President Bush announced this week that he intends make Hungary eligible for trade preferences on export goods to the U.S. worth more than $110 million and will give them a permanent most favored-nation trade status to help further the position.

After this announcement, Bush received criticism from various individuals saying that his plan just isn’t enough to make a difference. The most predominant statements came from Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell who said the Bush administration was being “timid” in this situation.

However, Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher said Bush’s plan would “support Hungary’s efforts to develop a freer political system and to create and expand private enterprise.” The plan will also include a $25 million fund to help create private business in Hungary.

Mosbacher is right in his assessment that the U.S. assistance will help the Hungarian government get on their own two feet. Yes, we would like to do more to support their efforts, but there is only so much the U.S. can do.

Being a democracy, we should help out when we can, but the administration has already offered about $220 million to aid Poland in this crusade. Right now, such large amounts of U.S. money are needed in the U.S.