Ex-Bush aides say he never recovered from Katrina

[Crabtownboy]

WASHINGTON – Hurricane Katrina not only pulverized the Gulf Coast in 2005, it knocked the bully pulpit out from under President George W. Bush, according to two former advisers who spoke candidly about the political impact of the government's poor handling of the natural disaster.

"Katrina to me was the tipping point," said Matthew Dowd, Bush's pollster and chief strategist for the 2004 presidential campaign. "The president broke his bond with the public. Once that bond was broken, he no longer had the capacity to talk to the American public. State of the Union addresses? It didn't matter. Legislative initiatives? It didn't matter. P.R.? It didn't matter. Travel? It didn't matter."

Dan Bartlett, former White House communications director and later counselor to the president, said: "Politically, it was the final nail in the coffin."

Their comments are a part of an oral history of the Bush White House that Vanity Fair magazine compiled for its February issue, which hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Wednesday, and nationally on Jan. 6. Vanity Fair published comments by current and former government officials, foreign ministers, campaign strategists and numerous others on topics that included Iraq, the anthrax attacks, the economy and immigration.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bush_advisers_speak_out

 

[Bro. Curtis]

What a rediculous bunch of Bush-hating lies.

Pathetic.

 

[Crabtownboy]

What a rediculous bunch of Bush-hating lies.

Pathetic.

Are you saying that people within his administration are lieing?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Yup. And people like you suck it up like a Delux Hoover.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Yup. And people like you suck it up like a Delux Hoover.

So no one tells the truth except people who say Bush was wonderful. Interesting. Well, like it or not, this is a foretaste of how history will judge the last 8 years.

I would have posted it if it has said how wonderful Bush was. It is news and people should read it ... not with a closed mind, but to learn and hopefully make more intelligent decisions in the future.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Your are being dishonest again. I never said Bush was wonderful.

I would have posted it if it has said how wonderful Bush was.

Hogwash.

 

[carpro]

What a rediculous bunch of Bush-hating lies.

Pathetic.

Coilin Powell's fingerprints are plainly visible.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Yeah, and who was the other Clinton holdover, Wesley Clarke ?

 

[Scarlett O.]

"Katrina to me was the tipping point," said Matthew Dowd, Bush's pollster and chief strategist for the 2004 presidential campaign. "The president broke his bond with the public. Once that bond was broken, he no longer had the capacity to talk to the American public. State of the Union addresses? It didn't matter. Legislative initiatives? It didn't matter. P.R.? It didn't matter. Travel? It didn't matter."

Matthew Dowd has long since worked for ABC. I read a few of his blogs and to say that he doesn’t support George Bush is an understatement. He may have worked for the man at one time, but obviously has no respect for him now. His assertion that Hurricane Katrina caused the president to “break his bonds with the public” is biased at best and is not a credible opinion.

Their comments are a part of an oral history of the Bush White House that Vanity Fair magazine compiled for its February issue, which hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Wednesday, and nationally on Jan. 6. Vanity Fair published comments by current and former government officials, foreign ministers, campaign strategists and numerous others on topics that included Iraq, the anthrax attacks, the economy and immigration.

Ah! Vanity Fair magazine…….the absolute pinnacle of unbiased journalism.

This biased piece is a “good riddance” piece. I believe the name of it is “Farewell to All That” if I read correctly on some Google sites.

Are you saying that people within his administration are lieing?

No. They are just giving their very biased opinion of their former boss. And they are giving their biased opinion to the same audience that their (at least Dowd) new boss caters to. What do you expect them to say?

Well, like it or not, this is a foretaste of how history will judge the last 8 years

Probably so....but that doesn't make those judgments valid nor complete nor give them any integrity. People will generally believe what they are told to believe.

People began hating George Bush from the time that he took office the first time after the disastrous recount. They still hate him today.

And unfortunately, they will write the history from their point of view.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

For a guy who never recovered, he sure didn't have a problem pushing the war spending bills thru. A good 2.5 years after Katrina.

 

[Crabtownboy]

For a guy who never recovered, he sure didn't have a problem pushing the war spending bills thru. A good 2.5 years after Katrina.

Once you are stuck to a tar baby it is hard to get loose. Not funding the war once it was began would only have compounded the mistake. There was and is no good way out of Iraq.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Thsat has nothing to do with my statement. You claim he has been beaten, and I show you eveidence he has not. It has nothing to do with tar babies, whatever the heck those are.

He has gotten everything he wants. How is that "never recovering" ?

 

[Crabtownboy]

The Tar Baby and Iraq

Thsat has nothing to do with my statement. You claim he has been beaten, and I show you eveidence he has not. It has nothing to do with tar babies, whatever the heck those are.

He has gotten everything he wants. How is that "never recovering" ?

I did not say anything about his being beaten .... beaten in what way? in what area? I have no idea what you are suggesting.

Congress passed the additional funding for several reasons, some political, some practical. It was obvious that that ramifications of witholding funding was much worse than passing the funding bills. It has everything to do with being stuck to a tar baby. Maybe that is to subtle, or perhaps you do not know the story of Bi'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby. The invasion was like Bi'er Rabbit getting stuck to the Tar Baby. It isn't easy to get loose once you are stuck.

Here is a link to the story: http://www.americanfolklore.net/folktales/ga2.html

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Your article says he never recovered. I say he's gotten everything he's asked for.

 

[dragonfly]

Thsat has nothing to do with my statement. You claim he has been beaten, and I show you eveidence he has not. It has nothing to do with tar babies, whatever the heck those are.

He has gotten everything he wants. How is that "never recovering" ?

"Tar-Baby was a doll made of tar and turpentine, used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fought the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he became. In contemporary usage, "tar baby" refers to any "sticky situation" that is only aggravated by additional contact. The only way to solve such a situation is by separation."

from Wikipedia.

I'm surprised you haven't heard of a "tar baby" before.

BTW, I don't see where Crabtownboy said anything about anyone beating anyone else. He just referred to an article from a former Bush worker.

I think if Bush is thought of even this well by most people in the future is unlikely. Given revelations like this and the one from Scott McClellan, Bush is destined to being looked upon as one of the worst presidents ever.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Where I'm from, the word "tar baby" gets you beaten up. It's a racial term, in New England. That's the only context I ever heard it in. My parents weren't big on Mother Goose & Grimm.