Friday, June 04, 2004
"Well, Abe, You Were Lucky. They Shot You."
One fine day I saw the following bumper sticker, an authentic relic from 1972 on a contemporary SUV: "President Nixon: Now More Than Ever." I was reminded of it this morning reading this on Capitol Hill Blue. If you remember The Final Days, Woodstein's book about Nixon's last months in office, it'll sound familiar. These days, Bush is reportedly prone to severe mood swings, from messianic fervor to obscene ranting, and his paranoia is apparently growing as his political ship continues to sink. For example, aides report that George Tenet didn't go voluntarily. He was fired on Wednesday night for challenging Bush in a meeting earlier Wednesday. The decision to sack Tenet, which comes at a pretty poor moment politically, shocked the White House staff. They were shocked even more yesterday when Bush told them privately the firing was "God's will."
Remember Dan Aykroyd's portrayal of Nixon talking to the paintings in the White House on Saturday Night Live? Bush hasn't gone that far yet, apparently, but he's gained another Aykroyd-esque nickname. White House staffers call Bush and John Ashcroft "the Blues Brothers." Because, of course, they're on a mission from God.
None of the White House staffers and political consultants quoted in Capitol Hill Blue's story will go on the record, so keep the salt shaker handy. Nevertheless, if what they report is even half-true, it's disturbing enough.
Recommended Reading: A regular reader of this bilge once characterized it--and others have characterized lefty blogging in general--as being all about repeating how awful things are and bashing Bush. Well, yeah. We tend to focus on that, because things are pretty awful and Bush is the guy largely responsible. But that's also an easy way to fill bandwidth. What's harder is to find positive things to say about life in America today. Which is why it's worth reading Robert Borosage's remarks to this week's Take Back America Conference in Washington. Borosage catalogs some of the successes progressives have enjoyed in recent years, and then he does something harder still. He talks about how we might do more than simply plug the leaks in our country's sinking ship, but how we can turn the ship around and sail it in the opposite direction.
One fine day I saw the following bumper sticker, an authentic relic from 1972 on a contemporary SUV: "President Nixon: Now More Than Ever." I was reminded of it this morning reading this on Capitol Hill Blue. If you remember The Final Days, Woodstein's book about Nixon's last months in office, it'll sound familiar. These days, Bush is reportedly prone to severe mood swings, from messianic fervor to obscene ranting, and his paranoia is apparently growing as his political ship continues to sink. For example, aides report that George Tenet didn't go voluntarily. He was fired on Wednesday night for challenging Bush in a meeting earlier Wednesday. The decision to sack Tenet, which comes at a pretty poor moment politically, shocked the White House staff. They were shocked even more yesterday when Bush told them privately the firing was "God's will."
Remember Dan Aykroyd's portrayal of Nixon talking to the paintings in the White House on Saturday Night Live? Bush hasn't gone that far yet, apparently, but he's gained another Aykroyd-esque nickname. White House staffers call Bush and John Ashcroft "the Blues Brothers." Because, of course, they're on a mission from God.
None of the White House staffers and political consultants quoted in Capitol Hill Blue's story will go on the record, so keep the salt shaker handy. Nevertheless, if what they report is even half-true, it's disturbing enough.
Recommended Reading: A regular reader of this bilge once characterized it--and others have characterized lefty blogging in general--as being all about repeating how awful things are and bashing Bush. Well, yeah. We tend to focus on that, because things are pretty awful and Bush is the guy largely responsible. But that's also an easy way to fill bandwidth. What's harder is to find positive things to say about life in America today. Which is why it's worth reading Robert Borosage's remarks to this week's Take Back America Conference in Washington. Borosage catalogs some of the successes progressives have enjoyed in recent years, and then he does something harder still. He talks about how we might do more than simply plug the leaks in our country's sinking ship, but how we can turn the ship around and sail it in the opposite direction.
