"World simply can't afford an American government this bad" for 3 years.

[BurtWorm]

NY Times editorial:

President Bush's Walkabout


Published: November 8, 2005
After President Bush's disastrous visit to Latin America, it's unnerving to realize that his presidency still has more than three years to run. An administration with no agenda and no competence would be hard enough to live with on the domestic front. But the rest of the world simply can't afford an American government this bad for that long.

In Argentina, Mr. Bush, who prides himself on his ability to relate to world leaders face to face, could barely summon the energy to chat with the 33 other leaders there, almost all of whom would be considered friendly to the United States under normal circumstances. He and his delegation failed to get even a minimally face-saving outcome at the collapsed trade talks and allowed a loudmouthed opportunist like the president of Venezuela to steal the show.

It's amazing to remember that when Mr. Bush first ran for president, he bragged about his understanding of Latin America, his ability to speak Spanish and his friendship with Mexico. But he also made fun of Al Gore for believing that nation-building was a job for the United States military.

The White House is in an uproar over the future of Karl Rove, the president's political adviser, and spinning off rumors that some top cabinet members may be asked to walk the plank. Mr. Bush could certainly afford to replace some of his top advisers. But the central problem is not Karl Rove or Treasury Secretary John Snow or even Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary. It is President Bush himself....

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/08/opinion/08tue1.html?hp

[Carolab]

1. Oh, yeah, he's gonna keep Cheney in check! Addington in charge.

Cheney just walks all over Bush. And now he has Addington replacing Libby, Mr. Torture's Mr. Torture himself.

At least Rove was probably some kind of a buffer, inasmuch as it appears his loyalty was more to Chimpy than to Cheney.

There is an infight going on between the puppet and the master.

[LuckyTheDog]

39. At least the NYT has finally grown a pair

It's a good editorial

[FighttheFuture]

52. Don't kid yourself... the NYT is floundering around trying to ...

find some rock to cling to while Bu$hitCo, the Repukes and this War they were a cheap whore for implodes all around them.

The Times has many changes to still make, including firing Judith Miller instead of buttering her ass, and putting their liberal Columnist back into the mainstream (as the WSJ does), rather than behind the wall of "Times Select".

I learn more from DU and Buzzflash than anything in the NYT.

Frankly, the "Paper of Record" is simply a broken record these days. If it survives the next several years, I will be amazed. If it doesn't, then good riddance. Let a real news organization take its place!

[katty]

51. Addington is a Nightmare's Nightmare..

[texpatriot2004]

2. I cannot afford 3 more years of Chumpy and his evil cohorts. nm

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Nor can I! Every day these Greed Pigs remain in power, threatens us

all. Well the majority of us that is. And the World population at large.

[WiseButAngrySara]

3. The central problem is B* himself. So True. The entire world is

suffering because of this idiot. The SCOTUS 2000 decision was bad enough on constitutionality, but their decision makes them as irresponsible and immoral as the M$M in their support of the BFEE.

:kick: and Recommended.

[raccoon]

27. He is a problem, but I think the PNAC CROWD is the real problem. nt

[Bark Bark Bark]

44. The Killer Misconception

...is that George Dubya Bush is running the show. Let's wake up. Bush didn't pick Cheney, or any other member of the administration. Cheney and his cabal picked Bush, because none of them could get elected as POTUS and because they know Americans easily mistake smarm for charm.

Cheney forms a committee to find Dubbie a running mate--then offers himself as the best choice? C'mon. Li'l Dubbie needs a speaker hidden under his jacket to get through a press conference. Do you think they let him play with the red phone?

After 9-11, Cheney went into hiding while Bush ran around in the open, flapping his arms and baying like a hound. That alone tells us who's really in charge...and who's the decoy.

[oldlady]

5. If ONLY

Bush would take this ethics "refresher" seriously and be convicted by his "conscience" to create a transparent government. Release those Energy Commission Meeting minutes, GW...c'mon, let the housecleaning begin! (dreams aren't illegal are they?)

[cry baby]

11. If he took the ethics refresher course and did the ethical thing...

he'd resign.

[Flying Dream Blues]

35. you would have to have a conscience to be guided by it, sadly. nt

[tuvor]

6. Wow, what a change of heart for the NYT. Did they fire Judy? n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. No, just schizophrenic

It all depends on whose writing the stories that day.

[ClintonTyree]

43. I think Judas in on a mighty tight leash right now..........

she has no business being there at all, but there's something going on behind the scenes that we're not privy to. Maybe Judas herself is CIA? Who knows?

