Bush: 'I'm the decider'

Donald Rumsfeld = Dr. Strangelove.

Nevertheless, Rumsfeld might want to make sure his resume is updated. I remember what happened the last time Bush told one of his people he was doing a heckuva job.

Well, at least the testosterone overload is consistent. That and the way he gets at the issue of "I couldn't care less what anybody says. I get what I want, this time and every time."

He said pretty much the same thing when people were trying to get him to re-think our need to go immediately to Iraq, before they sent all the weapons of mass destruction down on our heads.

I guess all those trips to Ohio would bring forth appointments like these. It's too bad we have to sit back an look at this mess for another two years, we should be able to re-vote in mid-term to see if we agree with the policies of a current elected official.

We know what Dubya thinks is best for Rummie, but what he should be thinking of is what is best for Americans and the troops in Iraq.
...And Donald Duck Rumsfeld is not it!

I can't help but hear this phrase (I am a Decider!) as spoken by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, in his faux Texan/Bush voice, complete with the maniacal little giggle, and hand chops.

”But I am the decider,’’ said Bush. “And I decide what is best. And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as secretary of defense.’’

Heh heh heh.

When did Bush start reading the front page--any page--of any newspaper? That's quite the change from his famous reliance on his staff for news.

He's the "decider"? More like the worst president this country has ever had to endure. Quite frankly, not only Rumsfeld, but the entire adminstration, the worst president ever included, need to resign from ALL forms of public disservice. In a just world, they'd be charged criminally as well, but I'd be glad just to have them resign and stop disgracing and distroying our nation.

I can't wait until we get a president who will say "I'm the one who decides!" instead of the near illiterate "I'm the decider!"

Great quote. Never mind what's best for the country, Mr. President. The important thing is what is best for Rumsfeld. Nice.

Looks like W has given up on being a "uniter, not a divider" -- where he's failed miserably. As for being a "decider," I'm more comfortable with Nancy Reagan getting advice from astrologers.

His front page comment of course refers to the Sunday funny papers, where my comic strip briefs him on Pentagon news.

Wow - all of this negativity and anti-Bush talk, what ever happened to supporting your president and country during war. I sure didn't see this type of backlash when Clinton was in office, especially some of his extremely corrupt staff, such as M. Albright and J. Reno. I hope for this country's sake after Bush is done in office, we get another Republican.

Rumsfeld rose because he is a bureaucratic knife-fighter of the highest order. Rumsfeld's future now depends on the Republicans in Congress, who have to cut their losses before the midterms. Bush will look for a way to relieve him without admitting he blew it.

I'm the decider? Did he stamp his feet when he was saying this? If I was still Catholic, I'd be saying the rosary. God help us all.

The President of the United States has spoken, let us all remember his words “But I’m the decider,’’ said Bush. “And I decide what is best. And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as secretary of defense.’’ This is a failed administration and a failed presidency, but in our democracy we have only a few times to change a wrong direction. This coming November we all need to send a warning to the Republican party, change or we will change you. A war that did not have to be, an economy that is failing, a former proud, powerful, and respected country, United States, that should now be ashamed of what it has brought to this earth and the people that inhabit it.

Vote this November not out of spite aganinst the Republican party but to signal to all polictical parties that when you no longer represent the population that elected you, you do not deserve to hold power ever again.

We must brace for two and a half more years of misguided leadership, thousands of innocent American soldiers killed defending a failed preidency, and an economy that udoubtedly will be far worse tomorrow as we deal with paying the debts incurred by this president.

George W. Bush is a spoiled, never produced anything, silver-spoon, stupidly stubbon, ignorant, IDIOT!! He and Rumsfeld and especially Cheney should go, go, go...

What were the American people thinking re-electing this band of rich robber barrons?

I thought the government was supposed to represent the people and not their own opinions...oh, wait, there I go thinking again. Sorry.

"I'm the decider" he says. Well, koo koo cachoo to you, too. Sounds like an angry parent talking to an insolent child.

