The King of Obvious Body Language

Someone's losing enthusiasm for his job. Especially now that it's, you know, work.

I hate my job I hate my job I hate my job...

It always struck me how shockingly easy it is to read Bush's real thoughts and intentions by his body language. He simply has no ability to project any countenance other than "cool, tough, and in control." When the situation calls for any other demeanor... compassion, dignity, basic interest... his real thoughts and feelings couldn't be more obvious than if they were laid out in easy-to-read text on a jumbotron screen right behind him. For all the training they've done on Georgie, I'm surprised they haven't spent more time on that particular bad habit.

Of course, with stories like these, I'm sure it's difficult to look happy-go-lucky. (Bolds mine.)

3 Crises Define Bush Presidency

Well, I would argue that every moment of Bush's presidency has been a crisis... for this country, at least, but that's beside the point.

WASHINGTON - It's August in Crawford, Texas, and President Bush is on vacation. His poll ratings are slumping. He hears warnings of a looming crisis that will soon change the course of his presidency.

Is this August 2001? Or August 2005?

The answer is both. Historians will ultimately judge Bush's presidency based on his leadership through two tragedies — the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, plus a conflict of his own design: The war in Iraq.

Woah. A conflict of his own design. Am I crazy, or did this story just admit, in black and white, that every justification for this war was complete and utter bullshit that Georgie and his team managed to put through a Play-Doh fun factory and sell to the public? That it's all been manufactured out of thin air? That this war, and the horrible crisis that has mushroomed after "Mission Accomplished" is completely the fault of one George W. Bush?

Catch me, I'm swooning.

Critics now accuse Bush of not making terrorism a priority before Sept. 11. Supporters say he could not have prevented the attacks.

Either way, Bush's initial response to the strikes was shaky, capped by a grim-faced address to the nation that night. He quickly gained his footing and won favor with Americans when he stood atop a charred fire truck in New York and vowed vengeance.

That bullhorn-waving event occurred four years ago Wednesday.

Bush could use a defining moment like that now. Katrina caught him flatflooted in Texas, though forecasters saw it coming for days. He seemed slow at the levers of power and took more than two weeks to acknowledge his own responsibility for the government's sluggish response.

Wow. Am I nuts, or did that story just point out that Bush's "Defining Moment" was all an act? That this one little flagwaving bullhorn speech is the only moment in the Bush presidency that it appears anyone can point to with pride? And now even the fawning press appears to be admitting that they were, to quote Phillip J. Fry, "Words. Nothing but sweet sweet words that melt into bitter wax in my ears!"

I do declare, I feel faint. Mercy me, I have the vapors. Fetch me the smelling salts.

This could be Bush's legacy. According to various independent polls:

_Two-thirds of the public think he could have done more to help Katrina's victims. More than half say he deserves blame for the slow response.

_Fewer than half say Bush has strong leadership qualities, down from 63 percent in October 2004.

_More than half say they don't trust Bush's judgment in a crisis.

And then there's Iraq.

Owie. Truth hurts, donut? No wonder he's looking all pissy.

Bush's challenge is to convince Americans that the war on terror, the war in Iraq and the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast can be tackled together. "I can do more than one thing at one time," he said defensively Tuesday.

His case is tougher now that growing numbers of people are wondering whether he can lead the nation in crisis. The last time that was an issue was August 2001.

I think we all know the answer. It's all just another baseball team or oil company to him.

(What's new, Cross-Post? Woah-oah-oah..)