I don't think we'll be seeing a lot of important stories from the desk of Judas Miller in the future. Maybe she can head the birthday party and bar mitzvahs desk now, there's a real need for solid reporting there and Judas is just the one that can handle the pressure.

[snot]

7. Like the title, but I question the accuracy of & intent behind the text--

I question whether it's fair to scorn Chavez as a "loud-mouth opportunist", and although Bush himself is a problem, I don't believe he controls much. Those in control are those who backed him; and they're already selecting the next figurehead.

[BurtWorm]

8. Good points.

But Bush is a big problem. If Cheney and Rove are forced out--gods willing--then Bush is left.

I suppose they can cruise for three years without hitting too many rocks and shoals along the way. Unless Bush really doesn believe he was sent by God...

[niyad]

9. what is amazing is the NYT's suddenly trying to pretend to be a legit

newspaper. "loud-mouthed opportunist" from venezuela, however, does not convey quite the right image for them.

nor does going along with the fiction that chimpboy had ANY understanding of latin american politics--he didn't even know where most of these countries were. and his attempts to speak spanish were pitiful.

the only thing they got right is that the world can't take 3 more years of this.

[blm]

24. They let Nagourney tear down Gore and Kerry while drooling over Bush in

both 2000 and 2004, and now they want to pretend they are worried?

[glitch]

26. Aren't they cute? They've made themselves unreadable and then wonder why

no one is reading them.

[yardwork]

55. I haven't forgotten

The NYT can kiss my ass.

[Erika]

10. But he's going to send Karen Hughes & Condi out there again

Maybe he'll send Harriet Miers out there with them. They have all been so successful.

George W, the president who never was and should have never been.

[texpatriot2004]

12. World Can't Wait nm

[serryjw]

13. I just posted this on the Alzheimer thread

Libby will be gone, Rove will be indicted and resign all indications are Chaney has had it and will leave after 2006.....What will happen then? Can he survive until the next election w/o all his cronies?

The country/world is in turmoil. All we need is a real outbreak of bird flu and we are all gone

[Beam Me Up]

14. Please. Don't give them any ideas. n/t

[ReadTomPaine]

15. We couldn't afford the first 5, but we got them anyway.

And the NYT along with the rest of the media is itself partly to blame for many of these problems.

[Stephanie]

17. Wow! They want him to ditch Cheney!

The place to begin is with Dick Cheney, the dark force behind many of the administration's most disastrous policies, like the Iraq invasion and the stubborn resistance to energy conservation. Right now, the vice president is devoting himself to beating back Congressional legislation that would prohibit the torture of prisoners. This is truly a remarkable set of priorities: his former chief aide was indicted, Mr. Cheney's back is against the wall, and he's declared war on the Geneva Conventions.

Mr. Bush cannot fire Mr. Cheney, but he could do what other presidents have done to vice presidents: keep him too busy attending funerals and acting as the chairman of studies to do more harm. Mr. Bush would still have to turn his administration around, but it would at least send a signal to the nation and the world that he was in charge, and the next three years might not be as dreadful as they threaten to be right now.

[Swamp Rat]

18. Why the HELL can't Bush fire Cheney?

[tinrobot]

36. Cheney can't be fired because he is elected.

The only way to get rid of him is through resignation or impeachment.

The only thing Bush can do to expedite Cheney's resignation is to expose him and his crimes. Cheney is so evil, however, that he'll retaliate and bring down Bush along with him... so they're stuck with each other.

[BurtWorm]

34. Why can't he fire Cheney?

He can ditch the Geneva conventions and the ABM treaty, but he can't fire Cheney? He can pee on the Bill of Rights and detain anyone he wants to indefinitely without charging him, but he can't fire Cheney? What kind of wuss is he, anyway?

:wtf:

[trogdor]

41. Because he's an ELECTED official.

He can no more fire Cheney than he can Rep. Pelosi. or Sen. Reid.

[BurtWorm]

42. He can "resign" Cheney.

As Nixon resigned Agnew. And he would "resign" Cheney if Cheney's baggage became too heavy for him.

[Hekate]

19. NYT is seeing the light? Nonetheless, impeach Cheney first

[mwb970]

20. Cheney is at the heart of all of our current problems.

(I use the term "heart" ironically.) Cheney is a foul, vile criminal with no interest at all in America or Americans. The terrorists attacked us once. Dick attacks us every day. Impeachment is way, way too good for this monster.

