Prediction: We're going to see a B*sh apology speech on Plame shortly

[wiggs]

He has to deal with this now. It appears that Rove, Cheney, Libby, and Hadley are all involved (regardless of legal entanglements) in the Plame story one way or another. And there is only one person that is a superior to these four participants: the head misunderestimator himself.

It looks really bad and it might get worse soon.

He's going to have to have a heart to heart with the American people like Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton did before him (and which boosted all their ratings BTW). It will be a combination of Nixon's "checkers" speech and Reagan's speech in which he apologizes for Iran-Contra. Reagan talked about how in his heart he believed his administration couldn't be involved. He talked about how he was wrong and just didn't know the facts when he said there was no Iran-Contra wrongdoing in his administration.

Attacking the messenger isn't working anymore...it just sounds like whining to more and more people. The facts are obvious and known to enough of the public to matter.

So look for the speech soon. If it doesn't happen, I would wonder why. And that would lead me to conclude that he himself might be involved in Plame and that it's provable. If that were the case, then he couldn't very well plead innocence and apologize.

[drb]

1. Three simple letters: * N * F * W * He'll pretend to apologize and...

...somehow work it to end up blaming Clinton's penis.

[SoFlaJet]

7. I agree with drb

these people do NOT admit wrongdoing OR hold anyone accountable.Never have-never will.Their arrogance will be their undoing-and it can't happen soon enough.

[Fire Walk With Me]

30. They need to prove contrition with hard work on behalf of the people.

How about 10,000 hours community service for every lie?

[jmowreader]

31. How about ONE hour community service for every lie?

With the amount of lies they've told, and the lies' known audacity, we're still talking eighteen hours' service every day (including Sunday) until Shrub's about 115 years old.

It works out either way.

[Jacobin]

10. "Ah'm sorry some of you people think I did somethin' wrong."

Then the media gushing over Smirk's apology will begin, along with polls like: "aren't you glad the president said he was sorry so he can get back to protecting america?"

That would be about it.

[wiggs]

13. That's about the tone I'd expect too. nt

[NNN0LHI]

12. I vote for the Clenis n/t

[babylonsister]

2. Supreme hubris won't allow him to apologize. He/they don't

make mistakes. :eyes:

[CTyankee]

3. Well, he won't get away with it

Reagan had a much broader popular appeal and people LOVED Bill Clinton (also, it was a private matter with Bill, not involving corruption and during a time of prosperity). Bush has done too much bad stuff. I think Katrina was the tipping point. Floating bodies in New Orleans was just too much.

Somebody on another site called Bush "Chief 35%FallingFast". That gave me a big laugh!

[LSparkle]

4. His recent "blame the Dems" speeches don't look like he's ready

to apologize for ANYTHING, though, but I hope you're right. Wait, take it back -- don't apologize, asshat. Let Fitz nail you and your WH to the wall!

[wiggs]

11. Exactly

It's the right thing to do politically and morally. But I don't want him off the hook.

In fact, while we all hope that he and his cohorts resign immediately, part of me won't be happy until they see jailtime. Resigning and disgrace just isn't enough to compensate for what they've done.

[achtung_circus]

5. Nah,

B* apologizes for NOTHING, never, ever.

To do so would disarrange his world view and cause his head to implode.

If he does anything (questionable, he may try to ride it out) he will blame others It's what he does.

[punpirate]

6. It's just not in him to admit a mistake...

... we know that from long experience. Moreover, after going on the attack last week, any admission from him now will seem manipulative (could it be any other way with this bunch?).

Nope, if anything, there's going to be an outpouring of "wag the dog" talk from them, including Bush. Cheney has already told the public and the press to just fuck off, in so many words. Expect Bush to do the same, or similar.

Beyond that, who are his current crop of counselors--the mother hens in his life who will tell him he's been the perfect little boy and the world is just ganging up on him.

Let's put it this way--if he apologizes in any way, however slightly, I'll be very surprised (but I still won't think of it as anything but a hail-mary pass to manipulate public opinion).

Cheers.


edit for syntax.

[Old Smokey]

8. he ain't really sorry

If these assholes say they're sorry....they mean they're sorry they got caught.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi Old Smokey!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Dover]

9. .

[DU9598]

15. He can apologize

But the war will keep his approval rating from rebounding.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. LOL! Like he apologized for not responding to Katrina soon enough?

That kinda apology? He can take his *heart to heart* and shove it!

[wiggs]

17. That kind of apology, yes.

"In my heart I believe that those in my administration work hard every day to carry out of the will of the people. I have faith that their intentions are good. I trust them"

"I was not aware that some in administration inadvertantly discussed an issue they shouldn't have"

"Those who participated have assured me that they did not believe they did anything wrong"

"Any harm done was unintentional, but we apologize to the American people in any case and look forward to resolution of an ongoing investigation"

It won't work with you or me or any DUr, but it will work with those who are waiting for it. It would be easy. Not honest. Not heartfelt...but easy and to a degree, effective.

