corrente

So Dear Leader is sending poor old used up Colin Powell out to Indonesia—a sure sign the White House regards the entire relief exercise as pointless. But they are giving Colin a minder: Jebbie. Hey, finally Jebbie gets to prance on the world stage and get plenty of coverage on FUX!

Meanwhile, the US is still looking pretty, well, stingy:

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday that the United Nations had received pledges of $500 million to pay for emergency assistance to victims of the south Asia earthquake and tsunami.

More than 30 nations have pledged $250 million, including a U.S. promise of $35 million, which Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday was "only the beginning."

The other $250 million will come from the World Bank. Even so, Annan said the United Nations would issue an appeal for more emergency funds next week.

Because of the magnitude of the catastrophe, he said coordination is vital to make sure that the right supplies reach the areas hit hardest. The World Health Organization estimates that 5 million people need some assistance; about a third are children.
(via Seattle Times)

$35 million out of $500 million.... Still, let's try for a little balance here. I mean, they aren't "Christians," so they're going to Hell, right? So why spend any more than the minimum that public relations requires?

UPDATE Alert reader Palolo lolo:

Isn't Neil the one with connections in Thailand? Maybe he gave Jebbie the names or just the hotel room number to stay in!

Heh.