Newsweek: Bush in the Bubble --->>>

[Stephanie]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10417159/site/newsweek/

Bush in the Bubble
He has a tight circle of trust, and he likes it that way. But members of both parties are urging Bush to reach beyond the White House walls. How he governs—and how his M.O. stacks up historically.

<excerpt>

Bush may be the most isolated president in modern history, at least since the late-stage Richard Nixon. It's not that he is a socially awkward loner or a paranoid. He can charm and joke like the frat president he was. Still, beneath a hail-fellow manner, Bush has a defensive edge, a don't-tread-on-me prickliness. It shows in Bush's humor. When Reagan told a joke, it almost never was about someone in the room. Reagan's jokes may have been scatological or politically incorrect, but they were inclusive, intended to make everyone join in the laughter. Often, Bush's joking is personal—it is aimed at you. The teasing can be flattering (the president gave me a nickname!), but it is intended, however so subtly, to put the listener on the defensive. It is a towel-snap that invites a retort. How many people dare to snap back at a president?

Not many, and not unless they have known the president a long, long time. (Even Karl Rove, or "Turd Blossom," as he is sometimes addressed by the president, knows when to hold his tongue.) In the Bush White House, disagreement is often equated with disloyalty.




***

Bush generally prefers short conversations—long on conclusion, short on reasoning. He likes popular history and presidential biography (Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington), but by all accounts, he is not intellectually curious. Occasional outsiders brought into the Bush Bubble have observed that faith, not evidence, is the basis for decision making. Psychobabblers have long had a field day with the fact that Bush quit drinking cold turkey and turned around his life by accepting God. His close friends agree that Bush likes comfort and serenity; he does not like dissonance. He has long been mothered by strong women, including his mother and wife. A foreign diplomat who declined to be identified was startled when Secretary of State Rice warned him not to lay bad news on the president. "Don't upset him," she said.

***

On the overriding issue facing the president—the war in Iraq—some reality has slowly crept in. Last spring Cheney was still whistling past the graveyard, describing the Iraqi insurgency as in its "last throes." Since then, Bush's ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has tried to educate the president and his top advisers on some "ground truth"—that the new Iraqi Army and police are a long way from being able to defend their own country and nascent government. According to senior Pentagon officials who did not want to be identified discussing private meetings, in October Bush received an unusually unvarnished briefing on the military situation from the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace.

What Bush actually hears and takes in, however, is not clear. And whether his advisers are quite as frank as they claim to be with the president is also questionable. Take Social Security, for example. One House Republican, who asked not to be identified for fear of offending the White House, recalls a summertime meeting with congressmen in the Roosevelt Room at which Bush enthusiastically talked up his Social Security reform plan. But the plan was already dead—as everyone except the president had acknowledged. Bush seemed to have no idea. "I got the sense that his staff was not telling him the bad news," says the lawmaker. "This was not a case of him thinking positive. He just didn't have any idea of the political realities there. It was like he wasn't briefed at all." (Bush was not clueless, says an aide, but pushing his historic mission.)

***

True mandates for hard choices come from reaching out and compromising. Bush's father understood that. Breaking his own "read my lips" promise at the 1988 Republican convention, he raised taxes in 1991 as part of a fiscal-reform package that was essential to the 1990s economic boom. The tax hike probably cost the senior Bush a second term in 1992. But it was the right thing to do. It's very unlikely the son would do the same.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Saw the cover on MSNBC this am and had to read it all

Didn't teach me alot that I didn't know, but there is a phrase in there I found interesting, I'm paraphrasing and it says that Bush conquered alcohol and ohter "shadowy demons."

I wonder just exactly what they meant by that? The coke? The gay issue? (don't flame me..I'm not saying being gay is a shadowing demon, but I would guess the Bush family would).

Interesting. He needs to go away.

[onehandle]

15. Don't forget underage Mexican prostitutes.

I assume he "kicked" that "shadowy demon" as well.

[robbedvoter]

20. You'd think we'd be entitled to know what those demons are? (were?)

maybe - uh- even before the election?
I mean, this is the Isicoff's publication, that thought it their duty to obsess over the shape of the clenis - why so vague about W's "shadowy demons"?

[hang a left]

2. They are still peddling that born-again crap....

I think that is all BS, this smuck is NOT a religious man.

[Jim Sagle]

5. And he never stopped drinking, either.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

24. you mean the wine and cognac they shared over dindin with the prince

Wasn't alcohol free?

Oh, the shock - I can't take it!

[Stephanie]

39. Seriously? Did he drink wine and cognac?

I know he drank a fermented beverage in Mongolia. No recovered alcoholic I know would take even one sip.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

40. the WH website announced the meals. five courses, three served with

its own wine and followed by after dinner refreshments.
Looking at the photos from the dinner, his cheeks were red, his eyes were more glazed than usual,and Laura looked like an insane clown. I have no doubts that they all imbibed, and rather heavily.

[im10ashus]

47. "No recovered alcoholic I know would take even one sip."

