An interesting AP article on Pres. Bush

Dark Knight

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AP: White House Trying to Regain Footing

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer via Yahoo News


The Bush White House is known for its ability to remain in control of its message and image, sliding out of crises with barely a scratch. Not this time.

Despite day after day of appearances by President Bush aimed at undoing the political damage from a poor response to Hurricane Katrina, the White House has not been able to regain its footing, already shaken by the war in Iraq and a death toll exceeding 1,880.

The administration on Tuesday struggled to deflect calls for an accounting of who was responsible for a hurricane response that even Bush acknowledged was inadequate. There were increasing calls for the resignation or firing of Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"I think it's clear we're in damage control now," said Norman Ornstein, political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute think tank.

It's a troubling position for Bush, already suffering the lowest approval ratings of his presidency.

The mistakes have come one upon the other.

Even as Katrina was bearing down on the Gulf Coast that Sunday night and early Monday, Aug. 28-29, and the national hurricane center was warning of growing danger, the White House didn't alter the president's plans to fly from his Texas ranch to the West to promote a new Medicare prescription drug benefit.

By the time Bush landed in Arizona that Monday, the storm was unleashing its fury on Louisiana and Mississippi. The president inserted into his speech only a brief promise of prayers and federal help.

He continued his schedule in California, and he didn't decide until the next day that he should return to Washington. But it took him another day to get there, as he flew back to Texas to spend another night at his home before leaving for the White House.

Once the president was in Washington, the criticism only intensified.

While a drowned New Orleans descended into lawless misery, Bush delivered remarks from the Rose Garden that were seen as flat and corporate. It was a sharp contrast to the commanding, empathetic president the public rallied around in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In a television interview, Bush said — mistakenly — that nobody anticipated the breach of the levees in a serious storm.

Even Monday's trip to the region was a redo, hurriedly arranged by the White House over the weekend after lukewarm response to Bush's first in-person visit to the Gulf Coast last Friday.

Bush had raised eyebrows on his first trip by, among other things, picking Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss. — instead of the thousands of mostly poor and black storm victims — as an example of loss. "Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch," Bush said with a laugh from an airplane hangar in Mobile, Ala.

In the same remarks, Bush gave FEMA chief Brown — the face for many of the inadequate federal response — a hearty endorsement. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," Bush said.

Later in Biloxi, Miss., Bush tried to comfort two stunned women wandering their neighborhood clutching Hefty bags, looking in vain for something to salvage from the rubble of their home. He kept insisting they could find help at a Salvation Army center down the street, even after another bystander had informed him it had been destroyed.

And at his last stop that day, at the airport outside of New Orleans, Bush lauded the increasingly desperate city as a great town because he used go there and "enjoy myself — occasionally too much."



Unlike his galvanizing appearance in the rubble of the World Trade Center just days after the 2001 attacks, Bush has stayed far from the epicenter of New Orleans' suffering. His only foray into the city was to its edges to watch crews plugging one of the breached levees on Friday.

On Monday, he skipped the hardest-hit coastal areas entirely, choosing instead to visit Baton Rouge — a town about 80 miles northwest of New Orleans that sustained no damage. He also went to Poplarville, Miss., to walk the streets of a middle-class neighborhood that seemed to suffer little more than snapped trees, a couple off-kilter carport roofs and a downed power line or two.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the president avoided New Orleans to stay out of the way of search-and-rescue operations.

"It's going to be almost impossible to overcome the perception about the president that he didn't show compassion and didn't get control of the policy failures," American University political scientist James Thurber said. "The vivid images that are coming across the television are really destroying his image as a leader."

White House counselor Dan Bartlett said the president and his aides are unconcerned for now about the unrelenting criticism.

"Emotions are running high. People are tired," Bartlett said. "If we focused more of our attention on decisions that have already been made, rather than on those before us, there's potential for making far greater mistakes. ... We really don't have time to play the political game right now."

___ EDITOR'S NOTE: Jennifer Loven has reported from Washington since 1993 and covers the White House for The Associated Press.
 
Thanks! Bush's concern that Trent Lott's house be rebuilt in grand style was one of the most revealing statements. He is totally clueless.
 
Well, he praised Michael Brown for a "heck of a job" the day after Brown admitted he had no idea that people were at the convention center. Doesn't that say it all?
 
Dara said:
Well, he praised Michael Brown for a "heck of a job" the day after Brown admitted he had no idea that people were at the convention center. Doesn't that say it all?

There is lots of blame all the way around but FEMA boy is clueless and doesn't deserve a job with any authority. I watched that interview as we were seeing what was going on at the convention center and had other independent reports. I can't believe he is still around.....that in itself is a national tragedy.
 
concernedperson said:
There is lots of blame all the way around but FEMA boy is clueless and doesn't deserve a job with any authority. I watched that interview as we were seeing what was going on at the convention center and had other independent reports. I can't believe he is still around.....that in itself is a national tragedy.


