Goodbye George!

[unhappycamper]

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,976491,00.jpg

A contemplative Bush: The long goodbye


Goodbye George!

The end of an era has many faces. One is that of a narrow-lipped president appearing on primetime TV, asking Americans for money and their confidence. Another is that of Utah native Nathan Barnes, 23, who didn't survive his deployment to Iraq and whose photo appeared in the obituaries section of his local paper.

The end of an era can also look like a woman who was recently sitting at my table during a luncheon with the United States secretary of agriculture. She told me that she was his personal assistant. But what does that mean these days? she added. Things are coming to an end anyway, the young woman said with a sigh.

Her boss had just launched into a speech about American farmers and Chinese food imports, but her thoughts were elsewhere. We all have to re-adjust, she said, half under her breath. Everyone at the table knew what she meant: It's time to start looking for a new job.

George W. Bush may be presiding over the White House for another 14 months, but judging by the mood among his friends, you would think it was the last 14 hours. Based on the official list of campaign donors published last Friday, it seems that Big Business has also turned its back on the Republicans. Sixty corporate CEOs who had previously donated primarily to the Bush campaigns -- including John Mack of Morgan Stanley, Rupert Murdoch of NewsCorporation and Terry Semel of Yahoo -- are now giving more money to the Democrats.

Indeed, it's already time for goodbyes at the White House. In recent weeks, some of the president's closest advisors have been so quick to have their names stricken from the government's personnel files that one might think some deadly disease had broken out in the Oval Office. It started four months ago when the speechwriter who invented the phrase "axis of evil" gave his notice. He was followed by the White House press secretary ("It's time for me to make money again"), the budget director, the director of strategic initiatives, and chief political advisor Karl Rove, a man Bush, in better days, referred to as the "boy genius." Two cabinet secretaries have also bid the president farewell -- followed last Wednesday by the secretary of agriculture.


Rest of article at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,507662,00.html

[liberal renegade]

1. Go back to your village, idiot.

[acmavm]

2. They won't be gone soon enough for me.

They NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!

[tiptoe]

3. "We'll get back to you on war crimes, treason and AWOL...don't go too far."

[hatrack]

4. And they'll travel all the way to K Street

We'll never be rid of this buffoons.