He had that chance on Septmeber 12, 2001. And he blew it.

Yes, it would be nice for some semblence of Bush’s humanity to manifest itself. It could even result in some long overdue soul-searching and cooperation that would be genuinely beneficial to our government, and to our nation at large. It might even salvage his name for posterity.

But this is George W. Bush we’re talking about. I’d sooner expect pigs to fly.

LB

You’re referring to a man who spent his entire adult life on a coke-and-booze induced bender until he found Teh Lord.

You are talking about a man who laughingly mocked a woman on Death Row.

You are talking about a man who refuses to see that lying to wage a war of preemption is a bad idea.

He has had six years to display any of the good characteristics you attribute to him. He has failed to do so, and in spectacular fashion.

And he still rules the most powerful country on earth, even if he now faces a hostile congress.

Expect old habits to die hard with the spoiled fratboy.

I have read much of what is available re: Rummy. He along with Chaney have been the Princes of inflexability that have kept this mess afloat since it became obvious to the more practical leadership of both parties that they R and C were being quite limiting by their very inability to admit any error.

The Rummy/Chaney dynamic is now broken. Chaney may now conveniently have a coronary event that allows him to slip away into medical retirement and from the comeuppance that he richly deserves.

I am a very forgiving adversary. I must however in this case withhold any appreciation toward Rumsfeld because he had to have his ass handed to him by the voters. Chaney will never be able to say “Hold, enough . . .” and drop his sword arm. He will have to be grilled in Congress, maybe twice, before he pulls the heart dodge.

The ultimate good that may come of this is that W, now free from the headlock by the above mentioned duo, will act on his own over the next two years to make some amends. I have read a good deal of what is available re: George Walker Bush. He is a bumbler and a good-ol’-donkey-git-along-boy, but he has been out of character since he handed himself over to the Neos. He may yet display some of the better heart that is in him. He has two years. He owes as much to his dad, who has been in great pain over the mess that has been created in his son’s name.

So. I am going to call this a defeat for the Neos. They deserved it. Now W must rise above the smoking ruins and be really presidential. He owes it to himself.

Lantern Bearer
__________________
Today in Iraq
Please, be attentive, be intelligent, be reasonable, be responsible.

You have no business to believe me.
I ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself. . .
If you have not a critical mind, your visit here is useless.

Oliver has linked to some of it at Hewitt’s cesspool. Last night I heard a local right wing radio host, a self-described “indpendent thinking Reagan republican,” haul off on Bush, the neo-cons, Rove and the entirety of the Republican leadership for betraying true conservativism. This is a guy who has backed Bush on everything on down the line for six years with the occassional whine about lax immigration enforcement.

It was priceless.