David Corn: President Bush: The Clockwatcher-in-Chief?

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/davidcorn/2008/08/president-bush-the-clockwatche.html

President Bush: The Clockwatcher-in-Chief?

By David Corn | August 11, 2008 8:57 AM


I'm still on vacation--lucky me--but I've managed to watch a bit of the Olympics. The opening ceremony was rather impressive. Talk about organization and competence: two thousand and eight Tae Kwan Doe practitioners forming a perfect circle and maintaining it through a series of elaborate moves.

That was some counterpoint to George W. Bush. Later that night, during the parade of nations, he was practically slumped in his seat, toting a small American flag--was it made in China?--with a bored expression on his face. Prior to the games, there was a debate over whether he should attend and further legitimize the repressive Chinese regime. But as he sat there, that debate no longer seemed so relevant, for he looked irrelevant. There was no one next to him but his wife. And the question was, didn't he have anything better to do with his time? The apparent answer: no.

War was breaking out between Russia and Georgia. The economy in the United States was continuing a downward slide. Negotiations between Washington and Iraq over an agreement governing U.S. troops had seemingly failed. And his presidency was running out of time. Yet he seemed like not such a busy guy. He even stayed in China to watch events. I, too, would have enjoyed witnessing Michael Phelps first gold-medal victory of these Olympics, but, then again, I don't have a superpower to run. At least, Bush was able to hobnob with Henry Kissinger at that event. (He did meet with Chinese President Hu on Sunday for what he described, of course, as a "constructive" conversation.)

This all raised the question in my mind: what does Bush want to get done before the W. years are over. Not much, it seems. He has not pushed a major domestic issue since his Social Security flop. He has not addressed the climate change crisis. He has not taken any decisive steps regarding the sliding-into-a-quagmire war in Afghanistan. He has taken no significant moves regarding health care. It's as if he is not merely a lame duck but the clockwatcher-in-chief. And is it possible that the last major overseas action of the president who during his second inaugural address said that the mission of the United States was to stand with "democratic reformers" against their "oppressors" will be waving a mini-Stars and Stripes at the Chinese games? How harmonious, as the Chinese say.

Now isn't it about time for Bush to take his vacation in Crawford?

[groovedaddy]

1. Interesting that Bush called China out on human rights violations

(kind of like the pot calling the kettle black)
But then the Dalai Llama comes out saying that he can live with a Tibet under Chinese rule.
Go figure.

[11cents]

2. That's always been the Dalai Llama's position

He's been saying for decades that he doesn't advocate an independent Tibet. Er, it doesn't meant that he's not concerned with human rights violations there (or that they're not occurring).

[babylonsister]

3. .

[Demeter]

4. The Man Withour a Clue

Soon to be the Man Without a Country.

[BB1]

5. And for the rest of his miserable life

he'll be known as 'The man Without Honor'.