The Magnificent Opportunity

Surprise, it's not New Orleans!

Via Billmon, who is way too kind to him, we find David Broder sucking on the bones of the dead, cracking every last marrowy tidbit out of the political opportunity they afford for his hero:

"We cannot yet calculate the political fallout from Hurricane Katrina and its devastating human and economic consequences, but one thing seems certain: It makes the previous signs of political weakness for Bush, measured in record-low job approval ratings, instantly irrelevant and opens new opportunities for him to regain his standing with the public...for a president who believes that actions speak louder than words, this is an advantageous setting."

Yes, this is a magnificent opportunity for Bush to salvage his low ratings (isn't this the president who pays no attention to polls?), and Broder, who has been on the Bush team, lo these many years, says "Have at it!" He goes on to skewer the "fragmented" Congress--those puling, gutless punks--but notes that "...the president flew back from vacation to take command of the hurricane response..." Take command, did he? He didn't even know what the fuck time of day it was! He was led by the hand like the babyfied, spoiled brat he is, and told every step of the way how to respond. Hell, if he didn't have Karl Rove to pull his strings he'd likely still be back in Texas with his pud in his hand, beating off to fantasies of Cindy Sheehan.

In a new low, even for Broder, he writes this with a straight face:

"The decline of oversight hearings on Capitol Hill reflects what many of the commentators called a loss of institutional pride in Congress. Majority Republicans see themselves first and foremost as members of the Bush team -- and do not want to make trouble by asking hard questions. Democrats find it more rewarding to raise campaign funds and cultivate their own constituencies."

Funny how everyone forgets people like Henry Waxman and John Conyers, isn't it? Just this week I got this in my e-mail from John:

"First, I have asked the Federal Trade Commission to study price gouging in the gasoline market...

Second, as Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, I plan to introduce legislation explicitly giving the federal government authority to pursue such price gouging actions -- price gouging is a national problem, and it warrants a national response...

Third, I am introducing a law to amend the Bankruptcy Code so that the most onerous provisions of the new law, scheduled to take effect October 17, do not inflict damage on the millions of victims of Hurricane Katrina and their families."

Yes, John Conyers, who everyone including Broder's colleague at the WaPo, Dana Milbank (hahahah, good one, Dana, you kill us) had such a good laugh at when the Bush-controlled Congress forced him to hold his inquiries into impeachment in some basement, and who tried to hold Bushco accountable for their deadly lies before the war. And Henry Waxman, who has fought the good fight against Bush on too many fronts to enumerate. But no one in the "grown-up press" pays any mind to these folks. No, people like Milbank laugh them off the radar, and then people like Broder cast aspersions at the entire political body because it's so easy to lie, lie, lie about it all and create the reality they want and because the whole country is so numb from bullshit that people have just stopped trying to winnow the wheat from the chaff.

They need to shut up and go down there. They need to shut up and do something worthwhile and useful for once in their pathetic, pampered lives. They need to stop talking about the political opportunities and take someone some food.