Bush's Reckless Relevance

At any moment today during The Decider's press conference it seemed he would flash double overhead Nixonian Vs and declare.... "I'm not a crook!"

Of course, despite his declaration, President Nixon was a crook and resigned the presidency in disgrace, just one step ahead of slam-dunk impeachment proceedings.

What President Bush did declare today was "I am relevant!"

Which, of course means he's become a cipher, not only irrelevant, but to most of the country an embarrassment too.

Ah.... but The Decider has a way to get our attention, he says, the power of his veto.... "one way to ensure I am relevant."

In the irrelevant race, Bush's 24 percent job approval rating has now tied Nixon's for an all-time low. But the cocky Bush also reminded us that it wasn't just his veto (whose use by Bush is akin to a red-faced tantrum) that makes him relevant.... it's also his "bully pulpit."

Boy, does he have that right! Bush and his bully boys use the force of the executive to gut the Constitution and pervert the rule of law, and then take the pulpit to deny and obfuscate.

Which brings us to another statement made by The Decider today.... "we don't torture."

Department of Justice memos have surfaced recently outlining the administrations "approved" tortures. So, when asked today for his definition of torture, he said "That's defined in U.S. law, and we don't torture." When asked what that means to him, he said "Whatever the law says." And, of course, Bush directs the writing of the torture guidelines.... the law.

What was torture today was listening to The Decider's grade school intellect.... coupled with his unbounded and unwarranted arrogance.... and then to realize this is the clueless cowboy who has been leading our country for last seven excruciating years, and it's not over yet!

Feeling full of his pulpit-power, Bush didn't want to let the country off of the hook with just his relevance-making veto and tinny bully pulpit, he wanted to instill fear.... the easiest way after all to keep the electorate compliant.... with a red alert warning about his new favorite target, Iran.

".... So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them [Iran] from having knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," Bush recklessly lectured.

With trademark Bush barroom delivery and lack of dignity, when asked about the recent tete-a-tete between Russia's President Putin and Iran's President Ahmadinejad in Tehran, and Putin's supportive words to Iranian leaders, Bush poo-poohed the thought that anything was amiss in our... or, as he views it, his.... relationship with "Wily" Putin.

With a wink and a nod he said he would talk to Putin and get the real lowdown on what happened on Putin's visit to Iran. Bet Putin appreciated Bush's public implication that Putin would compromise Iran and tell Buddy Bush the real skinny.

And, aren't you starting to feel a little sorry for Secretary of State Rice and the world perception under which she has to labor. More than once The Decider referred to "Condi" not "Secretary Rice" which would give her much needed stature. His "Condi" reduces her to just one of his stable of unprofessionals.... "Heck of a job, Brownie."

But, the scariest moment of the press conference came with a question about Putin's intent to continue ruling Russia after his term expires next spring, possibly by becoming prime minister.

The Decider was asked if he should get tougher with Putin... "what would it mean for Russian democracy if, when you leave power.... assuming you do in January 2009 (laughter).... that Vladimir Putin is still in power?"

Bush's answer was evasive. But, it was the question that made the blood run cold.... "assuming" Bush leaves power in January 2009. The reporters in the room laughed.... but, to even touch on the possibility really isn't funny at all.

There's that as yet unfocused disquiet.... why is the White House so secretive, and so intent on accumulating so much power.

Friendly Fred Flickers

On June 6, 1973 President Richard Nixon was discussing possible Supreme Court appointments (Abuse of Power, Stanley I. Kutler, p. 585)....

Nixon attorney Fred BUZHARDT: We've got pretty good rapport with Fred Thompson.

PRESIDENT NIXON: He isn't -- he isn't very smart, is he?

BUZHARDT: He squeezed Gurney. Not extremely so, but --

PRESIDENT NIXON: But he's friendly.

BUZHARDT: But he's friendly.

PRESIDENT NIXON: Good.

There it is, Friendly Fred.

As Yogi would say, this is "deja vu all over again".... a dim friendly.... Boy George's taller twin.

Is it possible GOP primary voters can be that gullible? Will they fall for another thin-resume good-ol'-boy "compassionate conservative."

As Ruth Marcus points out in "Still Waiting for Thompson," .... "Go to a Fred Thompson rally and for $5 you can buy an 'I'm a Fred-Head' button. But you might not be able, at any price, to learn what exactly is in Fred's head." Oh Ruth.... you're still assuming what many others seem to be assuming, that there is something in Fred's head.

When conservative cheerleader Sean Hannity asked Thompson about the other GOP candidates and how Fred's positions differed from theirs, Friendly Fred opined.... "Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't spent a whole lot of time going into the details of their positions."

George F. Will today takes dead aim at Friendly Fred in "A Rocky Rollout For Thompson." Calling Fred's plunge into the presidential pool more a belly-flop than a swan dive. And he notes, not only is Fred unfamiliar with the positions of others, "he also is unfamiliar with the details of his own positions."

And, in case his.... uhhh.... diminished wattage and lack of intellectual curiosity doesn't provoke four-alarm Boy George similarities, how about Fred's ethics.

Here's his comment about why the government shouldn't tell individuals how much they can give political candidates.... "Why should the government... tell a loan officer that he cannot accept money from someone trying to get a loan from him... and then go ahead and give that person a loan?... I mean, it's bribery in the real world."

Ah yes, Republican presidential candidate Friendly Fred and his world view. Is the GOP really this desperate?

Bush's "Lipstick" Legacy....

Thankfully there are people to bump The Decider's elbow when he and his administration try to rewrite history. Eugene Robinson effectively does just that today in "Good Morning, Vietnam!" (WaPo)

Robinson unmasks The Decider's new rhetoric about the lesson of America's withdrawal from Vietnam, which Bush's "brain," Karl Rove, reinforces with an article in the National Review last week that included this.... "If the outcome [in Iraq] is like what happened in Vietnam after America abandoned our allies and the region descended into chaos, violence and danger, history's judgment will be harsh. History will see President Bush as right, and the opponents of his policy as mistaken--as George McGovern was in his time."

Say what?! George McGovern?

Robinson sets the record straight.... "the illegal U.S. bombing of Cambodia destabilized that country and boosted the Khmer Rouge, who eventually took power and exterminated those 'millions' in the 'killing fields.' The monstrous Khmer Rouge regime was finally ousted by... none other than the communists who took power in Vietnam after the American withdrawal. Oh, and it was Richard Nixon who negotiated and began the U.S. pullout. Gerald Ford presided over the fall of Saigon. Both of them were Republicans I recall."

Expect a lot of this rewriting of history from The Decider and his enablers. The next chapter in the fairy tale will be the report on Iraq due this month. The White House has no choice, this is only way to burnish the hideous Bush record.... to distort the facts.... about his presidency and the history of our nation.

Luckily we have folks like Robinson to wipe the lipstick off of Bush's legacy-propaganda pig.