Day: September 15, 2005

To the extent that he can, George Bush will try to distance himself from any admission of personal culpability for the Katrina disaster.

He may repeat his weak-assed admission of responsibility, but only behind the shield of the presidency, which is not an admission of personal wrongdoing. In other words, as coach, he has to take responsibility, though it was the team that fumbled and bungled and dropped the ball.

Other likely rhetorical tactics:

• Spread the blame from top to bottom, local to federal, so that it’s as thin as possible, but still besmirches Blanco and Nagin.
• Talk about learning lessons.
• Talk vaguely about restructuring FEMA, but keeping it under DHS.
• Appointment of a “czar” to appear to be taking meaningful steps, but giving him no real power (see “drug czar).

Other predictions:

• At least nine separate deer-in-headlight expressions.
• At least six instances of facial expression not matching emotional content of words.
• At least four interesting mispronunciations.
• Rise of 2.5 points in approval rating.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds growing discontent with the economy. But the good news is the alignment of independents with Democrats on issues and midterm elections.

A summer’s worth of bad news, culminating with Hurricane Katrina, has taken a toll on the public’s mood, particularly when it comes to views of the economy and energy costs. The public’s economic expectations, while hardly robust in the spring, have grown much more negative. Nearly four-in-ten (37%) think economic conditions will be worse a year from now, up from 24% in May and 18% in January. At the same time, higher energy prices are now having a major impact on Americans’ daily lives, with 70% saying they are driving less to save money on gas.

As was the case in the spring, Americans are largely critical of the overall performance of both major parties. But the Republicans face greater political dangers. In an early test of strength on next year’s midterm elections, Republicans trail by 52%-40% among registered voters. Equally important, Democrats are favored on most major issues. Even on terrorism, which consistently has been a Republican strength, the GOP’s advantage has narrowed.
[…]

My Fellow Americans,

I come to you with a heavy heart. While I have always enjoyed the trappings of the presidency – especially the servants and the planes and helicopters – I am bored with living in Washington and dealing with the Congress and having to read recaps of memos and news stories and watch DVDs of newscasts.

I could put up with that nonsense when I was popular and I could get my way. But now everybody in the world hates me, and the prospect of three more years of this shit makes me tired.

I just want to go home and ride my bike and work on my abs.

Therefore it is my decision to resign the presidency as of midnight tonight.

In parting, I would just like to say this: At least I got re-elected, which the Old Man couldn’t do. Oh – and I captured Saddam. He couldn’t do that, either.

Thank you, and God bless America.

Environmentally minded Republicans who say their party is out to use Hurricane Katrina and high gas prices as justification for pushing oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic? Apparently, they do exist, although pigs still can’t fly.

Republicans for Environmental Preservation have come out of left field to criticize the GOP leadership:

“What we are seeing is a blatant effort to exploit a national tragedy to advance long-held oil and gas industry objectives,” said David Jenkins, government affairs director for REP America. “I hope that a majority of our Republicans in Congress will see this misguided opportunism for what it is and reject it.”

REP’s targets include Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, who characterized the possibility that the hurricane could increase public support for expanded drilling as a “silver lining,” and called for lifting offshore drilling restrictions and for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Other congressional leaders REP says are exploiting Katrina include House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA), and Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who announced his intent to open protected offshore areas by saying, “I’m going to go after OCS (Outer Continental Shelf).”

“If anything, Katrina has spotlighted the increasing perils of our heavy dependence on oil,” said Jim DiPeso, REP America policy director. “There is no prospect whatsoever that opening the Arctic Refuge and protected offshore areas to drilling would reduce the nation’s energy supply and price vulnerabilities. Whether it comes from off America’s coasts, from Alaska’s Arctic via an aging aboveground pipeline, or from the politically unstable Middle East, oil is an increasingly vulnerable energy source. Heavy oil dependence leaves our economy wide open to price and supply shocks.”

Opening the Arctic Refuge would have virtually no impact on gasoline prices. REP America pointed to a recent report from the federal Energy Information Administration showing that drilling in the Arctic Refuge would reduce gasoline prices by less than a penny 20 years from now.

“Anyone who claims that drilling in the Arctic Refuge will substantially reduce gas prices is either astonishingly misinformed or is intentionally not telling the truth to the American people,” DiPeso said.

REP offers a way to tell Congress you’re against drilling in the Arctic. Go here, sign up as a fake Repug, give a fake name, address and e-mail, and let them know where you would stand if you were a rightwing wingnut. It’s fun! Be the first kid on your block to pretend to be an environmentally friendly Republican!