Tom Shine over at Politics as Usual uncovers a prime example of post-Katrina executive incompetence over at everyone’s favorite federal agency, FEMA. This is the nth example of Bush’s compassionate conservatism at play in the real world.
The notions of an Ownership Society or compassionate conservatism actually have some nobility to them in policy addresses and stump speeches, but they, like most policy ideas, are revealed to be hollow in the face of incompetence. This is what has disturbed me since 2000 about the coaltion of the willing that coalesced around Bush. Did the ends of the philosophies (anti-taxation, religious righteousness, hawkishness, pro-business) really justify this means?
In my opinion, this is where Democrats have an opportunity to change the direction of the country dramatically in the wake of the Bush administration. Democrats need to sell a vision of competence. I think they can actually pull back the reins on some of the policy ideas currently in the arena and just demonstrate an ability to execute something not too dissimilar to the current mission of federal government with competence. Of course, all of this is contingent upon the nominating process sending to the voters someone who is able and willing to do this. And it will be a superhuman feat if such a nominee is able to execute with progressive incremental changes. Guess who’s not holding his breath?
