Bush the Hapless

Remember how they used to name medieval kings according to their personality strengths or flaws? What better monikor for George W. than Bush the Hapless?

The events of the past few months have revealed how weak, prehaps altogether non-existent, has been the vision of the U.S. president, how dependent he has been on the direction of others. For five years George has 'stayed the course' but its been a course set by Cheney, Rumsfeld and the neo-conservative movement. All the ideas of that botched era where theirs, not his. "The Decider" was an empty suit who always seemed to stumble for words, for ideas, when he had to emerge into the public eye.

Theirs was a powerful ideology to which they sought to mold facts. Iraqis were going to greet them as liberators; the U.S. forces would be out of Iraq in six months, tops; the whole business would cost less than 20-billion, max; the early insurgents were just a bunch of deadenders; the insurgency was in its last throes; mission accomplished; we're winning and on and on. For years this group would repeatedly make these statements that bore no relation to reality but were the very foundation of their twisted ideology.

Their hold on their president's weak mind was strong enough that their will prevailed for five years that witnessed one setback after another and a continually deteriorating situation in the Middle East. And then the American people wrested control of both houses of Congress out of the hands of the Republicans. Finally the visionless president relented, allowing his dad's experts to replace the neo-cons and even looking to the Democrats to clean up his mess.

History will not be kind to George Walker Bush. All that remains to be seen is whether he will be considered the very worst president in U.S. history and he's certainly a strong contender for that distinction. When the dust settles, that may be his singular achievement.