For Bush, it's just one thing after another

For some reason this article made me gag.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/s ... 9239c.html

For Bush, it's just one thing after another
By Rick Horowitz -- Special To The Bee
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, September 18, 2005
First you do a flyover. And it's not just any flyover; you cut your vacation short to do it, to dip down and take a look at the devastation on your way back to Washington. (How often do you cut your vacation short for anything?) Message: "I care." But do you get any credit for it? Not a bit. They say you never put your feet on the ground.
So you go right back a few days later, and this time you don't just fly over the place; you actually land - more than once, in two different states! - and you walk around. You look at remains of houses and at broken levees. You even hug some people; if that doesn't show compassion, what does? But do you get any credit for it? Hardly. They say you avoided the worst parts. If you really cared, they say, you'd have gone to the worst parts.

So you go right back a few days after that - that makes two visits and a flyover, and you had to cut your vacation short.

But do you get any credit for it? Don't even ask.

Meanwhile, of course, you're talking about it all the time. You even talk about it in the Rose Garden, with your Cabinet surrounding you; you tell everyone how much help you've already sent down there, and how well the recovery is going.

But do you get any credit for it? Of course not. They say you're reading numbers when you should be reaching hearts.

So you try it a different way. You say you "understand." You say you "understand" the devastation and the horrible conditions. You say you "understand" the battered families and the ruined lives.

But do you get any credit for it? Certainly not. They want to know what took you so long. And they still don't have enough water.

They say you're being too soft on the relief efforts. But when you criticize the relief efforts - the results are "unacceptable," you say - they criticize you anyway, just because a few hours later, you say something that sounds very different, that sounds like you're letting them off the hook.

Meanwhile, of course, your people are throwing rocks at the governor and the mayor. It isn't your fault, they're whispering to anyone who'll listen; it's those other guys - where was their planning? And what about the looters? And why didn't all those people get out when they had the chance? And your numbers are dropping.

So you go back again, a few days after that - that makes three visits and a flyover, not to mention cutting your vacation short. But your numbers keep dropping. "Why won't he take responsibility?" they're asking.

So you go back again, a few days after that - that makes four visits and a flyover. (And don't forget the vacation!) But your numbers keep dropping.

"Why won't he take at least part of the blame?" they're asking.

As if that's something you'd ever do. Haven't you done enough of the other things? You've gone down there like it's your second home, haven't you? By yourself, and with your wife at your side? You've sent the vice president down there, haven't you? You've patched things up (more or less) with the governor and the mayor, haven't you? But do you get any credit for it? Not a chance.

You hate to do it, but you're running out of options. So you take part of the blame, more or less. "To the extent," you say, "that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility." ("To the extent..."?) You say the words, but your body language is excruciating; if you had put any more distance between your words and your self, you'd have disintegrated, right there in front of the cameras.

But do you get any credit for it? Dream on! So now what? So now you go back again - and this time, you give a speech. To the nation. New plans. New programs. But will you get any credit for it? Will anyone say, "Thank you, Mr. President, for your great leadership in this terrible crisis, not to mention cutting your vacation short?" Don't hold your breath.

There's just no satisfying some people.