Democracy On The March? Nah

The Skinny: Even Republicans Retreat From President Bush's Vision Of "Ending Tyranny"

(CBS)  The Skinny is Keach Hagey's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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Remember President Bush's sweeping goal of "ending tyranny around the world," laid out during his 2004 inaugural address?

The Washington Post serves up some recent examples and hard analysis of just how dead in the water that idea now is.

During a democracy conference in Prague in June, Mr. Bush sat down with opposition leaders from authoritarian societies, pledged to order U.S. ambassadors to meet with dissidents, and boasted he had created a fund to help embattled human-rights defenders.

But the State Department didn't send out the cable directing ambassadors to sit down with dissidents until two months later, the Post reports. "And, to this day, not a nickel has been transferred to the fund he touted."

That sort of inability to put his money where his mouth is has become the rule rather than the exception when it comes to advancing his democracy agenda, the Post reports. Of course, it's not all Mr. Bush's fault. Many in his administration never bought into the idea, and some even undermined it, "including his own vice president."

But in some ways, his grand proclamation didn't just get bogged down in Washington bureaucracy; it backfired. The Post notes that Mr. Bush's vision has become so identified with his own unpopularity that at a recent debate Republican candidates couldn't seem to distance themselves from his democracy-spreading agenda fast enough.

Of course, the backlash might have been avoided. Although hyping liberty has long been a favorite presidential pastime, no president -– not even Ronald Regan –- devoted more words in a major speech to the notion of spreading democracy than Mr. Bush did.

That may be because, beyond a little pro-democratic nod here and there, it's not such a good idea, i.e. Hamas sweeps to power in the Gaza Strip thanks to the ballot box.

"Such sweeping rhetoric might have generated objections from the professional diplomats at the State Department who normally review presidential addresses," the Post reports. But as former Bush counselor Dan Barlett explained, "That's why you don't show them the speech."

One Place Bush's Policies Are Not So Good For Business

Dissent groups in authoritarian nations and Republican presidential candidates aren't the only ones taking a direct hit from the president's flagging popularity. The Wall Street Journal reports that souvenir shops near the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, have suffered such a dip in business in the past couple of years they've had to shut down.

Adding insult to injury, even the Iraq war protesters who once parked themselves near Bush's driveway, led by Cindy Sheehan, have all but disappeared. "Although many of the town's merchants resented the attacks on their local hero," the Journal reports, "they were glad to sell the visitors T-shirts and ice."

Part of the problem is that the hero isn't so local any more. CBS Radio's veteran White House correspondent Mark Knoller, who has kept an informal record of the presidents sojurns to his 1,600-acre ranch, Mr. Bush has only visited four time so far this year, compared to 17 times in all of 2004.

But beyond that, the Journal reports that Bush memorabilia – such artist prints depicting Mr. Bush in his "Mission Accomplished" flight suit – just doesn't hold much allure for tourists these days.


$10 Plane Tickets (Plus $17 For Soda And Blanket)

The Los Angeles Times leads with a look at Skybus Airlines, a new bargain basement carrier that, if it can stay in business, "could be the future."

Dubbed the ultimate "low-cost, no-frills" airline, it offered tickets to some passengers flying from Burbank, Cal. To Columbus, Ohio for $10. Not everyone on the plane gets so lucky, but regular one-way fare is still a steal at $50.

But the extras add up. Want priority boarding to avoid the dreaded middle seat? That's $10. Checking a bag? That'll be $5. Each. Hungry? Breakfast "entree" of bagel, pastry, yogurt and fruit costs $8. After meal service, flight attendants push another cart down the aisle loaded with $98 cubic zirconia bracelets and $125 Skagen watches.

The airline has been adding flights throughout the summer, and now has routes to 11 cities nationwide. The average fare is actually $100, but that's still pretty stunning. If only we could think of some reason to go to Columbus.


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[bobebenson]

Dan Quayle wiuld have been better.

[lorinkundert]

Bush Ending tyranny?

