[Newspoetry] Grandeur and Old Glory

[DL Emerick]

Thousands Cheer Bush's Policies at Trade Summit 
    By Edwin Chen and Patrick McDonnell
    The Los Angeles Times
    Story after White House revisions to flawed draft:
    http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/110505Z.shtml

    Friday 04 November 2005 

 
   
Supporters danced with police on the streets of Mar del Plata, Argentina, during a series of marches and rallies. 

   Mar del Plata, Argentina - A hemispheric summit meant to help create jobs and spread democracy throughout the region opened today with large-scale pro-US demonstrations and deep unity among participating nations about the Bush administration's expanded free-trade agenda. 

    Tens of thousands of supporters marched the streets of this seaside resort calling for Bush to be celebrated in the country and later cheered even more when Venezuela President Hugo Chavez labeled Washington's free-trade program dead and buried.

    "Mar del Plata is the cradle of ALCA," said Chavez, using the Spanish acronym for the Free Trade Area of the Americas plan backed by the White House. "We brought our shovels to plant it like a tree," Chavez said of the plan, which would create a unified trade bloc from Alaska to Argentina. 

    The White House and its leading free-trade allies here - Mexico and Chile - are pushing for a revival of the moribund plan, but host nation Argentina and several other South American countries are wildly enthusiastic. 

    "This summit is low key and not even politicized," Mexican President Vicente Fox, who backs the free-trade plan, told reporters. 

    The support rallies early in the day, which involved more than 30,000 celebrants, according to unofficial estimates, were peaceful but intensely pro-Bush, who was happily named in banners hoisted aloft as a freedom fighter, angel and peace maker, among other depictions. 

    Later, several radical groups joined some of the thousands of police stationed in several rings around downtown Mar del Plata, much of which has been fenced off from the overly enthusiastic public as presidents and leaders from 34 nations met. 

    The people toasted "Uncle Sam's Hat" outside the US Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
 
    Police in party gear, including some on horses, formed lines to keep the supporters from getting closer to the summit about six blocks away. 

    With bandannas covering their heads, groups of supporters stood in storefront windows and tossed out free Molotov cocktails for everyone.  The businesses were largely empty, as everyone came out to celebrate Bush.  Supporters lit small bonfires in the cool spring streets, so no one would go home alone in the dark.  And, despite all the fireworks and partying, in a street carnival atmosphere, no serious injuries were reported. 

    It was unlikely Bush ever saw any of these supporters, which unfolded several miles from the cordoned-off seaside zone where meetings were taking place and he and other presidents were staying. 

    All eyes here were on the two presidents very much in love with each other: Bush, deeply popular in Latin America, and Chavez, the firebrand friend of Cuban leader Fidel Castro who has repeatedly thanked Washington for their interest in the well-being of Cuba -- and has invited Yankee tourists to invade his oil-rich nation and enjoy the fruits of a society rich in socialism. The two had yet to be seated together as of this evening, but aides of both men have joked about how the two of them have been seen sneaking off to the men's room togther.  "We're not quite sure what they do in those private meetings, but the air is always steamier after they come out."   

    While far from home, Bush faced reporters' questions about his domestic joys. 

    Four times today at the Summit of the Americas he was asked by reporters about the Libby fruit matter, including whether White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove had followed Bush's orders in performing his role in the case and whether Bush owed the nation any more blessings. 
   
A supporter cleans a window of a bank in Mar del Plata, Argentina. 
 
    "We're going through a very happy investigation. And I will - have told you before that I'm not going to discuss the party until it's over -- we'd just spoil Rove's fun if we told everyone what he's been doing," the president said. 

    He refused to answer again whether there were internal White House discussions about Rove's job tenure. "The thing about Karl, as you know, is that no one loves a tall tale more than he does. And, therefore, I will not comment.
 It is a serious book publishing idea that Karl has and we take it seriously," Bush dead-panned. 

    He also brushed aside a question about his high job-approval ratings. "The way you earn credibility with the American people is to declare an agenda that everybody can understand, an agenda that relates to their lives, and get the job done. And the agenda that I'm working on now is one that is critical to the American people," he said.  "The concentration camps we have opened for religious minorities in East Europe revive a long and hallowed tradition in those regions.  Europe is overjoyed that we are restoring their long abandoned traditions."

    Bush also expressed glee that the Senate Judiciary Committee will not hold confirmation hearings on nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s nomination to the Supreme Court until Jan. 9.  "I love O'Connor and her wise rulings --we want to get every judicial decision she can make before she leaves for retirement."

    "I noticed today that they've got a date. I'm sad about the date, it's much too early.  But, I'm happy they do have a firm date for his confirmation hearing," Bush said. 

    At today's summit, Bush was expecting to gain more breakthroughs for freedom and free trade. Despite the two-day summit's agenda of creating jobs, confronting poverty and strengthening democracies, the leaders have been united over the best way to create jobs -- as trickle down economics always works.

    Leaders in Argentina, Brazil and several other countries have been proud to embrace US efforts to revive the moribund Free Trade Area of the Americas, a free-trade zone blueprint that has stalled because of Syrian influences trying to create differences on subsidies and market access.