ALERT - In a recent press conference with Vladimir Putin, President Bush talked about the importance to Democracy of:
the protection of minorities
ANALYSIS - To save face on his trip abroad, the White House gave Bush a short list of magic words to chirp at European reporters: "...protection of minorities...a free press...viable political debate." By play-acting the role of an elder statesman, Bush tried to mask his utter lack of diplomatic skill.
SOLUTION - Protection of minorities: "President Bush ran for re-election on a platform of bigotry, promising to pass a Constitutional Amendment that would exclude a minority group from the full rights of citizenship." A Free press: "During President Bush Presidency, covert GOP party advocates using fake names have been found in the White House Press room pretending to be reporters. Viable political debate: "President Bush condones the destruction of political debate by his political allies who accuse senior citizens of hating American soldiers."
Frameshop is open...
Bush as "Papa Democracy"
The big anxiety that the Bush White House has when they send Airforce 1 to Europe is that Bush's actions will confirm the negative opinion most Europeans have of him. So they devise a PR damage control strategy that they launch right from the start.
One of the problems Bush has is a complete inability to interact with foreign heads of state in any meaningful way. This is a huge issue for the White House because the entire Bush foreign policy persona is built on this idea that Bush is "friends" with foreign heads of state. They are all his "friends," in the Bush rhetoric. What this does on the domestic front is instill the idea that nations are individuals and that foreign policy is about relationships between the "big men" at the top of the pile. It's not, for example, about the millions of people in a country.
The "we're friends" strategy works for Bush up to the point where the public actually sees him interacting with his "friends"--up to the point where he has to turn to his "friends" and ask them to send their citizens to die in Iraq or ask them to stop seizing control of all public airwaves or ask them to stop cutting off the hands of people who steal gum.
So, the White House reinvented Bush for his European vacation as "Papa Democracy." In every stop on the trip from Brussels to Bratislava, Bush talked to European heads of state not as if they were his friends, but as if they were his children. Children of Democracy. Here's an example from the press conference with Putin:
This meeting also gave me an opportunity to share my belief that it's in my country's interest that Russia be a strong and viable partner with the United States. It's very important that we establish not only a working relationship, but that we understand that in the 21st century, strong countries are built by developing strong democracies. And so we talked about democracy. Democracies always reflect a country's customs and culture, and I know that. But democracies have certain things in common: They have a rule of law and protection of minorities, a free press and a viable political opposition.
(GWB, 2.24.05)
This style of speaking that Bush used in Russia reminds me of those commercials from the 70s that taught American kids the importance of a healthy breakfast. Remember those? To do well in school, you need strong bones and muscles. And to get strong bones and muscles you need to eat a good breakfast, including eggs, bacon, orange juice, and cereal.
So, keep protecting those minorities, keep providing for a free press, and keep nurturing a healthy political debate and some day, my little East European children, you may grow up to be a big and strong Democracy just like US.
Do as I Say, Not as I Do
The message that Bush delivers when he plays the role of "Papa Democracy" is not the problem. Democrats have been trying for years to get the GOP to support the protection of minorities, a free press and viable political debate. There are plenty of Republicans who believe in these principles. They just are not the Republicans who control the White House at the moment.
Remember when we were little? Way, way, way back in November (I can hardly remember...it was such a long time ago). At that time, President Bush ran for re-election by leading a march to strip minorities of the rights of citizenship. The plan President Bush proposed would have transformed The Constitution back into a document that protected some citizens while persecuting others. If President Bush's plan were to be implemented, the end result would be that homosexuals would pay taxes, but they would be banned by law from inheriting money from their spouses. Homosexuals would be counted as full citizens for purposes of voting districts, but they would be banned by law from shared health care benefits.
Of course, President Bush's plan did not work entirely. But as a result, there are now dozens of states where homosexuals now feel that their lives are in danger. That's right, America. Our President promotes policies that empower people to stand up and threaten the lives of gay Americans. Our President provides political support and assistance to groups in dozens of states so that they can pass laws barring gay Americans from the full rights of American citizenship. And our President then stands up in Europe and proclaims that protecting minorities is a pre-requisite for a strong Democracy.
Free Press vs. Cheap Press
Another event of distant memory is the discovery of a porn merchant who used a false name to gain access to the White House Press room. This man used the name "Jeff Gannon," but his real name is "James Guckert" (pronounced "GOO-kurt"). This man was different from all the other people in the White House Press room. He didn't ask questions so much as he stated White House positions. Was James "GOO-kurt" put in that Press Room by someone in the White House? Was James "GOO-kurt" paid by the GOP? Did someone in the White House give James "GOO-kurt" classified information that allowed him to reveal the name of a CIA agent? Should James "GOO-kurt" be investigated by the US Congress? Should we pass a law protecting the "sanctity" of the White House Press room? Who was "deep throat" really? So many questions, so little time.
The fact is, when President Bush talks about a "free press" he doesn't seem to worry about the fact that he is currently embroiled in a scandal over his own abuse and manipulation of the press. President Bush doesn't seem to worry that on several occasions in the past month, it has come to light that his own administration is paying reporters to promote White House policies and--and this is key--and then hide the fact that they have taken money to promote White House policies. Certainly, when the White House pays a member of the press $250,000 to push their ideas, that's not "free press." It may be "press at a good price," but it's not "free" press.
Put on a Happy Face
I remember when political debate used to be productive in this country. I remember when the President used to interact with citizens. I remember when senior citizens who disagreed with White House proposals were not branded as un-American.
But that was before. Nowadays, "viable political debate" means hate campaigns against old people. "Viable political debate" means ad campaigns that accuse grandmothers and grandfathers of hating their own children because they don't agree with the President's plan to spend trillions of dollars to take money out the Social Security system that he claims does not have enough money in it. "Viable political debate" means ad campaigns accusing American veterans of treason. "Viable political debate" is a strange thing in Bush's America.
But the formula for a strong Democracy has little to do with reality in America, and everything to do with putting a happy face on the President's European vacation.