Why now? Why is the Bush house of cards falling now?

[CatWoman]

Is it because their best liars/spinmeisters (Ari, Karen, et al) are gone?

Or is it because Bush has finally jumped the pretzel?

[JuniperLea]

1. This wasn't a disaster he planned

so the spin isn't being believed. Too many eyes on him and his minions. Too many blatant lies told. He needs his ass impeached now.

[Bucky]

39. In many ways, neither was Iraq

[Media_Lies_Daily]

54. Iraq wasn't planned???? The NeoCons tried to get Clinton to attack....

...Iraq in 1997. The planning for Iraq has been going on since well before the NeoCons took control in December 2000.

[Bucky]

59. By "in many ways" I mean it wasn't planned well. Not for the real Iraq.

Obviously it was a figure of speech, like when you tell someone "you're not thinking" when they obviously are thinking, but coming to the wrong conclusion. Did I really need to explain that to you?

[ClassWarrior]

55. Don't kid yourself, Buckaroo. Iraq went off just as planned.

NGU.

[goclark]

2. Rove's shit ain't working

The Media is not drinking the Kool Aid right now.

We have to keep hitting every issue with all spead ahead.

[stevietheman]

26. Yeap, High-time to Bring out the cannons, and Fire at will. n/t

n/t

[PFunk]

27. "Kool Aid" immuity

Actually theirs only so much 'Kool Aid' one can drink before it either kills or eventually develops and immunity to it.

Like a growing number of americans now.

[blonndee]

3. Because their unimaginable inhumanity has finally hit home.

And if this doesn't "do it", I for one am asking for outside help or leaving this country altogether. If we the people will allow this to go unpunished, THERE IS NO HOPE.

[Z_I_Peevey]

5. Amen.

[MuseRider]

4. Reporters stuck in the muck

and the dying. They are not so willing now to spew the line. It will be interesting what happens when they get home and cleaned up.

Hard to spin people dying on the TV. Hard to spin babies in feces, dying of heat and lack of hydration. Just damned hard to spin vacations during something like this. I don't think even Karen could do an adequate job of it. Not that they won't try.

[BlueJac]

6. To big to cover up!!

[lildreamer316]

7. It's Midinght. Poof! Pumpkin.

He's SOOOOOOOOOOO stupid. duh duh duh.

[MadeinOhio]

8. One word: Because of Cindy Sheehan and Downing Street.

The war on terror- The war on lies.

The real reason for Iraq- Oil.

The weakness of BIG OIL is being hammered, hammered, and exploited

The corporate media has figured it out....We did this for OIL, thousands are dead for OIL, fascist bastards are fascist for OIL, and the entire state of Louisiana plus the Gulf is in ruins because of OIL gas emissions.

Our own greed has taken us to this place.

We're after downing street.....We're after downing street, permanently....

[mwb970]

23. Remember, the Plamegate indictments are coming.

Like frosting on the cake!

[MadeinOhio]

38. Sadly, I have to blame the democratic leaders the most.

This sad state of affairs could have been prevented if we had DEMOCRATIC LEADERS who cared more about the people than their donors!!!!!!!!

IM SORRY!!!!!!!! THE CB CAUCAUS AND HOWARD DEAN ARE DOING ALL THE WORK FOR THE DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!! THERE IS NOT ONE HIGH PROFILE DEMOCRAT SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE FASCISM, AND THAT IS SICK!!!!!!!!!!

When they don't speak out, they prove how evil they are!

[Usrename]

56. We Dems aren't monsters - crooks and philanderers maybe

[tinfoilinfor2005]

9. Because he built it on silt. n/t

[Imagevision]

10. Lack of response just broke the camels back - Bush is a total fuckup!

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[AlCzervik]

11. I think that everything we know about Bushco but others deny has finally

showed up where it can't be hidden or spun or papered over by Karl Rove. I think it's the pictures, they don't lie.

[DanCa]

12. Pendulllieum swings like pendillums do

The world was to far right and the left go to vocal. With all the negatve energy thier had to finally be the tipping point.

[Strelnikov_]

13. A Reality Tsunami

Too much, too fast for the Reich-Wing propaganda machine to spin away.

[nonconformist]

14. Because there is NO SPINNING THIS

It is what it is, so to speak.

[longship]

15. Why indeed. It's all about leadership.

Well, let's consider what's been happening recently.

Iraq -- It's been going off the rails forever. All we get from Chimpy and Company is platitudes. The people are very weary of it. They know the truth.

Downing Street Minutes -- Another hit on Iraq. Did we really go to war on a lie? That's the question in people's mind.

