There was a time recently when you couldn't go two minutes without hearing President Bush or one of his surrogates preach about the benefits of an "ownership society". Back then, he used the phrase to sell his Social Security plan and, by extension, his desire to see Americans take control of their health coverage.
Now that his Social Security plan has failed and he's experiencing sub-freezing approval ratings, the president has dropped the lofty rhetoric and instead faces a harsh reality. Since those haughty post-election days, what was supposed to be an ultra-successful second term has devolved into a disastrous march toward ignominy.
Owning an embarrassing record, the Republican Party is betraying the very concept its leader so praised a very short time ago. Refusing to be held accountable for its many failings, the party is fleeing the ownership society of its own making. But running won't get them anywhere. This mess we're in?
Republicans own it. Let's start with the administration's most glaring blunder:
Iraq. Nearly
2,400 Americans have lost their lives on a pre-emptive war
based on lies. Every day, the crisis further spirals into civil war. All the while, our troops are still there, facing dangers the president blithely overlooked when he
declared three years ago next week, "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended."
Does the administration take ownership of these massive failures? Does the president seek accountability from his Secretary of Defense? Do Republicans demand answers for what has happened?
Of course not. Instead, the Republican Party would have you believe that the media is to blame for the lack of "good news" leaving Iraq. They'd also have you believe that the anti-war activists of the world are hurting our efforts by emboldening our enemies. But this disaster lies squarely on the Republicans' collective doorstep.
Republicans own it.
And, as the Atlantic hurricane season looms on the horizon, how could we forget Hurricane Katrina? Despite telling Americans that he didn't "think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," the president lied, doing so knowing that he had, in fact,
been warned of such a possibility. With disaster approaching, Bush spent
more time discussing the situation in Iraq than the impending tragedy. Further, with those grave warnings in mind, Bush
still told state officials "We are fully prepared." Not only that, but while thousands were dying along the Gulf Coast, the president saw fit to
pick up a guitar.
Did the president take ownership of his administration's costly inaction during Katrina? Did he hold himself accountable for the largely preventable aftermath? Did Republicans look to their leader for a buck-stops-here mindset?
Of course not. Instead, the Republican Party and its friends in the media would have you believe that local officials dropped the ball. They'd also have you believe that, despite evidence to the contrary, no one could have prevented what happened after the storm. But this was a tragedy of the Republican Party's making.
Republicans own it.
Just this morning, I filled up my car's gas tank. A mid-sized sedan that achieves nearly 30 miles per gallon, my car cost nearly $40 to fill. For many of you, $2.85-a-gallon gas and $40 fill-ups are a dream, as your prices and fuel efficiency may cost you far more. As prices skyrocket and show no sign of reversing, oil companies will report record profits. Company executives, even as they
tell Americans that "We're all in this together," enjoy salaries approaching $200,000 a
day. The president, meanwhile, reminds us that he doesn't have a "magic wand" with which to solve the exploding problem and warns us that America is "addicted to oil".
Has Bush done anything to break that addiction? Has he fully funded the pursuit of alternative fuel sources? Have Republicans done more to pressure Big Oil?
Of course not. Instead, Republicans would have you believe that environmentalists, a lack of drilling in the Arctic and trumped-up global tensions are the source of record-high prices. They'd also have you believe that Democrats are to blame, a response they've had to perfect thanks to myriad administration scandals, crises and blunders. But the pain you feel at the pump is one enabled by misguided Republican priorities.
Republicans own it.
See a pattern developing? It starts with an administration screw-up and ends with someone else being blamed for what went wrong. Just as it's easy to spot the Republicans'
panicked responses to any given situation, it's similarly simple to recognize them running from their ownership society. But, as the president was fond of saying about the war on terror, they can run, but they can't hide. This disgrace is theirs.
Republicans own it.
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