Or maybe it sounds like an angry toddler, "this country is mine mine mine"

I just refinanced my mortgage and had to sign Patriot Act forms allowing the gov't to look at my finances any time they want (not that they couldn't before?). I wonder what they're worried I might do? The whole thing is creepy. Next, we'll all be forced to take loyalty oaths, or something equally invasive.

At least someone is acting like an AMERICAN. Too often we want to pass all the decision making on to someone else. Here we have a president doing his job, taking both the good and the bad. I would love to see this happen in Chicago. When was the last time we could figure out who hired who? How about if your boss was constantly making you the scape goat, or was changing people in and out every 6 mo. It wouldn't work. I think G.W.Bush is doing a stellar job as President!!

Bush may be a lot of things, but i gotta give him credit for taking action and making some hard decisions.

Once again I’ll ask all of you to just vote in November, and get rid of the Republican domination of the House and Senate. If that happens I think we may see for the first time in our lifetimes a U.S. President get impeached, and hopefully the rest of his crooked administration.

Boy the liberal kooks are in full force here, lead by Mark "I have no idea how to be an objective journalist" Silva. More trash from a former honorable newspaper and the like-minded folk who make up most of its dwindling readership.

So much for democracy. What does he have to do to get impeached???

Haven't you figured it out yet? This is George Bush's world. You may not have voted for him, but you're stuck with him until Jan. 2009.

Bush can read?

How can we be happy that one crook got pinched (Ryan) and not the big ones like Bush and his people? Glad I didn't vote for that moron. He truly must be the worst president this country ever had. Can we impeach? Thanks to Bush I am not sure I can trust another republican.

I am not usually one for conspiracies, but I think Rummy is holding something over their heads. Like saying if they fire him, he'll spill what he knows about the run-up to war--no WMDs, no link to Al Quada, no post-war planning. If he stays throughout the whole second term, I will believe this even more.

How much longer do we have to wait before someone begins impeachment proceedings. Forty million dollars were spent to find out about a president's sexual habits, but not one red cent so far to find this president quilty for taking the country to war under false pretenses. And probably the main quote for which he'll be remembered? "I'm the decider. And I decide what's best..."

I think you are all missing the point. When I read this article I couldn't help but feel sorry for poor George Sr., Barbara, Laura, and the girls for being torn away from George Jr. on Easter vacation. That poor man works so hard for all of us and is rewarded with such a famously insignificant amount of vacation time, and then is forced to interrupt it to deal with complaints such as these. Tragic!

Same message, different day. Bush is consistent that's for sure. Two more years....Argh! Well at least he keeps our late night comedians employed! Bush makes it soooo easy to poke fun at him!

Bush is a stubborn fool. Rumsfeld is part of that neoconservative crowd that couldn't wait to invade Iraq in order to put their idiotic domino theory of democracy to the test. Well, the results are in, and it doesn't work. The theory is flawed. It's time for some new ideas on how to extricate ourselves from the mess in Iraq that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al got us into

Bush hasn't decided anything in his life. He takes orders from a higher power-Dick Cheney. Is Cheney the inspiration for C. Montgomery Burns?

HE IS NOT THE DECIDER! HE IS A FOOL AND AN IDIOT!! This sounds like " no new taxes....." that his father used but it's worse. The American People decide...period...

I wish to be fair to Mr. Bush, whom I did not vote for. I can appreciate the loyalty to a loyal staff member. At least he takes responsibility for his decisions and does not lay everything on subordinates. However, he needs to decide at some point that keeping certain subordinates is detrimental to what he wishes to accomplish and the country. Nixon's people forgot they were supposed to be working for the American people, not just Nixon. The result was Watergate. Bush would do well to heed the lesson.

If there was ever a time to test democracy, now is it. Let's see if our own system of government works before we force it on others. Let's see if we can get some REAL leadership in Washington by removing the current administration and replacing them with LEADERS, not self-centered, "my way or the highway" stuffed shirts. If we can change our "leadership" before a major election in 2 years then we can say Democracy REALLY works!

People shouldn't go jumping all over things they hear in the newspapers, you know, and being all assuming of things. Because this is hard work. All of this deciding, and defending, and diplomacying--it's hard work. We're talking seriously tough stuff here, people. But everyone's working hard; Rummy especially is working hard. He's getting it done. I mean, he's come in on Saturdays...

