I Guess Sometimes The Facts Dont Matter...

Ok. I'm going to rant again for a minute. I'm not the biggest George Bush fan out there, although I prefer him to pretty much all the Democrats. I do recognize that he's probably the most hated president ever, although I believe most of that hatred is irrational, a manifestation of what's sometimes called Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) .

I don't think its always been fair, and the liberal media has contributed in its own way to BDS. I remember how Ronald Reagan was hated too in his heyday, but the media gave him some grudging respect in the years after his presidency ended, and particularly after his death. On many issues, I have disagreed with Bush (especially on immigration, the border, and the North American Union issues ).

One fact that came to my attention today was really striking to me . A CNN reporter tonight on the program The Situation Room stated that the Bush administration had spent quadruple the amount of money on Africa than the previous administration. I don't know where he got that exact figure, but a little Google searching actually did make it pretty clear that Bush indeed has spend a lot more on African aid than Clinton did. Considering that the dislike for Bush seems to be greatest among the African-American community (yes, this is anecdotal), I find this very interesting. Listening to the many Democratic party and black activists, you'd almost think "George Bush doesn't care about black people" . But he spent a lot more on Africa than Bill Clinton, the man who many blacks lovingly call "America's first black president"! Who would have thought?

And don't get me started on the fact that the Clinton administration's veto of a more to send UN peace-keepers into Rwanda contributed to the death of 800,000 black Rwandans in 100 days!! No one called Clinton a racist for that, and I'm not saying he was - but I know if that was George Bush who had done the same thing he certainly wouldn't get a free pass the way Bill Clinton did.

The stereotype/fallacy that "Republicans are racist and Democrats are not" is part of what contributes to this kind of bias, blindness, and demagoguery, even in defiance of the facts. It's as if the facts don't matter, especially if they conflict with the preconceived notions people wish to hold on to.

Sure , you could always argue they could have done more but, personally, I appreciate the fact what this administration has done in terms of spending more on Africa than any other administration before it. Too bad they'll never get their proper due. But sometimes when you do the right thing , it doesn't matter if you get recognized for it or not.

Since the information on the White House website will probably change after next year's elections, I decided to post the relevant facts here,m for any who might be interested.
The facts speak for themselves. From http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/africa/accomplishments.html:

President Bush's Africa Accomplishments and Initiatives

I. GREATEST LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT OF ALL ADMINISTRATIONS

1. Meeting with 25 African Heads of State in First Two Years
   • President Obasanjo of Nigeria, May 11, 2001 at White House
   • President Mbeki of South Africa, June 26, 2001 at White House
   • President Moi of Kenya, June 27, 2001 at White House
   • President Kufuor of Ghana, June 28, 2001 at White House
   • President Wade of Senegal, June 28, 2001 at White House
   • President Konare of Mali, June 28, 2001 at White House
   • President Obasanjo of Nigeria, November 2, 2001 at White House
   • President Museveni of Uganda, November 10, 2001 at UNGA
   • President Ratsiraka of Madagascar, November 11, 2001 at UNGA
   • President Moi of Kenya, November 11, 2001 at UNGA
   • President Kabila of Dem. Rep. of Congo, November 11, 2001 at UNGA
   • President Mbeki of South Africa, November 11, 2001 at UNGA
   • President dos Santos of Angola, February 26, 2002 at White House
   • President Chissao of Mozambique, February 26, 2002 at White House
   • President Mogae of Botswana, February 26, 2002 at White House
   • President Museveni of Uganda, May 2002 at White House
   • President Mbeki of South Africa, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Kagame of Rwanda, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Kabila of Dem. Rep. of Congo, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Biya of Cameroon, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Deby of Chad, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Bongo of Gabon, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Patasse of Central African Rep., September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Buyoya of Burundi, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Sassou-Nguesso of Rep. of Congo, September 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President de Menezes of Sao Tome and Principe, Sept. 13, 2002 at UNGA
   • President Moi of Kenya, December 5, 2002 at White House
   • Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, Dec. 5, 2002 at White House
2. First American President to Visit Africa in First Term - Trip in January 2003
3. Bush Directed His Cabinet Secretaries to Have High Level Engagement in Africa

Five in First-term: Secretary Powell (May 2001, August 2002); Secretary Thompson; Secretary O'Neill; AMB Zoellick; Secretary Evans planned for November 2002

II. GREATEST LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE OF ALL ADMINISTRATIONS

1. Core Development Assistance for Africa: Historic High Levels
   • 30 percent increase for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 2001 to 2003
   • Over $1 billion ODA for SSA in FY03, highest level in U.S. history
2. Millennium Challenge Account: Increase global development assistance by 50% over the next three years, resulting in $5 billion annual increase over current levels
3. HIV/AIDS Global Funding: Historic High Levels and Climbing...
   • $988 million in FY2002, a 36% increase over FY2001
   • $1.1 billion in FY2003, doubles level of funding when he took office
   • $500 million to Global HIV/AIDS Fund, first and largest contributor

III. MAJOR POLICY INITIATIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. Promote Health and Education; Combat HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria
   • Created HIV/AIDS Cabinet Council co-chaired by Powell and Thompson
   • Jump-started Global HIV/AIDS Fund with first $500 million contribution, represents one quarter of the Fund's total resources
   • New $500M Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative
   • New $200M Africa Education Initiative to train over 400,000 teachers; provide 250,000 scholarships for African girls; and provide 4.5 million textbooks
2. Promote Growth and Development; Eradicate Poverty
   • Implementing African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); Provides over 90% duty free market access for African imports to the U.S. President Bush attended AGOA Forum in Washington, DC. Plans to attend Forum in Mauritius in 2003.
   • "Stop the Debt". IDA Grants Initiative for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to provide up to 50% of assistance to poorest in form of grants not loans.
   • Provided 18 percent increase to the African Development Bank's fund to assist the poorest-by far, the largest increase among the major donors.
3. Promote Regional Peace and Stability; End Conflict and War
   [President Bush's leadership is directly responsible for progress ending wars in Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Congo
   • Appointed former Senator Danforth as Presidential Envoy for Sudan
   • Appointed Andrew Natsios as Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan
   • Build the capacity of regional peacekeepers in Sierra Leone and Congo
   • Provided additional $55 million in FY2002 for combating terrorism in Africa
   • Launched $5 million awards program to track individuals responsible for genocide and terror acts in Central Africa. Three Apprehended since June 2002.