Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

He's not our first CEO President for nothing, you know.  And he's had some good role models to follow--Bernie Ebbers, Dennis Kozlowski, and, of course, Kenny-Boy Lay, to name a few. But even though we know that the Dubai deal has more to do with his personal assurances than any serious investigative principles, we should have known better.  The obvious hypocrisy between his public voice and his private actions is something we've known about for some time, however transparent these days.  His "addicted to oil" speech is particularly hilarious coming from one of the nation's "chief pushers."  

The next time you hear any substantive debate on the Port deal, count the number of times you hear Bush's name mentioned as having a stake in this arrangement.  Rather, the media continues to track how quickly Bush and his pals can "tweak" this deal in order to make it more palatable to the public (and save face), rather than the flap over how long it has taken to get the details of this deal out to the public and the Congress.  We hear frequently from supporters that this deal has been in the works for months, that it was proposed last October, but for some reason, when the outrage became public, those questioning the deal were criticized for their belated reaction (as opposed to the President's own feigned ignorance of the deal until last weekend).

Does anyone seriously doubt that Bush appointees serve at the pleasure of the President?  Never before in our history, however, have political appointees taken their charge so literally.  That means every day a Bush appointee must find new and enterprising ways to present a new bauble or distraction for the notoriously insulated Bubble Boy in the White House.  You never know when he might look closely at the offering; it if doesn't delight, empower, or enrich the President, he isn't interested.

And yet, the "Big Wheels" keep on turning inside the beltway, while the middle class continues to spiral downward.  If you have any doubts about that, read Krugman's latest ("Graduates vs. Oligarchs," subscription required, or go to myleftwing for instructions) on the rising chasm between the Bush Crowd (the top 1%) and the rest of the nation.  

Still have doubts that this Administration will stop at nothing to protect its corporate interests?  Then you probably also believe Halliburton will be held to account for its excesses.  When Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, and Cheney forecasted that oil revenues would pay for the War in Iraq, most Americans accepted that taxpayers would be spared the major expenses of this ill-advised invasion.  Most Americans did NOT understand this to mean that Halliburton, among others, would primarily reap the benefits of this exercise:

The Kellogg Brown & Root contract, called Restore Iraqi Oil, or RIO, will be paid with about $900 million of American taxpayer money and $1.5 billion of Iraqi oil proceeds and money seized from Saddam Hussein's government. Official criticism of the work became so intense that in November, an auditing board sponsored by the United Nations recommended that the United States repay some or all of the $208 million related to the alleged fuel overcharges -- an allegation Halliburton says has never been justified.

But never fear:  Cabinet member John Snow is on top of this:  "Next time we'll do better when we announce a deal."  Notice the language:  announce a deal.  Not propose, investigate, research, or present to Congress and the American public but announce a deal.  In other words, don't look for accountability, transparency, national security, domestic stability, fiscal responsibility, inclusive processes, or oversight.  Expect more of the same, as our friend George continues to feather his future nest in pursuit of everlasting power and financial security.

No doubt about it.  The Bush legacy and record will be clear:  a small, insular group's singular and relentless self-interest won at several nations' expense.  With Iraq now on the verge of civil war, American soldiers still stuck between the crossfire of Bush obstinacy and continuous insurgency, the real bidness of the War rages on.  This was and is and will ever more be remembered as a War for war profiteers.

But the President promises the deal will go forward and says "Trust me."

Sure, just like Enron employees trusted Ken Lay.