The "American Left" wants Bush fire Rumsfeld, they want Rumsfeld to resign so they can use that against President Bush and say: 'I told you the Iraq was a mistake'... and for bush to do that would prove the american left were correct. He should NOT step down. We MUST win!!!

I believe one reason Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney were so eager to go into Iraq was a desire to refight the Vietnam War and get it "right" this time- fight it as they think Richard Nixon or Barry Goldwater would have fought it in 1965.
Rumsfeld said in 2003 the war would be over in weeks, not months. Either he believed that, in which case his judgment was dreadful, or he knew better and lied so as not to discourage anyone from supporting the war. Either way, he should have been fired long ago.

It's a pleasure to have a leader as President.

Previous Presidents relied on Polls to make decisions. In my opinion you can't run a country like that. You've got to do what you know is right.

Rummie IS doing a heckuva job!

I love how Bush is using the same "all options are on the table" language he used with the build up to the Iraq War.

Obviously "The Decider" won't resign, so the only way to avoid two more years of this (really almost 3 when you think that the innauguration is in early 2009) is to get a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, and then impeach Bush and indict Cheney.

"I'm the decider."

It's good to see the age-old profession of village idiot finally upgraded to the national level.

It is clear that Bush is very fearful of losing his "YES" men - and Rumsfeld is one of them, who takes his orders directly from Cheney, who also tells Bush what to do. There is no doubt Bush doesn't know how to get in out of the rain without help in making the decision. I am so proud of myself for voting for the real President in 2000, Al Gore. We would not be in Iraq, our kids dying, and the World in chaos like it is now if Al Gore was permitted to take his Oath of Office. There are no "BRAINS" living and working in our White House, folks. And you who voted for this moron and his friends should have known better.

While there is certainly something to be said for making the hard decisions and standing by them...
We've heard this kind of talk enough times from our President that it's hard to believe it's really a well considered decision instead of pure foolish pig-headedness.

"Wow - all of this negativity and anti-Bush talk, what ever happened to supporting your president and country during war. I sure didn't see this type of backlash when Clinton was in office, especially some of his extremely corrupt staff, such as M. Albright and J. Reno. I hope for this country's sake after Bush is done in office, we get another Republican.

Posted by: Jeff | Apr 18, 2006 11:21:25 AM"

Jeff, you'd certainly have seen it if you were watching comments from the Republicans, who went at him like dogs on blood-scent. Their sense of outrage over and and all Clinton-borne corruption was a daily event. I'd like to give a couple examples for you to consider:

"I will have no part in the creation of a constitutional double-standard to benefit the President. He is not above the law. If an ordinary citizen committed these crimes, he would go to jail." (Bill Frist)

"This nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law. Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.

No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country." (Tom Delay)

President Bush is a courageous leader and a good man who has been villified by his enemies who are only interested in regaining political power at the expense of the security of this nation and its economic stability.

I for one applaude his courage and willingness to govern not by polls but by conviction. It has led to the spread of freedom around the world and steady growth in the economy that has now produced over 5 million new jobs since the Bush tax program was adopted.

Decades from now people will look back on the Bush presidency and admire it for its remarkable steadfastness in the face of unfair, thoughtless, and uninformed criticism.

hey mitch, what exactly must we win?

any human being can be wrong but wrong doesn't apply to fixing the facts to go to war. Having our men and women die for lies. Having innocent Iraqi's die due to lies. Giving war contracts to friends and ex-businesses of yours. Continually lying and changing the reasons for war.

If iraq is what we must win, I don't think you understand the dynamics of "winning". Is installing a theocracratic government "winning". Is civil war having "won" the war? Is seeing a pro-Irani government take power "winning"?

It's clear that Rumsfeld must go. I have little tolerance for liars. Whether GOP or Democrat, we need people who lead and lead well.

"I'm the decider."

I'm reminded of an old Mel Brooks/Carl Reiner 2000-Year-Old-Man bit. Reiner asks a guy his profession, and the guy says "I'm a psychiatrist." Reiner says "And how did you become a psychiatrist?" Brooks replies, "I put my hand on a rock and said 'I am a psychiatrist.'"

