Number Two

[babylonsister]

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/number-two-by-digby-via-kevin-drum-i.html

Number Two

by digby

Via Kevin Drum I see that the rumor about the usual suspects running around trying to provoke war with Iran even as the administration is ostensibly trying to ratchet down the trash talk has been confirmed. Why am I not surprised?

Sometimes I have to wonder what people from the past would think of something like this, though:

"We fully believe that Foggy Bottom is committed to the diplomatic track," one European official said Wednesday. "But there's some concern about the vice president's office."



Think about that. Until recently, the Vice President was a second rate funtionary who went to funerals. Now he's so powerful that he's running a shadow presidency and nobody really knows what to do about it. Certainly nobody thinks the empty codpiece will do anything about it. In fact, it's just assumed that Uncle Dick has ordered him to STFU and go out and babble incoherently while the big boys do the work.

In fact, for such a tough guy, that Bush sure is a wimpy little doormat, isn't he? Cheney and the neocons basically tell him go fuck himself on a regular basis and he just takes it. No wonder he's pounding his chest and screeching "I'm the president!" to his Texas pals.

Meanwhile, Chris Matthews reminds everyone daily that voters want to vote for the man who seems the manliest (competence is for eggheads) but I can't help but suspect that the rest of the country is no longer so convinced that the right way to pick a president is to ask yourself whether he resembles a member of the Village People. We've just spent six years with the fake cowboy and look how well that's turned out.

And clearly we should start paying more attention to Vice Presidents too...

[dave_p]

1. "start paying more attention to Vice Presidents too"

Very true. It's amazing how these guys get nodded through. Dan Quayle? Lieberman??

They're candidates for the Presidency, ferchrissakes! The Presidency in the event of an unforeseen mishap, but the Presidency nonetheless.

Cheney's changed the rules of the game, and that may not be a bad thing in the long run. A more active VP may get voters thinking about the package they're voting for rather than just the dumb guy who doesn't challenge them to think.

And that means choosing a Veep who can fart & chew gum at the same time rather than one who may just swing a marginal state or two.

Luckily Democrats aren't nearly so short of talented running-mates as their opponents. I hope they don't screw it up.

[pscot]

2. Have we ever before had a V.P.

who was psychotic. Cheney belongs in a home for the criminally insane. The man is delusional and fully prepared to act on the basis of his delusions. I'd like to know what the voices in his head are telling to do.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

5. They are all insane...

[coco77]

3. Jeb bush will be the next vice on one of their tickets...

if not then, if by some miracle they win the whitehouse the person picked will step down and jeb will step in. I don't trust these people.

[tblue37]

7. Any candidate for pres who lets Jeb onto his ticket is

putting himself at risk. At least that is what I suspect. The BFEE wants Jeb to be president.

[Buns_of_Fire]

4. Cheney = "Number Two"... Hmmmmm...

Yes, I can easily make the equivalence in this circumstance. Of course, I consider boosh* = "Number Two," also. Both of them. Big steaming mounds of "Number Two."

[babylonsister]

6. Great analogy! nt

[az chela]

8. Cheney has always been running the show.He controls every

thing the shrub says and does.He keeps him riding his bike and doing photo ops while cheney pushes the buttons