Bush cuts off... well, nearly everybody.

[elbales]

You know, I despise the man, but even I think he's falling apart. And that's sad.

Hunter at Daily Kos has this to say:

John at AMERICAblog points out a hardcore-Republican source that is pushing a very unflattering portrait of Bush. The Washington Times' Insight says Bush "feels betrayed by several of his most senior aides and advisors and has severely restricted access to the Oval Office", according to their sources within the administration.

From the subscribers only part of the article:

The sources said Mr. Bush maintains daily contact with only four people: first lady Laura Bush, his mother, Barbara Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes. The sources also say that Mr. Bush has stopped talking with his father, except on family occasions.

...Here's the next thing about this, which John definitely touched on but which I want to stick a big ol' flashing light on top of. These stories -- and there have been a series of them -- have been coming from very reliably Republican sources. The leakproof administration is, unless these newspaper reports are all simply lying, leaking at an alarming rate when it comes to giving stories about Bush's erratic/petulant/belligerent/drinky-drinky/reclusive behavior.

I don't like the thought that the guy who can push the button/order our troops around may have fallen off the wagon. Just, yikes.

Comments

[roshismomma.livejournal.com]

yeah i'd heard thistoo. very very scary, no?

can we impeach the asshat yet?

[elbales]

House of Reps held by Repubs. Ain't gonna happen. Dammit.

[emidala.livejournal.com]

I have always felt sort of sorry for him, like I always do for puppets. I don't think he is a bad person - just one with a poor brain, and very influential dark knights around him. gah. now that's a person whose shoes I'd never like to try on.

Bush

[jimbo2k5.livejournal.com]

Emidala,

Not to be argumentative, but Bush is a bad man. He persecuted a war against his father'a arch-nemesis, ordered his intelligence agencies to lie and cover up the facts, and he is ultimately responsible for every one of the folks in power in the White House today.

Not only is he a religious zealot as much as any Muslim fundamentalist, but he is DUMB to boot. A very bad combination.

Jim

Re: Bush

[elbales]

Like Richard, I'm torn. I do think Bush has his head up his ass. He believes getting and having power is more important than anything else, including being a decent person. But I also believe he's been manipulated by the people he's chosen to surround himself with. To a degree, he is a puppet. And he knows he's losing it.

Re: Bush

[akk]

There is a famous tribunal protocol (only about 100.000 pages or so) that has the same argumentation for almost all those put on trial (few exceptions).
"I've been manipulated / tricked / talked into it by the others around me." "It was their idea." "I just followed..." "No, I didn't meant the order like that. They misunderstood me..."
It wasn't considered a defense in Nuremberg.

As a puppet he lends his head (and signature) to the decisions made by other people, that makes him responsible.
If he doesn't enact his responsibility that comes with the position as head of state in a sensible way, who is responsible for that?

Is weakness an excuse?

Re: Bush

[elbales]

I feel sorry for anyone weak. I mean, the man is sick. He's a recovered alcoholic, and I've heard rumors he's drinking again. Some people also consider religious zealotry a sickness (as distinct from deep faith, which doesn't use religion as an excuse to do bad things). And he has both of those in addition to his twisted belief that he's the center of the universe, or whatever the hell it is.

But I don't excuse what he's done. Even a weak person has a choice. He could have said no. Now he has to live with the knowledge of what he's done, and that he's despised by millions (billions?) of people--including me.

But I can still pity his sickness.

Re: Bush

[akk]

of course you can pity the sickness.
you are a much nicer person than me in that regard. :)

[milestogo13.livejournal.com]

I'm always conflicted in situations like this. On the one hand, I really do feel bad for him on a human level, because like Emma, I've never believed this was all his doing. That would involve giving him way more credit than I'm prepared to. What they are describing above is perhaps Bush himself beginning to figure the exact same thing out, seeing just how blinded and manipulated he has been by the likes of Cheney and Rumsfeld (notably not on the list of people he's speaking to, and both good friends of his daddy, also absent).

On the other hand, I want to start ululating and rush into the battle with my spear, prepared to thrust it repeatedly into the belly of the elephant while it's down.

Bush - he should have been a manager at Denny's

[expanding-x-man.livejournal.com]

He is a very, very small man with a large place in history, most unfortunatley for him and us. I did feel sorry for him briefly around the time of 9/11. He looked terrified in that speech he (finally) gave - after doing a disappearing act. He is way out of his league at a very important time in history, but - well, I guess that is his fate. Apparently.

Yes, I do blame him, and yes, he is also a puppet. If he isdrinking again, well, man - that really sucks. Yes, apparently, he is imploding, which is not bad news. I just hope that he doesn't do anything too stupid or allow the people around him, many of whom are very bright and possibly truly evil, to do anything too dangerous.