Not much has been seen of that Scottish Terrier these days, but President Bush could sure use him.
President Truman once famously said if you want a friend in D.C., get a dog. Bush is a step ahead. He has Barney. The President should spend some quality time with the First Pooch rather than making “lost in space” White House appearances like the one he did this morning. Does the President really think he is doing anyone any good by telling the nation the economy is at a “critical moment” following the GOP mutiny on the $700B bailout? Bush’s handlers are either working on their resumes or holed up in the bunker with Cheney because the President seems more clueless than ever. That is not reassuring.
Speaking of lack of leadership, John McCain and other GOP luminaries are giving the President a run for the money in the lousy PR department. McCain, who has been campaigning on the nonsensical “Country First” theme, misses no opportunity to somehow pin the entire financial mess on Barack Obama. It’s pretty hard to comprehend how a guy who spent more than a quarter of a century in D.C. is bashing somebody who is a fresh face in town.
Minority Leader John Boehner is another piece of cake. He blames Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for “poisoning” the atmosphere. The Ohio Congressman’s tender sensibilities were offended by a political speech made by the San Francisco grandma. Boehner also moaned that a politico can’t break a couple of arms to get important votes. Political giants like LBJ and Tip O’Neill must be turning in the graves on that one because they understood that true leaders do whatever it takes.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll out today shows the public is a step ahead of the bungling politicians. More than half (52 percent) say the economy is in a “crisis,” while another 43 percent believe the economy is a “serious problem.” The public narrowly opposes the bailout by a 47 percent to 45 percent margin. It will take some leaders in Congress to step up to the plate and close the bailout deal.
The public squarely blames Bush for the crisis. Twenty-five percent of the registered voters queried by WP/ABC say Bush deserves the most blame. Wall Street ranks next at 18 percent and Congress follows at eight percent. The survey results will sure have the President calling out, “Here, Barney, Here boy. Let’s go for a walk.”
Take a long walk, Barney. It’s for the good of the nation.