When recently asked to define his administration’s central mission, the president’s instant answer was “tax relief.” With that brief response, W flouted three of the most fundamental attributes of leadership: the ability to identify a compelling vision of a greater future; a gift for inspiring people to transcend their own interests; and the courage to not merely reflect current opinion but to challenge and shape it. [...] Or consider the searing intellectual depth of the advice Bush says he offered Russian President Vladimir Putin during their recent summit: “It’s negative to think about blowing each other up. That’s not a positive thought ... That’s a thought when people were enemies with each other.” Are these the pronouncements of a man maturing into the Leader of the Free World or a guy who’s been watching way too much Barney? [...] Consistently incoherent and, as he reminded us in his commencement address at Yale, proudly uneducated, Bush appears oddly unfamiliar with the system he now purports to lead and stunningly unaware of the world beyond our borders -- except, perhaps, for Vincente Fox’s rumpus room. [...]
Hmm. Somehow, the thought of Bush II Fraudulency running around singing "I love you, you love me..." just gives me the cold shudders. (But I do enjoy watching her shred him, yes I do.)
In the meantime, The Shrubster left piles of leadership on our national lawn by allowing the Secret Service to expel someone from the White House when they'd come to attend a meeting to which they were specifically invited, and by demonstrating his determination to rehabilitate Bush I Incompetency's administration as he appointed an Iran-Contra convict to his staff. Granted that the Shrub apologized for the first incident. Granted that Abrams was pardoned by Bush I. Nonetheless, the incidents keep piling up to indicate an administration with a signal lack of focus or control of itself. (I mean, really. Wouldn't you think that someone would say, "Yes, Mr President, we realize that he's respected. We realize that he was pardoned. Nonetheless, with an administration only six months old that's already taking a public shellacking over its lack of ethical behavior, perhaps appointing someone who pled guilty to lying to Congress is not the best move you could make.")
Copyright © 2001, Iain Jackson, after-words.org
[Archives: 2001 and after]
Archives before February 5, 2001
Search entries:
12/19/2001: vive la france
12/19/2001: princess, redux
12/19/2001: yemen and rumsfeld
12/18/2001: you're NOT in the army now
12/18/2001: interesting donation
12/18/2001: shame on winn dixie, indeed
12/18/2001: saudi princess
12/17/2001: new resolve
12/17/2001: a victim of the attack ... yeah, right
12/17/2001: polluters ho!