Crumbling Bridges & Broken Promises

When the rest of the world, no longer regards the current US president as the Leader of the Free World, it subsumes any efforts to get anything of a political agenda enacted. Of course, filling the political obstacle course with self-created rotting infrastructure and unethical people potholes is not a recommended strategy either.

Let's recap some lowlights from under the bridges: Attorney General, then in role of White House Counsel, rushes to hospital bedside of sedated AG Ashcroft to gain already denied authoization to continue to wiretap illegally when acting AG Comey refused. Then Alberto Gonzales, now USA's Chief Law Enforcement Officer (pick one - or two) lies/cannot recall/forgot/didn't know/a minion did it before Congress multiple times, now seeks his powers expanded to handle the nation's wiretapping. Congress is considering perjury charges after FBI director rebuttal of AG's testimony. President Bush is pushing hard for expanded wiretapping powers. Vice President Cheney's chief of staff and President Bush's Special Assistant perjures himself and lies during investigation of outing covert spy, then president commutes Libby the Liar's sentence because punishing him was too harsh. President Clinton was merely impeached for said "infraction".

Then a bridge collapsed. What a metaphor. Did the bridge that Clinton built to go into the 21st century collapse? Did candidate Bush's professed ability to unite suffer a catastrophic failure or was always just a solo span bridge of his own entitled opportunity? Did the president acknowledge that he failed to read his presidential daily briefing of August 6, 2001 that said Bin Laden determined to attack because he was on vacation again at his beloved (once a pig farm) ranch in Crawford, Texas?

Did the USA's infrastructure of roads, bridges, and water receive scant US government attention because American billions were spent foolishly in Iraq with so little to show for so much spilled blood and treasure? Did the bridge to economic security pull up after all of the rich people got to their side of the bank - because Bush ensured his billionaire base received tax breaks in a time of war? Was the solid bridge of trust in any US president irrevocably vaporized for Americans because New Orleans, Louisiana was the scene of administrative and government incompetence by a Bush appointee who's experience for managing natural disasters was at an Arabian horse farm. Your doing a heckuva job, Bushie!

After repeatedly saying science was wrong about Global Warming, insert no signing of Kyoto protocol, Bush is convening a get together in September to discuss an issue he long denied, but now says he wants to set up a solution after Kyoto expires. Ugh. The United Nations is trying move faster on getting a treaty agreement on emissions, while the Bush administration plays beat the clock on the end of his presidency. A symbolic leadership effort by the White House on an issue critical to Earth's future while also demanding expanded ability under FISA to give his deficient Attorney general expanded wiretapping powers. Vice President Cheney remains unrepentant on trumping up a 9/11 connection for war with Iraq while loudly banging to do something about Iran. Houston, we have a credibility issue...

Former Bush insiders dish the dirt in a variety of books telling the sad tales of truth. Paul O'Neil is a partcipant in the book The Price of Loyalty by R. Suskind telling numbing details from the beginning. A spectacular book being made into a film, Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke is a must read. Republicans are rushing for the exits and penning their own mea culpas.