Tin Ear Rides Again

AP- Under the new fund-raising drive, to be coordinated by the White House's USA Freedom Corps, an office that encourages volunteering, Clinton and former President George H.W. Bush will solicit donations by doing interviews and traveling the country. They also will tap into their own networks of contacts to try to pry donations from corporations, foundations and the wealthy.

To help in what he called ''this urgent cause,'' Bush urged Americans to send money instead of other items and restrict their giving to ''reliable charities already providing help to tsunami victims.'' The Freedom Corps Web site -- www.usafreedomcorps.gov -- was providing a ''donate now'' link to five dozen such organizations.

Bush himself plans to make a personal donation but has not done so yet.

Am I the only one who thinks it would have been nice if he'd taken a minute to write a check himself BEFORE standing up in front of the country to urge private donations for this "urgent cause"? Heck, he could even have had the photo op with him handing the check to Poppy, or even Bill in a fit of "bipartisanship." He could even have written it out in front of the cameras.

Compassionate conservatism: when you plan to care about people, but you have not actually done so yet.