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October 17, 2007
He's Quacking!
Remember that Shakespearean line "Methinks thou dost protest too much" (a variation on the actual line)? Well, President Bush was apparently playing his best Hamlet today during a 47-minute news conference.
Lashing out at the Democratic Congress, Bush told the press he is still "relevant" -- a sure sign he knows his influence is waning. Ah yes, gone are those salad days just after the 2004 election, when Iraq was going swimmingly, Social Security privatization was on the table, and the President, fresh off his landslide two-point victory, declared he had political capital and he intended to spend it.
33 months later, that wealth of political capital is gone, the credit card is maxed out, and the bill collectors are calling. Bush's polling numbers are in the toilet, where they are likely to stay, so who can blame him for casting blame elsewhere? After all, based on the last six and a half years, could we expect anything different from the administration?
Interesting that the Post article compares Bush's actions to Bill Clinton's in 1995 when the Republicans took over Congress. There are a few small differences between the two situations. First off, 1995 was the tail end of Bill Clinton's first term as president -- the prospect of his reelection for another four years made him plenty relevant, as opposed to Bush, who will exit office in 15 months.
Next, as of October 2007, George W. Bush's job approval rating is a whopping 24%; guess that SCHIP veto's really working out for you, huh? By contrast, Bill Clinton's October 1995 job approval rating was 48%, not fantastic, but twice that of the current president.
In short, much as Team Bush might like to think it has a Clintonesque comeback in its future, the 1995 comparison is one of apples and oranges. The Decider is quacking like the lame duck he is, whether he knows it or not.
Posted by houtopia at October 17, 2007 10:56 PM