All disquiet on West Wing front

[hang a left]

All disquiet on West Wing front

Aides: W must right ship

By THOMAS M. DeFRANK
and KENNETH R. BAZINET
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU


WASHINGTON - Embattled White House aides have begun to believe President Bush must take the reins personally if his evaporating agenda and credibility are to be salvaged.

"We're just plodding along," admitted a senior Bush aide from deep within the West Wing bunker. "It's up to the President to turn things around now."

Even as his poll numbers tank, however, Bush is described by aides as still determined to stay the course. He resists advice from Republicans who fear disaster in next year's congressional elections, and rejects criticism from a media establishment he disdains.

"The President has always been willing to make changes," the senior aide said, "but not because someone in this town tells him to - NEVER!"

For the moment, Bush has dismissed discreetly offered advice from friends and loyalists to fire Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and bring back longtime confidant Karen Hughes from the State Department to shore up his personal White House staff.

snip>

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/369436p-314247c.html

[Tiggeroshii]

1. Yeah, I think he may be toast in the mid terms.

Oh God, I hope...

[EFerrari]

2. They want to replace Rumsfeld with Karen Hughes.

:rofl:

[aquart]

4. read it again.

[EFerrari]

5. Thanks! For once, they're LESS crazy than I thought.

Lol!

[aquart]

21. Well, I wouldn't go that far.

[Lasher]

3. Dubya's arrogance is getting the best of him.

I figured he would be a one term president because of this factor. Too bad it didn't come much into play before November 2004.

[Eurobabe]

6. He's bottoms up anyhow

They'll get no guidance from this boozer. Suck it up!

[Journeyman]

7. I've said it from the beginning: His hubris will be his downfall. . .

Thankfully, he's too full of himself to contemplate change, so as the now-inevitable climax rushes towards him all his actions will only hasten and amplify his Gotterdammerung. It'd be a little interesting were it not that we're all stuck in the bunker with him.

[leftchick]

8. well that ain't gonna happen

when is the last time chimpy got himself out of one of his messes? Anyone? He needs poopy or babs or unka dick to bail him out.

[superconnected]

16. yep.

the only thing he knows to get out of this is 1.a terrorist attack or 2. the nazi crap of making a common enemy - attack poor ppl, blacks, gays and unwed moms to get their base supporting them again.

Now that the repugs aren't supporting him for election reasons, I think some are opening their eyes.

[flordehinojos]

9. dubya owns the diebold machines (at least he owns the souls of those who

own the diebold machines)-- he can do anything he wants to without repubs worrying about their re-election...but how shallow on their part to want to be seen as something they are not so they can be re-elected on a false image of what they are and represent--rather than for what they really are: stupid jerks who hold the same harmful principles that their dear fuhrer holds.

[Robeson]

11. My thoughts exactly. He's not worried, because he knows....

...it can always be fixed. He doesn't give a shit, or have to care what anyone thinks. He's lived a life of entitlement his whole life, and always will.

[truthisfreedom]

14. if it can be fixed, then anyone can fix it.

bush is scared. he doesn't know if the bread is going to fall butter-side up or down.

[Missy M]

10. Bush isn't capable of turning anything around on his own.....

and what an arrogant ass if he's not willing to make changes because someone advised him to. That is the behavior of a little child and it's unbelievable the president exhibits childish behavior.

[xchrom]

12. bush is a failure.

always has been always will be.

it's beyond him to actually do someting.

[truthisfreedom]

13. bush has proved all along that his forte is failure. we will watch him

struggle with his lethargic administration, stumble, falter, and then fail miserably.

he's perfect... he always does the same thing. fall down.

[conyersman]

15. Bush is a psychopath..............

HE IS A BOOZING, PSYCHOPATH!!!

[WhiteTara]

19. you left off coke snorting boozing

psychopath! Welcome to DU conyersman :hi:

[conyersman]

22. Thanks for the Welcome

Glad to be here where all the disenfranchized liberals are! I GAG on the Corporate Facism spred globally by this Junta.

[superconnected]

17. The great question... who will he blame.

He never takes responsibiltiy.

[Plaid Adder]

18. I love the smell of Republican denial in the morning.

Every time I read a piece like this it makes me smile. They're all saying, "I think W. can still pull it out if he'll just take the reins and stop fucking up and become intelligent and listen to advice and..." Basically, what they're saying is, "Yeah, I think Bush could save this presidency if he magically became a completely different person when he got up tomorrow morning."

People! Your administration is tanking BECAUSE of that asshole, not in spite of him. If he were capable of running the country or even of controlling his own staff, we all wouldn't be in this fix. Why do you keep expecting to wake up one day and find out that Bush has suddenly stripped off his suit to reveal a leotard with a big red "S" on his chest? What in this man's past would ever lead you to believe that he can do any of this stuff you're waiting for him to do?

