The war he began isn't over but that didn't stop Bush from dedicating a monument to himself the victims of the 9/11 attack and milking it for all it was worth in one of the more cynical displays of sentimental self-congratulation you're ever likely to see from a president in this lifetime (unless McCain wins).
President Bush today dedicated the Pentagon Memorial as "an everlasting tribute to the 184 souls who perished" when a hijacked jetliner exploded into the western side of the nation's military headquarters, part of the largest terror attack on U.S. soil.
"Seven years ago today, a doomed jet fell from the sky, split the rock and steel of this building and changed our world forever," Bush said. "Here we remember those who died. . . . We dedicate a memorial that will enshrine their memory for all time. . . . We will never forget their sacrifice."
After the obligatory exploitation of first responders, families of victims, and singing children, the Emperor couldn't help slapping himself on the back for a job well done (a telling moment the Post couldn't be bothered with).
Mr. Bush’s speech was short, just seven minutes, and the president used it to declare the memorial “an everlasting tribute to 184 innocent souls,” and to remind his audience that “there has not been another attack on our soil in 2,557 days.”
He's very proud of that, apparently. Dan Froomkin notes in his column that the Emperor has his entire Palace Guard running around crowing about it.
President Bush would like you to believe that he deserves the credit for there not having been a second domestic terrorist attack on his watch.
Case in point: A White House " fact sheet" released to the press yesterday, proudly proclaiming: "President Bush Has Kept Our Nation Safe In The Seven Years Following 9/11."
Leaving aside the issue of whether he could have prevented the first one, Bush has yet to provide one bit of evidence that any of the actions he ordered -- not to mention the most controversial ones, such as torturing terror suspects and eavesdropping on Americans without a warrant -- prevented another.
Evidence, as Mr Froomkin has evidently still to learn, is, in BushLand, less important than, you know, feeling that a feeling is true. That should be good enough for doubters. Facts have a tendency to get in the way of Feel Good, hence "truthiness", which sort of sounds like the truth but has all the uncomfortable parts of actual truth removed so they can't jab you where it hurts. Jon Ward at White House Organ and Beltway Propaganda Center the Mooney Times describes their quiet joy at preventing something that wasn't going to happen anyway.
Joe Hagin, one of the president's closest aides until he resigned in July, said that in the days after 9/11 the senior staff felt another attack on their watch was inevitable.
"People should feel a great sense of pride that here we are all these years later and here's not been another attack," Mr. Hagin said.
Pete Wehner, a former deputy in Mr. Bush's political office, said the mood among current and former White House officials on Thursday will be one of "sober satisfaction."
Many of us realists said at the time that bin Laden had most likely shot his wad on the WTC op and, having gotten the over-reaction he wanted from the Great Satan as a spike for anti-Saudi recruitment in the Middle East, had no need to attack the US again and was therefore unlikely to do so. Quite a few of us said something along those lines, in fact, but none of us were ever invited to speak on Tim Russert's MTP, Klose's Radio Free Europe-ish NPR, or Fox, so the chances are that few heard the many who disagreed with their bobble-headed assumptions.
Which won't stop the Emperor and his Loyal Moron Minions from taking full credit for and "sober satisfaction" from an outcome they had nothing whatever to do with. But then, why would this be any different?
Anfuckingthrax.
Posted by: eRobin | September 11, 2008 at 09:49 PM