Bush’s Enemies List
I came across an interesting article by William Saletan in Slate today. Discussing the Bush administration’s tactics in attempting to discredit former supporters (i.e. Paul O’Neill, Richard Clarke, John DiIulio), Saletan observed:
Once you vote with Bush, serve in his cabinet, or spin for him in a classified briefing, you’re trapped. If you change your mind, he’ll dredge up your friendly vote or testimony and use it to discredit you. That’s what he’s doing now to all the politicians at home and abroad who fell for his exaggerations about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. “In Iraq, my administration looked at the intelligence information, and we saw a threat,” he tells audiences. “Members of Congress looked at the intelligence information, and they saw a threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence information, and it saw a threat.” It’s too late to admit that Bush is wrong and that you were fooled. You’re on record agreeing with him. He doesn’t even look dishonest when he rebukes you, because, unlike the people who run his administration’s scams, he can’t tell the difference between what he promised and what he delivered.
This approach to dissent is eerily reminiscent of Richard Nixon and his “enemies list.” Check out this Salon article making further comparisons between the Bush and Nixon administrations.
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