Whatever,

The Plaid Adder

[No Exit]

20. I think my dog could become a human if he'd just learn to speak and drive

[tanyev]

23. I watched an in depth documentary about the Romanov dynasty

on the History Channel over the weekend. Hubby and I kept looking at each other as various things reminded us of our delusional, out-of-touch monarch. The one that really got me, though, was when the workers surrounded the palace to present a petition to Nicholas, demanding change. They really believed that all they needed to do was personally reach him and make him understand. They believed he cared about them and was being misled by his advisors.

Of course, the palace guard fired on the crowd, killed lots of people, and all hell broke loose. That was the beginning of the end for Nicholas.

[zann725]

55. Those who believe...are ' Waiting for Godot..'

And wait, they will. Just like a loyal dog, waiting patiently for its Master's return.

[attaturk]

24. All disquiet on West Wing front (NY Daily News)

Bush's stubborness will be the political death of him...and maybe all of us:

http://nydailynews.com/front/story/369436p-314247c.html

Even as his poll numbers tank, however, Bush is described by aides as still determined to stay the course. He resists advice from Republicans who fear disaster in next year's congressional elections, and rejects criticism from a media establishment he disdains.

"The President has always been willing to make changes," the senior aide said, "but not because someone in this town tells him to - NEVER!"

For the moment, Bush has dismissed discreetly offered advice from friends and loyalists to fire Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and bring back longtime confidant Karen Hughes from the State Department to shore up his personal White House staff.

"He thinks that would be an admission he's screwed up, and he can't bring himself to do that," a former senior staffer lamented.

He's Alice in Wonderland -- with bombs


http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/

[bettyellen]

25. kicked

[chelsea0011]

26. There is something very paranoid about anyone who can't admit mistakes

[Melsky]

43. exactly

In my own life, I think being able to admit when I am wrong and change course is when I am at my strongest.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. you flip-flopper you!

Concrete ideation can be brought on by certain drugs, like ketamine and amphetamines.

http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/62/9/985

The cognitive impaiment noted inside Crawford or the White House sure fits the description.

[DoYouEverWonder]

27. Funny, no one has seen him since his staged photo op

on Thanksgiving Day. He must be on some bender.

[UpInArms]

37. he attempting to pull off the "resident on foreign soil

and no one is supposed to criticize at that time -

it's not working

The dimson cannot reverse a Custer decision.

[hatrack]

56. Six days off for Thanksgiving

Most people get one or two days. :eyes:

[EFerrari]

28. Denying his miserable failures is his special talent. n/t

[AzDar]

29. I loathe and fear this man (Bush)...our very own Caligula. n/t

[yorkiemommie1]

53. ditto

this creature has his hand on the nukular buttons!

[BOSSHOG]

30. "He thinks that would be an admission he's screwed up"

No you fucking jerkoff, it would be a sign that you can change course when things are going wrong, that you can reach out for solutions. Everyone on both sides of the political aisle know you are a fuck up and have been all your life. For george bush to screw up is no great revelation.

[EFerrari]

31. Don't you feel sometimes like you're being held hostage

by an IDIOT?

Except, he's not really the Idiot in Chief. He's just the frontman.

THIS is the best they could do? :wtf:

/y

[CTyankee]

42. somebody said it's like

being in an abusive relationship. You feel beaten up all the time.

[Christa]

32. "The President has always been willing to make changes,"

WHEN?

[JHB]

34. Anything passed by Clinton, Dems, or liberals.

His Chimperial Majesty has ALWAYS been willing to change those.

[JHB]

33. Further proof he never could "delegate"...

...his much-vaunted talent back in 2000. "Delegating" implies you're capable of recognizing incompetence and replacing someone on those grounds. Failure to do so is as-bad or worse than the "micromanagement" it supposedly replaced.

[Thor_MN]

35. With his track record of turning everything he touches into shit,

I guess that I can see him not wanting to further intervene in anything. By "staying the course" he minimizes the possibilties of making a even bigger mess than it already is. He has to be a bit gun shy of making ANY decision due to all his failures. And he isn't smart enough to recognize that not making a decision is actually making the decision not to take action. It's a wonder that he doesn't spend his days cowering in the back of a closet, trying to decide between boxers and briefs....

[tularetom]

36. I no longer believe

that * will be led out of the White House in handcuffs. A straight jacket however is a distinct possibility. I predict a semi public hissy fit, so violent and seen by so many people that word gets into the MSM, and repubs start publicly urging * to seek professional help.

[annabanana]

38. edit for correct headline!

..or the mods will lock..

[attaturk]

44. Done

I normally post in General or the Lounge, thanks for the reminder.

