Chutzpah

E.J Dionne quotes Bush at a fund raiser last week saying: “We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. We’re changing the culture of this country from one that has said, if it feels good, do it, and if you got a problem, blame somebody else, to a culture in which each of us are responsible for the decisions we make in life.”

I heard that fundraising speech (dutifully shown in its entirely live on CNN) and I too was struck by the unbelievable irony of his statement. It’s actually beyond ironic. It’s deluded.

In my fantasy America a reporter would repeat those lines to Bush tonight and then ask him if he thinks there are any problems — from 9/11 failures to the economy to Iraq — for which he bears any responsibility.

But, I’m sure that is impossible. Instead, we will hear the “journalists” ask him something like “how soon will you be able to bring democracy and freedom to Iraq?” at which point he’ll filibuster incoherently for half an hour blathering on about good ‘n evul ‘n thugs ‘n caves ‘n smoken ’em out. Then he’ll tell a reporter how ugly he is and everyone willl laugh uproariously at his comedic genius and go home.