Demagogue

Thousands of people gathered on the mall in Washington, D.C., on Sunday to urge the Bush administration and Congress to help end genocide in Darfur:

The event attracted high-profile speakers such as actor George Clooney, just back from Africa; Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.; House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California; Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel; Olympic speedskating champion Joey Cheek, who gave his bonus money to the cause; and Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington.

... Pelosi said Democrats for once agree with Bush: "This genocide must stop.”

I'm sure Pelosi genuinely believes that, but this statement is the kind of empty remark that the House minority leader has made numerous times before.

On March 17, for example, Pelosi stated that "the Janjaweed is an extension of the Sudanese military, and is engaged in state-sponsored violence. That must end .... there must be peace."

Yes, but how? What more are you and others in Congress willing to do?

President Bush met with Darfur advocates at the White House on Friday and lent his support to the weekend rallies.

“For those of you who are going out to march for justice, you represent the best of our country,” Bush said.

And what do you represent, Mr. President? How much are you willing to do to halt the genocide in Darfur?

Does the slaughter and starvation of hundreds of thousands of Africans matter half as much to Bush and Pelosi as Americans paying more for gasoline (in many cases because they chose to buy gas-guzzling vehicles)?

I seriously doubt it.