The story running on the Trib page right now is that Senator Durbin says that Rumsfeld must go...I find that funny, because I think that this hack of a Senator must go!!!

Would y'all who think Dubya and Rummy are doing a heck of a job be so kind as to explain to we poor befuddled lefties how this is so?

Rummie IS doing a heckuva job!

Posted by: Steve Firestone | Apr 18, 2006 3:03:48 PM

Stevie: Do us all a favor and let us know what company you might be affiliated with, so we can dump its stock ASAP. Any company that would rely on your judgment is a guaranteed floppola.

"I for one applaude his courage and willingness to govern not by polls but by conviction. It has led to the spread of freedom around the world and steady growth in the economy that has now produced over 5 million new jobs since the Bush tax program was adopted."

Dave, you're kidding right? The spread of freedom? and where is that exactly? Heck, we are even less free now than we were 6 years ago.

Talk to the people who have lost good jobs that went overseas and now are working in the "service industry" (can you say WalMart?), and how about that $ 3.00 a gallon of gasoline? While oil co.'s are taking record profits of course.

Just because corporations are taking record profits does not mean the economy is doing better. There has not been any real growth in incomes since Bush took office.

I find it extremely interesting that there are so many people, mostly "Christians", who believe that President Bush will protect them from all evil. I believe the Bible tells us that we should trust in God. If God gave Bush divine providence, a sure sign of that would be the gift of tongues.

Doug Zook asks, "Would y'all who think Dubya and Rummy are doing a heck of a job be so kind as to explain to we poor befuddled lefties how this is so?"

Allow me to explain what Mr. Bush meant when he said about Mr. Rumsfeld, “He is doing a fine job.’’

No, he is not doing a very good job of winning a war, securing a peace, or protecting this country from its enemies. That is not what Mr. Bush was talking about.

Mr. Rumsfeld is doing an absolutely splendid job of making money for Halliburton, Lockheed-Martin, and all those other defense contractors who have been feeding at the federal trough since the war began. And they, if you recall Mr. Bush's campaign in 2000, are his "base."

If only OUR elected representatives did as much for US!

It's funny how Iraq propelled Bush's numbers and is now dragging him down. Bush and Rove seem to have forgotten that metaphorically those who live by the sword will die by it as well. They may live for decades to come, but they're politically dead just like LBJ in 1968. Who would've thought that we'd be back to where we were forty years ago with an administration full of incompetents running things with a credibility gap as big as the grand canyon and no idea how to get out of a foreign policy mess of their own making.

I am so embarassed for our country.

Today, NPR aired a story on the graft and corruption that runs rampant through the USA's program to rebuild Iraq--some very bad people, both American and Iraqis, are getting very, very rich on the tab of U.S. taxpayers' while ordinary Iraqi citizens go without electricity and even clean drinking water. The criminal prosecutions are just beginning, and, before they are over, we'll be disgraced before the world. (It sometimes seems that half our citizenry is crooked and the other half are dupes for the crooks.)

And then there are those generals falling all over each other in an attempt to tell us what we aready know: that this miserable war with Iraq was started by a gang of blundering fools led (or is it followed?) by the man we--yes, WE, my fellow Americans--elected to be decider-in-chief.

How totally mortifying that our nation has come to this sorry state. We simply must find a way to cut our losses and start down a different road.

Has he decidered yet is our children learning?

There was a post in here somewhere about giving credit to President Bush for acting. I recently read Ghost Wars, and the previous presidencies blew it in terms of preventing terrorist attacks. There were opporunities to squash Al Qaeda before it became what it is today, but the previous presidencies decided to cut money allocated to those people working to track and disrupt Al Qaeda.

However, it is clear that President Bush took America to war under false pretenses, and that we now find ourselves caught between a rock and a hard place. We have made ourselves the world's peace keeper, and to back out of Iraq would show weakness, inability to follow-through and make a believer out of all the critics who say democracy in Iraq is hopeless.

