Bush Makes Boy Scouts Sick

That's the headline I'd like to see with this story about 300 people sickened by the heat Wednesday while waiting for President Bush to arrive at a memorial service.

Here's the story:

The Boy Scouts marched onto the field singing, plopping down in the grass to wait for President Bush. But hours later, the news that Bush couldn't make it was drowned out by sirens and shouts as hundreds fell ill because of the blistering heat.

About 300 people, most of them Scouts, suffered from dehydration, fatigue and lightheadedness Wednesday — just days after four Scout leaders were killed at the national Jamboree while pitching a tent beneath a power line.

Temperatures at Fort A.P. Hill, an Army base where the 10-day event is being held, reached the upper 90s and were intensified by high humidity.

[snip]

The more than 40,000 Scouts, volunteers, and leaders attending the event had been standing in the sun about three hours when word came that severe thunderstorms and high winds were forcing the president to postpone his appearance until Thursday. Bush's spokesman said Thursday that the visit would instead happen Sunday, at the Scouts' request.

[snip]

At the last jamboree four years ago, Bush's trip was also canceled because of bad weather, in which lightning strikes caused minor injuries to two Scouts. He spoke to the group a day later by videotape.

It's interesting that Dubya was able to go pimp for CAFTA since the trip to the memorial service was called off due to [cough] "severe thunderstorms and high winds".

But what really gets my goat is the fact that Dubya was willing to attend a memorial service for four Scout leaders who died pitching a tent (improperly), but he has yet to attend the funeral for a single soldier killed in Afghanistan or Iraq.

America can do better than George W. Bush.