Forgive you, why? You hung me out to dry

Ahhh, President Bush. In the days before the election and his abrupt firing of Donald Rumsfeld, whom the President had just a week before voiced full support for, Rumsfeld prepared a memo suggesting a sea change in Iraq, including a drawdown of troops among other options. Not surprisingly, Rumsfeld was fired.

I don't shed any tears for Rumsfeld, who was not the puppet Colin Powell was in the leadup to the war but an ideological leader. Rumsfeld, along with Cheney and Wolfowitz, were the architects of this war and not simply loyal cheerleaders. They deserve what comes to them, whether it be public hatred, loss of status, or loss of power.

However, it seems just so predictable that when they steadfast ideologue Rumsfeld shows the smallest sign of pragmatism, he gets canned. Did Rumsfeld, who for three years referred to nearly every attempt to criticize the war effort as unpatriotic, finally open his eyes? Or, did Rumsfeld see the writing on the wall and realize that since he was heading out the door anyway he might want to try to save some of his legacy?

Conclusions, from a historical perspective?

More gone than Freeman

Happy Thanksgiving (To my 12 readers!)

I will be away until Monday like everyone else, unless something funny happens to me on my way home, in which I'll case I'll make sure to update this space.

Today President Bush will pardon a Thanksgiving turkey, and two weeks after his party was given a thumpin', a senior aide was beaten in Hawaii, and his non-drunk daughter was mugged (and her Secret Service agents beaten) in Argentina, one can only postulate that the turkey pardon is some grand attempt at appeasing the spiritual forces above. Maybe if he allows this one fowl to live, God will return order to the universe and make 90% of the American people agree with him again. Maybe if he pardons one animal, it will make up for the 150 people he didn't pardon and were executed when he was Governor of Texas. Maybe if he shows sympathy to this turkey, his detractors worldwide will finally understand his good will and course to democracy and freedom.

My guess? He pardons the turkey, but attaches a signing statement to the pardon and then eats the turkey.