Rove/Plame -- still a big issue, waiting for SP and GJ. This has tied the MSM into corruption at the highest levels. It may have something to do with the MSM suddenly coming alive again. They know that they are implicated big time in this very serious scandal. They are undoubtedly aware that Rove/Plame makes Watergate look like amateur night.

Cindy -- I will not speculate on where we would be without her. Needless to say, this has had a profound effect on public opinion at a time when Chimpy could least afford it. Chimpy could have substantially defused this by simply meeting an hour with this brave woman. But Repugs do not know how to act, only to react.

Katrina -- The frosting on the cake. Chimpy could have turned things around by being decisive and taking action quickly. But these people are reactionaries. They have no capability to act independently. They can only *react*. They dropped the ball here big time.

What does all this mean? It means that Chimpy and the whole cabal are toast. I think (and I sincerely hope) that Congress is not going to be a friendly place for Republican talking points when it reconvenes in earnest the next few days. It is now up to the Democratic party to lead at a time where we have no leadership in this country.

We need to frame the debate in this context. The Democrats need to *lead* in the vacuum left by the lack of Repug leadership.

[Imagevision]

24. Katrina was Bush's golden oppurtunity to make restitution.

But this travesty only confirms this man is without any leadership capabilities whatsoever and relies totally on Rove,Cheny,Rumsfeld to call the shots and he is merely the messenger NOT a President by any stretch of the imagination...!

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[stevietheman]

29. I'm wondering if the MSM is working back channels with Rovegate...

investigators to agree on a particular timing that gives the MSM a ratings extravaganza as they report on the "historical downfall of President Bush and the far right".

[longship]

44. No, I don't think so.

Grand juries are notably secure. They take their jobs very seriously. The Watergate GJ didn't leak a damned thing. There were some leaks from individuals involved in the investigation, but not from the grand jury, independant prosecutor, or judge. The same thing with this investigation. We aren't going to know much of anything until the fat lady sings.

[kahleefornia]

16. because natural disaster is apolitical -

You can't take sides on the issue of a hurricane. Everyone can see and understand the problem very easily. Unline the Plame/Rove issue, which really requires a lot of background information to even understand, and can be somewhat explained away as dirty politics that have been going on forever...You can take a side on how to "fix" Social Security, and think the other side is stupid, or crazy, but really - who could understand economics enough to be 100% sure that one method or another would absolutely work? Some people truly think that Iraq was a terrible place that a different form of government would make better, rather than a place to get more oil. I don't believe it for a second - but it COULD be true. It is possible.

But this: homes are gone, people are dying, they have no food, shelter, water. And it has taken a WEEK for the government to start trying to help them. This is scary - this could happen to anyone - this is REAL. There is only one side, and its not a pretty one.

[XanaDUer]

43. And that everyone not rich here in the US is one

disaster away from being in the same position.

It is scaring some.

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. The media are not "embedded"

No one's in charge of spin (or much of anything else). There are no bullshit briefings such as in war.

If you let reporters report, they'll try to dig up the truth. And the truth around NOLA ain't pretty.

[Bucky]

40. Shepard Smith and Geraldo WERE embedded... in the Superdome

Shepard to Hannity: "This is perspective!"

[Oeditpus Rex]

45. "Embedded" means

..."assigned," basically, or maybe "billeted" is a better term. Reporters are placed with an outfit (I don't know the military terminology) so they see only what those soldiers see — that is, what the soldiers allow them to see. Geraldo and Shep were pretty much free to roam about the Superdome, AFAIK. Maybe not, though, considering the police state there.

[htuttle]

18. You can't spin a hurricane

...it's spinning too fast all by itself.

His dad screwed up the same way.

[Selatius]

19. The rubber band can only be stretched so far before snapping...

[Spider Jerusalem]

20. It's because there's no lying out of this.

Bush and his minions have been able to paint his actions thus far as being in the interest of "keeping America safe".

The actions (or rather inactions) of the Federal government over the past week in response to this massive disaster on US soil that left thousands dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, and saw a great city descend into lawlessness and anarchy show that the well-being of the American people really isn't all that high on Bush's list of priorities. The tremendous and borderline criminal delay in appropriate response and relief makes all those fine statements after 9/11 about "strengthening our emergency response" and so on look like what they were, so much empty bullshit. Bush and his administration can't be blamed for the hurricane, but they own responsibility for the horrors of the aftermath in New Orleans, due to incompetence, negligence, and what looks like indifference. It is, finally, Too Much.

[deadparrot]

21. Because the media's turned on them. nt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

22. Jumped the pretzel... That's a keeper

In my little part of the world the people who are getting po'd about this are doing so because they are getting to see it on their TV's.

For the most part the media is asking some good questions and by them doing so Average-Joe-American is beginning to question, too.

