Where’s Bush?
The stock market plunges, people are losing their jobs and their homes, and our fearless leader is nowhere to be found. Politico sums it up.
“I will continue to closely monitor the situation in our financial markets and consult with my economic advisers,” President Bush said Thursday in a two-minute address from the Rose Garden.
That’s right, two minutes. Delivered, according to the official White House transcript, from 10:15 a.m. EDT to 10:17 a.m. EDT. Maybe you missed it. Maybe you were at work. Maybe the president doesn’t care.
Maybe that’s the problem.
On Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 504 points, its worst drop since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But Bush did not address the nation that night.
Instead, he held a state dinner for the president of Ghana. Gratin of Maine lobster, late-summer corn pudding, ginger-scented farm lamb and graham cracker crumble with cocoa pod shell was served. Eleven members of the cast of “The Lion King” came down from Broadway and performed. It was quite a bash. The Washington Post described President Bush and Ghanaian President John Kufuor as “ebullient.”
And my personal favorite.
The toast President Bush gave to President Kufuor Monday was 383 words long. Bush’s Rose Garden address to the nation Thursday on the financial crisis was 263 words long.
Could this be a case of misplaced priorities? Do you think?
In other words, the president is not going to get involved with restoring public confidence in our financial system because he is afraid somebody might ask him a question about politics. And because he doesn’t want to talk about politics (and why doesn’t he, considering he is supporting John McCain?), he won’t talk about anything.
Does this make any sense? Calm any fears? Soothe any troubled minds?
He needs to sit down behind that big desk in the Oval Office and have a formal address to this nation. Then he needs to hold a news conference and answer questions, even the unpleasant ones.
Ummm… yeah, leadership would be nice. I’m not holding my breath since leadership in this crisis would entail assuming some responsibility – Not exactly Bush and Co.’s strong suit.
But maybe I’m being too tough on the guy… After all, the fundamentals of our economy are strong.
Tags: Bush
For two minutes, McCain will not be the biggest liar in America.
The announcement also promises Bush will address the causes of the crisis. This should be good.
… the announcement is for another Bush appearance today; this time we get a whole nine minutes:
“Bush will speak for about nine minutes in the Rose Garden alongside Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Christopher Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush will discuss the causes of the crisis and outline urgent actions being taken by the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department and the SEC to stabilize markets and restore confidence.”
Bet he says we need to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and that the root cause of this problem is… wait for it… taxes.
I’d rather not hear anything from Bush. I’m conditioned now to believe that anything he says is really the opposite of truth. So, if he actually says something truthful or helpful, I could end up doing the opposite.
Ha! I know how you feel.
Couldn’t it also be that he’s an extremely unpopular President and that him making some big long speech isn’t going to do a damn thing to restore investor confidence?
Besides, who the hell actually sits through an entire Bush speech if it’s more than a few minutes. Any more than a few minutes is torturous to listen to.
Bush is irrelevant. Obama has been the acting president for 4 months now.
He’s sure acted like it, with interfering in foreign affairs and all.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/15/did-obama-try-to-scotch-an-iraqi-us-agreement-on-military-forces/
Well, I see that Congress (led by the Democrats, of course) is certainly not going to go to the lengths of postponing their respective adjournments over this disaster… “leadership would be nice”, indeed.
I agree with mike w. for once. Yes, a Bush speech won’t help and Bush gives terrible speeches.
mike w.,
That report is a lie. It comes from the same guy who made false reports about Iran.
Mike the Racist:
Spread your wingnut lies somewhere else. There are hundreds of thousands dead because of repub liars like you.
Go away.
Obviously, the “buck stops here” philosophy doesn’t apply to the Republican Party. Bunch of finger-pointers.
“Obviously, the “buck stops here” philosophy doesn’t apply to the Republican Party. Bunch of finger-pointers.”
Do you READ your own blog Pandora?
Quite possibly the most blatantly hypocritical statement I’ve heard here in a while, and on DE liberal that’s saying a lot.
Well, I sure don’t read your blog, Mike. You “out” people.
Apparently you’re pretty damn ignorant Pandora, since I in no way, shape, or form “outed” anyone.
I also notice that as usual you evaded the question. Good job, you’ve got that down to a science.
But hey, truth and facts have never stood in the way of Pandora’s beliefs before.
Even when you put them right in front of you she goes “la la la la Shut up you idiot!!” and accuses you of manipulating raw data. All because they conflict with her ideology and even acknowledging the validity of said facts would cause that ideology to crumble.
Bush could have spoken quickly or not at all, your response would be the same.
Secretary Paulson is part of the executive branch and this challenge is part of his department and expertise.
As a leader there is no reason to panic or react until you have the facts. To date all of the actions have been deliberate and measured.
Mike the Loser
“To date all of the actions have been deliberate and measured.”
If you really believe that, I’d hate to fly on a plane that you’re piloting.