The Other Long Occupation: Bush in a Bubble

The Other Long Occupation: Bush in a Bubble
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: May 24, 2004
WASHINGTON
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/24/politics/24LETT.html

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal was raging, American soldiers were battling Iraqi insurgents near a Shiite shrine, and the Europeans were arguing with the United States over the powers of a new government in Baghdad.

But on that hot, troubled Washington morning of May 14, when President Bush met in the Roosevelt Room of the White House with foreign ministers from the Group of 8, the world's leading industrialized democracies, he spoke to them for exactly eight minutes, took no questions, then left.

---snip---

Last week, when the president made a rare trip to Capitol Hill to try to soothe Republicans who are anxious over the increasing chaos of the American occupation, he gave them a 35-minute pep talk, shook hands, took no questions, then left.

---snip---

Over the next five weeks, Mr. Bush will take a few steps out of the bubble in a series of speeches, starting on Monday night at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., that will outline his strategy for transferring power to the Iraqis by a June 30 deadline. But in a classic White House public relations offensive, Mr. Bush will in essence be informing the globe of his prelaid plans.

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ummmmm.....how is reading a speech on TV stepping out of the bubble? oops, sorry, I forgot, we are not allowed to ask questions....

... actually noticed. What's more remarkable is that this has been the predominant behavior of Bush since assuming office, and the press doesn't wake up for 3-1/2 years?

I did appreciate the note that Bush seemed, in private, to be "grim and subdued," but I fear that's not because he's worried about the awful messes he's made of our country and other countries and what will be required for him to correct the mistakes, but that he might not win re-election.

About reading a speech on TV, one report says that the White House didn't ask for the speech to be broadcast, so the over-the-air networks won't be covering it (except for selected Fox stations). So, if anything, this speech will simply be transcripts for the pundits to chew over during the coming week.

But, some Republicans said his "pep talk" to them was little more than forty minutes of "stream-of-consciousness" rambling. If Bush hands the people at the Army War College a half-hour of generalities, no specifics, the reaction will be quite swift. And, if the Army senses that he's going to try a back-door play to subvert any UN plan in order to maintain favor with the neo-cons, the reaction will be brutal.

If Bush thinks that the War College is going to be the same sort of audience as at his other military photo-ops, he's going to get a shock. Not much of the displeasure will get into the civilian press, but the military press will be full of criticism.

Bush hates intellectuals, whom he calls "planners and thinkers".

I think this is going to be an official Laying Down of the Law to the nerds who dare question his wisdom. He's hung the Army out to dry before; he won't think twice (or even once) about doing it again.

--bkl

regarding to planning invasions, prosecution of war, etc. He believed all the thinking generals got in places like University of Heidelburg and on the battlefields of France were no match for his native instincts.

or his party. He has now cut him self off and only goes where people are for him. I sent in something from people who were trying to get into his talks and it was most interesting. You seem to have to have a stamp on your head "I am a Bush style Republican " to get near him or even hear him first hand.This is bad for us all. He seems to think he is only President to big business and people who are on the very far right. Military bases can be safe as you have to do as they say on a base.

no recovery.
He can only appear at stage-managed events. The forced applause of hand picked people demonstrates the poverty of his pseudo-presidency.

He hates people. He can't go among them. Look for "pickles" and the "twins" to campaign and try to change the bad attitude that he has.
Kerry can walk about anywhere and make friends. That is the retail politics working now. Someone posted a picture of JFK in Oregon,walking and sucking on a straw of some drink. He looked real.
Kerry was at the Bosox game too. He can be with us because he is not afraid.
Kerry can travel until Sept. and make so many friends. One on one.
I see a good campaign that will work.

The boy in the bubble can stumble about. Speeches that are ignored are a good thing. GWB; did he ever have anything important to say? If he ever, did no one could understand it.

This is the first one and FOX idiots can watch. The first will be so bad that none other will ever be noted. As it should be.

"The Other Long Occupation"

Suggests that he's holding the position illegitimately. A real president has a term of office, not an occupation. I like it.

I also noted that the author stuck pretty much to Republicans as examples of those who are doubting Bush lately. And the bits about him avoiding his daughters' graduations - I mean, what does that say about the man that he is so unpopular he can't even mingle among his own citizenry?

The upcoming trip to Europe should be interesting.

s_m

Always keep that in mind. Sometimes she strays off the reservation, but often she's just kissing ass.

But do you think that biases her one way more than another? I could see how she might resent him since he was there via "affirmative action" for the Bush family.

s_m