Bush's Magical Mystery Tour
To the bitter end, George W. Bush is proving to anybody willing to listen that he is not only the worst president in United States history but also just a horrible human being. Only a thoroughly rotten person would hand over the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department to a racist like Bradley Schlozman. Schlozman labeled anybody to the left of Joseph Lieberman a "pinko" or a "communist," and he is emblematic of the kind of extremist right-wing douche bags Bush appointed throughout the federal agencies and departments, and even to the courts.
It turns out that right-wing ideologues make terrible administrators -- Who would have known?
Under Bush, extremists who are filled with nothing but hatred and contempt for the role of government in society came to run the government. Cronies, incompetents, nincompoops, hypocrites, profiteers, lobbyists, liars, and criminals of all stripes comprised the "Bush Administration." Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Victoria Clarke, Alberto Gonzales, Michael Mukasey, Brownie, Rummy, Condi and Dick. Right-wing nutbags all. Steven Griles and Dirk Kempthorne were Jack Abramoff's men at the Interior Department; Elaine Chao was the worst Secretary of Labor in American history; Margaret Spellings, the clueless Texan privatizer who doled out lucrative contracts to Republican donor companies that run educational testing services, the worst education secretary ever: "No Republican Donor Left Behind." Harvey Pitt and Chris Cox at the Securities and Exchange Commission enabled the biggest frauds ever committed in the expansive history of Wall Street frauds -- I'd like to shove about $62 trillion worth of credit default swaps right up their asses. Stephen Johnson, the puppet of the nation's biggest polluters, ran the Environmental Protection Agency. And on and on and on. The lowliest gangster or card sharp is morally far superior to any of these jackals. And guess where they're all heading off to? To become highly paid corporate lobbyists and shills, that's where!
In not one "exit interview" Bush has given recently did any "journalist" ask him: Why did you appoint people to key government agencies and departments who do not believe in the missions of those agencies and departments?
No "reporter" in any exit interview asked Bush: Why did you allow your 2004 campaign to Swift Boat and smear John Kerry's sterling military service record?
Not one of them asked: Why did you say "bring 'em on" when the Iraqi insurgency began? Didn't you understand that more American service personnel might die because of such a taunt?
Not one interviewer asked: Why did you have to cling to Dick Cheney by your side and not allow transcripts or recordings of your testimony before the milquetoast 9-11 Commission? Why all the secrecy? Why the subterfuge and lies and misinformation about 9-11 if everything was on the up-and-up?
No interviewer asked: Why did you allow Jeff Gannon to pose as a White House correspondent? And produce fake video news releases? And paid Armstrong Williams to shill for you? Why did you send "message force multipliers" out on the public airwaves to sell the Iraq war?
No one asked: Why didn't you go to the FISA court, a secret court that almost never denies presidential requests for warrants, to obtain authorization for your NSA surveillance program? In 2004 was Karl Rove using the NSA to spy on the Kerry campaign?
The public will not get the repudiation of Bush it longs for. Sure, the Republicans were pummeled in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Big deal. So what? Elections are supposed to be "normal" in a democracy. Hell, the Republicans also got pummeled in 1974 and 1976 but they came roaring back in 1980.
No. Elections are not nearly satisfying enough. We need some prosecutions. Some people need to go to jail. Whenever I see Ari Fleischer, Karl Rove, Torie Clark, or Karen Hughes on TV it feels like a dagger piercing through my heart tearing at the essence of what it means to live in a democracy where the rule of law means something.
I guess being Bush (or one of his cronies) means never having to say you're sorry.
He should pay us all reparations for the misery he put us through these past eight years.
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Brilliant post. The cavalcade of crimes is so vast and long, it's hard to remember it all and keep all the players straight. Journalism in main stream media is dead. The blogosphere is the new Fourth Estate. I am looking forward to seeing the Bush Lunacy (not Legacy) Tour go off to Fantasyland where it belongs. The disconnect is astounding.
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We can now finally count down the last piece of Bush's miserable rule in HOURS! Hooray!
Now there's some red meat I can really savor ! Thanks, Joe. I have never enjoyed an article so much. And every word was spot on.
Great post. I agree, why not ask him about all the secrecy and the $700 BILLION dollar bail out?
WHY NOT REALLY ASK HIM About KATRINA AND THE REAL NUMBERS AND WHY IT TOOK SO LONG?
Joe, great post... but you forgot to mention that besides being the worst president of the US ever, and a rotten human being, etc, that he is also a miserable story teller... as in trying to gloss over all his failures by insisting they weren't failures, and giving the $tupid explanations for why he didn't set Air Force one down in Louisianna after Katrina happened. It's unbelievable, demonstrating how very desparate he is to justify what he did. Nothing that happened was ever his fault... but then GWB was never held accountable for anything he ever did in his entire life, I guess it would be too much to ask that he start now.
