In Salon vandaag: The president

In Salon vandaag:

The president came under political criticism Friday for filling his end-of-October calendar with nearly three straight weeks of campaign travel on behalf of Republican candidates in two dozen states, including Florida, where brother Jeb Bush is fighting to keep his job as governor.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., called on Bush to cancel his trips. “Show the American people you’re more concerned about their jobs than you are about Republican ones. Show the American people that you have an economic plan,” he said.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer called that political static. He noted Daschle had not proposed that Democrats similarly surrender their campaign plans.

Ari Fleischer is toch zo’n irritant ventje. Zelfs hij moet toch ergens begrijpen dat als de president van de Verenigde Staten drie weken op vier campagne voert, net voor hij een oorlog begint met Irak, dat daar érgens een kwalitatief verschil is met een Democraat die hetzelfde doet?

Aaargh.