Bush is Kicking Ass . . . For Now!

I overheard a comment made yesterday regarding the latest storm heading towards the Gulf coast of Texas. ‘I suppose Bush is doing nothing again’. I quickly responded, ‘Actually, he is kicking ass right now’

See, the mark of a true leader is being able to recognize your mistakes, make the necessary adjustments, and guide your subordinates down a path of success. With Katrina, all levels of government were caught with their britches in a bunch. The Feds were ill prepared and had faulty plans, the state failed to communicate effectively their needs to the federal level. The local municipalities were too busy pointing fingers and dropped the ball on several occasions.

The President won’t let that happen again. He has acknowledged his mistakes, and has made adjustments to protect as many individuals as possible as Rite steamrolls it’s way through the Gulf. Over 300,00 troops are staged and poised at the ready (compared to 10,000 set for Katrina). An open line of communication exists at all levels of government so that response times will be minimal. The goal here is to protect lives, and preserve lifestyles. Politics seems removed from the formula as the hatches are battened down while Rita approaches.

Which makes me wonder why Bush hasn’t done this sooner on other issues. I have been a supporter of the Iraq war since the beginning, albeit not for the same reasons as this administration. SoDamn Who’s Insane was a bad guy and needed to be dealt with. He had multiple second chances and refused to conform to the expectations of the international community. We didn’t need to make up stories of WMD’s and mobile chemical factories which only rocked our credibility with our allies once the truth was discovered. Bush should have and could have sold this war based on the truth and the credible facts available.

As we approach the 2,000 death mark of American troops in this battle against extremism, I wonder why the President hasn’t taken the same approach as he has with the Hurricane double shot. At least as many mistakes have been made regarding the Iraq war as were made with Katrina. Why wouldn’t it be prudent to reevaluate the failures and trump up the successes as the administration reformulates and readjusts our strategy there.

With his approvals knocking on the 30’s, the President has an opportunity to prove to those of us in the center, and center left, that he is committed to what is best for the country, and not necessarily what is best for him and his ilk’s political future. I hope he realizes how eager the American people are to see a True leader, one that is determined to do their job, listen to everyone as the plan or plans pan out, and readjust as necessary. If he refuses, and falls back into the trap he set for himself, refusing to recognize mistakes and adjust accordingly, he will entrench himself as a lame duck who can’t get anything down, while the remaining leaders of his party battle for power and control, instead of battling for what is best for their constituencies.

But that’s just me!

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