‘I tried to tell him. And he couldn’t hear it’

November 28, 2005

By now, you’ve likely heard about Seymour Hersh’s devastating new piece on the war in the latest issue of the New Yorker. If you haven’t already read it, I strongly recommend it.

There’s a lot to chew on here, but perhaps the most disconcerting elements of the article were accounts of the president’s inability to hear or appreciate bad news — in part because of Bush’s religious convictions.

Current and former military and intelligence officials have told me that the President remains convinced that it is his personal mission to bring democracy to Iraq, and that he is impervious to political pressure, even from fellow Republicans. They also say that he disparages any information that conflicts with his view of how the war is proceeding.

Bush’s closest advisers have long been aware of the religious nature of his policy commitments. In recent interviews, one former senior official, who served in Bush’s first term, spoke extensively about the connection between the President’s religious faith and his view of the war in Iraq. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the former official said, he was told that Bush felt that “God put me here” to deal with the war on terror. The President’s belief was fortified by the Republican sweep in the 2002 congressional elections; Bush saw the victory as a purposeful message from God that “he’s the man,” the former official said. Publicly, Bush depicted his reelection as a referendum on the war; privately, he spoke of it as another manifestation of divine purpose.

The former senior official said that after the election he made a lengthy inspection visit to Iraq and reported his findings to Bush in the White House: “I said to the President, ‘We’re not winning the war.’ And he asked, ‘Are we losing?’ I said, ‘Not yet.’ ” The President, he said, “appeared displeased” with that answer.

“I tried to tell him,” the former senior official said. “And he couldn’t hear it.”

Moreover, a former Pentagon official told Hersh that Bush “doesn’t feel any pain. Bush is a believer in the adage ‘People may suffer and die, but the Church advances.'” As part of this, the president has delegated even more to Rove and Cheney, leaving Bush to “the gray world of religious idealism.”

For those of us who like to maintain at least some optimism about the future, Hersh’s article doesn’t fill the reader with confidence.

It seems there are a couple of angles to consider with a story like this one.

First, it’s not easy to dismiss the article or Hersh’s sources. To be sure, there have been plenty of tabloid and tabloid-like pieces about the president’s state of mind lately, but none of them were written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. For that matter, the New Yorker is not Capitol Hill Blue.

Second, it’s interesting that there are so many current and former administration officials who’ve reached the point of desperation that they’re willing to tell Hersh that Bush is approaching a Nixon-at-Watergate level of denial. One gets the impression reading the article that these officials are speaking out not necessarily to embarrass Bush, but out of despair.

And third, there’s the genuine fear that Bush really is driven by some kind of spiritual mission and the war is his idea of a faith-based initiative. It’s a scary prospect — people who believe they are acting under divine “orders” act with dangerous certainty. They can not be dissuaded or discouraged because, in their mind, they “know” what God wants them to do. In this setting, critics and opponents are not only viewed as incorrect, they’re seen as heretics. Alas, history is littered with political leaders who’ve adopt such a view of divine leadership, usually with horrific consequences.

On CNN yesterday, Hersh said his sources’ tone has changed.

“They’re beginning to talk about some of the things the president said to him about his feelings about manifest destiny, about a higher calling that he was talking about three, four years ago. I don’t want to sound like I’m off the wall here. But the issue is, is this president going to be capable of responding to reality?”

Unfortunately, it may not be an unreasonable question to ask.

I gave a pile of money to Kerry and did plenty of election busywork in an attempt to remove this guy. It was evident enough even then that he was totally unsuitable for the office. All that’s happening now is adding some detail to my picture of this sorry SOB.

  • How does the 25th amendment come into play here (I’m reaching back into a dark, dusty hole, the number may be wrong)? That’s the one where the President can be replaced because he’s sick or unable to do the job.

    Mayhap it’s time to brush that one off and see if it fits…

  • How does the 25th amendment come into play here…

    It’s an interesting point, yam, but consider two things: 1) a majority of the cabinet would have to agree that Bush could no longer perform his duties; and 2) Dick Cheney would be president of the United States.

