don't bother hoping for compromise

[jrtom]

red_frog pointed me at this Washington Post article, which laid out some of Bush's priorities and attitudes for his new term.

Her comments focused on Social Security. But what I find personally more chilling is the idea that Bush is making it pretty clear that he thinks he doesn't have to care what anyone thinks any more:

Bush made no effort to hide his high spirits, teasing reporters and calling on them by last name only, in the fashion of a football coach. He has always chafed at reporters' tendency to ask follow-ups and to string multiple questions into one, and yesterday he announced that he will no longer permit it. "Now that I've got the will of the people at my back, I'm going to start enforcing the one-question rule," he said.

...one key adviser said the White House has calculated there is little to be gained from courting Democrats, since the expected fights over Supreme Court nominations would just undo the goodwill.

"This isn't a guy who pivots," said a presidential adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity so White House officials will continue to talk candidly to him. "There's no point in a lot of outreach in the next 90 days that would be rendered moot by the first retirement from the court, and he's not going to do it."

There it is, folks. He thinks he's got a crown and scepter.

You know where our hopes are now? The moderate Republicans. They're basically the only ones that have the ability to derail the more egregious initiatives that he wants to put through Congress. Fortunately, some of them have already--in a presidential election year!--indicated just how much they think that Bush's policies are misguided. (Perhaps, if we're lucky, we'll actually see a definable split in the Republican Party, although I don't really expect it to result in the formation of a new party.)

Comments

[red-frog.livejournal.com]

Picking out the SS was more along the lines of showing the continuity. Note everyone remembers that the man has never changed his mind about ANYTHING. It's like the tax cuts: he was going to do them one way or another, and his justiications just changed. I take all those idiocies from the 2000 campaign very seriously.

But yes, I think you're dead right about his attitude. Healing, my ass. You can be united if you get in lockstep, but not otherwise.

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

I didn't intend to imply that you thought that only the SS issue was significant, just that your focus (and example) were different. You pointed out that his agenda was still the same; I was drawing attention to the removal of the velvet glove.

[red-frog.livejournal.com]

Velvet glove?

HAHAHAHAHAHA. (Sorry, there's just no other way to react. :D)

I think we already saw the iron fist. We may now get spikes on it.

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

Actually, I still think the metaphor is apt. Up to this point, Bush has felt it necessary--or at least politically expedient--to veil, at least somewhat, his complete disinterest in compromise. He's not veiling it any more.

One can only imagine the tone of his remarks if he had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

[(Anonymous)]

he has already made it clear to everyone who does not agree with him that he has no intention of representing them. now he is making it clear to his own misguided followers the he is the leader of his party... not of his country... and that his party should have unchecked rule. he has no respect for the minority, even if the minority is 49.9% of the country.

i think that our dangerous madman now has proof that god has blessed his holy war against everyone. i include us in everyone.

t.