Recovered being the operative word here. He's not recovered. A recovered alcoholic would go through the 12-step program. He is a dry drunk. :toast:

[soleft]

11. he embodies exactly what a born again person is

Do you think a born again person is truly spiritual, or religious in any deep or truly life affirming way.

A lot of born again people come from a history of drug or alcohol abuse, troubled families, dysfunctional or abusive parents. Or their parents were born again and they've been indoctrinated since birth.

A lot of born again people take the bible literally word for word, it is an instructional manual. They do not think rationally, and they do not operate from compassion. They operate on fear, and a desperation to be loved and accepted and they form fantasy bonds with a powerful, male God or Son of God who protects them and comforts and keeps them in a childlike, obedient state.

A lot of born agains are trading an emotional dependency on a substance to an emotional dependency on a father fugure who will never let them down.

George W. Bush is the quintessential born again Christian. This is not a Christian who follows the teachings of Jesus. This is a fundamentalist tho follows the hatred and fear of Paul and the Old Testament.

Do not doubt for a minute that Bush relies intensely on his believe in Jesus Christ. In fact, he may believe in it so much that at times he believes he is Jesus Christ.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. I think you did a good analysis

of at least a certain element of fundamentalist born agains. I know of a man who had a genuine mystical experience, and he ran away from it as fast as he could to his local fundamentalist church, where he's so extreme that even the folks there, at times, have had to reign him in. But the church has given him all his answers, it seems, and he doesn't have to think for himself.

However, I know of people who have had mystical experiences that have reshaped and redefined their lives. They have left comfortable and lucreative jobs, moved to different places, and basically so changed their lives that they could be called "born again", although most shun this term because of the negative connotations. What strikes me about people like this is that they tend to be very tolerant of others, tend to help others and also tend not to dwell in the ego. And yet they are sensible enough to look at the world in a more logical and less fatalistic manner than the fundamentalist born agains.

[soleft]

31. the people you describe in your 2nd paragraph are genuinely spiritual

And Jesus said, you have to be born again - but what he was talking about if different from the usage co-opted by the religiously addicted.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

41. Yes. You've got it.

When you meet someone who has had a mystical/spiritual experience, you feel joy in their presence. There is no judgement, and not even any notion that "Oh, he's a Christian and I'm a Sufi" makes any difference at all. Sadly, those caught in the fundamentalist trap cannot experience this.

[TalkingDog]

27. Having grown up around people who attend fundamentalist churches

I've gotten used to the intensity and purity of their passion. That doesn't make it healthy. People can be purely intense about crack cocaine too.

In grad school I became friends with an instructor. She had two teenage boys. The eldest was always getting into trouble. Busted for pot, underage drinking, etc. Then he "found" Jesus. Went super-straight, attending church twice a week, talking constantly about the bible, the church and so on.

She kept telling me about it and how great it was. I don't think I gave her the proper strokes because eventually she asked: "Isn't it great?" I said: "Well, in my opinion, addictive behavior is still addictive behavior. Whether it's liquor or belief."

She looked at me like I had punched a baby kitten. I said: " Mary, you know that if you actually ask for my opinion, I'll give it to you. I think this church is taking advantage of his addictive personality."

She saw my point a couple of weeks later when the pastor came to visit. He told her that women should not work outside the home (she was the breadwinner in the family, supporting a husband and two children) nor should they wear pants.

These are people who need lots of rules and structure because they don't have any idea how to set boundaries for themselves. That makes the world (both the internal world and the external world) extremely dangerous and unknowable.

(edit spelling)

[robbedvoter]

25. Psychobabblers have long had a field day .....

with the fact that Bush quit drinking cold turkey and turned around his life by accepting God."
Notice how dismissive the article is towards anyone not buying the "W miracle"
Even as they describe s pathetic little man afraid of reality or confrontation - barely functional, they have the gall to call those who explained these symptoms scientifically "psychobabblers"

[bosspepper1]

34. As a "born again" myself....

he does not even do a good snowjob at being one.. and the book about his faith is BS...

[Missy M]

3. I can't get used to the fact that a president's staff has to tell....

him something such as SS reform is "dead" and they won't tell him the bad news. How he can't know it is beyond me. I still want a president who is "intellectually curious", we deserve at least that.

[pinto]

4. Great article...especially the comparisons to past admins. Bet he's one

petty SOB in private.

[mucifer]

6. I really think he has a neurological disorder.

I know one can't diagnose over video feed. But, to me, his speech patterns seem to be declining as time goes on. He seems more and more bumbling and confused. Just an opinion.

[Ilsa]

16. Thejaw tic changes alot also. I think someone periodically adjusts his

meds to control it, then it gets bad again.

[Jacobin]

49. Yes. The technical medical term is: "DumbFuckism"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. "...like the frat president he was..." Now THAT'S a PROUD legacy.

[havocmom]

22. That's bush, in the lower right? The one with what looks like hard liquor

while most of the boys are chugging wine? Figures :eyes:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

26. That's him...

...the upside-down future boy king.

