M O N D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 0 4Lowering Expectationsby Michael in New York on 9/27/2004 03:42:00 PMBush is great at it -- his mere presence seems to lower expectations.They're trying to do it on the debates (Bush's people are alreadysaying they expect him to stumble over words and mispronouncethem) and of course they're doing it in Iraq.Here's a good LA Times article about how the Bushies are loweringexpectations all across the board -- on the Iraqi election, the Iraqieconomy, Iraqi violence, and on and on.Two fascinating tidbits.</p><p> Everyone keeps deploring how Bush has onlyspent about $1.2 billion on reconstruction, when getting funds to theIraqi people and getting them to work is crucial in most observers'eyes for making progress.</p><p> But guess what? They haven't evenaccompished that."So far, only $1.2 billion has been disbursed, and so much of that hasbeen eaten up in project overhead and payments to foreign firms thatless than half of it has reached Iraqis, according tonongovernmental experts.</p><p> Deputy Secretary of State Richard L.Armitage told a House subcommittee Friday that only 77,000 Iraqiswere employed on rebuilding projects. 'That's woefully inadequate,'he said." www.MoneyAndMarkets.comAds by Google Add New Comment Logged in as AnonymousUser Logout from DisqusLogged in asusing Facebook Connect (Logout)Type your comment here.</p><p> Unclaimed Register withDISQUSWhy?Use Media â–¼Community Page Comments feed HuffPost PoliticsAllison Kilkenny: Obama, Nukes, and the World -While Obama's pursuit of nuclear disarmamentwould be noble, double standards, favoritism, andfear-mongering are cancerous elements that robthe U.S. of res...1 minute agoFiredoglakeSave American Jobs: Close Your Chase Account -JP Morgan Chase refuses to do what it takes tosave 300,000 jobs and the healthcare of 700,000retirees.</p><p> So I decided today to no longer be a partof that....35 minutes agoDaily Kos"Difference isn't a threat" - Dave Neiwert, theblogosphere's leading expert on the eliminationistmovement, has a typically excellent post about theweekend's tragic shooting at Croo...43 minutes agoEschatonDeep Thought - Why is Chris Hayes always on myteevee?45 minutes agoCrooks and LiarsNCAA Basketball Open Thread - Satire from TheOnion.</p><p> Yeah, yer brackets are in the toilet.</p><p> Openthread for the NCAA Championship game, a regularopen thread appears at 8:30 Pacific Ti...1 hour agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Loweri...http://www.americablog.com/2004/09/lowering-expectations.html 1 of 64/6/09 10:15 PM
