Was I blind?

I missed this completely, and yet I read the stories several times over the past few days.

I didn't catch Bush's remarks yesterday on relief efforts to aid victims of the horrific earthquakes and tsunamis in South Asia. But Papa Bear drew my attention to a phrase that was conspicuously absent from Bush's speech: "United Nations".

Bush spoke of "building an international coalition", and having "established a regional core group with India, Japan and Australia to help coordinate relief efforts."

No mention of working through --- or with --- the U.N. at all. Not even a little bit.

The President of the United States doesn't make such an omission by accident, especially in a prepared speech like this one. And while we've certainly seen some obvious disdain for the U.N. from Bush and his administration before, this is about as blatant a snub as I can think of short of actually telling Mr. Annan to pound sand.

You know this has to piss some people off royally. In fact, Captain Ed has already found one.

To which I reply, "Good!" And I suggest a slogan for the Bush administration. "President Bush - pissing liberals off for another four years".

Dare I hope? Get US out of the UN NOW!!