[madrchsod]

8. so it boils down to this-

we have a 59 year old mommy`s boy . he`s so used to getting his own way that even at his age he still has his "mommy`s" protecting him from the reality of "big bad world". he refuses to grow up and take responsiblty for anything he has done. what he has done in his life has led to failures that someone else has to clean up. yup that`s our president- a mommy`s boy surrounded by strong women that suckle him...

[pretzel4gore]

9. Newsweek is a criminally run propaganda organization

they lie, all the time. bush isn't anything like they say...noone thinks of bozo as 'da president'...more like the 'pezidunce' or the 'pretzeldent' or the 'chimp-in-charge' etc.....noone respects the goofydent, and newsweek lies to cover its own criminal arse....
the editorial/management boards at newsweek, timemag, cnn, fox, nbc, abc, cbs, pbs, reuters etc ie the pigmedia, need a quick execution following their trial for treason

[Drewskie]

44. That was a damning article of Bush

Don't know what color the sky is in your world...

[pretzel4gore]

45. a damning article would be the truth, and pigmedia fears truth

above all, it's toxic to them. btw, the sky is no colour in my world...i live in a hovel under an industrial mall (abandoned) with a computer and generate enough income to afford deliveries etc and an elderly deafmute lady/maid twice a month to haul away mess: not sure what you were getting at(?)

[meti57b]

10. That sounds like, he knows he's an idiot and that makes him insecure.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

32. You raise a very interesting point

Is he aware of his shortcomings? I could be talked into either view. One, he is the child of domineering parents and has a secret knowledge of his unworthiness. Or, he was so spoiled and coddled that he thinks he is still the center of a very finite universe. Who knows? And I'm pretty much past caring. He needs to resign.

[Cassandra]

12. The same right-wing idiots...

who were shrieking about President Clinton having a strong, independent wife, because they claimed it made him look weak, are just fine with Boy Bush being mommied through his days. :crazy:

[Rose Siding]

13. Don't UPSET him???

What, is he a 90 yr old cancer patient? Diplomats have to play The Glad Game with the US president, callow, vapid fop that he is. The shame!

He's meeting with the hawk dems on Tuesday. Wonder what's up with that:

Now the White House is trying to reach out to Democrats. On Tuesday, Bush is scheduled to meet with a group of conservative Democrats who support the war and to have lunch with Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, who is celebrating his 50th year in the House. But the Democrats are wary. "A lot of us feel like we have a Charlie Brown and Lucy relationship with the White House," says one Hill staffer. "They say they want to play ball with us, but then they kick us when they get a chance." Until recently, the White House has not seen the need to court Democrats, since the Republicans control both houses of Congress.

[Ilsa]

17. Amazing, isn't it? I mean,it isn't as if he can cut off their heads

if he gets mad at them for telling him the truth.

And what happened to his lips? They're gone. He may be smiling in the pic, but his mouth looks tense.

[robbedvoter]

21. Governing rainbows - awwww. Why not since they make their own reality...

''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And
while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll
act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and
that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you,
all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''
Bush aide to Ron Suskind

[LunaC]

38. "It is important to shape circumstances."

PNAC Statement of Principles

[earthboundmisfit]

37. He's like that evil kid in the Twilight Zone episode

"Anthony" I think his name was - if you displeased him he'd "wish you into the cornfield"... so everything in the whole town revolved around what made Anthony happy...
I'm sure someone else here remembers the name of that episode and the actual particulars of it - every time I see Chimpy-boy I think of that evil little kid...

[robbedvoter]

42. "Changing the tone in Washington" = be nice, or it's the cornfield

Good metaphor!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

50. I take offense at that!

Lucy didn't kick Charlie Brown, just stole the ball so he'd land on his ass.

Who is this staffer that doesn't have the facts straight? string em up!

:P

[Stephanie]

18. Check out that photo of Karl & Karen - look how SHORT he is

And she looks like a truckdriver.

[ninkasi]

36. Or a middle linebacker...

Wonder if she's ever considered pro football?

[lpbk2713]

19. That photo .... Is that a pimp and his ho?

Looks like she's taking money for something.


:shrug:

[robbedvoter]

23. "The teasing can be flattering - the president gave me a nickname"

Here. Fido - fetch!
The media never tires of the S&M delights in being humiliated !
Flashing back to Dana Milbank:
Gore made you feel he was better than you - and he wasn't, but bush makes you feel you are as good as he is - eventhough he is better than you

[peekaloo]

28. Is that Bea Arthur and Conrad Bain in the lower pic?

I don't remember a 'Maude' duel episode. :dunce:

[Lindacooks]

29. I like the horns growing out of his head in that first pix.

Very appropriate.

[MellowOne]

51. I thought it was just me

Was going to post the same thing.

[emulatorloo]

30. kick n/t

[Loge23]

33. We won in Afghanistan?

When did that happen? Did I miss something?

[lpbk2713]

35. "Mission Accomplished" .... Haven't you heard?

:eyes:

[renate]

43. kick

because it's such a thrill to see the corporate media FINALLY addressing this.

[Stephanie]

46. kick for Mo Dowd

[mondo joe]

48. What is Rove's belly doing on Hughes's ass?

Modern medicine is amazing.