    Just something to consider.

  • I’m assuming Hersh’s “senior official” would be Powell. Anybody know if Powell, or another former administration official, was in Iraq in late 2002 or early 2003?

  • Has anyone given any thought to what would happen if Bush truly wigged out and ordered a nuclear attack on somebody?

    What fail-safe measures would be in place to stop his order from being carried out?

  • The best that can be said about Bush is that he hasn’t (yet) started a nuclear war. Everything else he’s absolutely screwed up and hasn’t slowed down. It really is horrible, regardless of your political leaning.

    If congress doesn’t take control, this nation is in for a real nightmare. The economy will tank, the Iraq debacle will spread, gas prices will be out of sight, and no one will be able to afford healthcare or much else. I’ve never seen such a self-inflicted disaster. And I blame every halfwit who voted for the moron.

  • On a slight positive note to follow up JohnnyB and Alibubba, I noted a few weeks ago that the administration has abandoned its development of “bunker-busting” nuclear warheads, which had been in development for several years and which Bush had argued could legitimately be used against underground military targets. As I recall, the official reason was that the collateral damage caused by such weapons would be equivalent to that of surface nukes, but since I can’t see Bush being too concerned about a few (thousand) dead civilians, I took it as another sign of political weakness and caving in to protests against some of the administration’s most objectionable schemes. I was disappointed that there was so little discussion in the press about it.

  • “Has anyone given any thought to what would happen if Bush truly wigged out and ordered a nuclear attack on somebody?

    What fail-safe measures would be in place to stop his order from being carried out?”

    Assuming Clancey knew what he was writing about, it would take the concurance of another high Federal Official.

  • I’m telling you that the story of the Emporer and his clothes become more and more relevant…..

    http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html
    “……“But he has nothing on at all,” said a little child at last. “Good heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. “But he has nothing on at all,” cried at last the whole people. That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.” And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train which did not exist. ”

    I like this one better

    http://deoxy.org/emperors.htm
    “…..The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He though it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn’t see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.”

  • I can’t imagine that whoever really runs this government would let a fruitcake like George Bush initiate nuclear holocaust. Various people apparently took over when Nixon began muttering to the White House portraits late at night. I remember reading about un-named “them” removing medicines and razor blades and the like from the family quarters. So the demented Czar was reduced to ordering Henry Kissinger to kneel with him and pray, stuff like that.

    I don’t doubt that Bush believes he’s on a mission. His brain has been so addled by booze and other drugs. And there obviously wasn’t much there to begin with. He’s never been through rehab … just got “born again”, then took up physical exercise to the point of psychotic extremes. I have no doubt he’s hearing multiple voices and probably conversing with them by now. I doubt he’s enough of a sociopath to hide his difficulties from those closest to him, since sociopaths ordinarily are extremely smart, if twisted. My guess is there’s a bunch of no-name “staff” keeping him from doing any precipitous. We should be eternally (literally) grateful to them.

  • I keep holding out hope that 2006 and 2008 will hand us some leaders with a firm grasp on reality, the maturity and intelligence to get us out of many of the messes we’re in.

    Reading the New Yorker story, I’ve got this horrible feeling that we may never be able to undo the damage that’s been done. That and it’s about to get a whole lot worse soon.

  • I think we’re in real trouble with this guy — with his administration. No question about it. Double zinger: As I was writing about the Hersh article elsewhere this morning — and my feeling that Bush suffers from a disabling (read mentally disabling) degree of narcissism — I was wondering why this isn’t evident to most Americans and I’m afraid I’m thinking that narcissism is so rampant (so much a part of our culture) that the extent of this leader’s illness isn’t evident to many. He’s “like you and me” — and many voted for him for that reason. I agree with PRM that the damage is extensive. But Bush had to have a great many collaborators to achieve a position in which he could do as much damage. We need to reckon with that. The sociopathy extends way way beyond the President.