You are so right. When he stood there and said he had no idea that people were taking refuge in the convention center, I about fell out of my chair. This man must lose his job. Absolutely.
 
I dunno. I'll get slammed for this, but honestly Bush shows the symptoms of a sociopath, in that he doesn't seem to have any empathy or concern for others, only his own wants and desires. He was sluggish responding to 9/11, he has been here, as well. It isn't until people tell him how he should act that he is able to mimic the "proper" reponse, several days or weeks later. His interviews have been inappropriate, as well, in his comments and the way he acted. Laughing, smirking, joking, etc. The evidence now seems overwhelming that there are some psychological issues that govern his behavior. He just doesn't care about anyone else besides himself, and doesn't understand people's concerns or plight. It's all about him.
 
kgeaux said:
You are so right. When he stood there and said he had no idea that people were taking refuge in the convention center, I about fell out of my chair. This man must lose his job. Absolutely.
How do you feel about Bush very vocally praising him?
 
Time's not really complimentary either:

t isn't easy picking George Bush's worst moment last week. Was it his first go at addressing the crisis Wednesday, when he came across as cool to the point of uncaring? Was it when he said that he didn't "think anybody expected" the New Orleans levees to give way, though that very possibility had been forecast for years? Was it when he arrived in Mobile, Ala., a full four days after the storm made landfall, and praised his hapless Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director, Michael D. Brown, whose disaster credentials seemed to consist of once being the commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association? "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," said the President. Or was it that odd moment when he promised to rebuild Mississippi Senator Trent Lott's house--a gesture that must have sounded astonishingly tone-deaf to the homeless black citizens still trapped in the postapocalyptic water world of New Orleans. "Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house--he's lost his entire house," cracked Bush, "there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." Bush seemed so regularly out of it last week, it made you wonder if he was stuck in the same White House bubble of isolation that confined his dad. Too often, W. looked annoyed. Or he smiled when he should have been serious. Or he swaggered when simple action would have been the right move.

And he was so slow. Everyone knew on Sunday morning that Katrina was a killer. Yet when the levees broke after the storm, the White House slouched toward action. And this from a leader who made his bones with 9/11. In a crisis he can act paradoxically, appearing--almost simultaneously--strong and weak, decisive and vacillating, Churchill and Chamberlain. This week he was more Chamberlain.
rest of article at link
 
Dara said:
How do you feel about Bush very vocally praising him?
Come on, kgeaux, say something really, really, really bad about Bush. Dara won't be happy until you do, hehe. :p
 
Ntegrity said:
Come on, kgeaux, say something really, really, really bad about Bush. Dara won't be happy until you do, hehe. :p


LOL! :silenced:
 
Well, I was curious, but again, I ruffled a lot of feathers today because I was talking about Bush, so Ntegrity has to take a shot at me. Can't you--I ask again--respect tybee's request that I made you aware of earlier?
 
I think I read this on Fox News (maybe their blogs) and one of the reporters had a comment on the tease of the blog that said something to the effect that the President needs to learn 2 words....YOU'RE FIRED! I'm really upset about these poor people and what they went through. My heart aches so, so bad for everyone there. I feel for the police dept. and the loss (suicide) of those 2 officers and what the others are going through. There is going to be a lot of PTSD sufferers, IMO. I hope we can learn from this and make some MAJOR changes in how all levels of govt. responds to disasters and I hope we can start taking care of America and Americans FIRST for a while. JMO
 
T'sNana said:
I think I read this on Fox News (maybe their blogs) and one of the reporters had a comment on the tease of the blog that said something to the effect that the President needs to learn 2 words....YOU'RE FIRED! I'm really upset about these poor people and what they went through. My heart aches so, so bad for everyone there. I feel for the police dept. and the loss (suicide) of those 2 officers and what the others are going through. There is going to be a lot of PTSD sufferers, IMO. I hope we can learn from this and make some MAJOR changes in how all levels of govt. responds to disasters and I hope we can start taking care of America and Americans FIRST for a while. JMO


This is so true. Bush is loyal to a fault, and hangs onto people when it would be the better thing to send them packing.

PTSD: Our local news crews are filming little clips of the people we have in the cajun dome. They say their name, tell that they are located at the Cajun Dome, and name who they are looking for. We've got a mom who hasn't seen her 15 year old son since last Tuesday. She looks like she is in shock. I just looked at my 14 year old boy and popped into tears.....God, to not be able to find him, to not know if he is one of those bodies floating in that nasty water or if he is safe in another shelter. These people are going to be so traumatized for years and years to come.
 
kgeaux said:
This is so true. Bush is loyal to a fault, and hangs onto people when it would be the better thing to send them packing.

