The cowboy is back on his ranch

That's the refreshing language (my translation from the French original) the Luxembourg communist newsletter "Goosch.lu" (#63 of March 4) uses to report about the former shepherd's (of sheep!), now Shepherd (of sheeple!), recent visit to Europe.

In the main newspaper of my city of residence, in the German language "Hamburger Abendblatt", their correspondent in Washington, Cornel Faltin, in the issue of February 24, states that the visit of U.S. president Bush is hardly "taking place" in the U.S. media: no pictures in the papers, short clips at CNN. Therefore, as it is not "happening" there, I feel that my little additional reporting may be justified.

"Bush in Brussels: How much does it cost?" Our inquisitive journalists on the far left state that, when leaving, Bush forgot to pay the bill. And the bill may be astronomical, like N.A.S.A. bills, at least compared, I guess, with the budget of our leftist little newsletter. The Belgian minister of the Interior, Patrick Dewael, has already presented a first estimate according to which the Belgian federal police alone is left with an unpaid balance of €621,969. To this you have to add the expenses of the local police of Brussels and of the boroughs of the Belgian capital, which should also be situated around €600,000. All in all, the bill should be something like €1,200,000 (= US$1,588,800). Just compare this with what the security of an European summit costs: €132,000.

To this, we hear on our left, one has to add the cost the economy of the capital has to suffer because of the slowing down during the visit. And they add that the German authorities will surely increase this figure substantially, if we consider the gargantuan security measures around and in Mainz during the visit of "the criminal" in Germany.

Indeed, the "Hamburger Abendblatt", not at all on the left, reports the following (my translation): "Security first. Rhine and Main closed for navigation, the sliding shutters of the shops of Mainz down -- public life in the whole Rhine-Main area was paralyzed."

On the Luxembourg far left we only hear "and to think that the dough for 'le social' (the Social State) is cruelly missing".

May I conclude? Dear Americans, we Europeans do not want to hear anymore from you that we do not do enough against terrorism. Didn't we spend a nice wad on one terrorist alone?