Senator Webb Sounded More Presidential Than Bush
Bush has made many promises in the last seven years and delivered on very few of them. He has made many assertions to the American people that have proven to be false. His accomplishments are few and his presidency can be described as one step forward and five steps back. He has not served the American people well.
Let me note one major omission by Bush and it sums up the fundamental indifference he has towards a majority of Americans and their concerns: he didn't say one word about New Orleans. After major promises and assertions in his last speech a year ago, his performance continues to be dismal.
And let me note that Bush continues to peddle fear when it comes to his failed foreign policy. I was amazed that at this late date he's still peddling his right wing ideology when it comes to foreign policy. That will forever be emblematic of his flawed vision of the world.
Nevertheless, this year we have a president who now leaves some openings concerning health care, Global Warming and energy so that the implication is that perhaps he can work together with Democrats on at least some issues. I hope it comes to pass but the record of the last six years is not a good one and does not encourage me to believe Bush will do much to salvage his failed presidency. We'll see.
And then I listened to Senator Jim Webb of Virginia and he sounded like a leader. He mentioned New Orleans, he spoke the truth, he's a moderate who liberals like myself can listen to, respect and easily work with. My respect for the senator grew tonight. He impresses me as someone who knows how to get things done.
I reserve judgment on Bush's speech, which after all, for someone like Bush, is simply an extension of his continuing photo ops presidency, and will simply note that he has given fine-sounding speeches in the past that did not survive close inspection, or subsequent events. Let's see what Bush actually does and whether he can break his unforgiveable pattern of the last six years.
Let me note one major omission by Bush and it sums up the fundamental indifference he has towards a majority of Americans and their concerns: he didn't say one word about New Orleans. After major promises and assertions in his last speech a year ago, his performance continues to be dismal.
And let me note that Bush continues to peddle fear when it comes to his failed foreign policy. I was amazed that at this late date he's still peddling his right wing ideology when it comes to foreign policy. That will forever be emblematic of his flawed vision of the world.
Nevertheless, this year we have a president who now leaves some openings concerning health care, Global Warming and energy so that the implication is that perhaps he can work together with Democrats on at least some issues. I hope it comes to pass but the record of the last six years is not a good one and does not encourage me to believe Bush will do much to salvage his failed presidency. We'll see.
And then I listened to Senator Jim Webb of Virginia and he sounded like a leader. He mentioned New Orleans, he spoke the truth, he's a moderate who liberals like myself can listen to, respect and easily work with. My respect for the senator grew tonight. He impresses me as someone who knows how to get things done.
I reserve judgment on Bush's speech, which after all, for someone like Bush, is simply an extension of his continuing photo ops presidency, and will simply note that he has given fine-sounding speeches in the past that did not survive close inspection, or subsequent events. Let's see what Bush actually does and whether he can break his unforgiveable pattern of the last six years.
Labels: Bush, Senator Webb
posted by Craig at 9:13 PM
3 Comments:
Your headline captures my most basic response to the speeches last night.
I was pleased that several people noted Bush's little jab after his seemingly conciliatory remarks to Pelosi and the new Democratic majority - omitting the final syllable of Democratic to make the word sound harsh. A minor irritation but illustrative, I think, of a petty anything-to-win-politically mentality among the Republican operatives of the last couple of decades. I think it was Gingrich who suggested that Republicans use that little trick as a subtle little part of his long list of tactics in his strategy to retake to Congress in the early nineties.
"His accomplishments are few and his presidency can be described as one step forward and five steps back. . ."
You forgot the part about going in circles. Lots of going around in circles. Much of 2005 was spent in going around in circles about Social Security privatization, for example.
. . ."He has not served the American people well."
I respect your willingness to go with gentlemanly understatement. But I must tell you it comes across like hearing someone say Ted Bundy had an unpleasant behavior problem or that World War II left Berlin and Hiroshima a little run down.
George W. Bush isn't just a poor excuse for a national leader. There's a strong and abiding thread of perversity running through most of what he says and does, and refuses to do, as president. Hands down and quite purposefully, he's the absolute worst president in U.S. history.
S.W., yeah I should've added the circles too. As for the understatement, my wife had to listen to my expletives while we watched the speech and I figured I got that out of my system for a few hours. Check out the Hagel post.
Terrell, I have a better opinion of the senior Bush though I thought a number of his policies were wrong-headed, particularly regarding Panama and the economy. But the senior Bush could be petty as well; among many examples, it was lame the way he deliberately mispronounced Saddam Hussein's name. As for Newt Gingrich, it might be useful dig out that list he had one time of all the cute rhetorical games he was fostering and passing on to his cohorts. It's very emblematic of the right wing of the Republican Party. That was a nice post you did on Webb by the way.
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