George Bush, Frontman, and the PERMANENT CAMPAIGN >

[Stephanie]

This is unprecedented, isn't it? George Bush has no other function except to endlessly CAMPAIGN. He tours, he gives his stump speech, he poses for pictures. That's IT.

He doesn't read, doesn't make decisions, doesn't think, doesn't lead, doesn't WORK. He just CAMPAIGNS, day after day after day.

My question - how do they get away with it? How are they able to put a spokesmodel in the presidency and five years later nobody seems to notice that he is still on the campaign trail, and so not in any way shape or form doing the job he was appointed to do, running the country.

Why doesn't anybody notice that the Oval Office is EMPTY 90% of the time? Why is it okay for George Bush to gallavant around the country on an endless, self-promoting tour?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. And just to add even more insult to injury,

he's doing all that permanent campaigning on our dime. $40K an hour just to fly Air Force One, for starters.

[Inland]

3. Relatedly, the official campaign pays for the personal partisan one

Every stop, Bush has the official campaign stop in front of a selected group of supporters, and at night he has the fundraiser in the same town in front of a selected group of supporters.

To say the man combines the official business with the partisan business gives him too much credit, because the supposed official business is just a pep rally for those who can't pay for a quid pro quo and to provide an excuse to get free transportation to the money maker..

[Stephanie]

5. That's important!

And why is that legal? Talk about corporate welfare! BushCO takes the cake!

[Bluebear]

2. A constant quest for self-aggrandizement and a bully pulpit

Talk talk talk talk, it's hard work when only 33% of the people worship the ground you walk on.

[Skink]

4. Cindy Crawford is a Spokes model. Bush is just a whore.

O8) 1000 baby.

[Stephanie]

6. Congratulations!

I'm honored.

:toast:

[slay]

7. One mistake

You said: "He doesn't read, doesn't make decisions, doesn't think, doesn't lead, doesn't WORK."

I prefer to believe "He CAN'T read, CAN'T make decisions, CAN'T think, CAN'T lead, and can't work." Hehehe. He's totally useless. Enjoy your Prez-o-dent Uh-merry-ka.

[Stephanie]

8. You are correct.

However, presumably those are among the job requirements, so I'll leave my post as is. He doesn't do them. Whether he can or not is another question. And irrelevant, since even IF he could, he doesn't.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. I disagree with the premise that he's not doing his job

His job is really simple. As simple as he he is.

He's a front man. A carnival barker. A pitch man. Ed McMahon on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City selling Vegomatics. The soft public face of the crime family. The monkey at the end of the organ grinder's chain.

[Stephanie]

10. You're totally right.

And yet it's not the job he ran for, not the job he was appointed to, not the job he swore on the Bible to do.

[OneBlueSky]

11. "If Bush isn't running the country," you might ask . . .

"then just who the hell IS?" . . .

well, here's a starting point . . . the list of US participants in this year's Bilderberg soiree . . .

USA, Collins, Timothy C., Senior Managing Director and CEO, Ripplewood Holdings, LLC

USA, Donilon, Thomas E., Partner, O'Melveny & Myers

USA, Feldstein, Martin S, President and CEO, National Bureau of Economic Research

USA, Ford, Jr., William C., Chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company

USA, Geithner, Timothy F., President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

USA, Graham, Donald E., Chairman and CEO, The Washington Post Company

USA, Haass, Richard N., President, Council on Foreign Relations

USA, Holbrooke, Richard C., Vice Chairman, Perseus

USA, Hubbard, Allan B., Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council

USA, Johnson, James A., Vice Chairman, Perseus LLC

USA, Jordan, Jr.,Vernon E., Senior Managing Director, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC

USA, Keane, John M., President, GSI, LLC; General, US Army, Retired

USA, Kissinger, Henry A., Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.

USA, Kravis, Henry R., Founding Partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

USA, Kravis, Marie-Josée, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Inc.

USA, Ledeen, Michael A., American Enterprise Institute

USA, Luti, William J., Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs

USA, Mathews, Jessica T., President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

USA, Medish, Mark C., Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

USA, Mehlman, Kenneth B., Chairman, Republican National Committee

USA, Pearl, Frank H., Chairman and CEO, Perseus, LLC

USA, Pearlstine, Norman, Editor-in-Chief, Time Inc.

USA, Perle, Richard N., Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

USA, Rockefeller, David, Member, JP Morgan International Council

USA, Rodin, Judith, President, The Rockefeller Foundation

USA, Ross, Dennis B., Director, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

USA, Vinocur, John, Senior Correspondent, International Herald Tribune

USA, Warner, Mark R., Governor of Virginia

INT/USA, Wolfensohn, James D., President, The World Bank

USA, Wolfowitz, Paul, President designate, The World Bank

USA, Zakaria, Fareed, Editor, Newsweek International

and the only reason Bolton wasn't there is because he was busy testifying before Congress . . .

[LightningFlash]

12. And here come the downing street minutes. Uh-oh spaghettio.

[Stephanie]

13. The oligarchs and the neo-cons.

We're living in a bad novel.

[Hubert Flottz]

15. Boy...did you ever hit the nail on the head!

The top name on your list should be:

USA, Rockefeller, David, Member, JP Morgan International Council

I think he's really been president for years, or at least since and including Nixon's time.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. He's the Studio pResident!

Bullshit is his only good quality! An he Sexes that up too!