone who lost a loved one that day. If one family complained about the ads they should have been taken down in respect, but they weren't. 

Where's that "compassionate conservative" when you need him? 

Maybe the most infuriating thing about this 9/11 exploitation is that Bush may not even have a reason to brag about what he did before and after the tragedy. According to Richard Clarke, a former high-ranking military adviser to the past four administrations, this current administration ignored his warnings of al-Qaida threats and was obsessed with Iraq. Clarke also said that Bush kept pressing for links to Saddam Hussein, even after it was made clear al-Qaida was responsible for the attacks.

So even though Bush may have dropped the ball on terror, he will fuel his campaign with the fear and sadness of 9/11. It makes sense, though. 

He can't run on employment -- he'll be the first president since Herbert Hoover to have a net loss of jobs. He can't run on health care -- millions have lost their health insurance under his watch. He can't run on managing a budget -- he's taken a record surplus and turned it into a record deficit. 

So his trump card will be to focus on a national day of horror. The famous line Bush apologists use when making excuses for failed foreign and domestic policies is, "9/11 changed everything." 

With the exploitation backfiring and the truth coming out, hopefully 9/11 will also change the occupant of the White House.

Salinas, a columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at davidcsalinas@yahoo.com.