Save-Stephen-Hadley’s-Reputation Czar.
Save-Stephen-Hadley’s-Reputation Czar.
Analysts speak out about National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley’s difficult effort to hire a high-profile “war czar” to take over responsibilities “that would ordinarily fall to Mr. Hadley himself“:
“Steve Hadley is an intelligent, capable guy, but I don’t think this reflects very well on him,” said David J. Rothkopf, author of “Running the World,” a book about the National Security Council. “I wouldn’t even call it a Hail Mary pass. It’s kind of a desperation move.”
Mr. Rothkopf sees the new position as “a tactic to separate the national security adviser from Iraq” — a way to save Mr. Hadley’s reputation. Ivo Daalder, a former Clinton administration official who is co-writing a book on national security advisers, said the proposal “raises profound questions” about Mr. Hadley’s “ability to put heads together and make sure that the president’s wishes are in fact his commands.”
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Frist!
The rats are leaving the sinking Chimp.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:16 amYou’ll shoot your eye out, kid.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:17 amBush Co. needs someone else to blame. HOT POTATOE! (apologies to Dan Quayle).
April 30th, 2007 at 11:21 amNo wonder Condi moved out of that position. Heh.
Chimpy must be very proud of Hadley — fantastic effort on the CYA.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:21 am“Steve Hadley is an intelligent, capable guy, but I don’t think this reflects very well on him,†said David J. Rothkopf
What has hadley ever done that would make rothkopf say this about him. hadley has been wrong about everything he has ever said and been an abject failure as National Security Advisor.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:25 amI wouldn’t even call it a Hail Mary pass. It’s kind of a desperation move.
Er…I thought a Hail Mary pass was a desparation move…
Anyways…
This part sounds about right.
Another moment of buck-passing brought to you by the Party of Responsibility (and Trustworthy in Matters of National Security Party).
:S
April 30th, 2007 at 11:29 am“I wouldn’t even call it a Hail Mary pass. It’s kind of a desperation move.â€
Or a last-ditch effort. He knows the consequences of bailing out entirely — swift-boated by the Bush machine, aided by leaks from his resentful staff.
This is like a limited bail-out: he hasn’t jumped ship entirely, but he’s quietly stowing his stuff in the rowboat . . .
April 30th, 2007 at 11:32 am“… and make sure that the presidents wishes are in fact his commands.”
How long will they continue to try to make us believe that the Dubious one is actually giving the commands?
April 30th, 2007 at 11:36 amOr that he has any “wishes” beyond being able to crawl off to Crawford and cut brush?
Finding a War Czar after the war is over is ludicrice. Bush had that job. He stood behind the row of stooges doing the talking, but Bush is the man. Cheney, his alter ego and equally guilty. The stooges that couldn’t think straight, talk straight or act straight to stop this fanatical duo are pitiful. They all should be run out of town.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:50 amIt’s hard finding somebody to take the fall for you.
April 30th, 2007 at 12:31 pm[Save-Stephen-Hadley’s-Reputation Czar]
I like that. The acronym for that would be SSHRC, and it would be pronounced like “shirk.”
;-)
April 30th, 2007 at 2:09 pmIt’s much too late for Hadley to save his reputation.
He has the reputation he earned – as a right wing extremist who helped manufacture fraudulent intelligence to frighten the American people into supporting a war for corporate profit$.
In other words, he’s a scumbag in a flannel suit with the blood of innocents on his hands.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:11 pmand make sure that the president’s wishes are in fact his commands.
Given that it took repeated tries to get Chalabi off the federal payroll, I doubt if Bush’s direct commands are followed, much less his wishes, unless they mirror Cheney’s!
The parsing of the quoted statement is interesting. Is there some difficulty getting the Decider-in-Chief to articulate his decisions? People who prefer to delegate often can’t make clear what they want, much less how to implement it. “I’ll know it when I see it” might work for a fashion director or a house-hunter, but that is no way to run the government.
If Bush hands-off his duties as Commander-in-Chief to a War Czar, who presides over the next Commander-in-Chief’s Ball? Is there a fancy uniform with swash and medal to go with the job? Or, since nobody wants to be tainted with the role, will the uniform be anonymously masked… once the enforcer goes home, he can be human again?
If the job requires reading the Chimperial mind, and putting thought into action, it will be an empty job indeed!
April 30th, 2007 at 6:59 pm