Salon John Dean Interview That'll Scare the Pants Off You

[kskiska]

(snip)

You write that Bush and Cheney have not leveled with America about their true agenda. What is it?

Because of their secrecy, it takes a lot of work to connect the dots. I've not connected them all, but enough of them to know that the only agenda they had during the first term was to get a second term -- which meant secretly taking care of their major contributors. Should they get a second term, we know their secret agenda, for they have quietly stated it: They intend to make sure the Republicans control the federal government (all three branches) indefinitely, if possible. In short, the Bush-Cheney agenda is about perpetuating Republican rule by taking particularly good care of major contributors who share their views of the world.

(snip)

Bush has managed to stay above the ugly tactics used against opponents like John McCain and now John Kerry. Does he privately give them his blessing?

Of course. All candidates control their campaigns, and if they don't want such activity, it doesn't occur. As I discovered in talking to people about Bush, he is a highly sophisticated political operator. I've noted in the book that Rove gets the credit for being Bush's political brain. It's an arrangement both men like, because it raises Rove's importance as a political operator, and lowers Bush's exposure. In truth, Bush is probably more politically savvy than Rove. Both men learned their politics from Lee Atwater, who ran Bush senior's 1988 campaign. Atwater made dirty politics into an art form, by which I mean he provided those for whom dirty deeds were done deniability while Atwater's people tore up an opponent's pea-patch and everything else. I expect the 2004 presidential campaign to make Richard Nixon look like a high-road campaigner.

more…
http://salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/31/dean/index.html

[wtf]

1. JOHN DEAN IS A BITTER, LYING, OPPORTUNIST LOOKING TO SELL A BOOK

3...2...1...

[DemBones DemBones]

2. So you don't think Bush* and Rove learned from Lee Atwater?

Or what?

[Shoedogg]

3. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Niiiice!

(On edit: that was fast! did you even have time to get to 'one?')

[wtf]

4. For the early, EARLY morning crowd..

:kick:

[radfringe]

5. .....OPPORTUNIST LOOKING TO SELL A BOOK

as I asked a co-worker yesterday when he said Clarke was a just closet liberal looking to make a buck...

"I thought liberals were against capitalisim? Funny how all liberals now want to make money and the repubilicans are bashing them for it..."

Meanwhile - co-worker said that bush* was still popular and these books wouldn't hurt him.

ummmmm...if Clarke and others are writing books just to make a buck, and bush* is sooooo popular --- then why didn't Clarke and others write butt-kissing books instead of butt-kicking books -- seems to me that if you are in it just to make a buck, then you would want to write books that "praise" bush*

no answer from him when I also pointed out that neither Clarke nor O'Neill personally profited from the sale of their books, not sure if the corporate publisher did or not but I was sure that he (co-worker) didn't object to corporations profiting from book sales

[izzie]

6. I do not think I go along with you

Son Bush came in to work with Atwater, they ran to gether every day, and worked to get Father in and son Bush was used for some of the mean things to keep father above it all, like getting rid of people.And I would say Cheney is really the Oz who is running things. It will really get scary if Bush thinks he is the brains to run the country. Let him run the election, we are safer.We also have James Baker around some place. They have brought him out of Tex. but lets face it he is around someplace. When Bushies are in trouble he is there to get them out of it.The last thing we need in this country is a one party state, of either party. Both sides together do the best job.Mixed beliefs should have all sides in play.

[keithyboy]

11. Doesn't mean he isn't telling the truth!!

You know the old saying: "Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they are NOT out to get me."

[rumguy]

14. Ohhhh...poor baby, I know it's hard when someone promotes a book

How dare they!!!!

[Maccagirl]

7. Scary indeed...

the Bushies have been hiding in plain site from day one. Even they must wonder when their incredible luck will run out. I despair to think that when it does it will be too late.

:cry:

[anarchy1999]

8. This is a family entreprise. A Family Business.

The brothers have nothing to fear. Just google and look at the records of all the sons. They can fail till the sun quits to shine and still make a profit. Bush, Inc. is one hell of an enterprise.

War Profiteers and nothing less.

[Karmadillo]

9. Kick

n/t

[ithacan]

10. on suspending the constitution:

The short summary of what is really a thread that runs through the book is that when you have a presidency that has no regard for human life, that develops and implements all (not just national security) policy in secrecy, and is driven by political motives and a radical philosophy, it is impossible not to conclude that they will overreact -- and at the expense of our constitutional safeguards. Bush and Cheney enjoy using power to make and wield swords, not ploughs. They prefer to rule by fear. We've had three years to take the measure of these men. I've done so and reported what I found in a book I never planned to write, but because others were not talking about these issues, I believed they needed to be placed on the table.

Bush and Cheney have exploited terrorism ever since 9/11. Now they are exploiting it to get reelected. Should there be an even more serious threat, they have found that when Americans are frightened they can be governed like sheep, which suits Bush and Cheney perfectly. Rather than taking the terror out of terrorism by educating and informing Americans, they have sought to make terrorism as frightening as possible -- using terrorism to launch a war of aggression that is breeding a new generation of terrorists and getting the Congress to pass the most repressive new laws imaginable and calling it an act of patriotism.

[President Jesus]

12. Talbot has donated to Clark and Dean

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=San+Francisco&st=CA&last=Talbot&first=David

[Media_Lies_Daily]

13. Welcome to the American Reich.