On the bedside table:
Commentary: Bush-- Bloodied but Unbowed
Lately I’ve been hearing a good deal about the imminent demise of George Bush and the fading prospects for his presidential legacy….
To an increasing extent Mr Bush looks like an isolated lame duck playing out the string in the Oval Office, left alone to ponder his legacy. These can't be happy days for him. Recently for example he lost what may be his last shot at a domestic legacy when his showpiece immigration bill tanked. Also, the backlash against his decision to commute the jail sentence of Scooter Libby was book-ended by the high-profile announcements from Lugar and Domenici that they no longer support the Iraq strategy. The defection of such loyal charges is a crushing blow to Bush's long-term war designs. What’s worse, more defections are expected because nearly half of all sitting Republican senators face re-election next year and their constituents are not bashful in expressing their feelings about the unpopular war. I’m sure right-wingers are well aware that Americans may decide to riot at the ballot box-- and Bush is below 30%. As a result we’re rarely seeing anyone from the GOP rally to his defense anymore. Opinion, both public and private, is nearly monolithic in opposition to him.
With 18 months left in office, Mr Bush's options appear limited for a legacy-saving opportunity. There is little hope for a successful hail-Mary pass on Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Iran, Russia, Darfur, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, etc.—even the Europeans and Canadians don’t much care for us anymore. It must be discouraging to think that the only positive he can point to is something that didn’t happen—namely another terrorist attack on US soil. Although, with a year and a half remaining, that’s not guaranteed either.
Caution: It's not over until the fat lady sings-- even though Bush has lost much power and leverage, he is still capable of wielding major influence over big events. He still has the power of the veto to shape legislation, the bully pulpit to challenge opponents on support for the troops, the power to hire and fire various wonks and bureaucrats and the power to appoint another Supreme Court justice should the need arise.
In fact, with almost nothing positive to show from six years as boss, Bush has already begun pushing the retrograde of the Supreme Court as his lasting legacy. His fingerprints will be all over the scenes of future crimes as conservatives continue their murderous assault on all things they deem liberal, or "socially engineered." We got a preview recently with rulings on abortion, race and free-speech in schools, employment discrimination and rejection of death penalty appeals. Bush’s men will clearly continue the Republican agenda of moving public treasury into private hands and promoting conservative cultural values, thereby weakening government provided services and civil liberties for future generations. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
Once, during a seemingly endless honorary dinner given in his name, Albert Einstein mused that he had just formulated a new theory of eternity-- with 18 months still remaining in the Bush presidency it may be time to revisit it.