LAT: Bush Adapts, but Won't Call It That

[kskiska]

Despite a stick-to-his- guns self-image, the president's response to catastrophe is not the first time he has bent to the public will.

CRAWFORD, Texas — President Bush's initial, halting response to the Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe, followed within days by strong expressions of concern and decisive action, spotlighted a governing style that sometimes finds its stride only after stumbling at the gate.

This seems especially true when Bush is confronted with a cataclysmic event and must improvise quickly — as with last Sunday's tsunami or the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

(SNIP)

Greenstein surmised that Bush perhaps implicitly sends a "don't bother me" signal to subordinates.

Such an attitude, Cook warned, may prove damaging to Bush.

"They may have won the election, but he has let that precious political capital slip through his fingers by appearing distant and uncaring," he said.

James L. Lindsay, director of research for the Council on Foreign Relations and a former National Security Council official, said Bush last week missed "a great opportunity to put a spotlight on American's generosity and compassion."

more…
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-response3jan03,0,5489361.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Old and In the Way]

1. People confuse the image of resiliant determination

with the inability to think on one's feet and plain stubborness to admit when things aren't working.

That's why we'll still be winning the war in Iraq 4 years from now.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. "Political Capital" - what's that? Let me call my banker....

/sarcasm

Just reflecting on Bush's claim, if I may paraphrase, "International law? What's that? Let me call my lawyer..."




http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
Buttons for brainy people - educate your local freepers today!

[Journeyman]

3. Wow. The 9/11 myth and the mandate myth both discredited. . .

in one article.

Bushbaby "stumbled at the gate" on 9/11, and has now "let that precious political capital slip through his fingers by appearing distant and uncaring."

[Supersedeas]

15. Finally, someone in Media World is connecting the dots.

[jpgray]

4. Er, flip flop? Inconsistency? A slave to polls and political winds?

9/11 Commission? Homeland Security? Anyone?

[Sandpiper]

5. Strong expressions of concern?

Shamed into action is more like it.

[virgdem]

6. How can Bush take advantage of an opportunity...

to put a spotlight on characteristics that he so obviously is lacking in himself? Compassionate conservative my ass. He is neither. I was not surprised that his initial response was so lackluster. He simply does not care about anyone but himself. Bush= the classic narcissist.

[Skittles]

7. HE IS A DIPSHIT

GAWD I WISH SOMEONE IN THE MEDIA WOULD JUST F***ING SAY IT

[gatorboy]

8. From what I've read in the article,

They're saying that Bush generally doesn't do the right thing until he's shamed into it or the people demand action. So why is he President again? People elect these individuals so they are a leader first, which he obviously isn't...

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Shhh bush was not elected but the machines did rise to the

challenge...

[Disturbed]

10. GW Bush is a Silverspoon Sociopath and a

Sock Puppet.

[teryang]

11. Sock puppet doesn't run a thing

...decisive? The man's a stupid idiot. He does what he's told.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

21. yep...

[KDLarsen]

12. WHAT American generosity?

I'm sorry, but that 350 million US$ kinda becomes kind of puny when you see that the Danish government have donated 300 million DKK (2/11th of what the US have donated, despite us being some 1/60th the size of you in therms of citizens) - and when you see that a Swedish TV campaing raised nearly 250 million SEK!

[SweetLeftFoot]

13. That is true

But Scandanavian countries have lost many, many more of their citizens than the US. I'm not defending Bush's actions - I think as always he has been appalling - but just giving it some context.

I love the way he looks to the UN to "lead" here too. Prick.

[KDLarsen]

14. True..

.. though I thought I read something about several hundred US tourists missing in Asia as well?

[SweetLeftFoot]

19. But ...

Several hundred tourists missing from a population of 280 million vs 3000 Swedes missing froma population of 9 million?

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. That's because he won't negotiate with himself

because he doesn't have the brains to. He has to have someone else tell him what to do - and if his controllers are on their Christmas vacation, the public gets to do that for a few days.

[bunkerbuster1]

17. Good stuff in there

two bits stick out:

The first U.S. president with a graduate business degree, Bush sees himself as an unflinching leader who sticks to his guns.

I love that. OK, I'm still trying to figure out how having an MBA turns someone into an "unflinching leader who sticks to his guns--" I've personally known dozens of MBAs who aren't delusional RW assholes!

and then there's

"Bush's default mechanism continues to be the laid-back quality that marked his Texas governorship, in which he had a short work day, a long midday break and delegated very extensively," said Fred I. Greenstein, a Princeton presidential scholar.

Come out and say it Fred--Bush is a lazy jerk! He's the guy who always cheated and crammed his way through school, work, and now politics.

[gratuitous]

18. Golly thanks, LA Times!

Doing a little digging and reporting of facts at last. Okay, it's only about six months too late, and follows years of abject fawning by the national media over Stupidhead's "decisiveness" and deriding Kerry's thoughtful examination of difficult problems as "flip-flopping." Now you finally find the intestinal necessities to tell us that maybe Stupidhead isn't all he's cracked up to be, leadership-wise.

Have a fun four years watching California continue to crumble, and bitching and moaning about it. The good news (and it's pretty cold comfort on a January morning) is that California has enough people and a suitably diversified economy that even Stupidhead would find it a tall order to destroy your state in just eight years.

[tanyev]

20. "appearing distant and uncaring"

Maybe that's because he is distant and uncaring.