Roadless Plan

Overblown Rhetoric Dept: In today's Tribune, the front page lead was an article about the Bush Administration's reversal of Bill Clinton's last minute land locking of public lands. As expected, the environmental folks weren't happy:

• "an assault on Montanans' outdoor traditions..."
• "a step backward..."
• "a betrayal..."

What I find interesting is this: President Clinton was apparently not concerned with the situation until 8 days before he left office, or roughly 99.75% of his term. Then, when he would not have to deal with the economic or political effects of his decision, he swooped in and closed the lands. And now Bush takes the heat for reversing it?

How about this quote from John Gatchell of the Montana Wilderness Assocation: "They promised to keep back-country lands intact for our kids, and that didn't last four years. " Who is "they?" Notice the implication that President Bush is responsible for the situation, when it had apparently existed from the founding of the republic until the waning moments of Clinton's administration. Isn't it interesting how the left finds every single event as a potential 'hook' for Bush-bashing?

Arsenic anyone?