Today’s Tennessean has a doozy: “Tennessee Republicans commend Bush’s legacy.”
I thought it was a typo. Surely they must have meant, “Tennessee Republicans condemn Bush’s legacy,” right? But no, there they are – U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, former Tennessee Sen. Howard Baker, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, Tennessee Republican Party chairwoman Robin Smith, and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn – paying homage, making excuses, and blaming others.
At a time when the vast majority of Americans see the presidency of George W. Bush for what it is – disastrous for the country – Tennessee’s elected Republicans see it quite differently. They have chosen to rewrite history and fault not the President for his failed policies but the White House communications department (a group of people who have no real responsibility for making actual decisions vital to well-being of the nation) for how they presented them. As a group, they seem to be part of a minority who will cling to ideology and rhetoric and Rovian “attack, don’t defend” tactics.
Here’s a particular gem from Rep. Wamp:
The way they communicated the response to Hurricane Katrina left everyone puzzled and wondering if they could even respond. What they communicated was much worse, just showing the president flying over the damage. This is a man who would relish getting into the water and getting people out of the water. But the way they handled it made it look like he wasn’t engaged. They didn’t make him look like the compassionate leader he is. This is a man who loves to cut wood and sweat, and it didn’t come through. People lost confidence.
As much as President Bush would “relish getting into the water and getting people out of the water,” he didn’t, you know, get into the water. He did, however, fly over the damage. So which is perception and which is reality? And which is more important to the well-being of the people of the nation?
At a time when most of the country, and its elected leaders, have acknowledged the need for a change from not only the last eight years of President Bush, but also the kind of politics that have divided us for so long, it’s just more of the same from Tennessee Republicans.
It’s going to be a long two years.
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