Dowd: Dancing in the Dark

[lady lib]

September 28, 2005
Dancing in the Dark
By MAUREEN DOWD
WASHINGTON

I can't wait to see what's next.

Dick Cheney carpooling downtown with Brownie? Rummy Rollerblading down the bike path to the Pentagon? Condi huddling by a Watergate fireplace in a gray cardigan?

-snip-

The president called on Americans to drive less, and told his staff members to turn off their computers at night, turn down the air-conditioning, form carpools and take the bus.

At the same time, he set a fine example by wasting gazillions of gallons of fuel with all the planes and Secret Service vans and press motorcades and police escorts that follow him around every time he goes on one of his inane photo-ops from the Colorado bunker to what's left of the Mississippi Delta and the Bayou. He did his part by knocking off a few cars from his motorcade on his seventh trip to the gulf yesterday - but if residents had hoped he'd bring them some water, they went thirsty.

-snip-

http://select.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/opinion/28dowd.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists%2fMaureen%20Dowd&pagewanted=print

Get 'em, Maureen!

[Lindacooks]

1. Remember when President Carter didn't leave the White House

in his 'Rose Garden Strategy' because of the hostage crisis? Chimpy needs to do that now, instead of wasting precious fuel on his stupid photo-ops.

[lady lib]

2. I cannot freaking believe the amount of money it costs us

to fly Chimpy McFlightsuit around the country for photo ops!

Air Force One costs $83,200 to fill up and more than $6,000 per hour to fly. Then there's the cost of helicopters and a 2006 Cadillac DTS limo that gets less than 22 miles per gallon.

[babylonsister]

3. Where are you getting NYTimes articles, and thanks!Rec'd! nt

[lady lib]

6. You're welcome.

Check your inbox.

[gumby]

4. Hey, lady lib

that link worked.

edit: it just took me to the Pay To Read when I clicked on the article.

[lady lib]

5. I just re-read what you wrote after editing.

Sorry, I tried.

[Carolab]

7. The last article of Maureen's was posted on Truthout the next day.

Look for it there tomorrow.

Meanwhile, there is this article from Saturday:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/092405G.shtml

[rodeodance]

8. dowd from thruthout. Thanks--she is cool with words (and right on).

Stormy is like his dad, Desert Stormy. They both love wardrobe calls: cool costumes, sports outfits, presidential windbreakers, "Top Gun" get-ups, weather gear.

But leadership is not a series of costume changes. The former Andover cheerleader has been too reliant on photo-ops, drop-bys and "Mission Accomplished" strut-bys, rather than a font of personal knowledge.

What Katrina exposed was a president who - remarkable as this may sound - seemed bored after his re-election, just as Bill Clinton had drifted after his re-election. Before the Monica scandal broke, Mr. Clinton's aides had to beg him to call lawmakers on the Hill to support his own legislative agenda.

Before the Katrina scandal, W. had lethargically wandered the country, lifelessly promoting his Social Security plan and an energy bill that did nothing to solve the energy crisis, and endlessly vacationing in Crawford......

[highplainsdem]

9. You can find the full column using Google Groups.

Search for her last name and the column title.