Speaking about the Bolton nomination, “We want more accountability and transparency and less bureaucracy, and John Bolton will help to achieve that mission,” Bush told reporters at an appearance with European Union leaders at the White House.
It takes a pair of giant brass ones for Bush to speaking about accountability and transparency, and he’s certainly got them.
Transparency?
- The nomination is stalled because the Bush administration will not provide documents regarding his actions in his previous job. They would rather keep it all secret.
- They have reversed the trend during the Clinton era of declassifying government papers, and habitually classify materials with high secret ratings, purely for political purposes. They completely ignore many Freedom of Information acts, in violation of law.
- Their well-noted refusal to disclose who helped Cheney write the energy policy. (Though the right had no problems raking Hillary over the coals when she got outside feedback for the healthcare plan.)
- A major roadshow on Social Security reform, spending generous amounts of political capital to promote their plan — only there is no plan. Bush has never revealed any specifics. (Hint: The plan has nothing to do with solvency, as Bush finally admitted.)
Accountability?
- Frist openly diagnosed Terry Schiavo’s condition on the floor of the Senate, was proved absolutely wrong by the autopsy, and now claims he never said anything.
- Secret planning for an Iraq invasion, illegally diverting funds from the Afghanistanian war to Iraq.
- Continually promoting and rewarding those who fuck up royally, as long as they are loyal, and firing those who disagree, even when they are proved right over and over again.
- Bush has never proposed a plan for Social Security reform, but has no problem continually attacking Democrats for having no plan. (Hint: Keeping the most successful federal program in history in it’s current shape counts as a plan.)
..and the list could easily stretch for dozens of items more.
Late breaking news: In an effort to hold themselves more accountable to the Senate, administration officials announced they may just ignore the Senate entirely.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is keeping open the possibility that President Bush will bypass the Senate to get John R. Bolton installed as U.N. ambassador temporarily if Democrats persist in holding up a confirmation vote.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan did not rule out that Bush would consider a recess appointment if the Senate does not approve Bolton’s nomination. He blamed the Democrats for “obstructing progress” by stalling a vote on Bolton.