WP: Presidents Past Inspire Bush's Damage Control

[kskiska]

Tuesday, October 25, 2005; A01

Facing a convergence of crises threatening his administration, President Bush and his team are devising plans to salvage the remainder of his presidency by applying the lessons of past two-term chief executives and refocusing attention on the president's larger economic and foreign policy goals.

Rarely has a president confronted as many damaging developments that could all come to a head in this week. A special counsel appears poised to indict one or more administration officials within days. Pressure is building on Bush from within his own party to withdraw the faltering Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers. And any day the death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq will pass the symbolically important 2,000 mark.

(snip)

Though less eager to talk about it, Republican advisers also have studied the Clinton strategy for surviving the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal and the impeachment that followed. Throughout that crisis, Clinton regularly fell back on the message that he was focused on his duties even if everyone else in Washington was absorbed by scandal, an approach aides credited with helping save his presidency.

Consciously or not, Bush seemed to echo that line last week in the Rose Garden when he was asked about all the problems afflicting his White House. Dismissing all the "background noise," Bush said, "the American people expect me to do my job, and I'm going to."

"I think I've heard that one before," Mark Fabiani, a former Clinton White House lawyer, said with a laugh yesterday. "But it comes down to the person. Anybody can deliver the line. The question is: Can you compartmentalize these issues so they don't consume you? And I think Bush's job is more difficult than Clinton's because the questions here go right to the heart of the presidency."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/24/AR2005102402000.html

[saltpoint]

1. Just a suggestion, but maybe they could like, you know,

get a grown-up to come in and like, you know, be in charge?

[Blaq Dem]

16. Look for them to find a way to trash the Dems

This death cult will make themselves out to be victims, just as Tom DeLay has. They're going to accuse the democrats of setting them up somehow. They'll even blame Bill Clinton once more if they have to. They always SPIN SPIN SPIN

[saltpoint]

24. I think you're right that they'll react just that way.

But more and more, the press is smelling blood and they're beginning to find their spines against this administration.

[berni_mccoy]

2. The difference between Bush and Clinton

Is Clinton actually knew HOW TO WORK... Bush can only PRETEND! This strategy WON'T WORK FOR BUSH... he should just go on a 3 year vacation...

[Inland]

5. You beat me by a minute. See no. 3 nt

[Born Free]

19. Blow job vs war

Amazing they don't see the difference, the majority of the American people really didn't care what Clinton did in his personal time, they only cared about how he ran the country. This guy is just the opposite, he may have a less exciting personal life but sure does stir up excitement with all the poor decisions he makes .

[Inland]

3. But Bush never was focused on the job.

What's he going to say, "I'm focused on my vacation, my fundraising"?

Here's a guy who's got less interest in filling up time with work than any other president.

[Mythsaje]

4. The Clinton thing was

about the politics of personal destruction.

This is about an illegal cabal running the country into ruin.

Good luck, George.

You ain't no Big Dawg.

[Bonescrat]

6. When bush was re-elected in '04...

My stepfather said that the only thing good about this was going to be watching them go down in flames. I concurred that they would take themselves down.

Hard to celebrate. So many dead.

[Renegade Six]

7. In Honor

of 3 or 4 thousand of my fallen brethren. I will watch them crash and burn. I will do it for myself and I will do it for them.

OIF-1
9 April 03 - 10 April 04

[calimary]

20. Welcome to DU, Bonescrat and Renegade Six!

Glad you're here.

There is one thing to celebrate here, beyond the obvious, and in this case, in a subdued manner.

Beyond just the party I think I'm going to feel like throwing, over the much-hoped-for consolation prize for Kerry's loss - watching these fuckers go down in flames for the mess THEY made - is this:

Bringing even just some of the bad guys to justice, dragging them out of the shadows into the light of day, watching as they pervert the entire remainder of the bush years, watching as they stall and maybe completely torpedo the gains made by the greedy, war-mongering, murderous, lying, thieving, hypocritical republi-CON cabal, means those many victims who died BECAUSE of these fuckers - will not have died in vain. It will purify their loss by dragging these bastards to justice, out of their hiding places and "undisclosed locations" and secret, sneaky-ass double-dealings. Forcing the bad guys to face the music, holding them accountable for the atrocities they've committed, is one way to make all those deaths meaningful and not just a sad, perverted, sinful waste.

All that blood, all that carnage, all that heart-ache, all those tears, ALL OF IT - is on cheney's head. It's ALL on libby's head. It's ALL on bolton's head, bush's head, contradicta's head, rummy's head, and everyone else who pushed and pushed and pushed us into a war nobody but the PNAC wanted in the first place.

And THAT, I will celebrate - loud and long and happily! Those betrayed and squandered souls will be able to rest in peace now, since it looks like they will be vindicated. As will we.

That is something mighty big to celebrate, dear fellow DUers. Don't ever forget that. This will be a good day - one in which karma prevails, and good prevails over evil. Or whenever the indictments come down - whatever day that is - will be a VERY good day. It'll mean that those many victims of greed and deceit and utter evil will NOT have died in vain.

[Lubernaut]

21. Well said.

[rodeodance]

9. yes, the downfall has come at a cost so huge for so many.

Hard to celebrate. So many dead.

[rodeodance]

8. Jr. ==You are no Bill Clinton!

......Though less eager to talk about it, Republican advisers also have studied the Clinton strategy for surviving the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal and the impeachment that followed. Throughout that crisis, Clinton regularly fell back on the message that he was focused on his duties even if everyone else in Washington was absorbed by scandal, an approach aides credited with helping save his presidency.

[rodeodance]

10. when BC said "I feel your pain" he came across as meaning it-even

as his pundits laughed at him. When Jr tries the sympathy tract--it comes across as silly and meaningless.

...."I think I've heard that one before," Mark Fabiani, a former Clinton White House lawyer, said with a laugh yesterday. "But it comes down to the person. Anybody can deliver the line. The question is: Can you compartmentalize these issues so they don't consume you? And I think Bush's job is more difficult than Clinton's because the questions here go right to the heart of the presidency."

[rodeodance]

11. the WH will be confronting the "Iraq death toll" by shifting attention!!

Jerks!



.....To deal with what they consider the darkest days of the Bush presidency, White House advisers have developed a twofold strategy -- confront head-on problems such as the Iraq death toll, while shifting attention to other areas such as conservative economic policies, according to a senior White House official, who spoke about internal deliberations only under the condition of anonymity. Bush advisers are taking clues from the playbooks of former presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, both of whom weathered second-term scandals.

The White House strategy will unfold over the next several days, starting with yesterday's announcement of a new Federal Reserve Board chairman and continuing today with a presidential speech on Iraq at Bolling Air Force Base. Anticipating a barrage of criticism when the death toll hits 2,000, Bush will try to put the sacrifice in perspective by portraying the Iraq war as the best way to keep terrorists from striking the United States again, the official said. He will make the same case in another speech Friday in Norfolk.

Although Bush has made this case often, aides hope the public will be more receptive in the aftermath of the apparently successful referendum vote for a new Iraqi constitution, whose official results will be announced this week. The White House also sees the economy as one of the few parcels of safe political land these days. Bush plans to follow yesterday's Federal Reserve appointment with a call for fiscal discipline at the Economic Club of Washington tomorrow...

[EST]

13. But, but, but...

the so called economy is just one lie after another. Good jobs are disappearing, can't make a living on shit jobs, on and on. The economy is in terrible shape, thanks to their brain dead policies.
Wy prediction--their timing is so lousy that their latest attempt to salvage a failure will just hasten the end. Keep on trying, you sniveling bastards!
(Whew, I'm in a pissier mood than I thought.)

[ninkasi]

15. They think the economy is safe territory?

Not for the people who don't have jobs or who have been forced to take jobs paying a fraction of what hey were used to earning. The bankruptcy bill? Sad, if they think that's safe territory. Any tiny increase in wages has been sucked up by increasing energy prices.

There have been so many milestones in Iraq, that I've lost count. Why should Iraqi votes, or referendums, or constitutions, matter? No matter what the spin, more of our troops are killed or maimed, and more Iraqi citizens suffer the same fate. We just need to get the hell out of Iraq. Chimpy's supporters must be the stupidest lifeforms on earth.

[truthisfreedom]

12. difference being, Big Dog wasn't an alcoholic drug abuser white-knuckling

his way through the presidency. Big Dog was a brilliant, thoughtful, and caring President who had a unique gift for separating his hazards. bushco only has rove. sans rove, bushco is a rudderless ship of power-drunk pirates.

[bluestateguy]

14. Clinton at least came clean, eventually

Ok, he lied. About sex, but he did come clean after 7 months.

These people have not come clean after more than 2 years.

[radfringe]

17. does this mean

no more terra-lerts to divert attention?

[radfringe]

18. mad hatter tea party

anyone remember the scene from Alice in Wonderland (Disney version) at the Mad Hatter's tea party? In the scene whenever the dishes were deemed dirty they changed places...

this is similar to what has been/is going on with the bushies - whenever an issue becomes "dirty" they change the issue.....

[Demeter]

22. Iraq Is Not A Blow JOB!!!!

Honest to God these people are sick sick sick.

Iraq is treason, not consensual sex. That makes a big, insurmountable difference. They're all going down, because none of them are able to grasp this simple, fundamental concept.

[CJCRANE]

23. Difference is...Clinton was actually a popular president

and the scandal was a minor personal matter.