For example, if people were seeing footage of the death and destruction taking place in Iraq 24/7 they never would have been able to pull off the spin that the Iraqis are still thrilled to have us there and how we're bringing them democracy.

Just part of the reason I'm sure, but I think it's influential in how America is reacting.

[SammyWinstonJack]

60. BINGO!

You said a mouth full! They didn't count on the media showing the horror of it all and Americans seeing it. We are all thinking the same thing, freepers included though they won't admit it, THIS COULD BE US! I mean it is us, but, we could be in the same situation the next time a natural disaster or terror attack hits. And we ALL realize that we are now on our own it does happen.

[Lindsay]

25. Interesting variety of opinions.

I think it's mainly a combination of 3 things - people being able to see things for themselves on television, of having reporters on the ground for days before ChimpCo showed up, seeing the tears and courage and smelling the death, and of the utterly predictable Potemkin stage show of Chimpy arriving with the cavalry - days late and many dollars, water bottles, food packages, portapotties and buses short.

[gemlake]

28. He will get away with it

Why does anyone believe that merely allowing thousands of Americans to die will make bush accountable?

The media is playing up the "looting and violence" excuse, the Governor and Mayor will be swiftboated, anyone who questions bush will be silenced, the victims blamed, etc.

[Cats Against Frist]

46. Yeah. They're waiting.

The one play that they have to make, out of this, is to wait until Hillary, Teddy, Joe, Harry, or John K. start criticizing, publically, the administration's handling of this. Then, they go in for the kill with the "politicizing disaster," and repeat it over and fucking over and fucking over again. They can't do anything right now, because the bodies are still warm.

The full court press will come, eventually. And the kool-aid drinkers will have their mouths to the spigot. Normally I criticize establishment Dems for their inaction -- but now, if they go for the jugular, we'll get the "style-over-substance" fallacy -- a FAVORITE of the right-wing spin machine: "How dare you play politics, when there's been a tragedy.

[CatWoman]

50. I can't agree with your analysis

http://slate.msn.com/id/2125581/device/html40/workarea/3/?nav=ais

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1562518,00.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/national/nationalspec...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_di...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katr...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/03/opinion/03dowd.html

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/090205Bohne/090...

http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/24991/

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/02/opinion/02krugman.htm...

[gemlake]

65. Give it a few days

As inept and evil as this administration is, they are the masters of propaganda.

But, catwomen, I hope you're right.

[CatWoman]

67. Propaganda only works when you have adequate distribution of it

yes, we will see.

[Vinca]

30. It's because old people and babies are dying at the feet of MSM.

[jane_pippin]

31. Because this happened in our own backyard and it can't be ignored...

Their naked arrogance is on full display. They think all they need to do is say "Freedom! Democracy! Liberty! America! Hard Work! Makin' Progress!" and we'll all roll over, wave a tiny flag and hope for the best.

Trouble is, we've seen it with our own eyes. Our people are dying in the streets and they say "We're workin' hard to save them," when we could see they were doing nothing. TV reporters are human beings, and being around all of that--well of course they can't whitewash it. Who on earth could?

9/11 was so shocking that half the country just curled into a ball and gave all this bullshit a free pass because they thought it would make them safe. (Go shopping or the terrorists win! Sir yes sir!). Here comes another disaster and they have the same game plan, (workin' hard, makin progress for the folks), but this time, obviously, nobody's asking "why does the hurricane hate us?" We know what happened and we want to see some action. We've gotten none until the last day or so and nobody has told us why.

To quote the man himself, "won't get fooled again."

That's my theory anyway.

[RagingInMiami]

32. I have no faith in the American people who voted for the idiot

I have no doubts after all this is said and done, and the media moves on to the latest celebrity divorce, that his supporters will still back him up. And all the stories we're hearing now will be labeled as false rumors.

It's time for us take to the streets. The momentum is on our side. We should do to the White House was Cindy Sheehan did in Crawford. And let the mob grow and grow until we're able to storm the white house.

[Marr]

33. I think these guys were being supported by a thin strand of PR already.

And this bungled disaster snapped it completely. People were already FED UP with the lies and incompetence. This situation just put it all on display.

I've never seen this country so pissed at an administration. These guys are fucked.

[Drewskie]

34. a turn

There's also been a bit of a turn in the media. I think over a year of leftist radio in some major markets has something to do with Bush's numbers and developing political crisis. He's been absolutely blasted by people like Rhodes, Schultz, and Malloy over the last year and a half.

[LoZoccolo]

35. I wondered this too, and read an editorial or something...

...that brought up the fact that unlike 9/11, there's no other country or terrorist group to blame it on. So then we start looking at who could have prevented it, who's job it is to increase our readiness and maintain our infrastructure.

