Now Watch This Drive

I don't know if you were able to catch Bush's appearance on 60 minutes, or Olbermann's roundup, but if you missed them, definitely head over to C&L to take a look.

It is truly amazing to see the delusion and arrogance in action. Every time they run one of these puffy-poo pieces, with Bush trooping around the ranch and talkin' like reg'lar folks, we get to see the mask slip. This is the real Dubya, the arrogant, blinders-sporting mule who is determined to bring "victory" in Iraq, whatever that means. His "supporters" are vanishing left and right, but goddamn it, he's the Decider, and he's sending more people to die, come hell or high water.

Oh, excuse me, he's no longer the Decider... he's now the self-dubbed "Educator in Chief." So listen up while Bush schools you, bitchez.

Obviously, the Rovian re-imaginging of Bush is chugging away, as Bush finally, finally begins to admit to "mistakes" in Iraq. Of course, the only mistakes he can mention are the ones where there is absolutely no way to wiggle away from, like Abu Ghraib, or easily dismissed stupidity like "Bring 'em on." It's infuriating to watch; not only is it insulting to our intelligence, it completely minimizes the horror of torture in our name, and diminishes the pedomorphic and inflammatory "Bring' em on" to "bad language." With Bush, it's all about how "history will look back." He can ignore the chaos now, see, because it's the responsibility of "history" to figure out this goddamned mess.

Then comes the lulu. The big one. The statement that should have every American slapping their forehead in disbelief.

Bush: I think... I'm proud of the efforts that we did. Uh, we liberated that country from a tyrant. Uh, I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude.

Yep.

When Bush says the Iraqis owe the "American people" gratitude, what he is really saying is that the Iraqis owe him gratitude. If there's one thing we've learned, when Bush says "the American people think," or "the American people want," he's speaking only of his own thoughts and desires. This man, who honestly thinks he's a "flexible, open-minded person," is about to escalate troop numbers to Iraq, against the protests of nearly everyone in the country, and even the troops themselves.

This man, who can't get through a conversation about Iraq without smirking like a brat being lectured by his parents after getting caught clumsily changing the grades on his report card with a pencil, thinks that the people of Iraq should be grateful for his war of choice that has slaughtered hundreds of thousands.

Forget "Bring 'em on." Forget "Mission Accomplished." This is the phrase that defines George W. Bush.

I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude.