Bush Admin Paradox Explained (Robert B. Reich)

[dooner]

Bush administration paradox explained
Robert B. Reich,Monday, September 19, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/19/EDGJ3EP1CS1.DTL


No White House in modern history has been as adept at politics and as ham-fisted at governing. Why?

<snip>

With governing, it's been almost criminally incompetent -- failing to act on clear predictions of a terrorist attack like 9/11 or a natural disaster like Katrina, botching intelligence over Saddam Hussein's supposed weapons of mass destruction, failing to secure order after invading Iraq, allowing prisoners of war to be tortured, losing complete control over the federal budget, creating a bizarre Medicare drug benefit from which the elderly are now fleeing, barely responding to the wave of corporate lootings and running the Federal Emergency Management Agency into the ground. Not since the hapless administration of Warren G. Harding has there been one as stunningly inept as this one.

<snip>

The predictable result is that Bush officials have become yes-men incapable of sounding alarms. The price of dissent is high. Soon after Glenn Hubbard, then chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, warned that the cost of the Iraqi war would be in the range of $200 billion -- almost exactly what it's cost so far -- he was fired. After Paul O'Neill, his Secretary of the Treasury, worried out loud that federal budget deficits didn't seem to matter any longer -- a prescient concern -- he was fired, too. Can it be any wonder why this president doesn't seem to get it?

Politics first, competence last: That's the Bush administration all over. Karl Rove, Bush's brain and deputy chief of staff, is in charge of the political juggernaut that's substituted for effective governance. Presumably, he's now at work on a plan to burnish the image of Republicans as managers of the public's business so they don't the hell beaten out of them in the mid-terms a year from now. But the harder Rove works at spinning what this White House has accomplished, the more likely it is that Americans will see that what it's accomplished is basically spin.

Robert B. Reich was U.S. Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, and co-founder of the American Prospect magazine, from whose October issue this is adapted.

[norml]

1. Corruption and incompetence are inherent in their ideology

because it and they are not reality based.

[geckosfeet]

2. Spin dogs must go!

<snip>
Politics first, competence last: That's the Bush administration all over. Karl Rove, Bush's brain and deputy chief of staff, is in charge of the political juggernaut that's substituted for effective governance. Presumably, he's now at work on a plan to burnish the image of Republicans as managers of the publics business so they don't (get) the hell beaten out of them in the mid-terms a year from now. But the harder Rove works at spinning what this White House has accomplished, the more likely it is that Americans will see that what it's accomplished is basically spin.
</snip>

Competence presumes some ability to deal with reality. As far as I can see, this administration has succeeded admirably in ignoring reality.

And I would take the description of their brand of politics a step further. They have institutionalized discrimination based on political views, religious views, sexuality, socio-economics and race.

We MUST make sure that the get the hell beaten out of them in '06 and that it sticks forever. These bastards can never rule like this again.

Taking suggestions NOW!

[witness2]

3. Suggestions

Find a way to keep Diebold and other vote-counting companies from being able to change the results of elections at will and not run any risk of getting caught at it.

For example, each voting machine prints out a hard copy list of all the votes made (anonymously). This printout is designed to be very hard to change or to counterfeit. It is kept securely and can be used for an official recount.

Each voter gets a small similar printout with just their votes.

Each voters small printout has a unique number code on it just for that ballot.

The main list shows that same number when it lists that ballot.

That way a voter can show their printout to someone doing a recount and say 'See, I voted this way. Is that what you show on your list of ballots cast?'

It seems as if Diebold et al could change any election result they wish under the current approach.

[salin]

4. Reich - spells it out - the spinning is loosing its

glean and the mold, tarnish and ugliness is starting to shine through.

Nominated this thread.

[ginnyinWI]

5. excellent article

They can win, but they cannot govern! He really nails it.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Nonsense

Not since the hapless administration of Warren G. Harding has there been one as stunningly inept as this one.

It's a good thing Harding is dead. Reich gives him grounds to sue. The Harding administration was not as stunningly inept as this one. Teapot Dome doesn't trump an unnecessary war based on lies.

[Mend]

7. The media needs to read this and weep.....eom

[indepat]

8. And the shrill idolatrous throngs still chant: four more years, four more

years.