In a rational universe, WAPO's four-part series on Dick Cheney would be a watershed moment. If Democrats and Liberals had a political instinct, they would be planning a massive, coordinated verbal assault on the president himself, not just Cheney. I like what Rahm is doing, but it isn't nearly enough.
We need to change the public's conception of the Bush presidency.
Abuse of power, blah blah blah. We know that media elites will never seriously challenge this White House or question its crimes.
The story is this: Bush is a non-entity. Cheney has all the initiative, all the skill, all the "resolve" and will power that Bush claimed for himself, and the media attributed to him these last seven years. Bush is a shallow simpleton, "a blind man in a room full of deaf people."
There are several talking points here:
- [pundit]: Bush is a wimp, a stuffed shirt, an empty vessel, a puppet.
- [journalist]: "Mr. President, how often do you act independently of the Vice President?"
- [congressman/senator]: "The vice president has committed numerous impeachable offenses, not the least of which is his attempt to evade all meaningful oversight and to act in total secrecy."
- [Presidential candidate]: Our system of government does not permit, and cannot tolerate, a shadow president. It has become clear that Vice President Cheney is the real decider in this White House. But so far he has acted in secrecy, and often outside the law. The next president of the United States must have the wisdom, courage, and maturity to be a leader on his/her own behalf.
As Billmon always said, we're dealing with a Cheney administration. For some reason, this fact has never really entered the public consciousness. It will now. It may be the defining truth about this presidency when the history books are written.
P.S. Please notice that I'm not trying to say anything new here. I'm talking about what ought to be the dominant theme or narrative about Bush for the rest of his term. Our goal should be total humiliation.