Now that the Iraq War — and why it happened — has been put back on the radar thanks to Jeb Bush, we need to keep an important fact in mind about how it happened. The whole “if we knew then what we know now” formulation that various Republicans are trying to flaot is beside … Continue reading Jeb Bush and Reckoning with the Iraq War
Tag: George Bush
Over the weekend, a reporter for CNN asked several actual and potential GOP presidential candidates a simple question — Who is the greatest living president? Let’s look at our choices. Which former presidents are still living? Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush. Who did Bobby Jindal, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump … Continue reading The Republican Veneration of the Undead Reagan
The Republican National Committee wants me to donate money. In exchange, they’ll send me an “I Miss W.” mug. Considering how I really would like to see Bush in the dock at the Hague, I think it’s safe to say that I’m not the RNC’s target audience. What amuses the hell out of me is … Continue reading No, RNC, I Do Not Miss W
Yesterday morning, I attended the Cubs/Nationals game at Nationals Park. It was a lovely day for baseball — not too hot, not especially humid, sunny and bright, a stiff breeze blowing in from the direction of centerfield toward the Anacostia. The Cubs won, 7-2. Being July 4th, the game had a particular patriotic flavor, with … Continue reading Why I Didn’t Stand for “God Bless America”
The tenth anniversary of the Iraq War has been on the minds of many in the past two weeks. Some who supported the war at the time have said that they were deeply wrong. Some who supported the war at the time fail to recognize that it was a collosal, world historical mistake. Last week … Continue reading On the Counterfactual Decade
In less than two weeks the United States will mark a solemn and unfortunate anniversary, the tenth anniversary of 9/11. I bring this up, not to disturb the memories of some who are still traumatized by the incident, but because of a recent poll that asked Americans what they thought the world would be like … Continue reading On the Presidency of Al Gore
Like many people, I got up this morning, checked the news websites, and saw that something world-changing happened overnight. Osama bin Laden was dead. And I was utterly indifferent to it. Oh, I read articles on a half-dozen sites, from straight news to instant commentary. And I coudln’t really make myself care. I thought briefly … Continue reading On Osama bin Laden and Indifference
Rewind two weeks. Mary Matalin, Republican strategist, said President George Bush “inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nation’s history.” Rewind almost a year, back to March. Bush’s former press secretary, Ari Fleischer, chastises Chris Matthews with a “How dare you” when Matthews presses Fleischer on whether or not 9-11 happened … Continue reading On Rudolph Guiliani, Terrorism, History, and Narrative
The Orwellian mindset of the Bush Administration lives on. According to Mary Matalin, George Bush “inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nations history.” Ms. Matalin, who was President on September 11, 2001? It wasn’t George Bush’s predecessor. Ms. Matalin, who was given a Presidential Daily Briefing on August 6, 2001 … Continue reading On Historical Revisionism and 9-11
I received something absolutely fascinating in the mail today. A survey from the Heritage Foundation. The right-wing think tank. They want to know what I think about taxation. Let’s take a look. Current plans by President Barack Obama and the liberals in Congress to erase the historic tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 could force … Continue reading On a Taxation Survey
Former President George W. Bush is writing a memoir. Entitled Decision Points, it’s due out in 2010. On the off-chance that Bush or one of his lackeys is reading this, if you’re in market for a ghost-writer, I work cheap. 🙂 I disagreed with damn never every decision you made, George Bush, which you may … Continue reading On George Bush’s Memoir
Years ago, when I read The Dark Knight Strikes Again, there was a line near the end of the third issue where George Bush’s Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer says “The President doesn’t have to say dick to you media pansies.” As satirical as Frank Miller’s story was, Miller hit really close to the mark; the … Continue reading On Ari Fleischer’s Revisionism