Bush & AIDS update....

Since late April, I've been following this story about the Bush administration "tripling" global AIDS spending to $15 billion over the next 5 years (here, here and here).

I've been skeptical from the start and so far, my skepticism has been warranted. Bush and right-wing Republicans have grandstanded plenty, while attaching Moral-Majority strings to funding and refusing to cough up the promised increases.

Here's the latest installment.

WASHINGTON, July 23 — Two weeks after President Bush toured Africa with promises of vast increases in spending on global AIDS, the House of Representatives was poised today to approve a measure that would bring total spending on the epidemic next year to roughly $2 billion — $1 billion short of the amount set out in a bill Mr. Bush signed in May.

Democrats sought to introduce an emergency spending measure that would have added the $1 billion, but were prevented from doing so under House procedures. Instead, they offered amendments that would increase AIDS spending by $375 million, taking $75 million from foreign aid to Colombia's military and $300 million from a new foreign aid initiative, the Millennium Challenge account, which is also a high priority of the president.

But the White House has threatened to veto the entire $17.1 billion spending package for foreign assistance if the amount in the Millennium Challenge account is reduced, prompting an angry outcry from Representative Nita M. Lowey, Democrat of New York, who is pressing for more money.

"This veto threat proves one thing — that the president had no intention of fully funding our AIDS commitment," she said. "The rhetoric surrounding the signing of the H.I.V./AIDS bill and his trip to Africa was hollow..."

The fancy-sounding "Millennium Challenge Account" is a proposed US program to make aid to poor countries conditional on their dropping trade barriers and opening their markets. Critics claim it will substantially increase misery in Latin America and Africa.

It seems the hypocrisy and greed of this administration knows no bounds.

Complete story here.