"THE FEEL GOOD PRESIDENT"

How do you feel about President Bush? If you are like most, at least according to every poll taken recently, it seems fairly clear that you, along with most Americans, like George W. Bush. Even if you don't like all his policies, or think he could use some grammar lessons, for the most part, we all think he's doing a pretty good job of keeping America safe and fostering an environment of renewed economic prosperity.

Reality and perception can differ a bit, or a lot, and while the perception of late, is that things at home are safer and more prosperous, the reality might not be so rosy. Far be it for me to be the downer, but is the country really safer now than it was before 9/11 and our multiple victories in Afghanistan and Iraq? And, is the economy really doing better? In every public comment to the media and the American people, President Bush states that we are safer, and we are back on the economic road to prosperity.

Yet, Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, has stated many times that we are still at war and that we must remain vigilant and on guard as terrorists are still plotting to attack us in our country and abroad. IN fact, we remain at a state of 'Yellow' on the terror threat level, which represents an elevated state of alert for a terrorist attack. In the two countries where we have invaded and installed new security and democratic rule, Afghanistan and Iraq, the security situation has remained as dangerous as ever. US soldiers and indigenous civilians have come under continuous attacks even while we claim victory and success in those initial battles in the war against terror. And as recently as late December 2003, the US was put on a state of 'Orange' alert for a terror attack, the 5th time since the 9/11 attacks. I would argue that we are not safer or more secure than we were before 9/11 and the President's political propaganda is just a way to keep his adoring public feeling happy and at ease.

As for the economy, while the President says that the economy is recovering, and he won't be satisfied until everyone who wants a job has one, including illegal immigrants, many of his top advisers and Cabinet Secretary's signal something different. In fact, the Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan, has left interest rates at there lowest level in 50 years even while the economy posted 8.2% GDP growth in the 3rd quarter of 2003. Secretary of Labor, Elaine Choa, says that the labor market will pick up as the economy continues to improve, yet the unemployed are remaining so for longer and longer periods of time, and the last extension of unemployment benefits has recently run out. Corporations are still outsourcing jobs to India and the cost cutting, also known as layoffs, at major US corporations has only slowed down rather than stopped.

Secretary of Treasury, John Snow, while claiming we have a "strong dollar policy" watches as the dollar continues to lose value, which he secretly hopes will continue to goose US corporate earnings and sales overseas, even while it is forcing oil and other commodity prices higher. Mr. Snow also states that the economy is improved, yet cautions that there is still much work to do in order to get the economy onto a 'sustainable growth path".

All the while, President Bush, and his Chief Strategist, Carl Rove, scheme to figure out which voter block they can appeal to next. Constituents interested in the exploration of space got there bone last week. That was on the heals of the nations new Illegal Immigrant work program policy shift. Medicare recipients were tricked into believing that the prescription drug benefit was for there benefit. No child left behind was a Democratic policy program adopted by the newly caring Republican party. I am sure that Carl Rove is devising other programs to woe each and every American into the Bush party for a landslide election in the fall.

The facts and the reality are much more sobering then all the "feel good" propaganda and political rhetoric that comes out of the White House. Time is clearly on the Presidents side, as the elections are only 8 months away, yet we will all have to live with the reckless economic and foriegn policies that have been forced onto the American people over the last 3 years far beyond President Bush's 2nd term.