Pitfalls Await Popular Bush In Year 2

Chicago Tribune ^ | January 13, 2002 | Michael Tackett

[Reaganwuzthebest]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has won decidedly bipartisan praise for his prosecution of the war on terrorism. But as he nears the first anniversary of his presidency, Bush faces his first brush with Washington's now entrenched scandal industrial complex, which is primed to place blame over the collapse of the energy giant Enron.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

My mistake on the post - it's not political humor. Should have been in politics.

[Sabertooth]

As Bush steps gingerly into the more conventional role of party leader, he is likely to rekindle old political fights that could peel away his armor of wartime president.

Like surrendering to the Left on food stamps for immigrants and amnesty for illegals.

[Cicero]

Who is Michael Tackett, and why doesn't he go back where he came from.

Hasn't he heard yet that the Enron scandal is over?

[Cobra64]

My mistake on the post - it's not political humor. Should have been in politics.

Yeah... I was waiting for the punch line, or something. That's okay.

[snakebitevoter]

"when lawyers start taking depositions,"

They can't make the President give a deposition, can they? If so, under what circumstances?

[Common Tator]

Lets look at the so called scandals that were supposed to have hurt candidates or political parties in the last 100 years. The first biggie was Warren Harding and the Teapot Dome oil scandal. In that one, President Harding's interior secretary was involved in selling the rights to huge oil fields to political buddies for peanuts. The oil field was called the Teapot Dome. It was supposed to elect the Democrat in 1924. It had no effect. Calvin Coolige was Harding's vice president and was reelected after harding died. The Teapot dome scandal did not hurt Republicans. The Repulbicans held onto power and elected two more presidents before FDR beat them in 1932.

The Democrat contributors that got big defense contracts from Rooseveklt in World War II and padded payrolls to get huge profits didn't hurt FDR a the polls. Harry Truman was investigating this stuff in the Senate in 1943. Most folks figured FDR made Harry VP so he couldn't reveal any more Roosevelt Administration scandal. Contractors were allowed 10 percent profits on costs during WWII. Several big FDR contributors were found puting fake people on payrolls so they could keep the payroll money and get 10 percent on top of that. It didn't hurt FDR in 1944 or HST in 1948.

In the Eisenhower years one of his cabinet members was accused of taking a very expensive Vicuna coat for international favors. It didn't help Adlai Stevenson one bit. Ike beat the crap out of him twice.

LBJ go the FCC to grant only one AM,FM,And TV station in Austin to LBJ Broadcasting. It made him millions. In the days when the three networks ruled, LBJ had ABC, NBC,and CBS all at the same time in the same town. Nam hurt LBJ. His scandal did not.

Nixon was destroyed by Watergate. The one case in the last 100 years that stuck.

Jimmy Carter and Billy Gate didn't hurt Jimmy. Billy was selling influence to Arabs but it was the economy stupid that did in Jimmy.

Iran Contra did not hurt Reagan. It did not keep Bush Sr. from wiinning in 1988. And God knows scandals did not hurt the Democrats and the Clintons.

The only possible conclusion is that the only scandals that have effect are those brought to the forefront by Democrats. But only the one scandal where Republicans and Democrats agreed it was bad had political effects. NIXON is the single example. Republicans took Nixon down as much as did Democrats. It was a Republican named Howard Baker who drove the nails in NIONS coffin.

This is no pitfall for Bush. The economy is only a problem for a president when he is seen as not trying to fix it. That is what did Herbert Hoover in. But the economy was bad in 1936 and was still bad in 1940. FDR won re-election twice on a bad economy. FDR kept talking about fixing the economy. Republicans in the 30s kept trying to stop what FDR wanted to do about the economy. They claimed what FDR wanted to do was bad.

FDR was in the worlds best position. If the economy got better he got the credit. If it got worse it was the damned Republicans who kept FDR from fixing it.

From that you may not a similarity to todays situation. Tom Daschle is going down a previously traveled road. Daschle can't see the sign that screams "NEVER EVER stand in the way of a PRESIDENT trying to fix the economy." If it gets bettter the president will get credit for fixing it. If it gets worse the guy standing in his way is blamed. Daschle maybe able to read, but it is certain he has never read history from 1928 to 1941.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

They made Clinton give a deposition for Monicagate, albeit under terms Clinton demanded. If there's a special prosecutor appointed, and I don't see that happening at this point, it's very possible the Bush could be required to give one.

[monkeyshine]

entrenched scandal industrial complex

Hahahaha... I guess they changed their name from "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" after the November elections?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Nataku X]

one major difference, the media is on daschle's side and not on bush's. therefore the public will perceive it as Daschle knowing what's right for the economy vs. Bush stopping the Democratic reform.

[okie01]

"one major difference, the media is on daschle's side and not on bush's. therefore the public will perceive it as Daschle knowing what's right for the economy..."

The public may be smarter than the media.

An easy thing to be, nowadays.