I also wonder if it has to do with the fact that Bush*'s approval ratings were in the hole when it happened, so maybe the media thought that it was OK to start criticizing Bush*, whereas if he was enjoying 70% approval ratings or something they might have shied away.

[CatWoman]

36. you have a link?

[LoZoccolo]

42. I can't seem to find it in my history.

I may have read it on someone's post here, or at work.

[Rose Siding]

37. This is an outside-the-beltway, domestic atrocity

All the previous dismantling of governmental infrastructure could be covered from the studios, and they haven't been anywhere in Iraq but the green zone.

I think it's just the first time they've been confronted, face-to-face, with the consequences of his incompetency.

[rustydad]

41. Americans

Are easily fooled by liars and deceivers. Bush's team has been and is all about lying the deceiving. That is what they do best. It has cought up with them. The press loves human disaters, great for selling papers and TV shows. They would not and could not paper this over like the invasion of Iraq. Bush will be severly hurt by this fiasco. Sad but if this had happened in Africa or some other third world place Americans would have expressed dismay then gone back to work. Not this time though. Bob

[NewJeffCT]

47. it's a lot of things - seeing that CNN, MSNBC, etc can get crews in...

If CNN can get full crews in there immediately, folks are wondering why the Feds took 5 days to get there to coincide with a Bush photo-op...

[cmd]

48. Have you ever read Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Suess?

Mack just burped.

http://www.angelfire.com/mn2/anarchistpoetry/articlesdir/article1.html

[Jade Fox]

49. Critical Mass has been reached.

Every Bush scandal turned a few more against him, and many more
aware on a sub-concious/denial level that he is a disaster.

[NYC]

51. Jumped the pretzel.

I love it. :hi:

You can't spin leaving people to die. You just can't.

[CatWoman]

57. lol

for some reason, you guys like that one :D

:hi:

[NYC]

68. We have a fondness for pretzels.

:)

[meganmonkey]

52. They lost all control. Everyone can see the man behind the curtain now

and he's an incompetent, sick little puppet monkey who needs to spend the rest of his life in a dungeon with snakes and alligators and dysentary. With all of his closest friends in similar conditions nearby.

They can't hide it anymore. They have gotten lucky one too many times, and the brief moments of media brilliance the last couple of days have killed their lucky streak.

[bobbieinok]

53. (some) natl reporters/pundits are talking abt their own homes + families

reporters have a personal involvement.....it's not 'them' any more

[Media_Lies_Daily]

58. Because the Emporer's new clothes are now visible....

...for what they really are.

Just think if we had a REAL terrorist attack....is this how quickly the NeoCons will react to that, too?

[liberalitch]

61. Can't hide from mother nature

[oddtext]

62. the powers that be don't want Fitzgerald to have to force the asshole out?

perhaps the "black ops" and "secret government" infrastructure is too valuable to them -- moreso than dumbass junior could ever be. Fitz's prosecution could get "messy". :tinfoilhat:

[SOteric]

63. And now, for a totally cynical viewpoint.

I suspect it's because this is a lame-duck presidency. Even the GOP suck-ups who've stood beside him and protected him must realise that his stint as "Leader of the Free World" is coming to an end in '08.

While they may not be interested in making an enemy of him, they aren't going to stand next to him if it makes them look bad by association.

[bklyncowgirl]

64. Corporate America has decided that Bush is hurting them.

Corporate America is all about stability. Bush's incompetence in Iraq has burt them. The fact that we're borrowing money hand over foot and are going down the tubes financially is hurting them.

They were willing to go along for a while, for the tax cuts and all that, but now he's creating problems for them and they've had enough.

The part of Corporate America that actually makes things, invests and provides services has had enough of Bush although the resources based industries like oil companies still love him.

Bush, the arrogant jerk, is right now having his wings clipped by the masters of the universe--who--oh yeah--also own the media.

[NashVegas]

66. They Are Failing Because There Is No Identifiable Enemy

Here's a little law I learned in a trade magazine for radio, for tips on increasing ratings:

You can't win unless you have a war.
You can't war unless you have an enemy.
If you do not have an enemy, create one.

There's no Osama, nor Saddam, or anyone like them to be set up as Boogeyman, and make themselves look like our saviors in comparison. There was Katrina, but she is gone. Even if she were still around, we would be powerless against her.

If Bush and Karl can identify an enemy, they can still pull this one out of their ass.

The trouble is, any enemy they can create would have to come out of their list of friends.

I don't think that increase in ratings is coming. It's possible, but it could backfire in their faces in a huge way.

George W. Fucking Bush apparently became a lame duck president on August 31.