For someone who has been critical of Bush administration policies for a very long time, it might be difficult to resist the urge to look at those who once supported him and say, “I told you so.” It took the majority of the American public much, much longer than it should have taken to realize that Bush and his cronies have failed them. The downward spiral of his approval ratings continues, but still many are reluctant to call for him to be removed from office.
It’s shameful that Bush was elected to a second term, but it’s even more shameful that the carnage he wrought prior to this year was allowed to go unchecked for so long. In 2007, however, things have begun to unwind. Aside from a diehard few too stubborn to abandon him, or too stupid to see through his smokescreen of deceit, members of his own party are fed up. The Rove spin machine is all spun out. Now when Bush speaks in defense of his policies or against his detractors, it’s like watching a heroin addict insisting he’s clean while the needle is in his arm. There was a time when the drivel Bush spewed forth made me angry or incredulous. Now, it does nothing. The man is pathetic. He’s beyond contempt and pity. He’s a drowning clown — the more he struggles to stay afloat the more ridiculous he looks.
In an opinion piece for Time Magazine, Joe Klein summarizes the three major issues Bush is facing so far this year and how they are bringing him down. If the title (”An Administration’s Epic Collapse”) isn’t enough to set the tone, this introductory paragraph should do it:
The three big Bush stories of 2007–the decision to “surge” in Iraq,
the scandalous treatment of wounded veterans at the Walter Reed Army
Medical Center and the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys for tawdry
political reasons–precisely illuminate the three qualities that make
this Administration one of the worst in American history: arrogance
(the surge), incompetence (Walter Reed) and cynicism (the U.S.
Attorneys).
He’s spot on. Of course, the arrogance, incompetence, and cynicism could have been tempered by a Democratic Congress during the first six years of the administration. There were a couple of instances where the Republican Congress challenged the president, but for the most part he was given free reign. Only since November, when it became clear that supporting Bush in all things is now an untenable position, have more Republican Congressmen begun to question or oppose some of the Decider’s decisions. But ultimately, the blame for the havoc wrought in this administration’s lifetime belongs solely to Bush. And the qualities Klein lists above have a lot to do with it.
The article ends with the following:
When Bush came to office–installed by the Supreme Court after
receiving fewer votes than Al Gore–I speculated that the new President
would have to govern in a bipartisan manner to be successful. He chose
the opposite path, and his hyper-partisanship has proved to be a
travesty of governance and a comprehensive failure. I’ve tried to be
respectful of the man and the office, but the three defining sins of
the Bush Administration–arrogance, incompetence, cynicism–are
congenital: they’re part of his personality. They’re not likely to
change. And it is increasingly difficult to imagine yet another two
years of slow bleed with a leader so clearly unfit to lead.
Even though I supported Gore in 2000 and was greatly disappointed after the Florida fiasco, I held out a bit of hope because of a slogan of the Bush campaign, a line the man repeated frequently: “I’m a uniter, not a divider.” Regardless of his record as governor of Texas, his legacy as president has shown just the opposite. If he ever had any redeeming qualities, his alignment with the neocons destroyed them.
There is no clearer example of divisiveness than the administration’s tragic exploitation of America’s unity after 9/11. Bush took a country that was united behind him and manipulated them with his own campaign of terrorism. Citizens in fear are easier to lead. Citizens in fear aren’t going to notice or care when you expand your powers and take away their rights. Citizens in fear will believe you when you tell them a mad dictator half-a-world away has nuclear technology and is buddies with terrorists who hate America. Once his bluff was called and with a rubber stamp Congress to do his bidding, Bush didn’t even give the pretense of bipartisanship.
George W. Bush deserves no respect. He has brought disgrace upon the office of the President of the United States of America. Many great men have held that title. If it were possible, Bush should be stripped of it completely so as not to belittle their achievements. Unfortunately, the best we can do is kick him out of office. He certainly has a laundry list of crimes to answer for. The damage already done is too great to measure. Who can say how much more damage will be done if he is allowed to complete his second term? We need to start repairing the damage now, not later.
Technorati Tags: Bush, Republicans, Democrats, Time magazine, Joe Klein
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