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President George W. Bush is going to continue to live in a fantasy of his own choosing right down to his last day in office. That is made perfectly clear in a Washington Post report by Dan Froomkin.
Froomkin takes a look at Bush's ongoing cluelessness from several angles. Perhaps most revealing are the extensive quotations taken from the president's recent talk with workers at a information technology company near St. Louis. Here's just a snippet of the commander-in-chief's hour-long ramble:
I think it's going to be very important, as you pay attention to the presidential race, to try to come up with not only who you agree with, obviously, but whether that person knows how to delegate; knows how to set up a structure so that good information can make it into the Oval Office in a way that enables good decision-making. The temptation, of course, is to walk in the Oval Office and say, oh, man, you're looking beautiful. And the President doesn't need somebody -- because generally he's not looking beautiful. The President needs somebody to walk in and say, here's what I think.
So when you think about good, solid advisors -- at least in my case -- think about somebody like Condoleezza Rice, or Hank Paulson who used to run Goldman Sachs, or Bob Gates. These are strong, capable people. And my job is to make sure that the environment is such that they can walk in and say, Mr. President, here's what I'm thinking, here's my advice. And their job, by the way, once the President makes up his mind, is say, 'Yes, sir, Mr. President.'
Gosh, I wonder why he failed to mention the several folks who got fired for telling him the Iraq adventure would take many more troops and cost many billion dollars more than predicted by the likes of Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld. That seems like sound advice and good information that was dead on arrival in the Oval Office. And speaking of advisors, he failed to mention those who aren't with him anymore, such as Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld. Is he glad he delegated a war to them?
Posted by Iblis at 5/6/08 7:09 p.m.
America, this is what we get when we elect a C+ student to the highest Office in the land....
I hope it will be a cold day in hell before we ever see such a clueless, arrogant, REPUG LIAR in the oval office again.
Posted by Mtnlib at 5/7/08 2:22 a.m.
I've been scratching my brain trying to think of any time that Bushie has said anything that gave any idea that he had a clue as to what was going on.
Should we expect that to change in his last six months in office?
I gave up long ago trying to make any sense of his speeches and agenda. So I may have missed the one kernel of logic that slipped through.
Posted by DB at 5/8/08 9:36 a.m.
Great point Horsey, here is a guy who forced out all the best military minds because they told him their honest opinions. Worst President Possible.
Posted by kristafarian at 5/9/08 7:33 p.m.
Now, hold on there a minute, De Bees--
Let's give McCain a chance!
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Posted by TerryP at 5/6/08 6:57 p.m.
Yes, the president's title is the Chief Executive; and just as we see in successful businesses, delegation to the right individuals is indeed a good thing. But it might also be good to have someone in the Oval Office who understands how to talk to people in a way that underscores who is in charge and that he or she understands what is being said, and what the consequences might be to further action.
In the movie, "Ten Days in October," there's a scene in which (the actor playing) President Kennedy overrides the standing order to fire on Russian ships violating a blockage of Cuba by saying, "Belay that order." Having been a Naval officer himself, the then president knew exactly what to say to avert imminent disaster.
It's too bad that the only presidential candidate we have left with any realistic chance of getting his party's nomination, with military experience, also seems to be a bit hot-headed; as well as inclined towards "shooting first and asking questions later," as the old saying goes.
For good counsel, when seeking advice on war, it might help to get it from someone who has actually been in a war. That would exclude Mr. Wolfowitz, Mr. Rumsfeld and Professor Rice.
It might also help to go to Congress and ask for a formal declaration, out of respect for the Constitution, if nothing else. And if anyone tried to later portray themselves as against the war, or an ongoing, resultant occupation, we'd just have to consult his or her vote and let the record stand.