"Had we properly managed our forests, the devastation caused would not have been nearly as severe as it's been. And it's a crying shame," Bush said while announcing his new forest policy. This is the first time the "Crying Shame" classification has been used for a natural disaster since it was added by the Federal Emergency Management Agency last year.
Most political analysts are not surprised by the new "Love Me" policy focus.
"Bush needs to say something that doesn't leave people scratching their heads," notes Washington policy analyst James Lakeland. "His handlers have finally noticed that the the President is squandering the high approval ratings he enjoyed after the September 11 attacks." Lakeland cites the controversy surrounding the administration's plan to ouster Sadaam Hussein as well as "every domestic move the President has ever made" as examples of why Bush's rating is steadily declining, albeit slowly.
"He really has catered to the far right since gaining office," says Martha Henley, a Washington area lobbyist. "But it's plain to see that not even the far right believes a word he says about corporate corruption and by constantly alienating the left on issues such as school vouchers, a policy of standing up against things like natural disasters is kind of a no brainer."
Lakeland agrees. "All he has to do is not make this a left-right issue and it'll get passed without much discussion at all. And anytime he can avoid talking about the economy only helps him right now."
In his speech Wednesday, Bush showed that old habits are hard to break first by bringing up the economy then by attacking environmentalists.
"Good forest policy will be good for the economy. Good forest policy will mean we will have left a legacy for future generations," Bush said in his announcement. "A legacy of multi-million dollar houses tucked into the hills for rich kids to enjoy on long weekends for many years to come. Much like I do at Camp David every chance I get."
Bush also noted that many Forest Service projects to thin and maintain forests are challenged and delayed by environmental groups in court. The new initiative will limit the "red tape" involved in forest management plans.
"We'll make sure that people have their voice, but aren't able to tie it all up," Bush said. "You know like allowing blacks to vote but then making them take a reading test at the polls, something along those lines," the former Texas governor said referring to a common practice that continued into the 1950's.
Environmentalists are also concerned that the plan calls for logging companies to do the thinning work in exchange for the "low, low price" of having their way with federal forests.
Bush is expected to continue his "Love Me" tour by visiting Kansas and Florida to speak out against both tornadoes and hurricanes .
"The rocky start to the new policies should even out while standing up to the other natural disasters," Lakeland stressed. "It'll be hard to upset the left at those events."
Bush officials are expecting at least some opposition, however, over their proposed "Severe Weather Warning/National ID/GPS tracking" computer chip that will be implanted under the skin of anyone stepping foot within U.S. borders.
