Bush Leagues
Bush's Erratic Behavior Worries White House Aides
By DOUG THOMPSON
Publisher, Capitol Hill Blue
Jun 4, 2004, 06:15
President George W. Bush's increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood
swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately
express growing concern over their leader's state of mind.
In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes
from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media,
Democrats and others that he classifies as "enemies of the state."
Worried White House aides paint a portrait of a man on the edge,
increasingly wary of those who disagree with him and paranoid of a public
that no longer trusts his policies in Iraq or at home.
"It reminds me of the Nixon days," says a longtime GOP political consultant
with contacts in the White House. "Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out
to get him. That's the mood over there."
In interviews with a number of White House staffers who were willing to talk
off the record, a picture of an administration under siege has emerged, led
by a man who declares his decisions to be "God's will" and then tells aides
to "fvck over" anyone they consider to be an opponent of the administration.
"We're at war, there's no doubt about it. What I don't know anymore is just
who the enemy might be," says one troubled White House aide. "We seem to
spend more time trying to destroy John Kerry than al Qaeda and our enemies
list just keeps growing and growing."
Aides say the President gets "hung up on minor details," micromanaging to
the extreme while ignoring the bigger picture. He will spend hours
personally reviewing and approving every attack ad against his Democratic
opponent and then kiss off a meeting on economic issues.
"This is what is killing us on Iraq," one aide says. "We lost focus. The
President got hung up on the weapons of mass destruction and an unproven
link to al Qaeda. We could have found other justifiable reasons for the war
but the President insisted the focus stay on those two, tenuous items."
Aides who raise questions quickly find themselves shut out of access to the
President or other top advisors. Among top officials, Bush's inner circle is
shrinking. Secretary of State Colin Powell has fallen out of favor because
of his growing doubts about the administration's war against Iraq.
The President's abrupt dismissal of CIA Directory George Tenet Wednesday
night is, aides say, an example of how he works.
"Tenet wanted to quit last year but the President got his back up and
wouldn't hear of it," says an aide. "That would have been the opportune time
to make a change, not in the middle of an election campaign but when the
director challenged the President during the meeting Wednesday, the
President cut him off by saying 'that's it George. I cannot abide
disloyalty. I want your resignation and I want it now."
Tenet was allowed to resign "voluntarily" and Bush informed his shocked
staff of the decision Thursday morning. One aide says the President actually
described the decision as "God's will."
God may also be the reason Attorney General John Ashcroft, the
administration's lightning rod because of his questionable actions that
critics argue threatens freedoms granted by the Constitution, remains part
of the power elite. West Wing staffers call Bush and Ashcroft "the Blues
Brothers" because "they're on a mission from God."
"The Attorney General is tight with the President because of religion," says
one aide. "They both believe any action is justifiable in the name of God."
But the President who says he rules at the behest of God can also
tongue-lash those he perceives as disloyal, calling them "fvcking assholes"
in front of other staff, berating one cabinet official in front of others
and labeling anyone who disagrees with him "unpatriotic" or "anti-American."
"The mood here is that we're under siege, there's no doubt about it," says
one troubled aide who admits he is looking for work elsewhere. "In this
administration, you don't have to wear a turban or speak Farsi to be an
enemy of the United States. All you have to do is disagree with the
President."
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the record.
© Copyright 2004 Capitol Hill Blue
Bush's Erratic Behavior Worries White House Aides
By DOUG THOMPSON
Publisher, Capitol Hill Blue
Jun 4, 2004, 06:15
President George W. Bush's increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood
swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately
express growing concern over their leader's state of mind.
In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes
from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media,
Democrats and others that he classifies as "enemies of the state."
Worried White House aides paint a portrait of a man on the edge,
increasingly wary of those who disagree with him and paranoid of a public
that no longer trusts his policies in Iraq or at home.
"It reminds me of the Nixon days," says a longtime GOP political consultant
with contacts in the White House. "Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out
to get him. That's the mood over there."
In interviews with a number of White House staffers who were willing to talk
off the record, a picture of an administration under siege has emerged, led
by a man who declares his decisions to be "God's will" and then tells aides
to "fvck over" anyone they consider to be an opponent of the administration.
"We're at war, there's no doubt about it. What I don't know anymore is just
who the enemy might be," says one troubled White House aide. "We seem to
spend more time trying to destroy John Kerry than al Qaeda and our enemies
list just keeps growing and growing."
Aides say the President gets "hung up on minor details," micromanaging to
the extreme while ignoring the bigger picture. He will spend hours
personally reviewing and approving every attack ad against his Democratic
opponent and then kiss off a meeting on economic issues.
"This is what is killing us on Iraq," one aide says. "We lost focus. The
President got hung up on the weapons of mass destruction and an unproven
link to al Qaeda. We could have found other justifiable reasons for the war
but the President insisted the focus stay on those two, tenuous items."
Aides who raise questions quickly find themselves shut out of access to the
President or other top advisors. Among top officials, Bush's inner circle is
shrinking. Secretary of State Colin Powell has fallen out of favor because
of his growing doubts about the administration's war against Iraq.
The President's abrupt dismissal of CIA Directory George Tenet Wednesday
night is, aides say, an example of how he works.
"Tenet wanted to quit last year but the President got his back up and
wouldn't hear of it," says an aide. "That would have been the opportune time
to make a change, not in the middle of an election campaign but when the
director challenged the President during the meeting Wednesday, the
President cut him off by saying 'that's it George. I cannot abide
disloyalty. I want your resignation and I want it now."
Tenet was allowed to resign "voluntarily" and Bush informed his shocked
staff of the decision Thursday morning. One aide says the President actually
described the decision as "God's will."
God may also be the reason Attorney General John Ashcroft, the
administration's lightning rod because of his questionable actions that
critics argue threatens freedoms granted by the Constitution, remains part
of the power elite. West Wing staffers call Bush and Ashcroft "the Blues
Brothers" because "they're on a mission from God."
"The Attorney General is tight with the President because of religion," says
one aide. "They both believe any action is justifiable in the name of God."
But the President who says he rules at the behest of God can also
tongue-lash those he perceives as disloyal, calling them "fvcking assholes"
in front of other staff, berating one cabinet official in front of others
and labeling anyone who disagrees with him "unpatriotic" or "anti-American."
"The mood here is that we're under siege, there's no doubt about it," says
one troubled aide who admits he is looking for work elsewhere. "In this
administration, you don't have to wear a turban or speak Farsi to be an
enemy of the United States. All you have to do is disagree with the
President."
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the record.
© Copyright 2004 Capitol Hill Blue
