I have read a few diaries and posts that claim the whole port debacle smells of Rove. That it is all a plot to help Republicans running in 2006 distance themselves from Bush to help them win.
I have two problems with that theory:
- It makes Bush look weak, Rove is in the business of trying to make George look strong.
- This has all of the earmarks of a Bush pet project that was supposed to glide under the radar.
To help sort out who cames up with which crazyness we that now surrounds our daily lives, I've created a score card.
Follow to the flip to get a gander »
I think it's time to break out the score card and look at which crazy pet project belongs to who.
Cheney
Focus: domestic and foreign policy that promotes profits for giant US mulit-national companies:
- Iraq
- NSA
- Torture
- CIA outings
- Energy policy
Bush
Focus: Crony nominations and domestic policy that helps the ultra-rich:
- All of those nutty crony nominations (i.e., Brown; Harriet Miers; and Dave Sanborn, of DP World, as Maritime Administrator).
- Privatized Social Security Accounts
- Privatized Healthcare Accounts
- Medicare mess
- policies to help the ulta-rich (i.e., tax-cuts, removal of inheritance tax)
- Ports deal
Rove
Focus: control of the people.
- Wedge issues as they come up to keep the US divided (in Rove-world, you only needs to fool enough of the people enough of the time).
- Keep us scared.
- Spin to control for fallout when Bush goes off message.
- Spin to control for fallout when one of Bush's pet projects hits the wrong cord.
- Spin to control for fallout when a Bush pet project that was supposed to go under the radar, is hit by the light of day.
- Spin to make the Admin look like it's in control when reality shows it is not (i.e., where was GWB during and after 9/11, Katrina, etc.)
- Double speak
- Distort reality to either create a wedge, an opportunity, or perception (i.e., promises to fund or support a program, have photo ops, then defund said project; or having Bush talk about oil dependence).
Neocons (Rummy and company, Cheney)
Focus: foreign policy that promotes democracy through force if necessary. Also, beleives in Leninist tactic of using power and will to force threw what they think needs to be done.
- Iraq
- would include more countries at this time, but the military is stretech too thin.
- Torture
- Psy-war
- plans for more speical ops soldiers and covert opperations, even in allied countries.
Please correct as needed and build off the above.