Uh oh-- Chimpy's comparing himself to Harry Truman

[TexasLawyer]

The guy who brought us the Cold War and the Korean War, and the only world leader to drop the atomic bomb on another country.


Truman's Trials Resonate for Bush
President Battling Terrorism Has Shown Interest In Democrat's Strategies at Dawn of Cold War

By Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 15, 2006; A03




He led the United States into war and saw his popularity plummet, yet some 60 years later his reputation has never been higher: It's small wonder Harry S. Truman seems to hold a special fascination for President Bush these days.

That interest came into focus recently after Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) went public with an account of a meeting last Friday in which he said the president seemed to be comparing his situation to that of Truman in the late 1940s. According to Durbin's account and another source familiar with the meeting, Bush told the gathering of congressional leaders that Truman's approach to dealing with the Cold War was not initially popular but that he was vindicated by history -- the implication being that Bush would be vindicated about Iraq as well.

White House aides later disputed this reading of Bush's comments, but the episode may offer a glimpse into the psychology of a president who, like Truman in his second term, seems beset by trouble and pressures on all sides and who is ready to look to history for some comfort and guidance.

<snip>

By many accounts, Bush is fascinated by history and biography -- he reads extensively and meets periodically with presidential scholars -- and Truman has certainly seemed to be on his mind in recent months. In his commencement address this year at West Point, Bush discussed Truman at some length, lauding his early role in structuring U.S. forces and institutions for the Cold War.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/14/AR2006121401683_pf.html

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Hey - Shrubbie - I think you should only be looking at a guy called Mussolini

Let me say that again: Mussolini.

(imagine that being said by Peter Griffin, and it's even funnier)

[Ron Green]

2. First, Truman's middle "S" doesn't have a period, and second,

Bush doesn't have a clue.

[GreenZoneLT]

3. Well, at least he doesn't think he's Lincoln any more.

Truman fired MacArthur a lot quicker than Bush fired Rumsfeld.

[barb162]

7. He thought he had something in common with Lincoln?

What? They're both over 6' tall?

[CarbonDate]

10. Bush is only 5'10".

So no.

[TexasLawyer]

11. But they both liked soup.

And both Bush and Lincoln are carbon-based life forms. Their similarities are endless!

[calimary]

15. LOL!

[tblue]

18. Is that true? I thought he was 6'2 or something.

[GreenZoneLT]

23. This was in mid-2006

Bush was reading about Lincoln, noticing how Lincoln, too, was embroiled in an unpopular war and was personally very unpopular late in his first term.

I think now that George's quagmire is only four months from being longer than Lincoln took to achieve total victory, he's not so sure he's Lincoln any more.

Truman, though, Truman left office DURING an unpopular stalemated war. George can relate.

Truman didn't bring us the Korean War and the Cold War, btw. Joe Stalin and Kim Il Sung did that, may they rot.

[Vexatious Ape]

12. I guess Truman was a better "decider".

[NV1962]

4. Uh oh - looks like Kofi Annan's speech hit a raw nerve after all... (n/t)

[thefloyd]

5. What a joke

Truman read tons and tons of books. Case closed

[barb162]

6. I think Truman is the guy who ended WW2

and he didn't personally start the Cold War or the Korean war.

I also think this article mis-states things a bit. Bush may like reading history but it cannot possibly be with any depth. He is probably reading encyclopedia or overview type articles

[NJCher]

8. The Buck Stops Here

Sorry, Little Boots. If you want to be the second coming of Harry Truman, you're going to have to stop blaming the Clenis.



Cher

[badgerpup]

9. He's grasping frantically for a 'legacy'...

...since it's obvious even to him that he's not going to be properly appreciated in his time, he's comforting himself by pretending that he's like Harry S Truman, who was unpopular, but was vindicated in the long run.
:eyes:
Bush becomes more delusional by the day. :scared:
I wish that there was some way we could remove him from office on the grounds that he is medically and psychologically unfit to be occupying the Oval Office.

[EST]

16. My fondest hope is that he gets to contemplate how history

may mistreat him as he spends his remaining years in prison. I am against the death penalty, but there are exceptions- when there is absolutely no mistake about who plotted the horrible misery and deaths of a half million innocents.

When I see those little kids, arms and legs burned off, staring blankly and bravely at the camera, I would gladly assume the mantle of justice at the Hague.
Such a war crimes trial would bring joy to half the worlds population.
This man and his fellow assassins deserve only contempt. I am so terribly sad and angry.

