Working for Bush means never having to say you’re sorry

February 7, 2006

Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolten held a relatively uneventful press briefing yesterday on the new White House budget, but one sharp reporter asked a question that needed to be asked.

Q: Several years ago, [Former Army Gen. and Chief of Staff Eric] Shinseki was chastised for suggesting that the war in Iraq might cost upwards of $200 million. [Former White House Economic Advisor] Larry Lindsey got in some hot water, too. Now with the cost of the war up around $300 billion or so, is it time to apologize to these guys for being, if anything, conservative in their estimates?

Bolten: I’ll leave that to others. I don’t think so. The costs of the war are what they are.

What a predictably cavalier attitude. The people who were right were fired, and the people who were wrong were promoted. And as the cost of the war, not even counting the immeasurable loss of human lives, is passing $300 billion, the White House isn’t even including the price tag in Bush’s latest budget.

I suppose it’s possible to find a less responsible presidential administration, but it’s hard to see how.

Why is it that people don’t know when to stop. All Bolton had to say was “I’ll leave that to others.” and drop the “I don’t think so. The costs of the war are what they are.”

  • Accountability requires factual consensus between parties held contractually responsible.
    When everything is spun as in a carnival con game, the costs of war like everything else , are whispy substance like cotton candy. Step right up and win the little lady a defense contract. “They are what they are”, but the hand is quicker than the eye.

  • Wanna bet that reporter’s boss got an earful from some political officer for bucking the Party. Hope the reporter enjoys reporting on cabbage yields in Iowa.

  • I’m confused. Why press Bolton on this? What role did he have in forcing Shinseki and Lindsey out? The “I’ll leave that to others” response seems reasonable, since shouldn’t it be guys like Bush and Rove and Cheney answering that question?

  • In the run up to the war, Bolton was Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. He has been accused of “spinning” facts related to why we went to war.

  • Hi There,

    Please if you are going to criticize someone, at least get it straight as to whom you are talking about. A little civics lesson here..now listen up children.. The OMB Director is Joshua Bolten…got it??? and the US Rep. to the UN is John Bolton. Different men, different spelling of last name..

    Do we make ourselves clear.. Talk about incompetence…

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