Misery -- and Incompetence -- Loves Company
It wasn't long after George W. Bush settled in to the Oval Office (illegally, as far as many people -- including me -- are concerned) that a lot of us began referring to him as the Worst President Ever. In the five years since that time, he has only lived down to that description every single day, cemented that appellation, written it in stone for all to refer to throughout history. He has lied to Congress, to the American people and to the world. He has bungled virtually every chance he's had to prove himself worthy of the job; has shown himself to be singularly unqualified and overmatched to the task with which he has been charged. Just as in his previous attempts at running a business (Arbusto, anyone?) or governing (more prisoners killed in Texas on his watch than ever before; pollution in Texas at an all-time high), he has been a miserable failure, a spectacularly egregious example of What Not To Do.
His failures are many, and enormous: Allowing the 9/11 attack to happen on his watch, and then bungling the response; destroying the good will of the world after 9/11 by engaging in shrill, partisan rhetoric and stonewalling the investigation into the cause of that event; letting Osama bin Laden run free to this day; Dick Cheney's energy policies; creating the largest deficit in the history of the nation; cutting taxes for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and the poor; starting a costly and unnecessary war of choice with Iraq; allowing and condoning extraordinary rendition and torture; Abu Ghraib; Medicare D; Plamegate; the criminally negligent response to Hurricane Katrina; warrantless spying on the American people; the list goes on and on.
But here's the thing -- he hasn't operated in a vacuum. He has been aided and abetted by his pals in the halls of the Capitol building, who, to my mind, may just qualify as the Worst Congress Ever. They've helped Bush lower his game to the abysmal level where it stands today. With many, if not most, of the same members who were so subpoena-happy during the Clinton years, this Congress has essentially abdicated its duties and allowed the Boy King to run roughshod over them and, by extension, all of us. Blinded by the cigar smoke and mirrors (and the occasional blowjob) of the Clinton administration, a right-wing-driven and -funded Congress issued hundreds of subpoenas at the time. Since Bush took office? Maybe, what, three? Five? Congress has collectively said, "Subpoenas? Oh, that's so '90s. Besides, I don't see any wrongdoing." Here's a tip, Congressman -- it's tough to see anything but your own colon when you've got your head that far up your ass.
Rabid partisanship has kept the Republicans in check, and they are loath to investigate -- or even question -- one of their own. Actions that, had they been undertaken by a Democratic president, would have had the House and Senate in impeachment hearings long ago, have been ignored or excused by this crowd. Nothing the president does, including breaking the law with impunity and saying that he plans on continuing his criminal behavior, is enough to draw the ire or the attention of his cronies at the Capitol. And so he skips merrily on his way, lying and stonewalling and answering to exactly no one. And neither do his spokespeople. How does this Congress react to the presidential thumbing of his nose? They argue about whether or not to put Torture Guy Little Abu Gonzales under oath about the NSA spying case (and, because the Republicans had the votes, ended up not). Not that it would have done much good, with his repeated "I'm not going to answer that" and "I can't talk about that" responses to their inquiries. (Senator Pat Leahy showed just the slightest bit of spine when he commented, sarcastically, "Of course. I'm sorry, Mr. Attorney General, I forgot: You can't answer any questions that might be relevant." But, echoing the dominant paradigm in this particular group of legislators, Senators Orrin Hatch, Jeff Sessions and John Cornyn all defended Little Abu and his boss in their outlaw activities.)
And so it goes. The lying, incompetent president and his excuse-makers in Congress, hand in hand, skipping down the garden path. It's sickening, what's happened to our once-vital government. On the one side you have corrupt, crony Republicans allowing the president to get away with blatant criminal behavior, and on the other side you have ineffectual, Republican-Lite, afraid-of-their-own-shadow Democrats triangulating and wringing their hands, wondering why they keep losing elections to such a transparent gang of thieves, liars and blithering idiots. All of them, of course, are members in good standing of the Corporate Elite Party, willing to do whatever it takes to keep the corporate lobbying money flowing and to keep themselves in power. A pox on all their houses. It's time to throw the rascals out and elect some representatives who will actually try to legislate in the best interests of the people.
