W's New Trifecta: Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Monica all in one week.

Nixon had a pivotal moment that remains emblazoned in history's memory. It was the moment that he calculated would save his presidency. In prime time, he looked into the camera, and into the eyes of every American citizen, and declared, "I am not a crook." And it echoes through memory: "Crook...crook...crook...."

W had that moment this week, when he had to come out swinging against anyone claiming that he had acted illegally in circumventing the very lenient FISA requirements on domestic spying, which even allow the president to retroactively apply for a warrant if he's had to respond immediately to a fluid situation. All he had to do was say, Hey we had to keep up with al-Generic binScary, so we did it, and here's the paperwork. As flexible and allowable as the law, developed, approved, and established by the Federal Government (consisting of three co-equal branches) may be, he felt that he wasn't bound by that law. Hence the need to come out aggressively in defending the legality of his actions, and the perfidy of his critics. But the mere fact that he had to tell the American people that he had not broken the law elevated the doubt in people's minds, and his denial rang as hollow as Nixon's.



Bill Clinton had an accountability moment that is also visually and auditorially burned into the memory. I was watching, live, and saw it over and over again. He had decided it was time to take the question head-on, for everyone to see, and chose the setting in which his statement would be framed. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman -- Miss Lewinsky..." with his finger infamously pointed to punctuate the adamant denial.

W had that moment this week, when on Monday morning, at an unusual press conference the day after a prime-time address on why Iraq was going to work out alright, a reporter asked him about "unchecked power", with regard to his disdain for the FISA law in ordering domestic wiretaps. He bristled, perhaps spontaneously, and declared that the question implied dictatorial powers. He then said, with his finger pointed, "I reject that". The choice of gestures added an element of irony to a denial that few could take seriously, in light of his track record of disdain for anything resembling checks and balances, or oversight. The falsity of his proclamation becomes ever more apparant as further violations become known, like closet upon closet full of blue dresses.



Reagan was untouchable, until Iran-Contra. We called him the Teflon President, because the scandals that seemed to plague so many of the underlings of his bureaucracy, and which set a new watershed for indictments and criminal scandals unseen since the Harding administration, never seemed to tarnish his own image. But when America learned that in fact there had been secret deals cut with Khomeini's Iran (Khomeini!), the fundamental trust was fractured. Eventually, it was decided that Reagan needed to face the American people and admit to the facts. Very shrewdly, it was formulated so that while Reagan could say that he still believed in his heart that nothing wrong had happened, he acknowledged that the facts suggested otherwise. He accepted responsibility, but not actual culpability, and glided to a relatively safe landing (though not with the approval ratings that Clinton garnered, even through his impeachment).

W had such an accountability moment this week. As with Iran-Contra, Americans are saying, "He did WHAT?" in response to revelations about the domestic spying. Many of the people who had been taking the president's word that he should be able to do anything to anyone suddenly realized that "anyone" includes them. As with the end of Reagan's Teflon phase, W's "9-11 changed everything" phase has come to an end. He won't be able to come up with a heartfelt "They fooled me twice; shame on me" speech. We already know that.


So, the unelected president, who hit what he called the "trifecta" of war, recession, and national emergency, and was re-"elected" in defiance of mathematical possibility and political history, has incredibly hit the trifecta again.

But this time, it's the trifecta of presidential moments of truth. This kind of trifecta means one thing:


Three strikes, and you're out.






Anyone who wants to add the specific quotes and images is invited to do so, with gratitude.

You still need a congress willing to do something in reaction to the unease of the American people.

At this time, Frist and the admin are still working the "we're all gonna die unless we get everything we want" angle. They don't think the President has had a liminal moment.

come from all this outrage.

discovered he'd authorized domestic spying. His 2004 speech about how the courts are always involved popped back up right away.

Stay mad, stay informed, stay vocal. That's my approach.

it's the week before Christmas and the Senate is wrangling over an appropriations bill that includes (among other things) aid for Katrina victims. I've also seen a few stories in the local media updating us on how the Katrina victims are doing these days and wouldn't be surprised to see similar coverage in the national media. Just what W needs right now: a reminder of Katrina, another turning point for W. It's going to take a long time for us to forget those searing images. I think many DUer's were surprised by the magnitude of the callous incompetence displayed by W and his cronies but for many Americans, Katrina was far more disturbing: for them, it was the first time they realized W was holding a virtual sign that reads, "We don't care about you." And here's the spying story, once again reminding the average American that W doesn't care about their rights or their privacy or the Constitution some of us are naive enough to still revere.

This ain't gonna be a Merry Christmas for W.

Photo goddess.

:)

I couldn't watch the PC - just excerpts on the Newshour later. Are those the right pix?

his finger at the questioner. It's at about 1:21 in this video posted by liveoaktx:

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/bushpressconfquestion10dec1905baker.wmv

Nice work!

:applause:

But I ain't buyin'.

BTW, I don't remember a time during the Nixon, Reagan, or Clinton presidencies where so many members of the staff and the President's party we're being investigated for criminal offenses and lived in fear of indictments. Sure, there was always someone in trouble somewhere, but do you recall a time when the both the House and Senate Majority Leaders were under investigation at the same time?

K&R. "Throw da bum out!"

"Otherwise, it's gonna be tomorrow."

What's that expression about a fish rotting from the head down? This is one bad smelling fish. And he's still saying its sushi. Feh.

:hi:

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=71286194&p=7yz86496

Until now. But it seems like every single scandal to come out of his administration hasnt had any sticking power. Even something like the destruction of a major US port (read: New Orleans) couldnt get Bush and his cronies out of the White House. All the lackeys tried to do was - gasp - blame Democrats.