Evidence that Willie Nelson isn’t the only person who has smoked dope at the White House

Recently, unnamed White House staffers were quoted as saying “Bush's reputation has been unfairly maligned for a series of calamities -- from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to the financial crisis -- that were beyond his control and that he handled well.” Really! It seems to me that this is evidence that the staffers have been smoking something funny. Honestly, how can anyone whose mind hasn't been clouded by some sort of cognitive inhibiting substance possibly say that Bush reputation has been unfairly maligned.

Bush’s reputation has been soiled by his incredibly poor judgment and by his horrendous mismanagement at every turn. This is the man who remained dumbstruck and inert in that Florida school upon being told that “America is under attack” on September 11th. This is the same “decider” who pulled us into an unnecessary war in Iraq and then who extended the blunder by not ensuring the military had an adequate post-Invasion security plan. This the man whose shortsightedness and misguided bravado have resulted in torture as American policy. This incredibly poor leadership has cost America a significant part of its moral authority and has sullied the very values that Americans have fought and died to protect. Bush’s reaction to Katrina, his hostility to adequate regulation of the banking industry, and his initial reaction to the financial crisis (which was, as you will recall, to just hand cash over to the banks to buy worthless debt) each have acted to further secure Bush’s sullied reputation. And let us not forget the colossal misjudgments that were the Alberto Gonzales and Harriet Myers appointments. Do you still need more convincing? What about Bush's sad attempt to privatize Social Security? We really should be glad he didn’t get that monstrously stupid proposal passed given the state of the current financial crisis.

Bush has been unfairly maligned! What a joke; please, spare me! The one hopeful though for the future is that no matter who wins on Tuesday, this one man wrecking crew and his sycophant true-believers will be turned out of the White House on 20 January 2009.