[XanaDUer]

21. Bush speaks Spanish? When will he learn English?

...

[Bouncy Ball]

46. That dipshit doesn't speak Spanish any more than I speak Mandarin

Chinese.

Back when he was campaigning for gov of Texas and then president in 2000, they taught him a few phrases to use in speeches and he'd mangle them every time. It was too sad to even be funny.

I'd stake BIG money on him not being able to speak Spanish, that's how sure of I am. He's not even fluent in his first language, as you pointed out.

[Christa]

53. I hope is Spanish is more fluent than his English. nt.

[symbolman]

22. Yeah, tryin to show some cojones

with these anti puff pieces on bush.. how hard is it to kick the asshole when he's DOWN? Classic..

BUSH TELLING CHENEY to go to Funerals/Studies? Are these guys on MARS? If Cheney isn't the real President then ROVE IS..

If you kicked Bush in the ass you'd break Cheney's arm..

"Loud mouthed President of Venezulela"? Oh, you mean that EVIL Socialist who uses HIS oil money to HELP HIS PEOPLE? THe one that BUSH has tried to pull a Coup on TWICE, if not more?

The one that sent I think a MILLION barrels of OIL after NO was hit?

THAT "loudmouth"? I'd prefer HIM over Bush ANY day of the Week.. HE is a REAL MAN, gutsy, a LEADER..

Bush is some kind of stuffed toy where the stiching is pulling out and all of a sudden you realise the toy isn't filled with cotton, it's filled with Excrement - and Cheney or Rove's HAND of course.

3 years of a guy where we've had nothing but ONE Disaster after another WHILE he's surrounded by his DREAM TEAM - and it was all about, "Gee, don't worry that he's retarded or chews with his mouth open or mocks people he's going to execute - he'll have the best team in the world telling him what to do, why Cheney chose the Best of ALL the VEEP Candidates - HIMSELF" Don't forget that Cheney got Dossiers on EVERYONE picked for VEEP FIRST.

Frankly I'm scared shitless. I truely believe that if it wasn't MIHOP or LIHOP and just a simple terror attack because they sensed an IDIOT WAS IN CHARGE of the US, what the hell are they going to DO TO US when the IDIOT IS HELPLESS?

THIS is Bad JOO JOO friends.

All that talk about a "Constitutional Crisis" IF Bush wasn't MADE President? Guess what, we have one RIGHT NOW.

The NYTIMES CAN STILL GO FUCK THEMSELVES - you are NOT going to REDEEM yourselves when you were/are nothing but a STOVEPIPE for the most hateful, evil corporatist Fascists we've seen since Mussolini..

GET OUT NYT and STAY OUT - you've shit the bed and WE do NOT TRUST YOU, and Never WILL.. only if you tied Judas Miller to a big piece of wood and Burned her at the Stake in front of your offices would I consider it to be something close to an apology..

But that's just me :)

[Vanje]

31. Like he said_____nt

nt

[patricia92243]

23. What happened to the "Charm offensive?" Remember the Republicans said tha

that about Bush - before he became Prez. He might be able to charm on a short-term basis, but basically he can't get along with people. Thus, his "loyalty" - he surrounds himself by people that at least pretend to like him.

[Flying Dream Blues]

38. snake-charmer, maybe...

[Hekate]

56. Works for me: I've always found his "charm" offensive nt

[Tatiana]

25. Has the NYT finally gotten its priorities in order?

Maybe if they hadn't spent so much time dissecting Al Gore's "makeover" or Bill Clinton's personal life and instead focused on the very grave threat the current neocon regime posed to this nation and the world, there might not be a need for editorials like this.

I'll give the Times credit, overall the editorial is a good one. But this is a hollow victory because our "paper of record" is part of the reason why we are in this perious position.

[raccoon]

28. It only took them 5 years to figure this out! nt

[Danascot]

29. This suggests a poll question

I've been wanting to see:

"Is the Bush Administration so damaged now that it can no longer govern effectively?"

To which we on DU would answer a resounding, "Well Duh!".

But I'd like to know how the general public would respond.

[EVDebs]

30. If this is Conservatism's "finest hour" I'd say they're limping to the

finish line. A more pathetic display of incompetence, arrogance, deserves a day to honor such a poor performance, don't you think ? Hip hip, fttttttttttttttttt, hip hip ftttttttttttttt !

