Bush’s Undoing

My mother - who also happens to be a head shrinker - often argues that President Bush is so inflated that he can’t see his own failings. She says that this will be his undoing - and I couldn’t agree more. Bush’s recent behavior in the wake of the worst week of his presidency illustrates this concept perfectly.

According to one Republican strategist who spoke to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity, this White House is faced with “very big structural problems…It’s not like it’s a one-shot deal where they hit bottom and then bounce back. I’m not sure they’ve reached bottom yet.”

When faced with problems on this scale - scandal, corruption, a mismanaged war, a bad Supreme Court nomination, and low approval ratings - previous administrations have cleaned house. According to University of Texas government professor Walter Dean Burnham, it’s imperative to bring in fresh faces who are not closely involved with the administration. This sort of restructuring apparently helps to clear the air and reestablish an administration’s credibility. Even Bush’s political idol Ronald Reagan did it, bringing in Howard Baker as chief of staff after Iran-Contra.

But this president? Not a chance! According to administration officials quoted in this New York Times article, “he appears to see little need for the wholesale housecleaning that previous administrations tried in times of upheaval.” Bush is loathe to ever admit a mistake or acknowledge a weakness. What’s more, he doesn’t like to be surrounded with people who will tell him he’s wrong. He’s spent a great deal of time and energy weeding dissenters out of his ranks and rewarding those who have proven their loyalty. He’s not about to stop the self-congratulation, even when things look bleak for his administration. This is part of his inflation. And if he doesn’t grow some humility, bow to political wisdom and implement a turnaround - you can bet it will be his undoing.
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Postscript: The news brings more evidence that Bush intends to return quickly to business as usual - distracting Americans from whatever ails his administration with fearmongering tactics and newsmaking in other areas.

Nevertheless, I am so excited to find out who Bush will nominate next that I’ve asked my fiancé, who lives on the East Coast, to please call me if a nominee is announced before I wake up.

[UPDATE 8:58pm] CNN has a cool breakdown of the possible nominees.

[UPDATE 9:15pm] ACSBlog thinks it’s Alito, but also says he’s not the Scalia clone he’s often made out to be.

In response, my good friend Jessica “Monica Lewinsky” Case says, “I’m not sure that makes me feel better. Not being a Scalia clone is not good enough for me. Although it is a quality I look for in a justice.”