Priorities

Via the Eschaton blog:



Amount the U.S. has pledged for humanitarian relief in the aftermath of the earthquake/tsunami that has so far killed 50,000 people:



$15 million.



Amount the White House expects to spend on George W. Bush's second inauguration:



$30-$40 million--not counting security costs.



Imagining that if there were no hell, one would be created especially for this administration:



priceless.



Update: this story reports that another $20 million is being added to the U.S.'s aid package.



Update II: Professor Juan Cole points out that Bush could have done himself a huge favor in terms of U.S.-Muslim relations by providing more aid. The death toll continues to rise; some now estimate the number of dead in Indonesia alone will top 80,000.