The military doesn't grow on trees, you know...

According to the Washington Post, President Dubya Bush wants to use the underworked, available U.S. armed forces if an avian flu epidemic hits the country.

Oh wait... I thought we had military in Iraq. And Afghanistan. And possibly North Korea in the future (I will gladly get arrested for protesting without a permit if that does happen). And I thought we were going to do whatever we can to rebuild New Orleans and the storm-devastated areas in the Gulf Coast.

In his own words:

"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?" Bush asked at a news conference.

"It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?" Bush added.

"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have."

Don't you love a president who is totally prepared against chicken-disease but COMPLETELY unprepared in other equally- if not more- critical natural/national disasters?