"MINNEAPOLIS - President Bush pledged Saturday to cut red tape that could delay
rebuilding a highway bridge that once arched over the Mississippi River but now
lies crumbled in muddy water concealing some victims. Bush, still dogged by his
administration's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina, toured the site of
Wednesday's collapse, which sent dozens of cars sliding into the river from the
Minneapolis span. At least five people died and about 100 others were injured."
These kinds of visits are mandated to politicians, or the press starts to talk about how uncaring they are. This isn't a partisan issue, all the presidents are under the same pressure to make these appearances, as empty as they are. There is talk that Bush did not go to New Orleans soon enough after the flood, but Bush could have done nothing to help by being there. In fact a president can get more done in Washington, than in New Orleans or any where else. If you want to see that the president cares, the best place for the president to be is in the office working on a solution.
Then there are things that don't even involve politics, and the president has to address them, and has to make an appearance. When the death happened at Virgina Tech, it was a sad event, but do we need a comment from the president for every sad event in our nation. He went to the memorial, which I am not suggesting that he shouldn't go to these events, but what does it really mean to have him there. It is all empty grand standing. If your child had died in the shooting, what would the words of the president mean to you, or his coming to the memorial?
Maybe we should find another person to fill this role, of going to disasters and tragedies and serving as a voice of the nation. A person who could tour the damage and talk to the families, maybe this person could even attend the funerals of some of our fallen hero's. That position should not be the presidents job. The president is a politician and that makes everything he does political, it makes your disaster political, your tragedy political, your child's death. That position should not be the presidents because there are more pressing things that should be dealt with. Maybe this person could be the First Lady.
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