  • I haven’t read the New Yorker article yet either but it seems to me that if Bush was certain that he was doing the will of God, then he would not be so apparently easily dissuaded from certain acts based on political considerations. Let’s face it, if the reports I’ve seen are true, Blair’s objections to bombing Al Jazeera were political, not moral. I’ve never bought into the notion that Bush has a Messiah complex. But maybe I should go read that article now…

  • For those of you really interested in this topic who haven’t already seen this article, don’t miss it. Ron Suskind’s enlightening piece touched on this topic over a year ago, but it seemed to have gone largely unnoticed at the time.

    http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/101704A.shtml

    It really is nice that the current willingness to see pass the administration’s obfuscation has also sent the media back in time to show that the recent BS isn’t something new, but rather a persistent pattern. Once the curtain has been pulled back, the truth is revealed, and closing it can’t help the wizard regain his status ever again. I’ll enjoy watching Bush slide into ignominy, every bit of the way. When the economy tanks (next year, after the housing market implodes under its own weight) we will see just how bad things can get, for this pathetic “leader”, and our unfortunate country. The price of learning in this case is going to be very high.

  • I’m hoping God will send W (stands for Wacko, right?) another message about a year from now via the 2006 mid-term elections. I wonder how our Nekkid Emperor will interpret Dems winning a majority in the Senate and maybe even the House.

    There is nothing more dangerous or frightening than a half-wit who sees himself as an instrument of the Divine; especially when said half-wit is the leader of the free world. Maybe if things continue to deteriorate he and his cult will be instructed to drink the kool-aid. We can only hope.

    I don’t mean to make light of a serious situation with devastating consequences for the whole planet. Most of us have known that Bush resides in his own universe with its own rules for about 5 years now. While I am saddened and disgusted by how far and fast our country has fallen, I can’t really say I am surprised. You didn’t have to be psychic or even particularly smart to predict how this group’s twisted policies would play out.

    I’m heartened that the rest of the nation seems to be waking up to the truth, along with the MSM. And glad to see that a few insiders have finally realizied that their “messiah” is nothing more than a sick, corrupt, certifiable egomaniac. We can’t change the past, but maybe we can wrest the future from this evil idiot and his handlers.

  • I have a real delimma here. If I read about this sort of stuff in the morning, it ruins my day. If I read about in the evening I get nightmares. What time of day would you recommend I read this Hersch story?

  • Read it after a couple glasses of scotch, in the evening. You’ll be furious, but then you’ll pass out and forget everything, and only have a vague, creeping, suspicion in the morning that something has gone horribly wrong.

  • Thank Al`lah for Sy Hersh! We already knew Lord Mush is the boy in the bubble but this messianic affliction is downright scary. Where will God have him strike next? Iran? Syria? N. Korea? Mexico?

  • No need to read it Bucky…

    You can watch it here:

    The Jesus Factor

    PW:

    I was wondering why this isn’t evident to most Americans and I’m afraid I’m thinking that narcissism is so rampant (so much a part of our culture) that the extent of this leader’s illness isn’t evident to many. He’s “like you and me” — and many voted for him for that reason.

    Indeed.

    And at the risk of sounding like an elitist:

    Don’t most Americans talk in the same discursive non-linear manner?

    In fact:
    Every good salesman knows that one way to make a sale is to subtly ape the person you are doing business worth. Laugh like them. Use the same words. Echo their body language.

    Bush apes the 50% of the US public that is below average.
    That’s his genius.
    And he does it very well.

  • I’d give twenty bucks to know who that “former official” of the Bush administration is. And as Nick Turse notes in TomDispatch this week, there’s a lot of “former officials” running around these days, people who’ve been kicked out or took off under their own power.

    It’d be nice if they’d show their fucking faces once in a while instead of being such chickenshits about it. What do they have to lose, once they’re out of Cheney’s grip? What, does he have photos of them going down on da Prez or something?

  • Bush is the figurehead. Cheney is the decision-maker. Or at least that was the plan when this absurd presidential ticket was hatched long ago.

    Bush was seen as the “everyman” who could connect with Joe and Sue Average American, while Cheney was seen as the career insider who could push the right buttons in executing the neo-conservative agenda.