There are many times when I wish there really were a hell.

[Sherman A1]

22. Agreed and Well Said.

Went to the Truman Library this last Spring and it is well worth the visit.

[PADemD]

25. Don't you just wish "This is Your Life" was back on TV with "W" as a guest?

[renate]

13. I don't agree with every one of Harry Truman's decisions

But I absolutely love and admire the man.

The reason is his rock-solid integrity. When he made a decision, he took the responsibility for it. We've all heard the phrase "The Buck Stops Here"--what gigantic balls to put a sign like that on his very own desk.

Even his loyalty to Pendergast was admirable... he went to the man's funeral when all his advisors were telling him not to. Because it was the right and decent thing to do.

He was unpopular at the end of his presidency because he didn't give a shit what people thought of him--he only cared about what he felt was right, morally and for the country. And he took responsibility for it all.

This president thinks "the right thing to do" means "cover your privileged ass." For him to compare himself to Truman makes me sick. He isn't fit to speak Truman's name.

[calimary]

17. I don't remember Truman having ever lied to start a war. And, yes, let's

remember the "Buck Stops Here" part. With george, it's always "The Buck Stops Over There Somewhere." Decider my ass. The only decisions he seems to make are all the wrong ones.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

14. He could be confusing HST with Truman Burbank, who he resembles

The Truman Show (1998), plot summary for courtesy of IMDB:

In this movie, Jim Carrey is Truman, a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him are actors who play their roles in the most popular tv-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react?

* * *

As with *, everybody in The Truman Show treated Truman with kid gloves. He was never criticized, encouraged to challenge his beliefs nor permitted to learn about the world beyond his perfect bubble. Individuals who didn't follow the script -- like the Dad -- were written out of the script. (He also didn't have sex with his wife, apparently; the parallels with * are uncanny...) Everything was controlled by the all-powerful Director, who manipulated the audience's feelings as adroitly as he did Truman's life.

What I liked most was the main character's name: Truman = True-Man

[GreenZoneLT]

24. Certainly not Truman Capote

It's not as if W has even ONE decent novel in him. And I doubt he's as fun at parties.

[MattSh]

19. So, that means that Bush.....Is Dead?

I suspected as much. Or, at least Bush is brain dead.

[neoblues]

20. Reads...

I didn't know they made children's big-print cliff-note bio's with lots of big pictures; as that's about all I can imagine this guy actually "reads". Of course, in his advancing age and situation as President who's on vacation much of the time (even when he's supposedly "at work" in the White House), thus allowing him ample time to browse comic-book type books (probably prepared specially by Presidential 'Scholars', at a cost of millions no doubt too).

[Yukari Yakumo]

21. This can be summaried in three words

Delusions of grandeur

[cassiepriam]

26. History is usually on your side when you have done the right thing

and exhibited intelligence and courage.

Bush is delusional if he thinks that fits him.

edit for spelling

[Hubert Flottz]

27. He's Right! "The buck stops here!"

No Dollar Left Behind! He and dead eye want to "ownership" every dollar on Earth.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

28. Jesus.

Bush, you ain't no Truman. There is no precedent for you in American history.

[Strawman]

29. Sure. He "reluctantly" seized the Iraqi oil industry

just like Truman tried to seize the steel mills. Except for the fact that Truman was genuinely reluctant.

[Crankie Avalon]

30. God I wish Truman could be brought back to life just long enough to tell the Ass-Faced Weasel off...

...in the colorful language he was known for in life.

[Stephanie]

31. History will find me to be the greatest genius of all time.

You guys just don't know it yet, but history will tell a different story. Unfortunately, we will all be dead. But your grandchildren will study the story of Stephanie, Great Genius. See how convenient that is?

[Norquist Nemesis]

32. He'll be 'vindicated' by his never-wavering base

Bush has so far thumbed his nose at the go-to guy (Baker) that might have given him some absolution from this disaster.

In 50 years, there will another 12.5 presidential terms of office still cleaning up the mess he's made. Bush deserves no "thanks".

[LynnTheDem]

33. What nation did Truman illegally invade with a war of aggression?

"bush reads extensively" rotflmao!!!

[WI_DEM]

34. No comparison, Truman was a great president and little boots is a miserable failure