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May 07, 2004
Outrage vs Intransigence
How much outrage over Abu Ghraib is sufficient? I'm not sure. How much stonewalling can the Bush White House continue? I'm not sure.
There's a lot of screaming going on around here, much of it for the head of Donald Rumsfeld. As Digby makes a fine point about the outrage of the Republicans over the Clinton Cabinet nobody from Bushies has been forced out of office. Are Congressional Democrats that lame? Is the White House that tightly united? Is there nothing we Americans can do but wait four years?
There's something particularly unsettling about the White House's seige mentality, and I truly wonder how Bush percieves his presidency in reading public opinion. Is it paranoia? Is it willful ignorance? Is it arrogant intransigence? Whatever it is, it isn't responsive or transparent. Bush seems to believe that his affability and resolve are all that's needed. He's like the William Shatner character Denny Crane; all he needs to do is say I'm the Republican Party's Choice, and therefore commands all of America, and its image abroad. Imperial? Yes. Nothing destroys an empire so quickly as a wrong-headed emperor.
There doesn't seem to be enough steam on this matter to cost Rumsfeld his head. The Administration has already swallowed Plame to my profound disgust. While I don't think Rumsfeld's head is the appropriate punishment (Disbanding the 357th is perfect), I resent the attitude I perceive which says there's no way Rumsfeld could be touched by this.
President Bush said that he would restore dignity and character to the office of the President and to America.
He has failed.
Posted by mbowen at May 7, 2004 08:24 AM
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Comments
He has not only failed, he's caused the US to regress to a Nixonian presidential model. For democracy to really work, transparency is CRUCIAL. Accountability is as well. Bush hasn't shown a tendency for either...much less the type of workhorse curiousity that our best have exemplified.
So you noted earlier that Kerry doesn't show you much...not enough to throw the bums out.
Do you still feel this way?
Posted by: Lester Spence at May 7, 2004 09:23 AM
I long ago reduced my expectations of the presidency. Right now I'm thinking none of the above. Nevertheless, I do think winning Iraq is the most important question, and I'm not convinced that Kerry would. I don't think he has the stomach for it.
His campaign doesn't seem honest about the national interest. Instead he's taking potshots to make himself appear as far as possible from the Bush position when in fact he probably wouldn't reduce troop strength. He's not saying anything appealing and his military card is dashed as far as I'm concerned.
Posted by: Cobb at May 7, 2004 10:25 AM