    Would Cheney have won a presidential election? Not a chance in hell. He couldn’t connect with a tree. But he has been the de facto president, operating just where he prefers to be: behind closed doors and out of the limelight.

    Any wonder why Bush is constantly in the public eye while Cheney is holed up in a bunker? It’s the old business paradigm: sales and operations. Bush is head of Sales. Cheney is head of Operations.

  • Does anyone else see the connection between Bush being on a mission from God and his utter fecklessness and laziness? If every thought that comes into your head comes from the Almighty, you don’t have to think very much or know very much and whatever you decide, however casually, is really not your fault and nothing to be concerned about. It’s just part and parcel of this coddled little frat boy not having to take responsibility for anything. And if it all goes badly, well, God works in mysterious ways.

  • It shows religous fanatics are dangerous.

    Karl Rove built the George Bush facade and the deep pockets of our big corporations financed the cutting edge spin that made this boob appear palatable. All based on their predecessor, Joseph Goebbels. Look at the value Bush’s administration puts on spin. The man that choreographed the protests outside the Florida recounts in 2000 was the man that set up and ran the Centcom briefing center in Iraq. Obviously, he thinks George Bush “is the most brilliant man” he ever met or is getting a hell of a lot of money to continue to deceive.

    I just saw Shrub’s speech on we’re going to protect our borders and he’s slurring his words, leaning heavily on the podium, “And the vicious human strugglers und smugglers in gangs”.
    We’re screwed. Isn’t part of the 12 Step Program to go around and apologize to everybody they wronged?
    We need to get him out and do it correctly. If it means waiting for the 2006 elections to have enough democrats to impeach our Fearless Leader. Then we will tell Cheney he can opt out for medical reasons and not be impeached. That is the only deal he will get. He, Bush and their cohorts will then be prosecuted in the US and in the Hague by the laws applicable to their crimes (too numerous to mention here). We need to clean house in the congress but, we don’t want a bunch of newbie Jean Schmidts running around. We will have to keep some of the democrats that supported the war in congress. We’ll just keep impeaching the next one and the next one until we get to someone acceptable. We need to do it properly by the law using the proper system in place to do it. That’s the difference between someone that loves this country, that doesn’t want to see any more Americans or Iraqis maimed and killed and the way the Bush administration does things.
    Bush is struggling to find something to unite people behind. In his case, maybe 3 people in a phone booth in Idaho. Gamal Nasser had a problem keeping Egypt under his control until he hit upon the idea of uniting his people against Israel. Most of America was united behind Bush after 9/11 and were still united behind him when he mislead us into his war. That’s why America always declares war on poverty, drug abuse, illegal immigration, etc. ad nauseum. This is the time for Americans that believe that you can’t achieve a good end (in some people’s minds) by doing bad deeds to unite against this crooked Bush administration. I want to see Democrats proclaim now that they would vote to impeach Bush when the time is finally upon us. Let’s face it, one way or the other, the Hammer is on the way to the slammer. Congress will have a new appearance after the 2006 elections. We definitely have something to unite against. We still need someone to unite behind.

    On a totally unrelated note, does anyone else think Saddam Hussein’s trial should be moved to the Hague? I think a change of venue is necessary in this case

  • Yippee! Hirsch’s sources are starting to build the case for impeachment. Some of them are finally acknowledging that Bush is incompetent, so they are releasing breadcrumbs that will lead to resignation or impeachment after the 2006 elections, and then a presidency by Cheney’s inevitable replacement. Of course, Cheney still thinks it’s gonna be him!

    Ooh, ooh, this is gonna be so good!

  • On the narrow question of Bush and nukes, I think it’s obvious that Cheney and whoever else is really in the national security loop keep Bush out of the loop when it matters. When his wife was evacuated from the White House, they didn’t interrupt his bikeride. On 9-11, they told him he’d been threatened and made him run and hide while Cheney ran things. According to Suskind’s book his own cabinet assured him that the second tax cut wasn’t really just for rich people. I still sleep soundly at night on the nuke question; or at least, I’m much more afraid of Cheney’s bad judgment than Bush’s.

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