[White House]

Chicken

Someone called Bush chicken yesterday for his Alito nomination. I thought it was Schumer, but for the life of me I can't find it. I dunno, maybe I dreamed it. It was spot on, in any case. Cowardice is an essential element of the Bush MO, and I'm surprised no one has talked about it more often. From the second debate in 2000, when Bush shrunk from Gore as they passed on the stage (it was that awkward free-roaming debate they had), I could tell Bush was never going to stand on his own two feet.

Why would he? He has always expressed bravado--but it's the rich-kid bravado that comes from knowing daddy's always there to bail you out if you need money or good lawyers. In real fights, Bush always backs down. Moreover, he has that sadistic side that the rich kids--who have never faced real consequences--often display when exercising their bravado. In Bush's case, it means humiliating war vets like Kerry and McCain, torturing Iraqis, and invading a country that has been under sanction for ten years under the rhetoric that it's the Third Reich. You notice he takes care not to piss offSaudi Arabia, though.

Poor Harriet Miers, sent to walk the plank because her sponsor had no cajones. He didn't even have the courage to say he pulled her--she had to "withdraw." Now Bush, wielding the entire instrument of the right wing octopus (Congress, K Street, talk radio, FOX News, Wall Street, etc.) can look bold by nominating a kick-ass conservative who doesn't care if a woman has to be beat down by her husband to get an abortion. Macho stuff. Of course, once the nominating's done, Bush gets to let the Senate fight his battle, so he wasn't risking all that much.

I doubt there's any political traction to be gained by pointing this out, but I'm glad Schumer did, anyway. (Or didn't, as the case may be.) Bush is a little scaredy-cat, and no amount of cleaning Texas scrub in his Tony Lamas is going to change that fact.