[xultar]

39. If posted in LBN you must use the actual title of the article.

[indepat]

40. Does stay the course mean staying until all the oil is harvested?

[cyberpj]

49. Per new Hersh article, stay the course means religious dominance:

“The President is more determined than ever to stay the course,” the former defense official said. “He doesn't feel any pain. Bush is a believer in the adage ‘People may suffer and die, but the Church advances.’ ” He said that the President had become more detached, leaving more issues to Karl Rove and Vice-President Cheney. “They keep him in the gray world of religious idealism, where he wants to be anyway,” the former defense official said. Bush’s public appearances, for example, are generally scheduled in front of friendly audiences, most often at military bases. Four decades ago, President Lyndon Johnson, who was also confronted with an increasingly unpopular war, was limited to similar public forums. “Johnson knew he was a prisoner in the White House,” the former official said, “but Bush has no idea.”

<more>
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/051205fa_fact

[indepat]

52. Great, the 21st-century crusades have been launched as surely was

God's will. :sarcasm:

[Vinca]

41. At this point I want him to stay the course.

The dimmer half of the American people is slowly coming alive and if things don't change, lots of them will be voting for a Democrat in 2006. If we can get a majority, all things are possible.

[Tin Man]

45. W believes "his legacy will be Iraq"

It's clear to me that at this juncture, US troops are fighting and dieing in Iraq for little more than W's selfish hopes for salvaging something of a "legacy" for his presidency.

Bush is either unable or unwilling to accept that, from the very beginning, the Iraq War was based upon a flawed premise - that democracy would flourish after the fall of Saddam.

Listen up, Chimpie. It ain't working after 2.5 years, and it ain't gonna get any better as long as we remain. Military readiness, the War on Terror, and the national debt are being undermined by Iraq.

[tanyev]

46. Yeah, bring back Karen! That will fix everything.

:rofl:

[Lerkfish]

47. actually, Alice was the only sane person in wonderland, perhaps you mean

the Queen in the card deck who was always wanting to decapitate everyone..

[LisaLynne]

51. I think we, the American Public if not the entire world,

are Alice and GWB and his people make up the Queen and all the other crazy characters in Wonderland. You know ... I bet somebody could write a pretty funny satire based on that premise. :)

[progressoid]

48. Oh man, we are so screwed.

Karen Hughes is their Ace in the hole?

[Brooklyn Michael]

54. "not because someone in this town tells him to - NEVER!"

"And now I say 'Good Day to you' Sir!"

"Harrrumph!"

[cliss]

57. I know it's hard to believe, but Bush has actually

relented on some things. He has actually changed course on quite a few things. He's had some tremendous failures while in office.

It's just that the administration buries them, so it's hard to follow the end of the story. Here are a few:

1) the Social Security switcheroo. Remember when Bush said it was "90 cities in 90 days" to hammer away the privatization of SS. That issue is now R.I.P. Buried. Bush's advisors noticed that everytime Bush went out to give a speech, the public liked it less and less.

2) Harriet Miers. There was a stroke of genius. Bush quickly started bulldozing the Senate to "get her confirmed quickly". It didn't work.

3) The Iraq war. In the summer of 2003, they noticed there was an insurgency that would not go away. It got worse. In desperation, they started negotiating with Al-Sistani, even the tribal leaders. The pipelines were getting blown up all the time. They knew that the American pale faces were such an irritant to the Iraqis that it would never work. So they've known for a long time that it was a failure. They just didn't know what to do next. The compromise: have Iraqis "police" themselves, always a surrogate to the US masters.

The thing is, Bush's PR people WANT us to believe Bush is a hard-ass, never relents, always bulldozes across people and gets his way 100% of the time. After all, guess who coined the phrase, "You can't fight City Hall." = City Hall. They want him to be hard-boiled. But he's had tons of losses.

[RazzleDazzle]

58. Well, only fitting, I guess

As I hear about this denouement phase of Bush's 2nd term, even tho there are so many years left, like others I am unavoidably reminded of Hitler's final days in his bunker. As I recall, I think Hitler was depressed, obviously mad or manical, tempermental and would fly into rages, lashing out at people, etc. We've compared Georgie to Hitler in other ways, why not this one as well, these final days? The two also share a war going very badly and perhaps an Army getting destroyed by being spread too thin, etc.

[willing dwarf]

59. Take the reins in hand and drive the oxen deeper into the ditch.

[yellowcanine]

60. "Bush take the reins personally?" Only if we want a total fuck up. These

guys are clueless. And what they are saying in the article is that Bush is too damn arrogant to make changes because that would mean admitting that some of his critics are right. Shit what a mess we are in.

[BlueManDude]

61. Sounds like the aides are in more denial than Shrub is

they want him to take MORE control? he is not capable of righting the ship.

[Hamlette]

62. he thinks the confirmation hearings will draw attention away from it all?

Who the hell pays attention to SCOUS confirmation hearings? Not the public to be sure. Which makes me wonder if we should not let it become front page news. Maybe the dems should just say "he's a right wing nut case but the prez wants him and we can't do anything to stop it. Oh, and have you noticed how much money we are spending in Iraqmire?"