Leader with no rearview mirror (cohen / WP)

[struggle4progress]

By RICHARD COHEN
Washington Post

Last update: September 16, 2005

Following the botched Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961, John F. Kennedy took full responsibility for the debacle -- "I am the responsible officer," the president said. Similarly, in 1983, Ronald Reagan said, "I accept responsibility" for the catastrophic terrorist attack on the Marine barracks in Beirut. Now, as if in the grand tradition of presidents affirming that the buck stops where Truman said it did -- the Oval Office -- George Bush has taken responsibility for the shortcomings in the federal effort regarding Hurricane Katrina. If he means what he said, then Katrina washed up a whole new George Bush.
But a little skepticism is in order here. After all, the George Bush we have come to know sorely lacks a rearview mirror. Not only is he disinclined to look back, but when he does so he sees nothing but triumph and astounding successes. Even his debacles -- and the war in Iraq for some reason comes to mind -- gets transformed from what they once were to what he would like them to be. We are getting murdered in Baghdad not on account of weapons of mass destruction but to bring democracy to the Middle East. Who would not want to die for that?

For Bush, there is only today and tomorrow. Yesterday is someone else's responsibility -- maybe still Clinton's. Even in his White House statement saying, "I take responsibility," he also said, "Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability." Funny, I thought the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, did that. It was then we learned about inadequate communication systems, among other things. It was then that our minds were focused on the incomprehensible and that people -- not to mention governments -- started thinking about the evacuation of whole cities. Bush makes a lousy Boy Scout. Be Prepared he wasn't.

If Bush were the CEO of a major corporation, his board of directors would fire him. It would want to know what the hell he's been doing for the last four years and what he's done with the untold billions given to the Department of Homeland Security. After seeing how the feds stood by while sick people died in New Orleans hospitals, the board might want to fire itself -- but that is not practical. The board, in this case, is the American people. <snip>

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN91091605.htm

[MissWaverly]

1. they would also want to know why

trained Doctors were sent down there only to be given a "mop" because
there might be "liability" issues, while they watched people die at the
airport.

[Skittles]

2. an excellent analysis

:thumbsup:

[OneBlueSky]

3. no headlights, either . . . n/t

.