913brew

Spinning
September 13, 2001
The Daily Brew

Just yesterday I pledged my "complete and unwavering support" for President Bush as he deals with this, the most serious attack on America in my lifetime. I felt this was my patriotic duty, and whatever my misgivings about the man, I was determined to rise to the occasion for my country. It took less than a day for the squatter to again bitterly disappoint me. Within hours of the attack, the Bush administration has proven again that it is either incapable of telling the truth, or that Bush is simply not in command.

This morning's New York Times reports that Bush was "stung" by suggestions that he had hurt himself politically by delaying his return to Washington on Tuesday. Instead, Ari Fleischer suggested that Bush had done so because of "hard evidence" that Bush was a target of the terrorists. The Times quotes Fleischer as saying there was "real and credible information" that the White House, not the Pentagon, had been the original target of American Airlines Flight 77, which was hijacked about 45 minutes after leaving Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

Hold on a second. At the moment that Fleisher made this stunning assertion, the identity of the terrorists was unknown. Indeed, their identities are still unknown. The only "real and credible" information about them is that they are dead. How could Ari possibly expect us to believe that he had "real and credible" information about the aborted plans of unidentified dead terrorists? It is preposterous on its face.

The Times goes on to quote Karl Rove in an interview this morning that Bush had twice on Tuesday - in the morning and in the early afternoon - argued strenuously that he should return immediately to the capital. Rove reported that the Secret Service insisted that the situation here was "too dangerous, too unstable" for the president to come to Washington.

Before I go any further, I should say I wouldn't blame Bush for not returning to Washington. In fact, I think we would be alot better off if he had never come here in the first place. But given Rove's explanation, there are only two possiblilities, and I cannot decide which is worse.

On the one hand, Rove could be lying, trying to protect his boss from the perception that at the moment of the crisis, Smirk turned his tail and ran. That, of course, would be entirely consistant with his history of first avoiding the Vietnam War by using his political connections to join the Texas Air National Guard, and then deserting his unit while his Nation was at war. So it makes sense for Rove to lie about it.

The second possibility is that Rove is telling the truth, in which case Bush "argued strenuously" that he should return to Washington, but was apparently overruled. I can only wonder, overruled by whom?

If Bush really wanted to return to Washington, all he needed to do was give the order. He didn't need to "argue strenuously" with anyone. He is the Commander in Chief, isn't he?

So we can only conclude that Bush stayed clear of the trouble but then lied about it, or that he is really wanted to return to Washington, but someone else in the administration is really calling the shots.

Karen Hughes perhaps?

September 12, 2001
The Daily Brew

"President Bush."

Words I thought would never pass my lips.

I can neither forget nor can I forgive the means by which George W. Bush seized the Presidency. Nor am I inclined to ignore the enormous damage he has inflicted upon our country beginning from the day he took the oath of his office. Yet yesterday's tragic attack on the United States forces me to put all of that aside.

George W. Bush's presidency is now destined to be a test of whether he is up to the challenge of making America safe in a world where suicidal terrorists hijack airplanes to slaughter civilians. To succeed, he will need the support of our Congress, our military, and our Allies. He will also need the support of all Americans.

So for the sake of my family, my friends, and my country, henceforth, President Bush will have my complete and unwavering support. For better or for worse, from this day forward, George W. Bush is my President.

To succeed, President Bush must finally begin to deliver on his promise to be a President for all Americans. He can no longer fail miserably, and at times seemingly deliberately, in putting the Nation's interests ahead of the narrow political calculations of Karl Rove and Karen Hughes. George W. Bush must rise to the occasion. I can only hope that the President Bush's right wing base will do likewise.

I can only hope that the right wing will allow President Bush to give up on their fantasy of building a missile defense system that won't work for a risk that doesn't exist. As yesterday's events proved, we will need to devote considerable resources immediately towards real risks that need to be addressed in real time.

I can only hope that the right wing will give up on their megalomaniacal conviction that the United States can impose our will on our Allies without losing them as friends. It is apparent that America can only be strong with trusted partners throughout the globe, and America may need to be stronger now than she has ever been before.

I can only hope that the right wing will allow President Bush to abandon their plans to have their narrow religious convictions codified as our Nation's laws. As yesterday's events proved, religious intolerance only divides people with hatred, and leads quickly to death and destruction. In the days ahead, America will likely be called upon to be united as it has never been before.

Finally, I can only hope that the right wing will allow President Bush to put the interests of ordinary Americans ahead of the interests of billionaires and global corporations. The American people need to know that the sacrifices they will be asked to make in the coming days will provide a safer, better world for their children, and not merely for oil, banking and tobacco companies.

President Bush, your political base may never forgive you for putting America's interests ahead of their narrow agenda.
They certainly did not forgive your father.
To save the country, you may have to lose the next election.
I wish you God speed.
_________________________________________________________

If you would like, you should feel free to pass this edition of The Daily Brew along to your friends.
If you would like to recieve The Daily Brew regularly, sign up for a free lifetime subscription at
www.thedailybrew.com