A Failure of Leadership

I have been taking in the blogs, the editorials, the conversations on the lack of leadership from the Federal Government over Katrina.  Most scathing, some not as much.  Today, Bob Herbert wrote a dead on editorial called "A Failure of Leadership".

Mr. Bush is basically incompetent.  His only goal was to get the job of President.  He has never understood the magnitude of his job.  His ineptitude combined with an unattractive arrogance created a groundswell of disdain among other nations towards the United States. 

His performance in dealing with one of the worst national disasters ever should sum up for the American people his lack of care for the majority of Americans.  His only desire, which has been consistent over the past 5 years, has been to reward his pals, and create a bigger gap between the wealthy and the poor.  He doesn’t care about the middle class or the poor.  It is obvious in the policies that he has pushed through.  What is incredible to me is these are the people that voted for him.  This Administration has such a command of using marketing as a tool that they were able to convince the majority of the American people that they were going to support their needs.  When this group retires they should consider running Unilever. 

Bush has put our national security at risk not only by putting us in a war that we shouldn’t be in but by continuing to put his pals in positions of leadership that they are now worthy of having, i.e. Michael Brown of FEMA. 

It seems that the only concern of Mr. Bush in the fallout of Katrina is to make sure his political standing is still secure.  He still needs to be the life of the party.  That’s it.

Today is Labor Day.  It is the end of the summer.  I always think of Fall as a new beginning for the year ahead.  What happens next?  Will Americans stand up and ask to be heard?  Will people react to the dust that has been swept under the carpet for so long?  Will Cindy Sheehan continue to make her voice and other families be heard against the war in Iraq?    Will the media start to wake up and start investigating what else has been going on inside the walls of this Administration?  Are we just going to set up committees to investigate what happened or a committee to impeach George Bush? 

If it isn’t time now, will it ever be?  As Bob Herbert writes at the end of his editorial, we are in deep, deep trouble. 

Comments (Archived):