The secret's out: Bush is overtaken by events—and overwhelmed

[dajoki]

Village Voice
http://villagevoice.com/news/0603,schanberg,71770,6.html

Empirical news
The secret's out: Bush is overtaken by events—and overwhelmed

by Sydney H. Schanberg
January 17th, 2006 12:25 PM

Transfixed as I've become by the new empire spreading out of Washington, I offer some empirical news bits that have recently drawn my attention. President Bush, who for now has resisted accepting the "emperor" title and its crown and scepter, gave a speech last week to a select group of admirers in Lexington, Kentucky. It was one of those unilateral orations about his Iraq war and related subjects, such as the patriotic, secret spying on Americans that he authorized shortly after the 9-11 terrorist attack. Of course, it's no longer secret, because the treasonous New York Times outed the covert operation on December 16. But the president has acted swiftly, ordering a secret investigation into that heinous act. More reporters may be going to jail. The president says no mercy will be shown to those who comfort the enemy.

Anyway, I'm watching his speech on CNN and suddenly the president utters one of those giggly little fibs he likes to tease America with. He says of the soldiers he has sent into battle: "When you put these kids in harm's way, we owe them the best equipment, the best training, and a strategy for victory."

It was the "equipment" part that crossed my eyes. Omigod, I thought, his staff has failed him again and made him look like a fool. I guess they didn't tell him about the repeated news stories since the war's start, nearly three years ago, that showed soldiers were being killed and maimed because of outdated body armor and vehicle armor. The latest undisputed report was on page one of the Times on January 7, just four days before his speech. The president says he doesn't lie, so it must have been another staff bungle.

The Times story, by Michael Moss, said that a secret Pentagon study the paper had obtained concluded that of the 2,100 American soldiers who have died in Iraq—roughly 1,700 of them in combat—more than 300 could have been saved with adequate protective vests. Simply enlarging the existing shields, the study said, "would have had the potential to alter the fatal outcome." Reporter Moss better get himself a good lawyer.

[CJCRANE]

1. * is a Bragger.

I think that's the bottom line.

Has anyone ever had a friend who ALWAYS has to be better than you or whatever they do is just the BEST (according to them).

If you've ever driven a fast car then they've driven one faster. If you can drink ten beers then they have a story about one time they drank twenty beers and a bottle of JD. This person can not be outdone.

Same with *. His army is the best, their equipment is the best...NO is gonna be built bigger and better and they're gonna get more money than ever before...His foreign aid to Africa is more than anyone else...we've been to the Moon but he's gonna make sure we get to Mars etc etc ad infinitum.

[dajoki]

2. i know what you mean n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Chronic Donald Trump Syndrome. Not fatal to the patient, but agonizing

for everyone else.

[MADem]

4. Indeed, a bragger and a braggard!

His theme song: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better...he should try out for the lead in "Annie, Get Your Gun." Right up his alley!

[Jane Austin]

5. I think what's going on is the same thing as Cheney continuing to

bleat that Saddam and Al Qaeda were in cahoots on 9-11.

It's this; when you have bad news, go blithely on and rather than deny it, bray loudly the opposite until it drowns out the bad news.

This technique has served them well many times: With bush's cocaine use; with his National Guard non-service; with 9-11; with WMD; with tax relief for the super-rich; with the Abramoff scandal, and so forth ad naseum.

Remember the Texas Education Miracle? The truth - - that the statistics had been fudged, and Texas schools were in deeper shit than ever - - didn't get much play.

If you're a blood-thirsty executioner, call yourself a Compassionate Conservative.

If you're an irreligious money and power worshipper, call yourself a Born-again Christian.

If you kill tens of thousands of people in unprovoked wars, talk about the Culture of Life.

It's called the big lie, and it's Karl Rove's trademark.

Ask any Texan who was awake during the 80's and 90's.

[0007]

6. You got it right!

[lavenderdiva]

7. LOL! You have me laughing!

'he latest undisputed report was on page one of the Times on January 7, just four days before his speech. '

Well, you know Chimperor missed it because he doesn't read-- at least anything other than 'My Pet Goat', and even then the book has to be upside down. Now, it seems his staff doesn't/isn't reading either. And on PAGE ONE, at that!

[peacetalksforall]

8. I am convinced that his handlers have a very difficult job. My

speculation is that he has melt downs that they must prevent by always telling him how much people love and support him. I believe he makes them promise things that requires them to 'fix' things around the promise so that George doesn't find out. I believe there is major evasion and arena of delusion going on. I don't think he acts much, but I believe they pump him up so that it appears as though he is acting - because what we see is opposite of what we know.

I believe that he has an arrested development that thrives on conninving tricks. I believe that they present things him in terms of what they want and how he can play along with it by saying such and such or going to such and such place - especially fund raisers because he can give the same old speech with the same old jokes, but in policy I believe he really gets into things that screw people. I believe their game of dis-reality starts with his family and staff and has the full support of Congress. I believe that it is all a full time job for many staffers and entire battallions of other kinds of fixers - for example, the ones who make sure he doesn't see dissentors on limo routes or in audiences.

I believe the promises started with getting him to be the fund raising, bigot supported just plain folk kind of guy candidate, however, what he wants is diabolical over and above or just under the diabolical agenda of the regime who put him there and are trying to destroy this country.

My speculation - as good as anyone else's who tries to observe what is going on.

[dajoki]

9. you're absolutely correct n/t

[dajoki]

10. Reporter Moss better get himself a good lawyer.

The Times story, by Michael Moss, said that a secret Pentagon study the paper had obtained concluded that of the 2,100 American soldiers who have died in Iraq—roughly 1,700 of them in combat—more than 300 could have been saved with adequate protective vests. Simply enlarging the existing shields, the study said, "would have had the potential to alter the fatal outcome."

[bedazzled]

11. he always means the opposite of what he says...

the whole administration is like that. when they talk about "reforming" healthcare you know where they'll reform it...
right into the trashcan.

i always reverse what they say and it turns into the truth...