July 4 Thoughts On President BushThe current controversy involving President Bush is his commutation of Scooter Libby's 30 month prison sentence. On this I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the prosecution of Libby was conducted on rather dubious grounds, and the sentence probably was excessive. On the other hand, a jury did find Libby guilty, the sentence was within the guidelines, and the Bush Administration has never been bothered by the prison sentences handed out to anybody other than Libby.
It is almost certain that the Libby controversy will be a historical footnote, and that the overwhelming legacy of President George W. Bush will be our complete failure in Iraq. When we withdraw our occupation ground forces, probably in mid-2009, not only will thousands of American lives have been wasted, but our interests in the Persian Gulf and in the region will have been badly harmed, with things far worse for us and for Iraqis than before our failed invasion and occupation.
Defenders of Bush often blame Donald Rumsfeld or Condi Rice for his administration's lack of direction. Rumsfeld and Rice both deserve blame, but there is no sense among conservative diehards that Bush is our President and that the responsibility for national failure is ultimately his.
I am especially perplexed by the fact that many of us in the pro-Israel community who recognize that the Oslo accords, the ensuing phony "peace process," and the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza were all disasters cannot state the obvious fact that Iraq has similarly been a disaster.
Indeed, the Iraq disaster, while primarily hurting America and Iraq, has also weakened Israel and allowed Iran to continue its nuclear program and its support for Hamas and Hezbollah essentially unabated.
posted on 7/04/2007
