I keep hearing negative comments about President Bush, but it may be that the blame is misplaced. Could it be that we are the fools, not the president?

Could it be that only a fool would believe it when Mr. Bush tells us that we know that his economic plan is working because of all the new jobs being created, when we know that there are 2.7 million fewer jobs in America than when he took office.

Maybe we are fools to believe that the best way to improve the living standards of the average working American is to give lots of money to the richest.

I would be a fool to think that the best way to balance my budget was to increase my spending by 30 percent, and then take time off work so my income fell by 30 percent just to make up the difference.

Who would be enough of a fool to think that they will be better off because Mr. Bush issues new rules exempting their employer from paying them for overtime?

Only a fool would think that there is great hope for our national finances when we are told that going from a budget surplus three years ago to a $470 million deficit now is “a good thing.” But we must remember that Bush hopes to cut that deficit to half in just five more years.

Maybe a fool would believe that 47 U.S. service personnel killed in Iraq in January is a sure sign that things are getting better there.

Even this fool knows that having your father get you a spot in the National Guard, and then not showing up for a year, is not the same thing as doing military service. I was in Vietnam at that time and can explain the difference.

So, the next time someone complains about “that fool in the White House” just ask who really is the fool.

Stanwood