Where the grass seems greener

I referred earlier to the PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) legislation that was being held up in the Senate, despite overwhelming support, which would dramatically increase spending on international AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis programs, and which bill would also overturn the HIV travel ban. It looks like the Senate finally passed the bill today, and a final bill to be sent to the White House is expected within a matter of days. From MSNBC:

The Democratic-led Senate, rarely in agreement with the White House, gave Bush credit for initiating the program. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a chief negotiator in crafting the bill, said PEPFAR is "the single most significant thing the president has done."

The global AIDS program will save tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives, Biden said, "and the president deserves our recognition for that."

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, and co-negotiator with Biden, said the program "has helped to prevent instability and societal collapse in a number of at-risk countries." He added that it has "facilitated deep partnerships with a new generation of African leaders, and it has improved attitudes toward the United States in Africa and other regions."

Credit where credit is due.