Conason: See What Happens When You Don’t Read?

[Sticky]

by Joe Conason


"Is he out of his mind?

"Does he have the faintest idea what he’s talking about?"

snip

Even if Mr. Bush watches only Fox News, he ought to have known that the inspectors searched Iraq for six weeks last winter, before they were forced to clear out so bombing could begin. Yet he repeated the same weird claim just last month, in the presence of the Polish president, saying of Saddam Hussein: "It was his choice to make, and he did not let us in." Did Condi forget to tell him about Hans Blix and the inspectors?

On Meet the Press, Mr. Bush said a few other things that suggest his hired "objective sources" are gaslighting him. "The budget I just proposed to the Congress cuts the deficit in half in five years," he told the NBC newsman confidently. If Mr. Bush glanced at a newspaper, or watched TV (even Fox News!), he would know that nobody believes his budgetary policies will reduce the deficit. Does Andy Card assure him every morning that all is financially well?

snip

Speaking with a British journalist last November, Mr. Bush further explained why he doesn’t read newspapers: "It’s not to say I don’t respect the press. I do respect the press. But sometimes it’s hard to be an optimistic leader. A leader must project an optimistic view. It’s hard to be optimistic if you read a bunch of stuff about yourself." Surely his staffers smile when they give him the good news every morning, too.

http://observer.com/pages/conason.asp

[salin]

1. That is a great read.

While there is a 'credibility gap' brewing with W... I think a better term needs to be used that captures not just the dishonesty... but the huge disconnect from reality. There was a cbs news online news item the other day that had the subtitle (I think it refered to Bush's comments/projections on jobs) "Reality or Fairy Tale". I can not ever remember a president's words being refered to as fairy tale - spin... misleading... etc, yes... but completely disconnected from any reality... that is new.

[walkon]

2. I have wondered

For a long time if Bush knows he is lying about policy issues and "facts" to support administration policies. I don't think he has a clue. Is he allowed to read the papers? Does the staff keep things away from him? Is he a highly pampered prisoner himself?

I do believe he is a liar and his character is deceitful. His "guard service", drug use and insider trading / business dealings are all examples of telling lies when he does know better. But does he know the tax cuts are destroying the budget or that inspectors were inside Iraq before he attacked or that we are not welcome there as occupiers?
Hard to tell.