It is too late now to go back and create a solid plan of attack as well as follow-through to stablize the region. Calling for resignations won't solve the problem. Rumsfeld is in office for a reason, and who is to say his replacement will do any better? Who would take over?

I hear calls for resignations, but I don't hear suggestions for replacements. Isn't that just as poor planning as the Iraq war?

I'm a soldier on my third tour in Iraq. I often wonder if we did the right thing by coming here and I realize it doesn't matter, right or wrong we are here. I believe we came here on false pretense but I think we potentialy can accomplish something great here. I have talked to many Iraqi people and some are greatful and others... well you see in the news everyday what they think. We (soldiers on the ground) are in a tough position here trying to balance doing the right thing in the eyes of the world and trying to stay alive on the streets. I just hope and pray that we evetually will have the leadership needed to make the proper decisions and take the proper actions to end this successfully. For now we must stay the course, put the blunders behind us and look forward to the future. Let's hope the next President of the "United States" and his staff, can do this.

Bush can't help the way he is. He was bought up by cold fish parents who didn't even tell him when his 3 year old sister died. They didn't have time for a wake, they had a golfing date to attend. He should be taken directly from the White House to a hospital for a pysch eval. This man is a dry drunk who needs help.

Thank you for your thoughts and for your service Brandon. I hope your balanced and measured approach keeps you safe and that you return home soon to your family.

I have 2 sons, 5 and 7 and I am very concerned for them if they chose to serve, if service is forced upon them, or if the repercussions bring the war back home.

I hope you are right about the potential from your perspective in Iraq.

From here in metro-Chicago, there seems no clear path to a workable solution. The report of the beheadings at schools today reenforces the argument that what we are witnesses to is a problem of decades and generations, not 2 year election cycles.

Dale,
I have thought all along Bush is a dry drunk. He
meets the criteria exactly. Though this is not a new
idea ( I believe it was first mentioned back in 1999),it does help to explain some of his dumbfounding leadership principles. Is there a twelve step program for current and former U.S presidents? Perhaps a father-son meeting at Camp David?

Brandon, thank you for posting. You guys that are "on the ground" are truly doing a great job in the most trying of circumstances, and I appreciate what you're doing. I think everybody does. Hang tough!

"Decades from now people will look back on the Bush presidency and admire it for its remarkable steadfastness in the face of unfair, thoughtless, and uninformed criticism.

Posted by: Dave Koenigs | Apr 18, 2006 4:21:45 PM"

Dave, I assume you're talking about 40 or 50 decades? And that "remarkable steadfastness" is synonymous with "monomaniacal, arrogant, blind, stubborn, butt-ignorant inflexibility?" And "unfair, thoughtless, and uninformed criticism" means "criticism that doesn't flatter Bush?"

Brandon

My thoughts and prayers are with you and all of the soldiers and friends who are defending our great country. I also pray that the courage you all have remains strong, no matter what Iraq's future holds, and that you all may return home safely to your family and friends. We at home also have a battle ahead. When you all have the relief to return home, the right to defend the ideals of our country's fore-fathers will, god willing, still ring true. We do have the freedom to disagree with our leadership and a true democracy will always stand up for freedom of thought and preserve the rights of its private citizens. I thank God every day that the men who established this system of government built a system of term limits which is a hopeful glance towards your return.

I am constantly amazed at how steadfast Bush supporters can be, to ignore the obvious, to lie to one ’s self, This is a betrayal of all we stand for. Lies compounded by lies layered in deceit, who else could get away with this. Shame on you if you voted for Bush and still fail to see what is happening. Is it comforting wallowing in your own excrement, it must be nice to go through life in a bubble. I served in Desert Storm and put my life on the line for my country, which I love, and because of my service I believe my opinion and that of anyone else who has served carries more weight, I put my love for my country into actions that support my beliefs. Not profits and corruption.

AUTHOR: Alan Cryder
EMAIL: spydercryder@yahoo.com
IP: 209.173.184.99
URL:
DATE: 05/06/2006 12:28:30 PM
AUTHOR: Alan Cryder
EMAIL: spydercryder@yahoo.com
IP: 209.173.184.99
URL:
DATE: 05/06/2006 12:28:30 PM