Nice! bush accepts responsibility for the slow federal response. He doesn’t seem to be going all the way to say “the federal government should have taken charge regardless”, but it’s getting cl0ser.

It has been a good week for Bush-boy. Michael Brown ressigns from FEMA after being recalled like a lost little schoolboy. Dick Cheney finally decided to end his vacation and visited the disaster zone, using empty platitudes and vapid political comments to explain the situation in simple terms to the collected (and likely very bored) press. Then, on top of it, it turns out that Bush / Cheney cronies are getting all the cleanup contracts without bids. It truly has been an amazing week.

The funniest story of it all? When the levees broke, you would be surprised where POTUS was “working”. “Bush, in San Diego for celebrations of end of World War II, is photographed smiling and playing a guitar given to him by a popular singer. Cheney remains on vacation in Wyoming.” timeline here of the fuckups

Yes, Dubya, now is the time to accept responsibility. Now is the time to admit your failures, and admit your VERY poor judgement.

All of this has brought to my mind a very clear picture of GW Bush as a leader, and as a man. I don’t like what I see.

The inaction of the President, who now suddenly is the New Orleans frequent flier of the month, is stunning to see. The areas were declared federal disaster areas before the hurricane even hit, but still he stayed on vacation. The hurricane hit and just about wiped out biloxi and other coastal towns and cities, and still he stayed on vacation. The levees broke, New Orleans filled with water, and Bush went to pick up a guitar at a public event on the west coast.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Bush strummed while New Orleans flooded.

The length and frequency of vacation to Texas, and the seeming desire to stay in Texas no matter what happens in the rest of the world is sort of stunning. Normally we get a couple of weeks off a year from work. Bush has spent a ton of time in Texas on the ranch, with 11 long term visits in the past 6 years (the current vacation was more than a month). He is the “commander in absence”, the guy in your office who is never at his desk. He doesn’t work late, he doesn’t get to work early, he exercises during the day, and basically limits his work time dramatically. This is the POTUS you see on TV on the West Wing, handling things day and night. This is the “Bank Manager” president, 10am to 3PM Monday to Friday, with long vacations twice a year to keep things in balance.

Everyone knows now that the war in Iraq was a crock. The proof was made up wholesale, the “reason” for the attack has slipped, and the US has moved from thwarting terrorism to nation building. There were no weapons, and even Colin Powell is embarrassed for having given that horrible misleading speech to the UN and to the world.

Bush has been the president of deception, misrepresentation, and inaction. As a Canadian, I can tell you that I feel less secure today, knowing that our big neighbor to the south has painted a target on it’s head. Nuclear fallout goes a long way, and I am just in the right place to get some. I am not impressed.

*sigh*