Watching George Bush deliver his final SOTU, I was strongly reminded of last week's Newsweek.
The cover was headlined 'The Party's Over,' with the subhead: "A Dispirited GOP Struggles To Find Its Post-Bush Path." In the photo, Bush retreats into the bowels of the White House, as if his last act.
What I found more interesting, however, was the image above, leading off Evan Thomas' article, "In The Shadow of Bush." According to the caption, the picture was taken in August 2001, after the Oval Office was emptied to refinish the floor.
After watching the SOTU, with all the references to promises unfilled, and explanations of actions that have left America in the most dire straits, I have to ask: What shadow is Newsweek talking about?
The way this image is used in the magazine, it has no editorial value of its own. It is simply there to signify Bush will soon be moving out. That's a real shame, however, because the picture is commentary. It speaks to the question: What shadow does Bush himself leave, beyond the horrific shadow of his actions?
The way you could feel Junior's speech in that Congressional chamber as pure exercise, as more reading practice, as just prelude to a prolonged autograph session, this photo answers that question better than any words.
Also inside that Newsweek issue is Jacob Weisberg's book excerpt assigning stages to the Bush presidency, each with a mindful intent. My take is, beware the intellectual tendency to better explain how a president could govern by winging it, employing a brain trust (if you can call it that) to invent immediate rationalizations after the fact.
That the Oval Office was temporarily cleared in '01 is the excuse for the picture. All the trust that this space would be filled in the meantime is simple excuse for the man.
For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.
(image: Tina Hager / The White House-Getty Images. via newsweek.com)
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That's a stretch.
Obama/Edwards 08! Si si pueda! No, we can!
Hmmm I can see the real estate ad now:
Historic 3 story estate on large property conveniently located, semi furnished, security system, crown moldings and wood parquet floors available Jan. 2009 but maybe sooner.
Maybe the photograph depicts the Oval Office as Obama will find it when he first arrives for work. The country has definitely been burglarized by the previous tenant.
You are the second blogger I've seen in the last two months to call Bush "Junior." That name was everywhere until 9/11, and now that it's back in vogue I say it fits even better than it did in 2000.
"Junior." Say it early, say it often.
August 2001 -- what a great time to have been on the job! George Tenet's hair on fire, Bin Laden Determined To Strike in US, yeah, yeah, gotcha, gotcha... The empty suit in the empty office. The resident was out.
It seems people are always talking as though President Bush acted in a vacuum. He had the total support of the Republican party. He never even vetoed a bill until the Democrats had the congress. While many of us live in our blue bubbles of progressiveism, remember he became president twice. Sure we can squabble about that, but a great many people in the USA supported him. I still don't understand why he and many in his administration aren't on trial for treason.
Vampires don't cast a shadow!
Bush has cast a shadow of the entire country ... nay, over the entire WORLD!
It will be to our great shame, as a nation, if he is allowed to leave office of his own volition.
:
He will leave the same 'shadow' left by a fire or flood.
Damage and destruction -- for someone else to clean up.
Mommy Barbara never made him pick up after himself. Or he couldn't.
:
Worst. President. Ever.
And that has taken some real reverse Midas touch to achieve. US Grant and Herbert Hoover, two other Republican contenders for worst president ever, are not even in the running when you consider that buffoon Bush. He will be laughed at long after he leaves office as a fool pretending at wisdom.
I don't hate the guy, I just feel sorry for what his incompetence has done to the country.
Half of the current Newsweek issue is devoted to celebrities, Hollywood and consumer toys. It is a cross between People and a pharmaceutical catalogue. What is presented as news is more like product placement in a movie.
Why are most of the news ads for boner pills?
Reading the article one almost got the feeling the Newsweek wanted to give the impression that Shrub was leaving a big shadow to cover as though he was a giant among presidents rather than the pissant he really is.
The shadow of an ant is about all Shrub will leave.
The haters can say what they want about our President, but I'm with the ever hopeful Senator Obama.
In the last 10 or 15 years, the Republicans have been the party with all the big ideas. True, the economy is in shambles. True, a million people have been murdered and scores more have been physically and emotionally wounded, but nobody's perfect.
Barack Obama is right. We need to come together and end the bitterness and division. Well, there's no time like the fierce urgency of NOW. Why wait a year? Instead of running President Bush down, we need to embrace his brilliant Republican ideas.
The entire event was a farce. What a waste of money. How on earth did these clowns get elected?
Oh, I forgot, they didn't.
When Bush speaks on his record it leaves the realm of spin and enters that of propaganda. He is a disaster!
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Posted January 29, 2008 | 03:53 AM (EST)