You Forgot Poland!

We've been living under Bush's reign for so long, and I am so fiercely aligned with the blue state liberals, I don't feel there is much gained in discussing his idiocy further. However, I can't help but comment briefly on this latest tidbit.

First of all, remember how America needs to break its addiction to oil?

The excerpt from Bush's State of the Union address:

Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources -- and we are on the threshold of incredible advances.

So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear energy. (Applause.)

I would applaud that speech excerpt also. Less oil, damn good idea. However, an illustration of how little Bush's administration actually means those sweet-sounding things he reads to the camera becomes apparent when you come across the article "Bush Admits to 'Mixed Signals' Regarding Laboratory on Renewable Energy" from the New York Times.

Basically, this article states that right after Bush talked up looking into different energy sources, his administration cut the budget for it, which resulted in the firing of a bunch of researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. They fired the people that, to quote the president's goal, "develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources." The administration didn't even have the courtesy to wait a few months before letting them go. Bush just said one thing and fired another.

Nobody may have bothered to note this discrepancy until, as a public relations stint, Bush decided to go to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to promote his Advanced Energy Initiative. I guess that was the point when the administration realized they had to hire the staff back-- so Bush would have someone to talk to about this great new energy plan that obviously- in reality- means nothing to the administration.
But my favorite is what Bush had to say about this whole thing. His explanation on the budget cut and subsequent firings:

"The issue of course is whether or not good intentions are met with actual dollars spent. Part of the issue we face, unfortunately, is that there are sometimes decisions made as a result of the appropriations process, where money may not end up where it is supposed to have gone."

And an excerpt from his speech to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory employees:

"My message to those who work here is, we want you to know how important your work is," Mr. Bush said. "We appreciate what you're doing. And we expect you to keep doing it. And we want to help you keep doing it."

Of course, the 32 researchers that were fired as a result of the budget cuts were just being rehired and not even back to work yet (paperwork confusion) by the time Bush gave the speech. I hate to tell you, Mr. President, but those words would have sounded a lot better if you had 32 more employees to "encourage" at the lab.