Just when my stomach was recovering from the last Bush "legacy" article (note the theme) the Post churns out their own legacy story. This time, we are to believe that Bush really cares about global warming. Moreover, he "bristles" when he hears that people like us think he doesn't care. Riiiigggghhhtttt. Because he has been such a leader in this area, I suppose. He likes to talk so much about action, how about a bit of serious action on climate change?
The only people enthusiastic about Bush's "new" position on global warming has been the media and possibly his mother. Maybe Laura. He has made no serious changes at all and continues to only give lip service to the issue. So what if he said in Bali he would start to negotiate on a plan? Big deal since he will be gone before the deal is even close to being finished. Bush still refuses to accept any firm numbers and did what he does with everything difficult, which is to push it out to the next president. Only fools like the Washington Post could eat this up. And to think that they are losing money and readers. Gosh, go figure. After the jump, more talk of legacy and the WaPo eats it up with a spoon.
Bush's attention comes at a time when he and top advisers feel better about his presidency, confident they have turned a corner after two years of political setbacks and can now focus on reformulating his legacy. Heading into his final year, Bush has turned to big, bracing challenges abroad, most notably finding Middle East peace and forging a consensus on climate change. If global warming turns out to be a defining issue of this generation, advisers said, Bush does not want to be remembered as a roadblock.
"As you draw toward the end of an eight-year term, it's human nature to try to look forward and then backward -- look into the future and then back at the past and think about how it looks," said a former Bush adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "You could conclude, as this administration has, that you want to be seen ultimately as having evolved and opened some doors and maybe started a glide path to the next administration."
Ahhh, the good old legacy. A legacy of trashing the environment for years and then talk of change at the end, but without any real change. Only the new Washington Post could fall for such silly nonsense. Bush wants to have it both ways and the friendly scribes from the Post comply. Would a junior high reporter even fall for this?
When the management team at the Post scratch their heads and wonder why their numbers are collapsing, they ought to be looking at boot-licking articles like this. If Bush wants to work on his legacy, fine, that's his business. There's no need to confuse a real story with an image makeover by political consultants. That's what this article is all about.
