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THE BUCK NEVER STOPS WITH GEORGE W. BUSH
By H. Millard (c) 2004 - Posted 10.29.04

There's a principle of leadership that holds that one can always delegate authority, but one can never delegate responsibility. In other words, if you're the boss you're responsible for what happens on your watch. The buck is supposed to stop with you. This principle of leadership appears to be alien to George W. Bush and the assorted clowns, neocons, sycophants, preppies and other phonies, including the big mouth so-called conservative radio and TV talkers who are attached like ticks to Bush's administration in one way or another.

These guys always blame others for everything that goes wrong. It's never their fault. It's always some other guy who is responsible. They remind me of a murderer who recently blamed his victim for making the murderer a murderer. "Hey, it wasn't my fault I murdered the guy, I told him not to move and he moved. He made me kill him. It's his fault. He's the real murderer, not me."

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No weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? "Hey, the CIA and other intelligence agencies were at fault for giving us false information."

A massive budget deficit replacing a huge surplus? "Hey, that's Clinton's fault. And even though he gave us that huge surplus, things were turning while he was in office, we just know it. And, hey, 911 happened."

Factories being sent overseas? "Hey, that's not our fault."

Jobs being lost in record numbers? "Hey, that's not our fault."

Too few American troops on the ground in Iraq? "Hey, that's not our fault. We give the generals whatever they want (read, it's the generals' fault)."

About 380 tons of very potent explosives missing in Iraq? "Hey, that's not our fault. Some other guy is to blame."

The increasing number of U.S. casualties in Iraq? "Hey, they're all volunteers. It's their own fault they were killed."

Not capturing Osama bin Laden? "Hey, that isn't our fault."

Prisoners tortured by U.S. forces? "Hey, that's the responsibility of some privates in the military."

The fact that the U.S. border with Mexico isn't being properly guarded and millions and millions of illegal aliens are simply walking into the U.S. to screw up our country? "Hey, that's not our fault. We're putting more guards on the border (read, the Canadian border)."

Millions of Americans with no health care while the administration ships our tax money overseas? Hey, that's not our fault. What do you want, socialized medicine?"

A look at some of the neocon Bush shill websites shows a constant stream of articles blaming everyone but Bush for everything that has gone wrong on his watch. Their favorite fall guy is still Bill Clinton even though Clinton hasn't been in office for four years.

We are constantly told that the President is the most powerful person in the world. If so, then why is he so powerless to run a tight ship? Who's in charge? Who's the boss? And, if Bush is in charge, shouldn't he take responsibility? Shouldn't the buck stop with him?

There's something very wrong with Bush and his administration that is more than a little reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart's character, Captain Queeg, in the Caine Mutiny.

That's why this Republican is going to leave the herd this year and vote for John Kerry. Kerry isn't my ideal candidate by a long shot, but in this case the devil we don't know can't be any worse than the devil we do know. Also, if Bush is reelected, you can count on a draft of some type. George II saying there won't be a draft is like George I saying "Read my lips, there will be no new taxes."


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