THE ENTERPRISE--Resignation refused!
Last week I posted a hypothetical resignation letter from President Bush. This week I am posting a reply from "us"--his "fellow Americans." I'm sure many readers will disagree with parts of it, but there is a little of everything I could think of in there.
The last posting this week, at the end, is a partial answer to the question I get asked all the time: "What wrong with America these days? It just isn't the same any more." The attached is just one set of examples of what has changed, and in those changes are many of the things that are "wrong" with America--not the least of which is a phobia about political correctness, and a dominance of "special interests" over the wishes, desires and needs of the silent majority. More about this in future editions.
IS THE WORM TURNING?
There is an old saying, "Don't bother to apologize or make excuses. Your enemies won't believe you and your friends don't need it." Lately, even though the bloodshed continues in Iraq, and increasing flow of elected officials and journalists are coming back from Iraq saying that things are improved. Make no mistake, there is no easy "win" over the next horizon. Success is elusive--if anyone even knows what "success" is.
The Iraqis have been "warring" for centuries, before Iraq's current boundaries were even drawn. I don't see any reason to expect those religious feuds to abate just because American soldiers went in and took out the dictators. In fact, removing the dictators probably made the "warring factions" more aggressive. Then there is Iran and al Qaeda, who both stand to gain from an American failure in Iraq.
But what is success? What is a "win?" I'm not sure anyone has adequately answered that question...including the President.
So, we have to reject his resignation letter of last week!
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A HYPOTHETICAL LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Dear President Bush:
We received your resignation letter of last week and regret to inform you that we cannot accept it. Since you were a party to making this mess, no matter how good your intentions were, you must serve your full term and clean up as much of it as possible. We need you to explain things to us, and not just use "platitudes," but help us see the reasoning behind your decisions. The media feeds us so much biased misinformation about you and your administration, that we don't know what to believe. We elected you (barely) because we didn't believe all that stuff Kerry was promising. Now we need you to level with us.
We are pleased to see that certain members of your staff and cabinet are finally resigning. They just waited way too long--all of them except Tony Snow--there you lost a good one. One of your major errors was that you chose the wrong staffers and then were far too loyal to them when they failed you. The Katrina mess should have taught you a lesson because however nice a supporter "Brownie" was, he wasn't capable to do what you needed. And poor Alberto was a loyal soldier but couldn't keep his foot out of his (and his staff's) mouth long enough to say anything right--or the same way twice. You had the right to remove those judges, but he just handled it terribly. If it had been handled right, the decision would have been a non-issue--as would the Dubai ports management fiasco.
First lesson for Presidents: Don't promote all your (or you Father's) buddies into the jobs surrounding you. You need some dissenters, and some people who would tell you when you were full of - - it. After Karen Hughes went back to her family, there was no one close to you who would head you off before you dug a deeper hole than you were already in. And Paul O'Neill--give us a break. Maybe he was an OK CEO, but he and your other financial advisors for the first few years were a total disaster. Your next try (Snow) was only a little better.
Also, when the other side starts after you about something where you are in the right (Dubai, Judicial appointments, replacing Judges, etc.), use the Clinton approach--attack them back--play offense, not defense.
You can be upset about the American people, but the average man or woman in America with an IQ of over 100 could tell that Iraq was screwed up sometime a year or two after the initial invasion and march to Baghdad. The Iraqis probably told you that Bremer was totally out of touch with reality, and Rumsfeld was too dug in (with Dick Cheney's support) to admit that a different approach was needed. You did a good thing, taking Saddam and his murderous sons out of power, but where the hell was General Petraeus 3-4 years ago. He was still around, and I'd bet Colin Powell knew he was a good man for the job. But you never liked (or listened to) Powell because he wouldn't kowtow to you--but guys like him were what you needed.
All of those revisionists from the other party thought we needed to take Saddam out too (who are now saying they didn't) . He had everybody fooled about what weapons he really had--maybe. You plan was a noble one, but establishing a fledgling democracy in a former dictatorship that is essentially a Third World country was unrealistic. You wanted a U. S. foothold in between Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria. Not a bad idea. The problem was that French and Brits screwed up Iraq when they assembled one country with three violently opposed religious sects. Only a brutal dictator could keep them in line.
