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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Why even bother with the weak metaphor?

The Whitehouse sure got out the "brush clearing" message, the NYTimes and WaPo today both lead with it.

Obviously that's the metaphor that the administration wants to use as they attempt to set the agenda for next year's "fresh start" focused around the State of the Union speech. He's gonna focus on the economy and Iraq before the SOTU, but I just don't see how his message will get through.

Realistically, the following will or may occur during the weeks before the SOTU speech.
  1. We will get the year end summary articles on Iraq which will restate the casualty numbers and return the debate. Bush put the problem down, but not away.
  2. Abramoff will reach his plea deal and more details will come out.
  3. Delay will continue his defense in the TRMPAC case.
  4. Karl Rove will likely be indicted. Will the investigation continue?
  5. The Patriot act renewal will be revisited in the Senate.
  6. Alito confirmation hearings.
  7. Continued revelations and the stirrings of investigations in the NSA illegal spying.
  8. Iraq will either form a government or start their civil war in earnest.
  9. Congress will have to raise the debt level again.
  10. The beginnings of Republican congresspeople establishing independence from Bush before the 2006 midterms.
And this is just a list off the top of my head of the stuff we know about that's gonna happen in the next four weeks.

So, I would expect his poll numbers to be sliding again as he tries to present this "new" agenda. I just don't see how, with all of this going on, he's gonna be able to control the headlines. He will be spending all his time fighting "brush fires."

And if Rove gets indicted, as appears likely to me, all bets are off.

(also, just as a funny aside, the WaPo piece on "clearing brush" and the new agenda makes the point that our president likes starting fires. They sometimes save the piles of limbs so that he "can come home and do the honors himself.")

(And Duh! somehow I read right past it, Duke at Northland Liberal points out on that the WaPo story starts with this "On most of the 365 days he has enjoyed at his secluded ranch here." Bush has spent one freakin' year of his five in office at the ranch! And that doesn't even count the weekends at Camp David. You would think that with Iraq going to shit, somebody might be putting in a few hours, no?)

1 Comments:

  • Nice list.. the "top of your head" seems to be spot on. may I add?
    1. Bush will talk about eminent victory in Iraq and quickly move on.
    2.Abramoff WILL go to jail.
    3. Delay will not return as speaker and will pay fines on a couple small charges. His career will be over.. Time to lobby for the chemical industry against environmentalist.
    4. Karl Rove will suffer a massive brain hemerage, and become George Bush's intellectual equal. No indictment here. SKATE!
    5.The patriot act will be trimmed down. No trust in the Whitehouse, and the DOJ will make Congress leary of investing such power without oversight.
    6. Alito will get the shit kicked out of him in confermation, but will emerge with a lifetime job.
    7. NSA spying investigation will reveal there are much more sinister things beneath the surface.
    8. Congress will raise the debt another 300B. However, the DOD will be suffled billions more that is not in the "visible" budget.
    9. Republicans are already distancing themselves from Bush. Come elections only those from the deepest of red of states will invite him to pay lip service.
    10 Scott MzClellan's head will literaly explode during a particularly tough press conference, much like that fellow from the movie Scanners. Helen Thomas will take home an ear and put it in a jar of Formaldehyde.

    By Blogger Yukkione, at 9:29 PM  

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