I don't expect many people to respond to this diary because a) we all know we loathe the bastard and many of us feel physically ill just watching and listening to him, and b) most sane people, if watching tv at all) are probably watching the Packers-Eagles game, but...
Bush's speech in Florida on Thursday (on C-Span right now and sure to be repeated later tonight), with Jebby standing by his side, seems notable as a snapshot of how he's going to run in the fall. Here are some of the interesting bits...
(1) He prominently thanks Mel Martinez for his attendance. Clearly, they still want Martinez over Katherine Harris.
(2) He continues to draw parallels between the "terror regimes" of Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact the whole beginning of the speech is about the "war on terror" and national defense. Clearly, this is going to be the big theme of the campaign.
(3) He noted that "3 years ago our military was underfunded and with poor morale" and takes credit for changing that. I'll say he did--he made it even worse. Just ask our reservists, the folks in Walter Reed, and the soldiers whose tours of duty have just been indefinitely extended. And just ask the folks in the Pentagon who are worried that the nation's multiple-front war-fighting capacities are now stretched almost to the breaking point. And just ask McDonnell-Douglas, Halliburton et al about how underfunded they are.
(4) He said he inherited a recession, made worse by "corporate scandals and war," as if he had nothing to do this those two things. Clearly, he's still counting on using the ancient theme of Dems as soft-on-defense tax-and-spenders, in defiance of facts and history.
(5) He claimed to pride himself on "surrounding himself with good and honorable people." Does that include Paul O'Neill (who is now ripping Bush a new one on 60 Minutes as we speak)?
(6) It's striking how much of the same old crap he's still counting on using this time around: He even used the phrases "soft bigotry of low expectations" and "compassionate conservatism" and crowed about "Leave No Child Behind."
My first response to listening to this (besides the visceral stomach rumbling) was that almost everything he said can be easily and forcefully rebutted by the right candidate. My personal preference, Clark (especially because of his capacity to destroy Bush's national defense posturing, though I believe Dean could do it too) is up next on C-Span, but I'm gonna check that out when it's repeated later, after watching O'Neill drop his bomb on Bush on "60 Minutes." Then there's the MSNBC debate. Lots of good poilitical-junkie tv tonight.