For what may be the first time in five years, Bush responded to a question about why he keeps himself in a bubble, shielded from criticism, pointed questions, and bad news he’d prefer not to hear. Unfortunately, the response was not altogether satisfying.<\/p>\n
NBC’s Brian Williams is getting a special opportunity with Bush today, with three interviews in one day — beginning in the morning in the Oval Office, a portion of which has already been posted online<\/a>. Williams began by showing the president the latest Newsweek cover<\/a>, which features an animated Bush literally in a bubble. Williams asked if Bush sees himself that way.<\/p>\n “No, I don’t feel in a bubble. I mean, you feel in a bubble in the sense that I can’t go walking out the front gate and go shopping, like I’d love to do for my wife — although I may and I’m not going to tell you what I’m gonna buy her.<\/p>\n “Look, I, I, um, I feel like I’m getting really good advice from very capable people, and that people from all walks of life inform me and inform those who advise me. And I feel very comfortable that, that I’m very aware of what’s going on.<\/p>\n “I just talked to the president-elect of Honduras. A lot of my job is foreign policy. And I spend an enormous amount of time with leaders from other countries, and they come right here in the Oval Office and tell me what’s on their mind. And I tell them what’s on my mind.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This was hardly persuasive. Once you get past the shopping joke, Bush’s response to the notion that he’s isolated from competing ideas boils down to three points: 1) He has diverse advisors; 2) The foreign leaders he talks to aren’t pre-screened sycophants; and 3) He’s certain that he knows “what’s going on.” None of these three are convincing.<\/p>\n First, Bush’s advisors aren’t a terribly diverse group — most are conservative Texans. And while there may be some exceptions, the president has created an environment in which “disagreement is often equated with disloyalty<\/a>.” Bush’s advisors may come “from all walks of life,” but if they’re all telling him what he wants to hear, their backgrounds don’t much matter.<\/p>\n