Bronx cheers all around.

[ClintonTyree]

45. They waited decades for all the pieces to fall into place.....

the planning, the plotting, getting the voting machines changed and in their control. They finally did it, the Senate, House of Representatives, the White House and for all intents and purposes the Supreme Court as well, all in their control. And THIS is the best they can do? :wtf: If this is their best effort when everything is controlled by them then they are some PRETTY SHITTY administrators!

Hopefully they've hit their high water mark and now the country will return to sanity. An educated populace would never vote for a Conservative again, but we don't have an educated populace....due to the Conservatives, of course. A dumb electorate is their friend, their ace in the hole.

[EVDebs]

57. Something like 40% of eligible voters are soooo discouraged, don't vote

given up or are forced to not vote as in the shenanigans in OH, with long lines in Dem majority areas...or FL with Greg Palast's documented black voter discouragement/purge.

We need a huge absentee voter registration by mail along with more 'in the streets' actions starting heavily two months prior to any elections. You saw the R's driving their voters to the polls perhaps ? I sure took note of that.

[anitar1]

32. More BS, disguised as sage advice, from the NYT.

Why would anyone think this is valid advice? If one reads the article carefully, one smells the BS. As for Chavez, Go Chavez!

[Bouncy Ball]

48. Hear, hear.

Too little, too late, NYT. I mean WTF? bush et al DON'T GIVE A SHIT.

Never have, never will. And that will get more and more obvious as time goes on.

[FizzFuzz]

33. The central problem is the RW and it's vast amounts of money

They can buy all the enabling they need.

turdweasel needs to go, but so do all the RW Conservative manipulators and their media stooges. The lies of RW pundits and the favoritism of "news' needs to be exposed right along with the exposure of the administration. Also, the ties betwn the admin. and Conservative Christian crusaders.

We need an honest media, a respect for knowledge and a public that knows the difference between ideology and information.

[AllyCat]

37. What's wrong with letting a loud-mouthed opportunist from VZL talk?

He had something interesting to say.

I do agree though...3 more years of this guy, hell, 3 more months, is just too much to bear. For me, for anyone, or for the world.

[ClintonTyree]

40. There's not a snowball's chance in hell......

of bush even talking brusquely to Cheney, he knows who wears the pants in that administration. Cheney would rip his head off and piss down his neck. However, Cheney must go. Shit, this entire administration must go.
As for our Dim-wit in Chief, he has a history of quitting everything he's ever attempted as soon as the going starts getting a little rough. He's not a finisher and I'm willing to bet that right at this moment he wishes they hadn't stolen the vote last November. I'm sure he'd like to walk away right now, as he always has, but gosh darn it the American public have some hair-brained idea that a president should serve out his term. We, as the American public, must give the Nit-wit in Chief his "out" here. If we started impeachment proceedings he'd probably resign in a heartbeat. I'm sure he'd much rather be clearing brush that doing all if this "presidentin'". Presidentin' is hard work and bush isn't a nuts and bolts guy. He's a chainsaw guy. Let's commence with our efforts to send him back to the Pig Farm, ASAP. I'm almost certain we'd get no argument from him. There's nobody rushing to bail his ass out of this one, he's made his bead and has to sleep in it. For once in his life the Saudis, Daddy, or Daddy's friends can't bail him out of a jam. He's going to have to suck it up and take it, and that's not his style.

[Bouncy Ball]

47. I don't think the New York Times understands, so I'll

type this out slowly (LOL):

BUSH ET AL DON'T CARE.

There. They had to hide it a BIT during his first administration (but not much).

This one? Pshaw. By 2008 they'll be actually pissing on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

[DemoVet]

49. Bush doesn't have the stones to face down Cheney

Mr. Bush cannot fire Mr. Cheney, but he could do what other presidents have done to vice presidents: keep him too busy attending funerals and acting as the chairman of studies to do more harm. Mr. Bush would still have to turn his administration around, but it would at least send a signal to the nation and the world that he was in charge, and the next three years might not be as dreadful as they threaten to be right now.

At the rate things are going now, though, Cheney may be attending his own funeral soon.

[Aviation Pro]

50. As that famous, moronic Republican Bruce Willis....

...might tell the NY Times, "Welcome to the party, pal."

[makeanoise]

54. Scandals are cool because....

Media will actually only do this sort of investigative and attack reporting when scandals are in the air...then can get some stories out...

That's the way it works I think, let's just hope this scandal stays around.