Plus, you needed a strategy shift in Iraq at least 3 years ago. If you had not been intoxicated with your "political capital" from the 2004 re-election (which you have now squandered by trying to do too much--like reform Social Security--without first building a bipartisan coalition) and if you had picked some advisors from the other party--or at least the middle--you'd have made much smarter moves. But you didn't.
As far as the economy, your tax cuts did generate more tax revenue, but you totally abdicated your responsibility to veto many of those insane spending bills, to help offset the spending going to Iraq and Afghanistan. We can agree that for whatever reasons, your group has helped thwart any further attacks on the U. S. If you wanted to be a "hard-ass" you should have gone after the lunatics at home like the ACLU and those special interest groups that resisted giving surveillance authority for fear someone would eavesdrop on Aunt Nellie's month rant. The French were way out of line, so being rude to them was OK, but why you think Putin is "Ok" is a mystery to most of us. He's just playing you like a fish. And what the hell were you thinking doing an immigration bill in cahoots with Ted Kennedy--outrageous is too soft a word.
Now that you have sensible leaders in France and Germany to talk to, and a "decent one" in England, how about making some amends for your past disregard for them. While you're at it, get after that ridiculous organization that everyone thinks is so great--the U. N. (Usless Nations). A couple of your Presidential decrees before leaving office should be to withdraw from the U. N., cut off all funding to it, and evict them from that cushy building in NYC; another should be to stop wasting our time, money and attention on the World Bank. All the recipients of our money do is spit in our face--so let's get out of it. Leave it to the other fools who want to give money away, that ends up in the coffers of despots anyway. If the Democrats follow you into office (IF they win) and they choose to reinstate it all, they'll be the fools...and the American people will see that.
Finally, we want to wish you well when you do go back to Texas. You tried hard, and stayed the course--too much so at times--but your consistency and resolve probably have kept us safe, even though (as your opponents say), the world is a more dangerous place. While true, that is not your doing, and not your fault. Terrorists all over the world believe that you will "fire back fast," and that is helping protect us.
At least now you have someone in charge of Treasury (Paulsen) who is very competent, and Gates is a big improvement at Defense. (Rumsfeld was smart and a patriot, but just got too "dug in.") You also did a good job filling the two Supreme Court spots (after that Harriet Miers fiasco--what was that all about?).
And finally, you have found your veto pen--it's about time--and for those reasons we cannot accept your resignation--or even that of Dick Cheney's (although he should probably hang it up for reasons of health anyway). Putting Nancy Pelosi in the White House would be...in a word...scarier than Hillary....and that's pretty scary.
Bottom line, a lot of "your fellow Americans" would still be "fellow Americans" if you'd just listen to both sides a bit more before "digging in"...and preferably before "digging at all." You are a principled guy, a religious guy, and a man who is not afraid to stand for what he believes--even when it turns out to be wrong. You should be listening to the moderates, and not just the financial supporters like Big Oil and big drug companies. There is lots of value added work that can be done in crafting a real energy policy built on balanced conservation and more aggressive new sources of both fossil and alternative energy. There is real work that can be done on a semi-universal health care plan. That dumb drug plan for seniors costs a fortune and nobody understands it yet. Roll it all into a "bigger Medicare plan" that has opt-in provisions for uninsured people, using means tests and so forth.
C'mon W...there is still a year left. Give 'em hell. After all, what have you got to lose. And remember, Congress has an even lower approval rating than you do! That's the grin in all this. Resignation refused.
SIGNED: Many of your "fellow Americans"
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I'm not sure that is exactly how everyone would say it, but it hits a lot of the issues. Any new President will face most of these same issues.
Best, John
SCHOOL 1967 vs. 2007
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1967 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1967 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1967 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1967 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1967 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1967 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, and blows up a red ant bed.
1967 - Ants die.
2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security and FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Heather. Heather hugs him to comfort him.
1967 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Heather is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
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