Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Bush Presidency - Cracks in the Armor
Thank you, Stephen Colbert * How many more Nathaniel DeTample ?
What a difference ! Remember Bush and the Republicans after the second inaugural ? They were the new centurions. Arrogant, invincible. They claimed they had a mandate. It felt as if they had. Things look different now. Applause for Stephen Colbert who exposed the president and his warts in public at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner on April 29th. Dan Froomkin in the Post: "Colbert was merciless, reserving his most potent zingers for the people in spitting distance: The president who took the nation to war on false pretenses and the press corps that let him do it."
- The boozy bonhomie of the annual event is intended to serve as a balm for the often tense relationship between the White House and the reporters who cover it.
- Bush largely delivered on his side of the bargain. Colbert delivered something else entirely.
- Wow. Wow, what an honor. The White House correspondents' dinner. To actually sit here, at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush, to be this close to the man. I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You know what? I'm a pretty sound sleeper -- that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face. Is he really not here tonight? Dammit. The one guy who could have helped.
- Now, I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in "reality." And reality has a well-known liberal bias.
- So, Mr. President, please, pay no attention to the people that say the glass is half full. 32% means the glass -- it's important to set up your jokes properly, sir. Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash. Okay, look, folks, my point is that I don't believe this is a low point in this presidency. I believe it is just a lull before a comeback.
- I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound -- with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.
"Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind."
---Bob Dylan
On August 13, 2005, I wrote about a 19-year old soldier, Nathaniel DeTample who died in Iraq on August 9th of that year. Since then 31 soldiers under the age of 20 have lost their lives in Iraq. Think about them. The total now is 2406; think about all of them and ask what did they die for.