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. That'll go over like a turd in a punch bowl, or is that a turd blossom?

:rofl: I hope he tries it! BRING IT ON! :woohoo:

[KansDem]

28. You forgot the final line, "Now watch this drive" (eom)

[havocmom]

16. He would stay in Asia as a political refugee to avoid apologizing.

If his handlers insist on it, he will climb so far up a bottle nobody will pull is drunken, irresponsible ass out.

[twaddler01]

18. I will believe it when I see it

otherwise, same old bullsh* from a bullsh* election and bullsh* president...

[understandinglife]

19. This man is a criminal of the highest order. "Anything you say or do ...

... will be held against you in a court of law" is all that should be running through his head, constantly.

It IS Tribunal Time in the United States of America.


Peace.

[wiggs]

20. Prediction #2: it will happen this week.

If it doesn't, then either 1) he's involved in the leak, or 2) the Wash Times reports are true: he's curled up in a fetal position under his desk and won't talk to anyone but Pickles and Condi

[troubleinwinter]

22. You misspelled the first word of your title. It's spelled "Hallucination"

[wiggs]

24. Hah!

Just come on back when it happens please!

[troubleinwinter]

29. It's a promise!

[Xenotime]

23. He should do that and step down...

he has lost all control of his administration.

[Disturbed]

26. "not gonna happen. Wouldn't be prudent..

at this juncture."

[wildeyed]

27. That's what he should do, but I doubt he is capable of it.

Plus he should have cut Rove loose weeks ago.

[desi826]

32. If he responds at all...

it will be to accept the resignations of his staff.
Apologizing would hurt him with the right wing of the party who sees apologizing as weakness not worth supporting.
That's why he took back his Katrina apology.
For them, it is a position of weakness, they cannot afford nor stomach.

Not an option for him.
The way I am hearing it, Condi is trying to convince him to bomb Syria. Her and Negropointe believe that is the way to regain his domestic political footing.
I could see that happening quicker than an apology.
Des

[smomfr]

34. An apology would be a step

in the right direction. Problem is dumbya never does the right thing so forget it.

[desi826]

41. And personally

I would rather he NOT apologize.
At least not until 2006. In fact, I wish it was 2006 right now.
Des

[donkeyotay]

33. Let's see, he ordered his administration to cooperate fully

And they scampered off in big herds going "can't make me!" So, Mr. Presidente, can you not even control your own administration or DID YOU LIE, REPEATEDLY, TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE YET AGAIN?

[DanCa]

35. Uhm with respect Bush doesn't worship a god of forgiveness

Remember when the prison pics were all over tv? The chimp couldn't appologize for that niether could his "christian" base.

[wiggs]

37. Different situation, different time

I agree that he should have taken responsibility for Abu Ghraib too, but the point is that Plame is becoming something that they have not dealt with before.

Abu Ghraib: no national consensus that the abuse was tied to administration direction. On the other hand, Plame is all about the administation, and higher ups at that.

Abu Ghraib two years ago: no need to apologize when your base, the media, and congress still have your back. Plame: happening when everyone but some mentally ill sociopaths are running away from the president like he's got bird flu.

Abu Ghraib: bad management at one prison. Plame: tied to the weak reasons for getting into the war in the first place, something that is on everyone's mind at the moment

Abu Ghraib meme: a few isolated cases where a small number of low-level troops acted poorly. You can't condemn the entire military that's there fighting for us just because of a few rotten apples, right? Plame meme: a few high level rotten apples? Doesn't sound good.

Something HAS to be done that stops the hemorraging of support here...and I'm thinking that some gesture toward apology is easier than starting a war, allowing another terrorist attack, firing your whole staff, or finally finding WMD in Iraq.

[DanCa]

38. Oh okay I see what your saying now (nt)

[Individualist]

36. You're joking, aren't you?

Bloody George never apologizes for anything, nor does he ever take responsibility for anything.

[wrate]

39. * would rather be thrown naked in an Iraqi prison, than apologize. n/t

[ninkasi]

40. I'll be surprised if he does...

My basis for saying this is that he reminds me a great deal of my father. My father died many years ago, but was opinionated, stubborn, and completely convinced that anything he thought was the truth. He brushed aside any evidence to the contrary, and refused to even consider, ever, under any circumstances, that he might be wrong about anything.

Bush is the same. He confuses fact with his opinions, and will accept nothing else. He is truly incapable of even considering, much less admitting, that he can ever, ever, be mistaken. I will admit that my opinion is based only on my own experiences with my father, but so far, I've been able to predict Dubya pretty well by asking myself what my father would say, or do, in the same situation.

[LittleClarkie]

42. More importantly, how will he find a way to blame it on the Dems

It's not like he can say they outted her too.

What kind of a campaign style speech are they going to be able to come up with for that?

[Justice Is Comin]

43. And we can play Farenheit 911 right after it.

[DemonFighterLives]

44. Don't hold your breath

The truth is not in this administration.
It would help clean things up, but never admitting anything is "their" way.