An Old Dog's Failing Tricks

From tmorange
Sent Tuesday, April 25, 2006 12:01 pm
To letters@time.com
Subject An Old Dog's Failing Tricks

Dear Editors,

Instead of the wild west analogy used in the headline of Mike Allen's report on Josh Bolton's last-ditch efforts to save the Bush presidency ("Can The New Sheriff Tame The West Wing?"), I suggest an animal analogy: dog and pony show. In fact, the question your headline poses would be better put, "Can you teach your old dog new ways to trick America?"

The answer of course is no. Far from indicating a new direction, Bolton's five-point plan (deploy guns and badges, make Wall Street happy, brag more, reclaim security credibility, court the press) is so business-as-usual for this administration that it's hard to see it doing anything other than continuing this presidency's string of failures. This swaggering, go-it-alone cowboy president can't crack down on illegal immigration because he's drained this country's revenues on tax giveaways for the rich and an ill-conceived, ill-executed military adventure that has diverted resources from the real war on terror and Osama bin Laden, whose recent videos remind us all that he still remains uncaptured. Bush can't brag more because his record is shameful. He can't reclaim security credibility because he has none: his lies and lawbreaking have spent it all. And no courting will hide the contempt he clearly bears for the press.

This five-point plan will fail because it ignores the flawed policies that continue to lie at the heart of this administration. If he refuses to admit these flaws and correct them -- and of course he will refuse -- this president can continue to watch his poll numbers tank and, come November, his party lose the tyranny it has exercised upon our government.