Surprised? Posted by Michael Cohen

Below Ilan expresses wonderment at the President’s most recent divorced-from-reality statements on the war in Afghanistan. But really Ilan, how are you possibly surprised by this?

Just consider for a moment what’s happened in the past week or so; the President vetoed a bill banning torture, he personally intervened in a EPA decision that loosened the regulations guiding the Clean Air Act – a move that was strong opposed by EPA scientists – he fired his CENTCOM chief for asserting a more rational course for American foreign policy in the Middle East, he saw his Pentagon clumsily try to cover up a report that demonstrated the baselessness of one of the Administration’s central cases for war in Iraq and just a few days ago, he basically accused Congressional Democrats of treason if they pass their version of the FISA bill. And I also understand that the other day he cackled with glee as Dick Cheney waterboarded kittens in the Oval Office. Ok, I made the last one up.

But the larger point here is that none of this should even seem surprising. After seven years, of utter incompetence, venality, arrogance and a chronic inability to take responsibility for anything, what would truly be surprising is if George Bush didn’t do or say things like this . . .