George Dubya Bush's feverish
last minute attempt to rewrite his
Presidential history is falling flat on it's face.
He has resorted to writing notes for cabinet members lest they
forget what a fine fellow he is. According to the LA Times today "a
two-page memo...sent to Cabinet members and other high-ranking
official's offers a guide for discussing Bush's eight-year tenure
during their public speeches." This follows the White House's near
rabid response to Sunday's New York Times fine and fair article
"Bush: The deluder in chief." Links to both appear at the end of
this article.(1, 2)
GWB need not worry, he will be indeed be remembered for many things;
not least as one of the - if not the - worst president America has ever
had. His December 1 2008 interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson
(3) was a lesson on how Bush truly believes that, through
continued bullying arrogance and bluff, he will be fondly thought of
as a great man. In case he missed the New York Times review of said
interview, let me sum up in two words how well he will be remembered
as, among other delusions, a "comforter in chief." He won't.
During the Gibson interview Bush attempted to brush off the Iraqi
war as the result of faulty intelligence, an opinion parroted by his
diplomatic haus-frau Condoleezza Rice during a Sunday news
interview. Rice has not yet realized that her appointment as
Secretary of State was somewhat of an inside joke among the
Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Rove set. She was very much the spare wheel and
was treated as such from the beginning of her tenure. She did have
one defining common feature with Bush; arrogance. She lacked street
smarts however and that accounts for not realizing that resigning
some time ago would have been an appropriate and credible move on
her part.
The often whispered about reality was that sending a woman of color
to deal with Muslim politicians in the Middle East and around the
world was a chuckle enjoyed many times on Pennsylvania Avenue and
the Muslim countries that she so often visited. The leaders she
shook hands with took no more notice of her had they been visited by
Roger Clinton. In fact had Roger been sent in her stead he would
have been in better standing being a man in countries where women
are regarded as property, unworthy of recognition. Need proof? Name
one issue of value that Rice accomplished negotiating with a Muslim
country under her watch. She continues to believe, according to
media accounts, that she can hammer together a Middle East peace
deal. The can't. She never could.
Rice's ineptitude was underscored - pun intended - when, as the
highest ranking American diplomat, she breached protocol and played
the piano for Britain's' Queen ERII.
Is this what Secretaries of State do now? Is entertaining heads of
state a part of their portfolio? Will Hillary be expected to dance perhaps? I don't recollect Kissinger,
Baker, Schultz or Albright doing so. Rice's ivory tinkling is a mis-step
that will go down in the diplomatic text books under "F-Major" as in
"major faux pas."
As history is written Rice will be cast in a similar mold as Bush,
as his faithful - if impotent - hand servant; his world traveled attention
diverter, who, when the chips were down, was pushed aside and a man was sent to
seal the deal. Cheney in Georgia for example. And to think she expected that she would be selected as a Vice
Presidential candidate. Talk about delusion; she makes Sarah Palin
look like Margaret Thatcher.
A special footnote in the Bush history belongs to the forgettable
First Lady, Laura Bush. Mrs. Bush did absolutely nothing of public
note in eight years in her role. Under the not-too-silent Republican
understanding that "women should be seen and not heard," Mrs. Bush
performed admirably.
She never rocked the boat or got
involved in anything controversial. Women's issue - nary a mention.
Equality - didn't warrant discussion. Causes for the underserved or
underprivileged - who needed the aggravation? She sat in her make-up
encrusted face and dapper cloned pant-suits and attended as Georgie
did his 'men's' business. Opportunities unforgivably missed; duty
served. Echoes of the 1950's.
Bushes memo's, interviews and rejected published deals (no publisher
wants to publishes his 'memoirs')4 - should be seen for
what they are; a poor attempt by an arrogant, dry-drunk, sociopath
to rewrite history. Bush will enjoy no such luxury however as his
record is carved on the gravestones of the soldiers and civilians -
friend and foe - whom he is responsible for killing. Over a million
by the last count.
He will be remembered by the millions of investors, homeowners and
retirees who lost their shirts in a market collapse, the impending
warnings of which he blatantly ignored. He did this while bailing
out his own banking friends, no questions asked.
He will be remembered as the least transparent presidency who
attempted to change our constitution in a foolhardy attempt to
combat the all inclusive 'terrorism' threat. In doing so he created
a new brand of near-fascist terrorism of his own at home and abroad
which included a reduction in our freedoms; torture advocacy;
imprisonment contrary to the Geneva Convention; illegal wire-taps
and surveillance, among others.
While we in America were afraid to point out that the President had
no clothes (we were in danger of being labeled 'unpatriotic'), the
rest of the world noticed and our standing in the world is at an all
time low.
Cheney? There is a special place in hell reserved for the 'evil
one.' Enough said.
January 20th can't come soon enough. It will amaze the
aforementioned politicians how vulnerable they will feel when the
cloaks of power are gently removed from their shoulders and they
walk amongst humanity once again.
1 NY Times: The Deluder in Chief
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/07/opinion/edeluder.php
2 For Bush's staff, upbeat talking points on his
tenure
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-bush9-2008dec09,0,4145069.story
3 ABC News' Charles Gibson interview with Bush
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Politics/story?id=6354012
4 Bush memoirs? Publishers are underwhelmed
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008360756_webbushmemoirs.html