A New Reality for George W. Bush...
Marian
FYI~ Marian
A New Reality for George W. Bush
By David S. Broder
Thursday, September 13, 2001
From the smoky pyres and devastation of the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, from the tidal wave of grief and anxiety, frustration and
anger that encompassed the nation on Tuesday, Americans have awakened to
the realization that the casualty list is even larger than the uncounted
lives that were lost.
Shattered as well are some of the myths of our national life -- notably
the belief in the impregnability of our borders. As the task of
reconstructing a more realistic view of our situation begins, all eyes
turn to the president. That is George W. Bush's challenge -- and his
opportunity.
As in the past, in times of national tragedy, it fell to the president
to express the public's sense of loss and to affirm the nation's
determination to respond. After a shaky start, when Bush seemed to be
seeking a hideaway from both unknown enemies and his own nerves, he
gathered the strength to do just that in his brief Oval Office address
Tuesday night and again on Wednesday morning. But this is just the
beginning of his ordeal.
When I wrote two weeks ago that this autumn would be "sheer hell" for
Bush, it was beyond imagination that terrorism would strike the nation
in the horrendous fashion we saw on Tuesday morning. What confronted him
on Labor Day was a deteriorating economy, an out-of-kilter federal
budget and a legislative-diplomatic agenda that would strain his
political capital and test his rhetorical abilities.
Now the challenge is much larger: to forge a strategy, far different
from his campaign agenda, to deal with the realities we face.
One sentence in the Oval Office address gives hope that Bush might be
ready to do that. If the pledge that "we will make no distinction
between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor
them" is more than rhetoric, then there will be new realism -- and steel
-- in America's national security policy.
For far too long, we have been queasy about responding to terrorism. Two
decades ago, when those with real or imagined grievances against the
United States began picking off Americans overseas on military or
diplomatic assignments or on business, singly or in groups, we delivered
pinprick retaliations or none at all. We said we did not want to risk
harming innocent people in striking back. But that gave license to the
leaders of those nations that shelter known terrorists. The time is long
overdue to tell those leaders that if you do not rid yourselves of the
terrorists living within your borders or mingling with your people, you
have a big problem: We are coming after you as well as them.
That will not be easy -- or pretty. But it is probably the only way to
offer what was missing from Bush's Oval Office speech: a strategy that
can reassure Americans that their lives are not constantly at risk. The
ultimate terror in Tuesday's successful attack is that it will encourage
copycats with bombs or germs or chemical agents to strike again.
As Secretary of State Colin Powell said, carrying out retaliatory or
preventive strikes against terrorists and the nations that harbor them
will be far easier if we are supported by other countries. Assembling
that broad coalition -- including European allies, Russia, China and as
much of the Middle East as possible -- has to be our top diplomatic
priority now. If that means heeding their arguments for postponing
deployment of a theoretically workable missile defense system against a
theoretical "rogue nation" missile threat, then that is what realism
requires of Bush.
And speaking of realism, this is a good moment for the president and
congressional leaders of both parties to acknowledge the reality that
the economic slump has made it both impossible and undesirable to
preserve as large a budget surplus as the so-called Social Security
trust fund requires. Any sum Bush requests to strengthen American
military and intelligence capabilities to deal with the threat of
terrorism will now be approved by huge congressional majorities.
That will break open the theoretical "lock box" on Social Security
taxes, and in turn will enable Democrats to add enough funds to the
education budget so that they will release their stranglehold on Bush's
school reform bill. And if the price for this short-term budget deal is
suspension of the long-term tax cut Bush pushed through when the economy
and the world situation looked far different -- a tax cut that threatens
the future viability of Social Security -- that too would be a victory
for realism.
This tragedy can motivate the nation -- or shock it into paralysis. This
is the test, and Bush must lead.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
------------------------------------------------------------------------
barb
> Washtech Sports Style Education Travel Health Home & Garden Opinion
>FYI~ Marian
>A New Reality for George W. Bush
>This tragedy can motivate the nation -- or shock it into paralysis. This
>is the test, and Bush must lead.
i usually stay out of "political" type crap...
i didn't even read this, didn't have to because by now i know you would not have
posted it had it been something good about bush.
you evidently have forgotten something or never knew of the motto here in
texas...
not only has this pissed our president off, but our president is a texan and you
just DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS and in this case, you just don't MESS WITH THE USA
He'll do whatever it takes and when he does or until he does just shut the fuck
up if you can't say something positive about him and the situation. if you can
do better, run for office
barb
Marian
President. Mainly, because no one *I* read would write one...
You probably didn't even recognize the "Dean of Washington pundits" ~with whom
I disagreed more often than not, during the Clinton administration...
Marian<who suggests that even a barbie doll could read more...>
p.s. To give you another chance, I'm reposting the column...
A New Reality for George W. Bush
By David S. Broder
Thursday, September 13, 2001
This tragedy can motivate the nation -- or shock it into paralysis. This
is the test, and Bush must lead.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
>>FYI~ Marian
>>A New Reality for George W. Bush
>>This tragedy can motivate the nation -- or shock it into paralysis. This
>>is the test, and Bush must lead.
>
>i usually stay out of "political" type crap...
>
>i didn't even read this, didn't have to because by now i know you would not
>have
>posted it had it been something good about bush.
>
>you evidently have forgotten something or never knew of the motto here in
>texas...
>
>not only has this pissed our president off, but our president is a texan and
>you
>just DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS and in this case, you just don't MESS WITH THE USA
>
>He'll do whatever it takes and when he does or until he does just shut the
>fuck
>up if you can't say something positive about him and the situation. if you
>can
>do better, run for office
>
>barb
_______________________________
Always be tolerant of those who don't
agree with you. They have a perfect
right to their ridiculous opinions.
******************************************
Arlin Vernon
that everyone will be behind him during these bad times. Arlin :-)
"barb" <barb....@azone.net> wrote in message
news:3ba3c897....@news.dallas.sbcglobal.net...
dae
I agree having known some Texans in my time. But I think we have 49 other
states that feel the same right now. Bush will do fine.
Don (Prone)
"barb" <barb....@azone.net> wrote in message
news:3ba3c897....@news.dallas.sbcglobal.net...
barb
>Silly, silly girl. In these times, I wouldn't post a gratuitous trashing of our
>President. Mainly, because no one *I* read would write one...
marian....i'm tired, worn out from a trip from chicago that had to be made by
automobile, as far as i know the plane i was to take is still sitting at
o'hare...in all honesty, i shouldn't have started posting anything about this.
i'm tired, worn out and so greatful that i came home to grandkids that will
aggreviate me and hug me all at the same time, glad to smell the litter box
that hasn't been changed all day, glad that i can bitch about the kids racing
down the street, greatful that i'm here at the computer....most of all i'm just
glad to be back home in texas
barb
Arlin Vernon
Robert W. McKibben
Robert(Proud Texan)
Robert W. McKibben
Robert(with our President 100%)
barb
>I am glad that you made it home too. Arlin:-)
>"barb" <barb....@azone.net> wrote in message
thanks arlin...
barb
barb
>Welcome home neighbor,(I am about 12 miles up the road from ya).
>Robert(Proud Texan)
thank you robert.....i'm also a proud texan and american
barb
Marian
read it...
Marian
>Sick Marian, Sick.
>Robert(with our President 100%)
>> FYI~ Marian