Monday, October 10, 2005

Why Are GOP Wingnuts Surprised? The Miers Nomination Is Just One More Example Of Bush Cronyism, Stupid!

By MANIFESTO JOE

I recall, over five years ago, when three co-workers asked for my honest assessment of then-Gov. George W. Bush. "I think he's an empty suit," I said.

In mob slang, an empty suit is defined as someone with nothing to offer who tries to hang around with mobsters. In politics, this would translate into someone with nothing to offer who either seeks or holds public office. And Bush, with his nomination of unqualified crony Harriet Miers for Supreme Court justice, has provided yet another example of a vapid politician with nothing to offer. Bush has no substance. He's always relied on cronies to furnish it -- such as they could.

Much to the country's lasting misfortune, Bush has been marketable. Surrounded by Machiavellian thugs like Karl Rove, he has somehow stammered and swaggered his way into two terms in the Oval Office.

But having the talents needed to be president of the frat house (backslapping joviality, cutsie-pootsie nicknames, smarmy "charm", and a sort of everyman appeal to the herd) doesn't prepare a person to be president in the White House.

So why are the right-wingers so appalled by the Miers nomination? News flash, righty kooks -- Bush has operated in this contemptibly shallow fashion his entire life.

The disaster in New Orleans showed what can happen when a weak, poorly prepared chief executive surrounds himself with "yes" men and women, and appoints inexperienced sycophants to key posts, as though he were putting buds in charge of the panty raid. To mention only the most prominent of many examples, FEMA's former "director," Michael Brown, was a Bush political hack with as much background in emergency management as Bush has experience in self-reliance.

One would think that perhaps Bush could have learned from so many disasters. He's created his share, and worsened others. (That, of course, would be assuming that he's in something close to a normal learning curve.)

But now he's ready to appoint to the nation's highest court a lawyer who has never been a judge, with no experience in constitutional law, and who happens to be a longtime associate and a Bush family friend. It appears that in most ways, he hasn't learned a thing; and it's fairly obvious that he never will.

The one big thing Bush learned, and very early, was how to schmooze, party, socialize in the most frivolous ways -- in other words, how to collect cronies. And, of course, spend Daddy's money.

Now he's doing his best to put his buds in charge of the store, no matter how much looting and damage ensues. And the money he's spending now isn't Daddy's, but ours.

It may be recalled that President Kennedy installed his brother as attorney general, to head a Cabinet post for a few years. OK -- conservatives don't have a monopoly on political patronage or cronyism. But this nomination has vastly greater importance. As a justice who would perhaps be the swing vote on a court that has already been appallingly politicized, Miers would probably sit on the court for decades and wield enough power to change the course of U.S. jurisprudence. Something tells me that this wouldn't be for the better. This is a person who has publicly called George W. Bush "the most brilliant man I ever met."

That ludicrous statement alone should disqualify her.

But one must understand that in the Bush playbook, Miers has the top qualification -- being a Bush family toady. The nomination is the payback for taking out the garbage so many times. and for propping up a suit with no substance inside.

But, we've seen this sullying of our republic before; and no doubt, we'll see it again -- at least until, perhaps, a House panel approves the overdue articles of impeachment for both Bush and Cheney.

MANIFESTO JOE IS AN UNDERGROUND WRITER LIVING IN TEXAS

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Miers will make a good Supreme Court justice. I'd rather have her than some liberal activist judge who legislates from the bench. Liberals are out of control in this country and we must restrain their power; otherwise they will run this country into the ground.

Anonymous said...

Nice piece; it sums up Bush's approach well. And to the previous poster who said "the liberal will run this country into the ground." This is a crock of BS. Remember, the GOP has all the cards (House, Senate, White House). The liberals do not have much power these days, sadly.

Anonymous said...

Last week, I heard Rush Limbagh criticing Bush over Miers. I also heard Sean Hannity do the same thing. I never thought I would see the day when the right wing pundits criticized a president who they've idolized for 4 years. I just wish they had criticized Bush over his other screwups (the Iraq War, Katrina, etc)

Alexander Try said...

interestig article here by Christopher Hitchens critisising the role religion plays in Bushs supreme court nominees so far.

http://www.slate.com/id/2127821/

Anonymous said...

In response to the poster who recommended an article by Christopher Hitchens---I would suggest that you take anything Hitchens says with a grain of salt. The man is an idiot: he has good things to say about Bush, the neocons, and the evil war in Iraq. Anyone who defends what the U.S. is doing in Iraq is in effect defending war crimes.

Anonymous said...

The GOP is going through a rough patch. But there is plenty of time before next year's elections and there is over 3 years until the next prez election....that's an eternity in politics and it's plenty of time for the GOP to patch things up. Don't count them out yet.

Anonymous said...

Good article. It's nice to see the GOP in such disarray.

Anonymous said...

It's unfair to blame President Bush for the problems in New Orleans. I think the proper blame should be on Louisiana's governor and New Orleans' mayor (who are both Democrats). And as far as cronyism goes, all politicians do this, both Dems and Republicans, so it's unfair to blame President Bush for this.

Anonymous said...

Bush is totally unfit to be president to begin with having stolen both elections. What were the Repugs thinking of when they have been continually supporting this dope head. Now they get a taste of their own sour medicine. Serves them right for being stupid.

Maybe we can all get on the same page and get this nut case out of the White House with the rest of his Neo-Nazi Facists before they start a nuclear war and destroy the planet which they are already doing by ignoring global warming.