The sinking ship
When George Will writes something like this about Bush administration's alibis for its incompetence in foreign policy, war, etc., you really wonder if somebody ought to set up a paper bag concesssion for those people heading to Big Joe's house for the Bush appearance for an A$a fund-raiser:
This farrago of caricature and non sequitur makes the administration seem eager to repel all but the delusional. But perhaps such rhetoric reflects the intellectual contortions required to sustain the illusion that the war in Iraq is central to the war on terrorism, and that the war, unlike "the law enforcement approach," does "work."
But, has anybody asked Mike Beebe lately about the president? Despite Bush's 37 percent approval rating in Arkansas (according to last Survey USA sampling in July, before things started getting worse) Beebe undoubtedly would find kind words for both John Kerry and Bush not "mutually exclusive." If you suspect that I don't find his clarification yesterday of his intelligent design pander sufficient, you are correct.
I am happy to be in London Heathrow, safely through security, with a sudoku book (rules loosened early this morning on carry-ons, though not much) and I'm awaiting a plane that is supposed to start on time for the U.S. There's much to catch up on.



Comments
So, what we have here is a rat with an impressive vocabulary seeming to leap from a sinking ship. But not really. George Will's had these little hissy fits before, but he's a loyal Nazi in the end.
Hope this finds you having a smooth ride over the pond, Mister Max.
Posted by: Clay, NLR | August 15, 2006 05:41 AM
Apparently Bush will go anywhere for a photo op these days. Bush has got to take what he can get for good public relations photo opportunities are fading as fast as his poll numbers and Saddam's WMD. If I were a respectable republican (?) the last thing I would want is to be seen saddling beside the likes of a "BushHitlerLite" arrogance.
Well time has a way of changing things for only yesterday the last thing Bush would have wanted is be to seen co zing up with the likes of Asa that could only conger up memories of failed Homeland Security initiatives.
But what's a failed president to do certainly not giving another unsolicited back massage to some unsuspecting female especially a foreign chancellor?
Posted by: BWC | August 15, 2006 06:48 AM
George Will is one of those draft dodging - family deserting chickenhawks who knows a little about baseball and practically nothing about what commitment means.
Posted by: Cato | August 15, 2006 08:35 AM
So, what we have here is a rat with an impressive vocabulary seeming to leap from a sinking ship.
Posted by: Clay, NLR
I was thinking the same thing. The poor guy apparently swallowed a thesaurus. Perhaps next time George Will is quoted, a link can also be provided to one of those on-line translators.
Glad Max gets to take a book on-board the plane. Small things matter.
Posted by: Spirit | August 15, 2006 08:39 AM
While you're there, ask a few of those English MDs about their take on suduko--surely you've seen the reports. It seems that they spend more time reading their books on suduko than working because the gov. says they're too efficient and to slow down. Too many patients having their operations too fast (within six months after being scheduled). Ain't socialized medicine wonderful? Let's get some more of that here.
Posted by: Bring it home Max | August 15, 2006 08:44 AM
Off-topic a bit, but this is still about perceived incompetence and having untrained troops. Tell me if this doesn't sound like Rummy's famous quote, "You go to war with what you have."
Here's Israeli's Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, the head of the military's logistics branch, on soldiers' complaints that they didn't have enough to eat during the Lebanon campaign: "If our fighters deep in Lebanese territory are left without food or water, I believe they can break into local Lebanese stores to solve that problem."
Posted by: Quapaw | August 15, 2006 10:23 AM
"If our fighters deep in Lebanese territory are left without food or water, I believe they can break into local Lebanese stores to solve that problem."
Posted by: Quapaw
I guess most armies have been guilty of that...living off the land. That's the trouble with war. The rules of civility are the first casualty.
Posted by: Spirit | August 15, 2006 11:11 AM
On Topic,
"The law enforcment approach" was the only thing that was ever going to work on Terrorism. Except for going after Bin ladin and firing a few cruise missles or special ops against terrorist camps, using force to change the political map of the middle east was always a fools justified at the highest levels by Haliburton and Enron.
The only real question for Americans is why they were so easily fooled. The only question for Democrats is why they went along and maybe why they continue to justify this civil war. This doesn't get better by staying. Sure, now that we have created this mess we have to stay engaged enough to try to stop a real blood bath but, as Biden said months ago, lets separate these factions and get over the horizon to Kurdistan and Shiastan where the oil is, and forget it.
To keep up this idiotic discussion only leaves open the opportunity for the idiots on both sides, W and Iran, to start a large war. Democrats need to get together on this. If Hillary doesn't want to lead she can sit back with Lieberman.
Posted by: The facts are in | August 15, 2006 11:54 AM
fools game
and Exxon
Do the Democrats belong to them too?
Posted by: Correction | August 15, 2006 12:36 PM
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
Looks like a free fall at 10,000 feet!
Come on you BLIND CHICKENHAWK BUSH followers.
"The Emperor has no clothes".
Posted by: Riverdog | August 15, 2006 01:19 PM
It just occurred to me.....maybe Cheney and Bush are coming to Arkansas to get their picture taken with Asa in an effort to improve their poll numbers.
Heck, a squirrelly as Asa is, he's more popular in Arkansas than Bush or Cheney. Asa may actually be doing them a favor standing next to them.
The pictures I've seen in the past of Cheney and Asa standing together caused me to think of my childhood with my Mom's poor relatives. When no grownup was around, I used to hold my nose and look down the hole in the out house. All I see was a bunch of turds next to each other and lots of flies of course.
I'm sure I'll think of that old out house again when I see the pictures of Asa and Bush together at Joe Klein's house. They'll probably keep the flies at Joe's house down to a minimum, but all the turds will be there.
Posted by: Deathbyinches | August 15, 2006 09:38 PM