WTF Is It Now?!?

Waiting for a leader

George W. Bush gave one of the worst speeches of his life yesterday, especially given the level of national distress and the need for words of consolation and wisdom. In what seems to be a ritual in this administration, the president appeared a day later than he was needed. He then read an address of a quality more appropriate for an Arbor Day celebration: a long laundry list of pounds of ice, generators and blankets delivered to the stricken Gulf Coast. He advised the public that anybody who wanted to help should send cash, grinned, and promised that everything would work out in the end.

And nothing about the president's demeanour yesterday - which seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.

- the NY Times.

Then there’s the speed of the Bush administration’s response to such disasters. Just one week ago the White House declared that a major disaster existed in Louisiana, specifically most of the areas (such as Jefferson Parish) that are now under water. Was the White House psychic about the disaster ahead? Not exactly. In fact the major disaster referred to Tropical Storm Cindy, which struck the state a full seven weeks earlier. That announcement triggered federal aid for the stricken areas, where the clean-up had been on hold for almost two months while the White House chewed things over.

- Newsweek.

Even the conservative, fawning, buttkissing toadies at the Manchester Union-Leader blasted Bunnypants. In their own way:

The cool, confident, intuitive leadership Bush exhibited {Gag... - Ed.} in his first term, particularly in the months immediately following 11 September 2001, has vanished.

In its place is a diffident detachment unsuitable for the leader of a nation facing war, natural disaster and economic uncertainty.

A better leader would have flown straight to the disaster zone.

Speaking of leaders, former President George H.W. Bush and President Clinton will be heading a fund-raising campaign for victims of the hurricane, the AP is reporting.


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