You have to think twice when extreme left and extreme right NYT op-ed columnists offer similar comparisons of current Bush practices and policies.
[You Gotta Have Friends]
"President Bush has moral clarity, but no moral authority." He has a vision without influence among the partners needed to get it moving. His is a beautifully carved table — with only one leg."
[The Buck House Stops Here]
"There was a dispiriting contrast between G.W.B. shutting out the world and avoiding the British public, and the black-and-white clips this week of J.F.K. reaching out to the world and being adored by Berliners.
There was also a dispiriting contrast between the Bush administration, hiding the returning coffins of U.S. soldiers and avoiding their funerals, and the moving pictures of the Italian politicians and people, honoring their dead with public ceremonies and a week of mourning."
Each description points to a fundamental error. Without the people (and their perspectives) that he so carefully insulates himself from, he'll be, what the VP on last night's West Wing described as a leader with no followers ... "just a guy taking a walk." In other words, he has yet to back up his vision with real interaction with the people. After that last speech trying to spin the increasing attacks into a positive light, I do think people are finally getting the message that it's all spin. No matter what happens, the spin-masters will turn it into a victory for the Bush administration. Someone needs to tell the man there's no moral authority in 'spin'.
With 5,123 police officers deployed to protect him, which is the more important city, London or Baghdad (unable to actually find a number of police in Baghdad, but this link compiles some of the various numbers put forth by the administration)? The way things are going now, we'll be losing our only ally as soon as the next round of elections comes about in the UK. Blair has almost no support amongst the populace for this, and it will definitely cost him. With Blair gone, we'll be completely on our own. Not a good position to be in.