FT BUSH vs. ST BUSH….So George Bush has tapped Paul Wolfowitz to be head of the World Bank and John Bolton to be ambassador to the UN. Earlier this year he resubmitted all ten of the judicial nominees that Democrats had filibustered before the election. And Alberto Gonzales, the guy who wrote the torture memos, is now Attorney General.
I don’t know enough about Wolfowitz and Bolton on a substantive basis to have much to say about their appointments. On a PR level, though, the message Bush is sending is plain. A number of pundits inexplicably thought that Bush might settle down in his second term and try to run a more conciliatory, less strident administration, and it’s pretty obvious that he’s trying to make it crystal clear that he has no intention of doing this. Second term Bush will be no different from first term Bush, and don’t you forget it.
I never understood the wish fulfillment fantasies of people who thought Bush might change in his second term ? he’s obviously a guy with only one gear and a profound need to crush his enemies ? but I wonder if anyone still believes this? If so, it’s time to face the music. It’s going to be a long four years.
