. . . leaving Bush's sinking ship

[bigtree]

Bush aides quit amid little sense of purpose

By Edward Luce and Andrew Ward
June 21 2007 02:17

When asked whether he was quitting the Bush administration because it would be good for his political future, Rob Portman, the outgoing budget director, replied: “It would be good for my mental health.” Although Mr Portman was joking, a growing list of officials have already acted on that impulse.

At least 20 senior aides have left important posts in the White House, Pentagon or State Department over the past six months, as chaos has deepened in Iraq. “There’s a real sense of fatigue and very little sense of purpose,” said a senior official, who asked not to be named. “My guess is you’re going to see a lot more departures.”

Mr Portman, who had been Mr Bush’s budget director for little more than a year, could hardly have quit at a less convenient time for the administration. His resignation was particularly symbolic because he had taken the job as part of last year’s White House shake-up designed to breathe fresh life into Mr Bush’s second-term policy agenda.

As the Bush official with the most experience on Capitol Hill – having served six terms as a lawmaker in the 1990s – Mr Portman’s role has been critical to what little chances there are for the White House to push through its remaining domestic priorities.

Following the “thumping” – in the words of Mr Bush – that was dealt to the Republicans in last November’s mid-term elections, the president highlighted entitlement reform as a priority for bipartisan co-operation.

But the administration’s efforts have been lacklustre. It has spent much of its dwindling political capital lobbying for an immigration bill that may never reach the statute books.

“What is the point of sticking around in an administration that isn’t going to accomplish anything significant?” said a former official. Meanwhile, the administration faces a growing cacophony of congressional hearings into its handling of the Iraq war, into its alleged politicisation of the Justice department and into its handling of military tribunals to try alleged terrorist detainees.

article: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/09d0e1c8-1f60-11dc-ac86-000b5df10621.html

[Roland99]

1. That "former official" used the wrong tense.

“What is the point of sticking around in an administration that hasn't accomplished anything significant?”

[frogcycle]

2. "will never have"

gotta cover all bases

[mwb970]

3. You make a good point.

Has this administration accomplished anything genuinely worthwhile in these long, long six and a half years? I can't think of a single thing.

Imagine an administration that was right about things as often as the Loyal Chimpies are dead wrong (i.e. all the time). Imagine an administration that did the right thing as often as the Chimpies do the wrong thing. It would be a miracle!

It's not just that they don't do the right thing, it's that what they do do is the exact wrongest possible thing to do. Every time.

Pathetic.

[goddess40]

4. love those bumper stickers

are they yours and if so were did you get them?

[Roland99]

5. Got them all at Cafepress.com.

At least I'm pretty sure they all came from there! :-)