The MSM was lacking in backbone in the aftermath of 9-11 and it will be their responsibility to start beating back the Republicans who try to make this as an Obama created mess -- as they are already doing on Faux News -- as for criminal prosecution -- not to any military or foreign service (CIA) officer or agent but I do believe the President, Vice President, Sec./Defen
You Go Joe!
I completely agree that indictments need to be brought against many in and associated with this administration. Many are war criminals and profiteers who have hidden their whole lives behind the word Christianity(I say word because it's evident, they have no faith)I wonder just how the hell they sleep at night. But sleep they do, and so do I....now. I've finally come to realize and accept that no one other than we the American people as well as other citizens of the world will pay for Junior's presidency. An over indulged 13 year old 'flake'. Thankfully no one is eager for his memoir and hopefully his library will have to be attached to some fundamentalist theme park due to lack of donations.
I believe in Obama....I think most reasonable people understand that no one can undue all Junior has done, but Barack is gonna make one hell of a dent!
while many may try to spin their image here in the us with the help of the republican fantasizers, they better not plan on leaving the confines of this country as they are going to be tried for war crimes. how sad! no more trips even to the bahamas!
A friend of mine is going to a "Have a beer with George" party at a bar where patrons are encouraged to bring their throwing shoes to say an appropriate good-bye to his good-bye speech. Not nearly enough, but it's a start. I will look forward to the perp walks on TV if justice still means anything in America.
Well said, sir!
"Cronies, incompetents, nincompoops, hypocrites, profiteers, lobbyists, liars, and criminals of all stripes . . ." sounds like the cast of characters Harvey Korman wanted for his army in "Blazing Saddles!"
LMAO !!
We all know Bush is gonna get away with it, prosecution is off the table. We can thank the weak-kneed, spineless, conniving, selfish Democrats for not even admonishing this man.
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Joseph,
Brilliant post. Especially in light of the torture tactics employed by Bush & Co. I'm excerpting a piece I wrote regarding this, but I think it also applies by extension to what you've written.
" . . . Kermit Roosevelt of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law . . . opines that perhaps, for the sake of "healing the country and moving forward," a blanket pardon of the possibly thousands of actors involved [in torture] "followed by something like a truth and reconciliation commission . . . might not be such a bad outcome."
. . . I have a very different definition of "healing the country." It seems to me that, not content simply to continue the more than 100 year tradition of undermining democracies all over the world, the United States has now set its sights on itself, subverting and auto-cannibalizing its own democratic principles to the point of burlesque.
The decision is this: To prosecute such heinous acts and uphold our democratic principles (and thereby truly take our medicine), or . . . [treat] the rule of law like an "etch-a-sketch" and simply turn it on its head and shake it till there's nothing left but the semblance of a blank slate.
. . . [U]nless and until the United States takes judicial measures against such actions, the tactics employed by the Bush administration -- actions that literally subvert our own democracy and international law -- will continue to be the American modus operandi for
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years to come and worsen our already disgraced position both at home and abroad.
Bush was born and bred to cronyism. Bush's term has been an unmitigated success for his core constituency. Follow the money.
He has also not brought up as a mistake his Axis of Evil speech which has moved the nuclear second hand closer to 12 and could still be the statement that started the next nuclear exchange.
Bush thinks history won't make a judgement till he is dead and gone, he won't be so lucky. Certainly the 2000 election will be revisited and he may not get the label as worst, it might be illegitimate.
Now watch the press finally grow some under the Obama administration. Sorry, but they'll be picking on the wrong guy. Their standing up and demanding accountability now is just grandstanding. I will forever remember how our press and MSM utterly failed the American people in regard to them rolling over and baring their throats to the Bush administration.
It will not take any courage to attack the Obama administration, because the paymasters will be in support, and the invitations to upscale parties will continue to arrive.
Joey; I posted this comment a few days ago relating to Bush's press conference and thought I'd repeat
it here.
Suggestions regarding the "Bush Legacy"; 1) Henceforth the phrase, "His name is Mudd" should be replaced by "His name is Bush". 2) Should any building be named in his honor let it be a rest stop on the N.J. Turnpike. My apologies to New Jersey. (The sewage treatment plant idea is also a good one) http://www
See Joseph A. Palermo's Profile
Great Johnie, What is left to say about this sorry specimen? It might have ruined the nation for decades -- it seems like immature frat boys ran the country for 8 years and had a giant party at our expense -- it looks like the adults might be back in power now, I hope.
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