MoDo's Back
Maureen Dowd, who has been away from her NY Times desk on a tour promoting her new book, has returned, and with a vengeance. Like a lot of us, she has noticed that President Bush, that compassionate conservative, continues to hide from the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq. Cynthia Sheehan has camped out on the road to Bush's Crawford ranch and intends to remain there until the Resident agrees to meet privately with her to explain why her son died. He, knowing this grieving mother is passionately opposed to the Iraq War (and for good reason, one thinks), has refused.
Here is Ms. Dowd's assessment of the current standoff:
The Bush team tried to discredit "Mom" by pointing reporters to an old article in which she sounded kinder to W. If only her husband were an undercover C.I.A. operative, the Bushies could out him. But even if they send out a squad of Swift Boat Moms for Truth, there will be a countering Falluja Moms for Truth. ...
It's hard to think of another president who lived in such meta-insulation. His rigidly controlled environment allows no chance encounters with anyone who disagrees. He never has to defend himself to anyone, and that is cognitively injurious. ...
It's getting harder for the president to hide from the human consequences of his actions and to control human sentiment about the war by pulling a curtain over the 1,835 troops killed in Iraq; the more than 13,000 wounded, many shorn of limbs; and the number of slain Iraqi civilians - perhaps 25,000, or perhaps double or triple that. More people with impeccable credentials are coming forward to serve as a countervailing moral authority to challenge Mr. Bush. [Emphasis added]
Because Ms. Sheehan's story has touched so many, not all of whom are lefty bloggers, Bush's intransigence in meeting with her is beginning to show the imperialism of his presidency. He does not meet with the unscreened unwashed. His poll numbers have dropped precipitously, yet he still doesn't get it. Hopefully more columnists and journalists will attempt to educate him and the American public.
To Ms. Dowd I would just like to say, "Welcome back. More like this, please."
Here is Ms. Dowd's assessment of the current standoff:
The Bush team tried to discredit "Mom" by pointing reporters to an old article in which she sounded kinder to W. If only her husband were an undercover C.I.A. operative, the Bushies could out him. But even if they send out a squad of Swift Boat Moms for Truth, there will be a countering Falluja Moms for Truth. ...
It's hard to think of another president who lived in such meta-insulation. His rigidly controlled environment allows no chance encounters with anyone who disagrees. He never has to defend himself to anyone, and that is cognitively injurious. ...
It's getting harder for the president to hide from the human consequences of his actions and to control human sentiment about the war by pulling a curtain over the 1,835 troops killed in Iraq; the more than 13,000 wounded, many shorn of limbs; and the number of slain Iraqi civilians - perhaps 25,000, or perhaps double or triple that. More people with impeccable credentials are coming forward to serve as a countervailing moral authority to challenge Mr. Bush. [Emphasis added]
Because Ms. Sheehan's story has touched so many, not all of whom are lefty bloggers, Bush's intransigence in meeting with her is beginning to show the imperialism of his presidency. He does not meet with the unscreened unwashed. His poll numbers have dropped precipitously, yet he still doesn't get it. Hopefully more columnists and journalists will attempt to educate him and the American public.
To Ms. Dowd I would just like to say, "Welcome back. More like this, please."
posted by Diane at 4:24 AM
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