Bush: Loud on Schiavo, silent on Native American shootings

President Bush cut his vacation short to rush back to D.C. to sign a bill to keep Terry Schiavo alive, but so far he has said absolutely nothing in response to the second-worst school shooting in U.S. history. Could it be because the shooter and his victims - nine dead, seven wounded - were Native Americans?

Clyde Bellencourt, a Chippewa Indian who is the founder and national director of the American Indian Movement, said, "From all over the world we are getting letters of condolence, the Red Cross has come, but the so-called Great White Father in Washington hasn't said or done a thing. When people's children are murdered and others are in the hospital hanging on to life, he should be the first one to offer his condolences. . . . If this was a white community, I don't think he'd have any problem doing that."

The extent of the White House's response to the tragedy has been this 13-word statement from spokesman Scott McClellan: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were killed."

We find it interesting that people who are too concerned about looking "good" - i.e., Bush and Republicans in general - usually end up doing bad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64317-2005Mar24.html