President Bush had a mini-meltdown during his news conference at the White House on Friday. It was triggered by a question from NBC’s David Gregory and the topic was his demand that Congress legalize his administration’s torture of terror suspects (and retroactively, to boot).
But what has the president in a snit is the fact that his lackies in the Senate have refused to write the legislation the way he wants it. Even Bush’s own former Sec. of State Colin Powell criticized the administration’s policy of torturing terrorists.
The president is frustrated because, as it turns, he can’t force the Congress to do anything. Who knew?
So all he can do now is make threats — and the threat he made at the press events was a real head-scratcher: If the Congress doesn’t give him the legislation he wants, says the leader of the free world, he’ll stop his people from torturing terrorists from now on!
Q Sir, with respect, if other countries interpret the Geneva Conventions as they see fit — as they see fit — you’re saying that you’d be okay with that?
THE PRESIDENT: I am saying that I would hope that they would adopt the same standards we adopt; and that by clarifying Article III, we make it stronger, we make it clearer, we make it definite.
And I will tell you again, David, you can ask every hypothetical you want, but the American people have got to know the facts. And the bottom line is simple: If Congress passes a law that does not clarify the rules, if they do not do that, the program is not going forward.
Q This will not endanger U.S. troops, in your —
THE PRESIDENT: Next man.
Q This will not endanger U.S. troops —
THE PRESIDENT: David, next man, please. Thank you. It took you a long time to unravel, and it took you a long time to ask your question.
You have to watch Mr. Bush at the news conference to get the full effect, but he seemed as close to coming unhinged as I’ve ever seen him. It brought to mind Humphrey Bogart’s performance as Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny.
While this comparison was just a passing thought to me when I watched the video on C-SPAN, Larry Johnson, the former CIA agent who is a reformed Republican, put together a brilliant side by side comparison of Captain Queeg and President Bush that he posted to TPM Cafe:
Shades of Herman Wouk! George Bush strolled into the Rose Garden today and channeled the behavior of Captain Philip Francis Queeg as described in the Caine Mutiny. He avoided grasping for small steel balls in his coat pocket and rolling them menacingly in his hand (no clack, clack to compliment the clicks of cameras) but he did have the shrill, hysterical tirade down pat. For those not familiar with the Queeg character, consider the following traits described courtesy of Wikipedia:
Queeg is assigned as captain of the U.S.S. CaineSort of like being named President by the Supreme Court–a command decision.
He is initially welcomed by the crew as a tough, no-nonsense veteran, who will shape up the ship after his slovenly predecessor’s departure.Oval Office oral sex does not qualify as “slovenly”, but it certainly was tawdry. Despite the uproar surrounding his appointment, most of the country welcomed Governor Bush–the tough minded, compassionate conservative–as a tonic to restore honor to the Presidency.
After a honeymoon period, it becomes apparent that Queeg is prone to eccentric behavior. Queeg displays a micro-managing command style and (sometimes unprovoked) angry outbursts.How about eccentric behavior? Does sitting immobile for several minutes in a Florida classroom on 9-11 after being told the United States was bombed count? Chopping wood on ones ranch while the city of New Orleans drowns in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina seems queer. The New York Times editorial from 19 July 2006 noted that, “the really weird thing is his (Bush’s) sense of victimization. He’s strangely resentful about the actual core of his job. Even after the debacles of Iraq and Katrina, he continues to treat the presidency as a colossal interference with his desire to mountain bike and clear brush.”
Micro-manager? Okay, not so much. Manager? Not so much. The most vacationed President in the history, spends little time managing anything. But “anger”? That’s another story. The jutting jaw tirade unleashed during today’s press conference was occasionally interrupted by the Bush smirk. Doubt Bush was angry? Give NBC’s David Gregory a shout.
As time passes, he begins to make mistakes that endanger his crew. He neglects to order the ship to stop turning while reprimanding a crew member for having his shirttail out, and so the ship steams over its own towline, parting it.If you are going to invade a country, history demonstrates the invader should be prepared for the aftermath. George Bush ordered U.S. troops into Iraq but took a nap when it came to post-war planning. George Bush ordered U.S. troops out of Afghanistan before the Taliban were fully destroyed and Bin Laden in hand. Today, Iraq is embroiled in an escalating civil ware and the Taliban are back with a vengeance in Afghanistan. Bush actions and inactions are endangering America and, as noted just yesterday by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, undermining our nation’s moral authority.
When called on the carpet by a superior after this incident, he refuses to acknowledge it happened, or to admit blame in any way.
Read the rest at TPM Cafe.
