Comments on: Bush’s final presser: A Crikey wrap http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/13/bushs-final-presser-a-crikey-wrap/ now with extra source Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:34:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David Thackrah http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/13/bushs-final-presser-a-crikey-wrap/#comment-24091 David Thackrah Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-24091 The Centre of Everything. - Andrew Bartlett's piece on The Centre of politics brings into focus my memnbership of the Australian Democrats. Together with Andrew I dispare at the undemocratic activity of the Majors. I remain an AD because I fervently sought The Centre with a group espousing democracy at party level. After some seven rounds on the hustings I discovered there is no "Centre" - people seek a believebal end to their casting of a vote. If the result is undemocractic political charades they just shrug their shoulders and wait for the fallout. Don Chipp gave a lot of people some enthusiasm to embrace the democratic process, however they went on to waste it, right of Centtre. The Centre of Everything. - Andrew Bartlett’s piece on The Centre of politics brings into focus my memnbership of the Australian Democrats. Together with Andrew I dispare at the undemocratic activity of the Majors. I remain an AD because I fervently sought The Centre with a group espousing democracy at party level. After some seven rounds on the hustings I discovered there is no “Centre” - people seek a believebal end to their casting of a vote. If the result is undemocractic political charades they just shrug their shoulders and wait for the fallout. Don Chipp gave a lot of people some enthusiasm to embrace the democratic process, however they went on to waste it, right of Centtre.

]]> By: Tom McLoughlin http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/13/bushs-final-presser-a-crikey-wrap/#comment-24092 Tom McLoughlin Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-24092 I read a puff piece recently that W had a book reading competition with Cheney or similar and read some 50 books in a year. I don't know if I should be more worried it it's true than if it's not. Who has the time to read so many books in such a serious job? And if he thinks it's good spin then he even more didn't understand his work.<br /><br />Overall I would say the West has been conditioned to very low expectations of this president as if it's almost normal. He makes Obama look good, and brilliant. When I cast my memory back I think Mike Moore really probably had it right with the footage of this non-leader at that primary school on hearing the dreadful news of the plane into the WTC. That looked bad, and it was bad. And it was pretty real. <br /><br />I heard the ABC Law Report this morning how about $7 billion was paid to buy off the victims to avoid litigation against the airlines, against the Government, which apparently would have led to a US recession if all the 3000 cases had gone to litigation. 7 families apparently were so grief stricken they didn't even apply for the on average $2M payout every family got, despite urgings of the administrator in the interview. <br /><br />George W Bush gets an F for failure. I read a puff piece recently that W had a book reading competition with Cheney or similar and read some 50 books in a year. I don’t know if I should be more worried it it’s true than if it’s not. Who has the time to read so many books in such a serious job? And if he thinks it’s good spin then he even more didn’t understand his work.

Overall I would say the West has been conditioned to very low expectations of this president as if it’s almost normal. He makes Obama look good, and brilliant. When I cast my memory back I think Mike Moore really probably had it right with the footage of this non-leader at that primary school on hearing the dreadful news of the plane into the WTC. That looked bad, and it was bad. And it was pretty real.

I heard the ABC Law Report this morning how about $7 billion was paid to buy off the victims to avoid litigation against the airlines, against the Government, which apparently would have led to a US recession if all the 3000 cases had gone to litigation. 7 families apparently were so grief stricken they didn’t even apply for the on average $2M payout every family got, despite urgings of the administrator in the interview.

George W Bush gets an F for failure.

]]> By: PunditFight.com http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/01/13/bushs-final-presser-a-crikey-wrap/#comment-24093 PunditFight.com Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-24093 Criticising a President for the amount of books they've read in office may be a little misguided. Considering Barack is quite the Policy Wonk I would imagine he'll be reading an enormous amount of books in his time in office. Bill Clinton was also a voracious as a reader.<br />GWBush had a reputation wanting his policy briefings condensed into 1-pagers. That is more disconcerting and a fair point of criticism.<br /><br />As far as "time wasted". Much has been said of Bush "clearing brush and going bike riding". Conservative bloggers recently highlighted how the Media used Obama's daily Gym workouts as an analogy for discipline and betterment. Whereas Bush's workouts were considered negligent.<br /><br />Obviously It all comes to context. It's easier to critique a person's use of downtime when their performance on the job is so lacklustre. If the downtime was informing and strengthening their job performance it might be seen as an asset.<br /> Criticising a President for the amount of books they’ve read in office may be a little misguided. Considering Barack is quite the Policy Wonk I would imagine he’ll be reading an enormous amount of books in his time in office. Bill Clinton was also a voracious as a reader.
GWBush had a reputation wanting his policy briefings condensed into 1-pagers. That is more disconcerting and a fair point of criticism.

As far as “time wasted”. Much has been said of Bush “clearing brush and going bike riding”. Conservative bloggers recently highlighted how the Media used Obama’s daily Gym workouts as an analogy for discipline and betterment. Whereas Bush’s workouts were considered negligent.

Obviously It all comes to context. It’s easier to critique a person’s use of downtime when their performance on the job is so lacklustre. If the downtime was informing and strengthening their job performance it might be seen as an asset.

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