What a joke, George and *** need to only look in mirror to find tyranny.

[fredgrad2000]

"Really? Well some of us feel the same about Southern Fascist! How long has this nation been embarrassed by those losers?" - MCVet

Funny, but I am pretty sure your boy Clinton is from Arkansas and that there are an awful lot of Democrats down in the South too? I also seem to recall that a large number of western, midewestern, and northeastern states voted for President Bush in 2004 as well...I''m not from the south nor live in the south and don''t think a Southern "Conservative" will or should be elected in 2008; but the blanket statements by people like you and Seven-Pesos are just idiotic and show ignorance and lack of anything better to say, nothing more. Seven Pesos is free to go as far north as he likes if he hates the south so much; HOPEFULLY all the way to Canada - out of our country; his kind (that kind being uneducated bigot with diarhhea of the mouth)is what is not welcome here.

[realpatriot1]

wfbdem,

Part of the reason that the south was a "drag on the economy" for so long after the civil war was because they were kept under the northern boot for 75 years until FDR recognized that the civil war had been fought to preserve the union and began the process of lifting that boot.

Some folks in this country still haven''t gotten Lincoln''s message to bind the nation''s wounds. We could definitely use his vision today.

Bear in mind that Lincoln''s first priority in waging the civil war was not to end slavery, it was to preserve the union. Preserving the union led to abolition at the ned of the war.

"A nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" That includes ALL people, southerners as well as northerners, conservatives as well as liberals.

[gunownerdan]

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what''s for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"
- Benjamin Franklin

[dodaz-2009]

Nah,..South is cool,.. so is the North,(lived in both)...C''maaaaah! crapp comes outa the north and south,But both are my BEAUTIFUL country..(ain''t that the truth)..., we need to get some leadership that knows how ( wants to) to bring us together,..it''s not that HARD-- and help highlight what we ALL have in common,..ya know?,..instead of knuckleheads, who seek to Divide us for political gain,...and they seem to have manipulated this country very nicely(divided us)..for their own gain,.. what a great country we have here people ,..let''s not let our "elected" officials ruin it for us..mmm-kay?lol

Luuuuuv Andouille sausage!..,lol..also luv grits w/ bacon/ & butter--topped w/ CHEESE...do NOT knock it you''ve tried it..LOL..yeeee-haw

[wfbdem]

Most "if the CSA had won the war of southern treason" narratives suppose that the two sides would have ended up well-matched and hostile rivals.
Not likely. The population in 1860 was already 19 million Northerners vs. 8.5 million white Southerners, and 90% of the Republic''s business activities took place in the North.Today, the eleven states of the Confederacy account for about 29% of the population-- 84 million people-- and 27% of the GDP-- $2.8 trillion. That''s comparable to Germany on both counts. The South would be a viable country and an excellent nearby market, but no rival.
The South has been pretty much a drag on the rest of the country since the Civil War. It stymied racial progress for over a century, and it''s always had a disproportionate and reactionary political influence. We''d be a considerably more liberal country without it.

[condumism]

posted by seven-pesos:

as long as america has the republican, christian south... there will always be snakes like bush trying to become prez of the u.s. war, hate, rednecks, reborns, christian creeps, republican snakes. nothing good comes out of the south.

AGREED 100%! The Confederate Fascist States need to go their own way and secede from the USA!

[wfbdem]

nothing good comes out of the south.
Posted by seven-pesos at 01:53 AM : Aug 21, 2007

How about orange juice?
Posted by Hwk_i67 at 09:40 AM : Aug 21, 2007


Andouille sausage. mmm....so good....

[dodaz-2009]

Rep. or Dem,...i''m sure either side would be absolutely SHOCKED,.. if after everything thats come out about this fake Republican,..that he''d even be capabable of running a 7-11 correctly..or even Know how...lol... The "Midas touch" in REVERSE--is in full effect w/ this guy...everything he touches(from birth it seems)...turns to absoulute S**T...so much for that "Yale" education..he bought...i mean...earned...LOL