Evil, Deluded … VERY American

If you want to see an example of what is wrong with the leadership of this country, and with what far-too-many Americans EXPECT from their leaders, attend this answer Bush gave to a question today about the abysmal government response to Katrina:

THE PRESIDENT: Well, more people need to get in their houses. More people need to have their own home there. But the systems are in place to continue the reconstruction of New Orleans.

People said, well, the federal response was slow. Don’t tell me the federal response was slow when there was 30,000 people pulled off roofs right after the storm passed. I remember going to see those helicopter drivers, Coast Guard drivers, to thank them for their courageous efforts to rescue people off roofs. Thirty thousand people were pulled off roofs right after the storm moved through. It’s a pretty quick response.

Could things have been done better? Absolutely. Absolutely. But when I hear people say, the federal response was slow, then what are they going to say to those chopper drivers, or the 30,000 that got pulled off the roofs?

See, it wasn’t about his errors, his administration’s terrible decisions and allocations of resources. Worse yet, if you criticize them, then you are criticizing the people who made do with little, the actual people who stood up and did something. It wasn’t the horrible fiasco you witnessed with your own eyes for days on national television. The government’s continuing failure to assist hard-working survivors isn’t happening still. No mistakes were made … things happen, and if you dare to say otherwise you’re wrong.

Criticisms and questions are not welcome, and if you voice them it will be turned around so that you’re attacking your fellow citizens, NOT the leaders who find ways to help only those who need help the least.

THE PRESIDENT: I hope the tone is different for him than it has been for me. I am disappointed by the tone in Washington, D.C. I tried to do my part by not engaging in the name-calling and — and by the way, needless name-calling. I have worked to be respectful of my opponents on different issues.

There — we did find some good common ground on a variety of issues — No Child Left Behind, Medicare/prescription drugs, PEPFAR, in the end, the funding for troops in Iraq. Tax cuts, to a certain extent, got some bipartisan votes on them. There had been areas where we were able to work together. It’s just the rhetoric got out of control at times –

Q Why?

THE PRESIDENT: I don’t know why. You need to ask those who — those who used the words they used. As I say, it’s not the first time it’s ever happened — as I think I answered that to Jim, there. It’s happened throughout our history. And I would hope that, frankly, for the sake of the system itself, that if people disagree with President-Elect Obama, they treat him with respect. I worry about people looking at our system and saying, why would I want to go up there and work in that kind of environment?

It’s easy to point fingers at Bush 43, to make fun of how he mangles the English language, his carefully cultivated ignorance, his inability to act like an adult at ceremonial occasions instead of an ill-mannered child, but he’s US. He deflects responsibility, refuses to face reality, forces others to clean up his messes. Like so many of the “leaders” in so many of our institutions, private and public, he’s a irresponsible and self-involved brat.

In other words, he’s an American.

I’m going to be very happy to NOT hear the “word” NUKE-U-ler anymore, but I’m under no illusions that things will change much. The so-called “elites” are a reflection of the rest of us … don’t blame the gilded mirrors is you don’t like what you see.