What a match -- the Worst President Ever and the Worst Congress Ever. I suppose they deserve each other. But what did we do to deserve them?
His failures are many, and enormous: Allowing the 9/11 attack to happen on his watch, and then bungling the response; destroying the good will of the world after 9/11 by engaging in shrill, partisan rhetoric and stonewalling the investigation into the cause of that event; letting Osama bin Laden run free to this day; Dick Cheney's energy policies; creating the largest deficit in the history of the nation; cutting taxes for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and the poor; starting a costly and unnecessary war of choice with Iraq; allowing and condoning extraordinary rendition and torture; Abu Ghraib; Medicare D; Plamegate; the criminally negligent response to Hurricane Katrina; warrantless spying on the American people; the list goes on and on.
But here's the thing -- he hasn't operated in a vacuum. He has been aided and abetted by his pals in the halls of the Capitol building, who, to my mind, may just qualify as the Worst Congress Ever. They've helped Bush lower his game to the abysmal level where it stands today. With many, if not most, of the same members who were so subpoena-happy during the Clinton years, this Congress has essentially abdicated its duties and allowed the Boy King to run roughshod over them and, by extension, all of us. Blinded by the cigar smoke and mirrors (and the occasional blowjob) of the Clinton administration, a right-wing-driven and -funded Congress issued hundreds of subpoenas at the time. Since Bush took office? Maybe, what, three? Five? Congress has collectively said, "Subpoenas? Oh, that's so '90s. Besides, I don't see any wrongdoing." Here's a tip, Congressman -- it's tough to see anything but your own colon when you've got your head that far up your ass.
Rabid partisanship has kept the Republicans in check, and they are loath to investigate -- or even question -- one of their own. Actions that, had they been undertaken by a Democratic president, would have had the House and Senate in impeachment hearings long ago, have been ignored or excused by this crowd. Nothing the president does, including breaking the law with impunity and saying that he plans on continuing his criminal behavior, is enough to draw the ire or the attention of his cronies at the Capitol. And so he skips merrily on his way, lying and stonewalling and answering to exactly no one. And neither do his spokespeople. How does this Congress react to the presidential thumbing of his nose? They argue about whether or not to put Torture Guy Little Abu Gonzales under oath about the NSA spying case (and, because the Republicans had the votes, ended up not). Not that it would have done much good, with his repeated "I'm not going to answer that" and "I can't talk about that" responses to their inquiries. (Senator Pat Leahy showed just the slightest bit of spine when he commented, sarcastically, "Of course. I'm sorry, Mr. Attorney General, I forgot: You can't answer any questions that might be relevant." But, echoing the dominant paradigm in this particular group of legislators, Senators Orrin Hatch, Jeff Sessions and John Cornyn all defended Little Abu and his boss in their outlaw activities.)
And so it goes. The lying, incompetent president and his excuse-makers in Congress, hand in hand, skipping down the garden path. It's sickening, what's happened to our once-vital government. On the one side you have corrupt, crony Republicans allowing the president to get away with blatant criminal behavior, and on the other side you have ineffectual, Republican-Lite, afraid-of-their-own-shadow Democrats triangulating and wringing their hands, wondering why they keep losing elections to such a transparent gang of thieves, liars and blithering idiots. All of them, of course, are members in good standing of the Corporate Elite Party, willing to do whatever it takes to keep the corporate lobbying money flowing and to keep themselves in power. A pox on all their houses. It's time to throw the rascals out and elect some representatives who will actually try to legislate in the best interests of the people.
What a match -- the Worst President Ever and the Worst Congress Ever. I suppose they deserve each other. But what did we do to deserve them?
posted by Generik at 9:44 AM
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