Recent Tail Spins and Crashes in the Realm of GW Bush

Lewis Scooter Libby, Chief of Staff of VP Cheney and Neocon High Priest was convicted; branded a liar in US federal court by a jury of his peers. Cheney with a band of right wing nuts has gone into frantic mourning expressed by rage, gnashing teeth in conservative talk shows, and editorials in the NATIONAL REVIEW and WALL STREET JOURNAL. Though there is some satisfaction that the VEEP's role in suppressing intelligence by ad hominem attacks on Ambassador Wilson and former CIA operative Valerie Plame is illuminated, my attention is drawn mainly to the punishment of a high ranking Neocon – an Alpha male in a pack of the dogs of war that have brought grief and disaster to America.

Like his bosom buddy Neocon Elliot Abrams who was pardoned for his role during Iran Contra, now deputy NSC under GW Bush, he too will be pardoned or if not, he will squeal like a stuck pig. Libby is not Liddy under Nixon who in an almost sadomasochistic way seemed to enjoy pain – Scooter does not possess the character to throw his body on grenades – he will sit on the links to Cheney and CIA, to protect him as long as he figures a pardon is in the works. Why do you think big time Republicans are paying his legal fees? They keep him reassured. It also explains the mawkish defense by Cheney and his right wing pals over his conviction. Not a good thing for the Republicans – the harpoon is in and now you relentlessly run down the prey – and Valerie Plame is soon to be a witness in Rep Waxman's oversight committee. And then, those troublesome civil suits may pop. Joe Wilson is not a shrinking violet as Mr. Cheney and Mr. Libby have learned to their chagrin. The more strident the defense of Scooter's conviction and the more attention it is given, the deeper the hole the Republicans dig for themselves as this highlights more Republican corruption.

A woman scorned? Several days ago Nancy Pelosi tried to complain to President Bush over Cheney's charge that she was unpatriotic for trying to end the Iraq war. She was unable to talk to Bush, only his chief of staff. This week with vengeance, she rolled out a plan that linked the war to the budget authorization that will make the White House squirm. The thrust of the bill was that approval of Bush’s war budget was contingent on bench marks for Iraqis and complete withdrawal in 2008. If Bush vetoes the bill, he kills the budget. With polls running about two thirds against the war, some Democrats are bravely prepared for the old cut and run arguments. Dragging out Generals on cue who want more troops does not appear to impress anyone except the war-hawk Republicans and the Israeli lobby – Generals always need more troops, especially if they are losing a war. Pelosi has problems with Blue Dog moderate Democrats, who find glory in standing and dying; and of course the Israeli Lobby that likes the idea of the US dying to solve its security problems. Noticed that Pelosi was booed during her speech before The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Wednesday when she mentioned Bush’s failures in Iraq. Focus on pro Israeli Reps Rahm Immanuel and Lantos as they bob and weave on this bill.

The Shiites, though still murdered in large numbers in Sadr City, are behaving themselves right now; they have gone to ground rather than fight, but they are waiting for Bush who will get giddy with imagined success to strike. Meanwhile, we watch propaganda films of our troops passing out soccer balls to Iraqi children, as if this is compensation for killing their relatives and destroying their homes. If I see another film with General Petraeus surrounded by smiling Iraqi children, I am going to gag. General, next time you do a publicity shot with children, at least take off your helmet, shed your body armor and hide your side arm.

"Gringo Go Home" was the greeting for Bush as he visited Latin America this week. Venezuelan Chavez in a red shirt, along with banners and Marxist anti American slogans straight from Castro's playbook, orchestrated demonstrations against the Bush visit in many South and Central American cities – Chavez treated Bush like a terrier with a rag doll, to be chewed on and tossed in the air at will to the delight of most Latinos. Poor Bush has a machine in Washington that can attack his fellow Americans Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame, but cannot get it together to give Chavez a strong verbal kick in the ass. Macho Latinos would understand that; while they scoff at Condoleezza's State Department's limp-wristed, soft soap approach to turn the other cheek. Chavez is not going away unless he is shoved; he just nationalized 60% of the ownership in Venezuelan private oil companies right under Bush's nose while the President is desperately fighting for oil in far, far away Iraq.

Apart from the embarrassing justice for Scooter, Bush had other public relations bomblets explode last week. The FBI admitted that it abused his Patriot Act. Then Code Red, a military scandal involving failure to administer properly to wounded servicemen during out patient care, sounded at the Walter Reed Hospital. Bush appointed two over-the-hill politicians, Bob Dole and Donna Shalala, to investigate the whole military hospital system – last time I heard, Dole was peddling Viagra on TV and Shalala had problems running a third-rate University in Florida, so keep your expectations low. There is also an issue brewing over the mass firing of eight US attorneys by the Bush administration.

Have written previously that Bush is like some wines that travel badly – have to revise that after observing him on stage in St. Petersburg, Russia and now in Latin America. Bush with his 30% national approval rate is just sour wine even in his own country as well, travel or no travel.

Latin America is always a basket case. It has tried militarism, cronyism socialism, fascism and communism. About the only thing it has not tried is Zionism. Bush's focus on Iraq with all its bloody images has lit a fast burning fuse with the ever present leftist elements. Worse than usual now, is Chavez and Chinese bank rolling. Chavez makes his money on 60 dollar a barrel oil driven to highs by Bush's dumb invasion of Iraq and careless US trade agreements with the Chinese that result in billions of dollars of trade surplus to their favor.

Bush's herky jerky speaking style, filled with malapropisms sells among his adoring evangelical masses in the US, but falls flat in other places. To appeal to the Latinos, he needs flash, emotion, and an erudite style, but most of all, slick-backed hair and a snappy suit with double vents in back... Our President fails this test on all counts. ¡ARRIBA ARRIBA! Colonel Robert E Bartos USA RET