Bush Against the Wall

George and His Constitution. Yesterday, President Bush emphasized that he is the decision-maker on troop levels in Iraq. At this point in his failing Presidency, the only real authority held by President Bush holds is that granted specifically to him by the Constitution--his role as commander-in-chief of the military, his appointment powers, and his veto power. No longer the central media figure, party leader, agenda setter, or the symbolic embodiment of the nation, Bush's presidency hangs by the thread of Constitutional protections for the institution of the President and he is fortunate that the rest of the nation has much more respect for the Constitution than his government. He is also fortunate that the nation is optimistically shifting its focus toward the next administration.

To Be or Not to Be a Public Servant. At Unclaimed Territory, Glenn Greenwald slugs away at the rhetoric of the Bush administration, the conservative media machine, and right-wing bloggers with a lot of passion and effectiveness. In today's post, Greenwald addresses the Bush administration's fetishizing the term "commander-in-chief," stressing that a President is only "commander-in-chief" of the military and that he or she is a public servant in relation to the rest of government and society. In fact, the mirror image of the Bush administration's emphasis on being "commander-in-chief" is their contempt for being "public service." The Bush administration and the right-wing in general have never had any respect for the idea of "serving the public." For the right, public service is an exercise in unmanliness, weakness, and effeminacy. From their point of view, the only reason to occupy government office is to hold power and dominate their opponents. Just as it was for slaveholders and segregationists, domination is core of morality for the right. That's why the Bush administration has sought out opportunities to transgress the law and the Constitution, revels in the sadism of the rendition system, kidnapping and torture, and loves the destructiveness of negative campaigning, smearing their opponents, and lying at every chance. Doing these things shows how tough they are.

It's also why the Bush administration is so cavalier about the details of administration and why almost everything they've done has turned out so poorly. The core of Bush ineptitude is the belief that only "pussies" pay attention.

Bush Should Resign. Several polls show that opposition to the surge is in the 60-70% range. The reason is that the broader population has lost faith in George Bush and his administration. Given that the U. S. is in a state of war and that a large chunk of the American military is fighting in Iraq, both George Bush and Dick Cheney should resign in order to give Americans a more credible government in a dangerous time. I saw this idea in posts on Slate's Fray by Ducadmo and Ellen and believe that it deserves serious discussion. With the Bush administration in office, American government no longer has the public support needed to address the current difficulties. If the Bush administration has any concern for the public welfare, they should simply resign and give another team a chance. Ducadmo argues that a Republican should be put in charge of a caretaker government. Perhaps Ducadmo has somebody like James Baker or Tom Kean of New Jersey in mind. However, I believe that any resignation by Bush and Cheney should allow Nancy Pelosi to take office. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is third in line for the presidency and she's now actively involved in Iraq policy. Moreover, it is evident from the 2006 election and recent polling that the public has more respect for the ability of the Democrats to govern. For the good of the country, Bush should fall on his political sword and resign.