Deepening Crisis During Legacy Spinning

With less than thirty days left, it is likely that the shoe throwing incident in Baghdad will be the bookend to Bush's dismal presidency. It is what people will remember. The outpouring of editorial cartoons from around the world has been staggering. A tiny percentage of the cartoons defend Bush but none are flattering. Even Bush's quick reflexes raise a curious question: has he had practice? Is this a clue to the strange injuries he's received from time to time over the last eight years? Have their been lapses in Bush's ability to duck? Of course Bush lacks the Teflon that protected Ronald Reagan so well. Here's more of the cartoons: here, here and here.

What can one say after eight lawless years? Bush and Cheney are on their legacy tour and the gibberish just gets more ridiculous. Part of the legacy is the illusion that Bush kept America safe. But 9/11 happened on Bush's watch, and he and many top members of his administration ignored the warning signs. Mahablog quotes this CNN report from April 30, 2001:

The State Department officially released its annual terrorism report just a little more than an hour ago, but unlike last year, there’s no extensive mention of alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. A senior State Department official tells CNN the U.S. government made a mistake in focusing so much energy on bin Laden and “personalizing terrorism.” …

(sigh) This was weeks after briefings by Clinton staffers about Osama bin Laden. George Tenet and Richard Clarke gave more warnings before 9/11. We're not talking policy differences. We're talking criminal negligience and willful behavior. Chalk it up to the blindness of ideology but Bush did not keep the nation safe. In fact, his actions have repeatedly undermined the security of our nation and damaged our future.

That's enough for now. The holidays are here. Let there be peace on earth. And let's hope next year we return to the community of lawful nations.