More than one year has passed since President Bush was reelected by a majority of the American voters. Yet, his administration must not be aware that per the 22nd Amendment, he is no longer up for reelection. The time to exclusively focus on governing has long since passed, yet this White House continues to operate in full-time campaign mode, more concerned with its perception than competently managing the executive branch of the federal government. Whether it was a failed barnstorm campaign to “reform” Social Security or a maliciously conceived plan to discredit certain credible individuals that have publicly denounced its foreign policy fantasies, the goal is always to increase the conservative base and prepare for the next election. Stray off the message and beware the wrath of Karl Rove.
So there was Dick Cheney the other night doing what Dick Cheney does best – conflating dissent of the Iraq War with being unpatriotic while speaking to a “conservative policy group.” The students all gathered to get a lesson in perfected Machiavellian leadership from their Dean and faculty head.
The President, the Vice President and the usual cast of characters continue to perpetuate the ludicrous notion that if a legistor voted for the Congressional resolution authorizing military action in Iraq three years ago, said legislator is permanently barred from criticizing the Administration’s management of said war – what an invalid and immature premise. This is our self proclaimed “war President” basically saying to the Democrats, “We know we’re not doing what we said we would, but you should have known better than to trust us to pull it off.”
Lest we forget, the Democrats do not control the White House, nor can they select the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Adviser and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. To say the Democrats are equally responsible for the loss of life and inaccuracy of American intelligence is an outrageous lie. The Democrats may not be the sharpest tools in the shed, but it wasn’t their idea to fire the truthtellers and reward the fantasy-based community.
Of course, this also disregards the practical background of the aforementioned Congressional resolution that authorized the President to go to war. The whole timing and schedule was so obviously politically timed, coming just weeks before the midterm elections of 2002. There was a rush to debate it, vote on it and smear those that dared to question the President’s actions or intentions. Remember, this is a president that repeatedly claims that he “doesn’t listen to the polls” and just does what he thinks is right. It doesn’t matter if no one else agrees with him, stubborness and ideology will trump facts and reality every time.
The appropriate time to smear political opponents ended last year for the incompetent executive branch. The American people entrusted the Republicans with its leadership for three more years and deserve to be governed, not spun. We don’t care which party figures out the right answers, as long as we get them.
