George Bush, Security Risk
In a short statement on Tuesday, George W. Bush completely undermined the entire premise for his second term as President. With plummeting polls in the wake of his administration's bungling of the New Orleans disaster, Bush sought the appearance of accountability. He said tersely, "to the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility."
But in so doing, President Bush demolished his national security credentials. The same man who campaigned for reelection in 2004 as the guarantor of Americans' safety at home and abroad admitted his impotence:
"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government...Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack? That's a very important question and it's in the national interest that we find out what went on so we can better respond."
In 2004, President Bush and his fellow travelers sold the American people a bill of goods. He and his minions not only claimed that they did not need "a permission slip" to protect the American people, they viciously disparaged John Kerry's ability to do so.
They literally said Kerry could not be trusted. Zell Miller, the vein-bursting Bush sycophant who spewed his venom at the Republican National Convention, said of Kerry last September in the Wall Street Journal, "I will never trust John Kerry with my family's safety." And Vice President Dick Cheney dedicated a major address to a full frontal assault on Kerry's national security credentials:
"These past three years, as our country experienced war and national emergency, I have watched our Commander-in-Chief make the decisions and set the strategy. I have seen a man who is calm and deliberate - comfortable with responsibility - consistent in his objectives, and resolute in his actions...The Senator from Massachusetts has given us ample doubts about his judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security."
Cheney's charges against Kerry were, of course, distortions at best, an obscenity at worst. But where is Cheney now, as our Commander-in-Chief failed utterly in New Orleans' hour of need? Does Zell Miller's trust in George Bush regarding the safety of his own family in Georgia extend to the thousands of families in New Orleans and the Gulf states?
With Katrina, yet another myth of the Bush presidency was shattered the myth of Bush as Protector of the Republic. His incompetence, his powerlessness, his detachment and worst, his diversion of blame, were all revealed in the light of day. This time, though, George W. Bush at least had the courage to say so himself.
He didn't have the courage to admit that HE is at fault. He's hiding behind "the failures of the federal government" - not me, not me, it wasn't me, I swear!
Montague is right. You were duped, as were a lot of others. All Bush did was recite his job description: 'I am responsible for running the executive branch.' And he'd already acknowledged lack of satisfaction with the 'results', so why is anyone treating this as if it were something new? It's just repackaged.
Gents,
I agree that Bush is feigning accountability, thus the line "sought the appearance of accountability."
You're both right that I shouldn't have used the word "courage." Creating a smokescreen does not require courage.
I'll stick by the main point: after Katrina, Bush and his amen corner can never credibly speak again of protecting the safety of the American people.
Focus, you guys.
They don't care whether they look bad.
They don't care whether Bush's poll numbers are in the dumpster.
They don't care how many of us die.
They care about their wealth and power. As long as all we do is talk, they don't care.
They are going to keep on doing what they are doing and the proof is in the rape of Louisiana by all the BushCo corporate buzzrds who have suddenly detached from the corpse of Iraq to come and feast on the remains of New Orleans.
New Orleans is being parceled out to companies like Halliburton and the fastest thing Bush did the whole week after Katrina ripped through was to give a no bid contract to Halliburton and sign an executive order saying that they don't even have to pay minimum wage.
That do not care about anything but their own power and money. That is America to them. We're just an occasional irritant that must be dealt with.
Don't ever doubt it.
Focus, you guys.
They don't care whether they look bad.
They don't care whether Bush's poll numbers are in the dumpster.
They don't care how many of us die.
They care about their wealth and power. As long as all we do is talk, they don't care.
They are going to keep on doing what they are doing and the proof is in the rape of Louisiana by all the BushCo corporate buzzards who have suddenly detached from the corpse of Iraq to come and feast on the remains of New Orleans.
New Orleans is being parceled out to companies like Halliburton and the fastest thing Bush did the whole week after Katrina ripped through was to give a no bid contract to Halliburton and sign an executive oreder saying that they don't even have to pay minimum wage.
That do not care about anything but their own power and money. That is America to them. We're just an occasional irritant that must be dealt with.
Don't ever doubt it.
roooth: I think they care a lot about poll numbers, but I agree with everything else.
Parse what he said carefully: "To the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility"
There's a lot of weasel words packed in that sentance. I'd translate it to be: "Once we find someone (non-crony, non-contributor, ideally a Democrat) to blame for our mistakes, I'll pretend to be noble and take responsibility, making it clear that it's just for appearance sake."
But then again, I'm cynical.