PTSD: Our local news crews are filming little clips of the people we have in the cajun dome. They say their name, tell that they are located at the Cajun Dome, and name who they are looking for. We've got a mom who hasn't seen her 15 year old son since last Tuesday. She looks like she is in shock. I just looked at my 14 year old boy and popped into tears.....God, to not be able to find him, to not know if he is one of those bodies floating in that nasty water or if he is safe in another shelter. These people are going to be so traumatized for years and years to come.
In this day of technology...why can't these people be tracked better?!!! I cannot imagine being apart from my family (especially children and parents). I see these children and I can't believe they were separated to begin with...but, then again, I guess I would send my child on if I had to chose between just one of us. Still....it's heartbreaking to see and I cannot imagine enduring that! My sister and her husband are going to MS with their church and taking 8 truck loads of diapers, wipes, personal hygiene, etc., etc. down there. They are hoping to bring back 2 extended families to live at the church camp. We are waiting to see who will come and get their sizes and hopefully get it all set up for them with clothes, furnishings, etc.

My brother's church in Kentucky is a HUGE church and they are attempting to bring up some families and get them homes, apartments, etc.

It's heartwarming to see all the people coming together, even though it's such a terrible reason.
 
This horror is lost on local churches.They don't have a clue.We and I can pray until there are no more prayers to be offered.This is an astronomical situation and those that don't realize this are cluless.
 
Dark Knight said:
I dunno. I'll get slammed for this, but honestly Bush shows the symptoms of a sociopath, in that he doesn't seem to have any empathy or concern for others, only his own wants and desires. He was sluggish responding to 9/11, he has been here, as well. It isn't until people tell him how he should act that he is able to mimic the "proper" reponse, several days or weeks later. His interviews have been inappropriate, as well, in his comments and the way he acted. Laughing, smirking, joking, etc. The evidence now seems overwhelming that there are some psychological issues that govern his behavior. He just doesn't care about anyone else besides himself, and doesn't understand people's concerns or plight. It's all about him.

You are not alone... My FI and I were just discussing the possibility this morning. He told me our old roommate's father's well known attorney friend wrote an essay on his sociopathic tendencies that was very thought provoking. He and Bush actually went to college together. I never got a chance to read it but I wish I had.
 
Dark Knight said:
I dunno. I'll get slammed for this, but honestly Bush shows the symptoms of a sociopath, in that he doesn't seem to have any empathy or concern for others, only his own wants and desires. He was sluggish responding to 9/11, he has been here, as well. It isn't until people tell him how he should act that he is able to mimic the "proper" reponse, several days or weeks later. His interviews have been inappropriate, as well, in his comments and the way he acted. Laughing, smirking, joking, etc. The evidence now seems overwhelming that there are some psychological issues that govern his behavior. He just doesn't care about anyone else besides himself, and doesn't understand people's concerns or plight. It's all about him.

Wow, Dark Knight. Very observant. I think you may have hit the nail on the head. He DOES have a lot of characteristics similar to Scott Peterson. OMG! I was angry before but now I am terrified!!
 
Cypros said:
Wow, Dark Knight. Very observant. I think you may have hit the nail on the head. He DOES have a lot of characteristics similar to Scott Peterson. OMG! I was angry before but now I am terrified!!

Me too. I am not feeling better about our leadership. And then we have former first mom discussing impovished with glee.Hell, I might just take my chances with Aruba.
 
Dark Knight said:
I dunno. I'll get slammed for this, but honestly Bush shows the symptoms of a sociopath, in that he doesn't seem to have any empathy or concern for others, only his own wants and desires. He was sluggish responding to 9/11, he has been here, as well. It isn't until people tell him how he should act that he is able to mimic the "proper" reponse, several days or weeks later. His interviews have been inappropriate, as well, in his comments and the way he acted. Laughing, smirking, joking, etc. The evidence now seems overwhelming that there are some psychological issues that govern his behavior. He just doesn't care about anyone else besides himself, and doesn't understand people's concerns or plight. It's all about him.


DK, if you were here right now, I'd give you a big fat kiss for posting this. Several of my colleagues and members of my family have been speaking of his strange affect as well. There are times when I honestly have wondered if he hasn't started drinking again. He just seems so disconnected about this whole tragedy. Truly impeachable if ya ask me.

Nancy
 
Dark Knight said:
I dunno. I'll get slammed for this, but honestly Bush shows the symptoms of a sociopath, in that he doesn't seem to have any empathy or concern for others, only his own wants and desires. He was sluggish responding to 9/11, he has been here, as well. It isn't until people tell him how he should act that he is able to mimic the "proper" reponse, several days or weeks later. His interviews have been inappropriate, as well, in his comments and the way he acted. Laughing, smirking, joking, etc. The evidence now seems overwhelming that there are some psychological issues that govern his behavior. He just doesn't care about anyone else besides himself, and doesn't understand people's concerns or plight. It's all about him.
I've read many many times that many "great" politicians ARE psychopaths and fit the DSM criteria.

NOTE** I am not saying Bush is a "great" president
 

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