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September 21, 2006
No More White House Passes For You, Buddy!
He sets up his shot at the President by describing in hopeful tones what he sees as the rise of the silent, independent middle "mobilizing to resist not only Bush but also the extremist elements in American society" (which he describes as lefty bloggers and righty religious extremists).
Broder -- a mild-mannered, exceedingly polite and patient midwesterner, as anyone who's seen him on "Meet the Press" would know -- drops this bomb:
The country thought Bush was a pleasant, down-to-earth guy who would not rock the boat. Instead, swayed by some inner impulse or the influence of Dick Cheney, he has proved to be lawless and reckless. He started a war he cannot finish, drove the government into debt and repeatedly defied the Constitution.
WOW!!! David Broder going for Bush's jugular with words like "lawless" and "reckless" and "defied" is . . . well . . . staggering.
I don't know if anyone who pulls the levers of power in the political establishment listens to him anymore. Or that he has a handle on the pulse of middle America. But he seems to be speaking with the blessing of the old guard (Warner, McCain, Leiberman, Powell). Either his column signals a turn in how a cowed media will present Bush going forward. Or maybe it's just that gurgling sound you hear right before the last bit of air from a sinking ship bubbles to the surface.
In the immortal words of Vince Lombardi, "what the hell's goin' on out there?"
Posted by shertaugh at September 21, 2006 8:52 AM
Comments
Broder is trying to salvage what he in his smugness perceives to be the "decent middle" (of McCain, Lieberman, Warner, Powell, and himself) despite the fact they were all enablers of this administration's inerring capacity for catastrophe. He's trying to save his own smug ass. This past Sunday he said he thought Clinton should have resigned for lying about Monica's blow job. But not that Bush should resign for lying to get us into Iraq. Give me a break. These guys (Broder, Warner, McCain, Lieberman, and Powell) have all been wrong about this administration at times when they're being right could have made a difference. Why should I consider them now the leaders I should follow?
Posted by: peter at September 21, 2006 12:17 PM
If only the mainstream media would start to use the word "torture," which is a neutral description of what Bush does and is pushing to legalize. Instead, it adopts his term, "alternative interrogation methods," or, as Broder says in the column in question, "a free hand in treating terrorist detainees." Some treat!
Posted by: Henry at September 21, 2006 12:21 PM
Note too that in writing of the legislation's giving Bush "a free hand in treating terrorist detainees," Broder omits the word "suspected," thereby joining Bush in finding them all guilty before charges are even filed, even though we know that a substantial percentage are not guilty.
Posted by: Henry at September 21, 2006 3:41 PM