Americans Angry at Bush for Starting War During March Madness
WASHINGTON– President Bush's 48-hour ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face a U.S.-led invasion had many Americans angered at the president for selecting the first week of March Madness to go to war.  Bush gave the deadline in an address to the nation Monday, prompting many to question the appropriateness of the war.
   “What the hell?” asked Greg Simmons, a 29-year-old New York accountant.  “CBS is going to favor war coverage over basketball, they already said, so what am I going to do at lunch?  I've got eight damned brackets filled out, and I got to watch this war shit?  Bush needs to get the nation's priorities straight.”
   Recent polls suggest Americans favor war with Iraq at a two-to-one ratio, but many NCAA basketball fans believe Bush should have picked a better time to invade.
   “Christ, it's like a few weeks [of tournament basketball],” said 20-year-old Creighton student Van Klingman.  “We couldn't have done this like last week?  It's only going to take a few days, I'm sure.  God, I'm going to miss all the first round upsets.”
   Still others question the motives for going to war, and many believe war is not the answer.
   “Hey, lots of tyrants all over the place are killing their people and we don't do anything about it unless they've got oil,” said one fan.  “I mean, yeah we can talk about the Kurds getting gassed and all that, but I mean, really, come on.  Fuck the Kurds.  Kansas as a two seed?  Now that's injustice.”