Death Watch at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

[kweerwolf]

For all practical purposes, governing the nation has stopped at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as aides deal with an increasingly despondent President, mounting scandals and defecting dissidents from the Ship of State.

White House insiders say George W. Bush’s mood swings have increased to the point where meetings with the President must be cancelled, schedules shifted and plans changed to keep a bitter, distracted leader from the public eye.

“He’s like a zombie some days, walking around in a trance,” says one aide who, for obvious reasons, asks not to be identified. “Other times he launches into angry outbursts, cussing out anybody who gets near him.”

Aides say gallows humor has descended on the White House, where the West Wing is now referred to as “death row” and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, along with Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Scooter Libby, are known as “dead men walking,” a reference to the last walk death row inmates take to the execution chamber.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7560.shtml

[merh]

1. WOW

:wow:

[speedoo]

2. this is very plausible.

I know some here question the source. But given everything we know and considering the idiotic decisions being made in the WH these days, such as the stupid Karen Hughes "mission" which seems to fail on an hourly basis, there is tittle doubt the Coward is suffering badly without his brain.

[Tamyrlin79]

4. They always are very plausible.

I take this with as much skepticism as I take anything from anywhere. No more, no less. Though, I have come around to giving this site the benefit of the doubt.

[DemoTex]

3. Capitol Hill Blue might just be better than they are given credit for.

CHB's reports (conjectures?) on the deteriorating mental state of Bu$h are, given the turn of events, certainly within the realm of possibility, and perhaps even based in fact.

[cassiepriam]

5. The last sentence chills me to the bone:

<“If there is a nuclear terrorist attack or a major pandemic you are going to see the ineptitude of this government in a way that'll take you back to the Declaration of Independence.”>

[TexasLawyer]

9. It is chilling. The thought that * has the means and the motive

to protect himself with "terra" should put everyone on edge.

Also, the aftermath of "terra" is being painted here as war in the streets. The Declaration of Independence is a pretty "in-your-face" little document.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

[cassiepriam]

10. means, motives AND capability.

From a mental status standpoint he would have no qualms at all. He is a crazy and a sociopath, with no regard for this country or human life. He is also personally quite weak and insecure and uses others to prop himself up.

[Boo Boo]

14. Transcript of Wilkerson's NAF talk is linked to here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2171192&mesg_id=2171192

Also, NAF's Steve Clemons blog is tracking commentary:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com

[Greeby]

6. hmm

"Karl Rove, along with Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Scooter Libby, are known as “dead men walking,”"

Thats what they call Cheney, but for quite another reason ;)

[JPZenger]

7. Let's Play Indictment Bingo

http://www.alfrankenweb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25601

The above link is to a new game called indictment bingo. Get your scorecards with the names of various officials. Then use M&Ms to place them on the names of the various politicians as they are indicted. Whoever gets their M&Ms in a straight line first, wins a prize.

[arwalden]

8. What A Delightful Article!

... just as I would have imagined things being.

[cliss]

11. Amazing. I bet you NOTHING gets done in the White

House these days. They are probably in a panic mode, trying desperately to survive as the SS Bush takes on water.

About 1 month ago, I spotted a globe of the world. I stopped to look at it. I twirled it a little bit, let the thing stop at the United States. Ran my hand over this country. I thought, "What a huge continent the U.S. is". Enormous. Then I thought about all the vast natural resources we have. All the talented, hard-working people who want to do a good job.

Then I looked at the eastern part of the country. "Is this the best that they can do?" Just idiots, complete charlatans in charge of this huge, rich country?

It just boggled my mind. Had to walk away from the globe and think about it some more.

[Lisa]

12. I was thinking along those lines too -- "Is this the best they can do?!"

The US has more than a quarter-BILLION people. Even if one doesn't consider the citizens who are too young to run for public office, or who are retired and may not be interested in another career -- and the ones who are excluded by law from being President (not born there) -- we're still talking tens of millions of people.

And compared to some other countries, there are plenty of Americans who've had some educational background and practical experience in governing. (Anyone who's chaired a committee or organized a meeting or a petition has SOME useful knowledge ... a friend of mine who works with community groups in the former Soviet Union noted that democratic societies tend to have much more of this to draw on.)

So how did the US get stuck with a guy who appears to be less intelligent, caring, and competent than the majority of its citizens? As a Canadian, I have had dealings with lots of Americans, and Bush just doesn't seem up to scratch -- and I don't hang around with saints and geniuses, just regular people!

[freesqueeze]

13. "like a zombie ... in a trance"

The pressure must be intense.