Why Oh Why Are We Ruled by These Liars? (George W. Bush Smirks Edition)

Kevin Drum's shrillness level exceeds aleph-null:

The Washington Monthly: "George Bush's rhetorical stance is that democracy is on the march and 138,000 troops are more than enough to get the job done in Iraq. He knows perfectly well this isn't true, but in public he just smirks and says that he'd be happy to send more troops over if any of his generals asked for them.... George Bush... [is] one of the shrewdest politicians to inhabit the Oval Office in a long time, but he doesn't sound like he's being shrewd. He sounds like he really believes that our current troop strength is perfectly adequate.

So what's the answer? As Juan Cole says, 'Sometimes You are Just Screwed.' Bush knows near term success is impossible with current troops levels, just as he knows that his economic policies are unsustainable as well. In both cases, he seems to be hoping only that he can avoid disaster during the next three years and then hand off both problems to his successor in 2009 while he retires to the ranch. Politics doesn't get much more cynical than that.

Comments

[howard]

actually, i think it's impossible to know what bush "knows." The most common characteristic that insiders have described is a profound uncuriousness; it's hard to square that trait with a man with actual knowledge as opposed to rhetorical skills.

now, as a politician, kevin is right: the man is first rate, and no other than william jefferson clinton pointed out in 2000.

as a person, he is a shallow smirker, kevin is right there too.

but suggesting that he is cynical would be to suggest that he knows better and chooses to act otherwise; i'm not sure why we should believe that.

[ken melvin]

Bush's MO is what's known as flying by the seat of your pants. He really has no answers. I'm sure he hopes that some one of the the things they are trying in Iraq works. But a Plan? No way in hell. In a crap shoot like the oil business, such may well pass as skill.

[chris]

Frat boy planning deluxe, you know the paper that the professor talked about three months ago at the start of the term? Well, it's due Monday which still leaves Friday, Saturday to hit the tequila. It's in line with suddenly floating the idea of asking Greenspan to stay on. The Dream Team continues after this message from tonight's sponsor.

As to stalling till 2009, who said retirement? Bush will be engaged in the debate of ideas by celebrity forum golfing and giving leadership talks at $100,000 an afternoon, but I don't know about these things. A hundred thousand dollars might not do, we have to check on Colin's and Tommy Frank's rates and ratchet up to a CEO level.

I've known Duke as an administrator, and Bush is no Duke.

[No Preference]

"But a Plan? No way in hell. In a crap shoot like the oil business, such may well pass as skill."

But Bush FAILED in the oil business. Therefore he must have a plan.

[Lisa]

Sure he has a plan: Mess up the economy and foreign policy for eight years. Use Rovian PR tactics to escape responsibility. Then play golf while letting the next president take the blame. Works even better if next President is a Democrat (and given his performance, you could be excused for thinking it's Bush's goal).

[paul foote]

Lisa,

Then let the next Democratic president clean up the mess (the way Clinton straightened out the fiscal abuses of preceding Republican administrations) and take the heat for it, bring him down on a concocted morals charge, and pave the way for Jeb to run in 2012...

Another round of debilitating tax cuts in 2013 anyone???....