In anticipation of his sixth year in office, President Bush celebrated a politically correct winter holiday and ushered in 2006 at his Texas ranch where he suffered a cedar tree attack. In case you missed it, the President recounted his cedar incident on New Year's Day after visiting veterans from the Amputee Care Center of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas.
Bush stated, 'As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself'??not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch.' Uninhibited by the cedar injury, Bush welcomed the New Year with a firm resolution to work for 'peace around the world' and domestic prosperity. But for Bush, his recycled beauty-pageant resolution for world peace sounds like another lofty claim likely to fail.
Before Bush tackles world peace and prosperity at home, he should make a note to self: Do not compare war injuries that result in amputation to tree injuries that result in 'little' scratches. Although Bush intended no disrespect to the war veterans, he will have to display more tact to achieve his New Year's resolution.
The joke inadvertently tainted his genuine intentions at the medical center, just as other 'Bushisms' have tainted genuine intentions elsewhere. In fact, a resolution to receive an education in tact could go a long way in improving foreign relations, much less world peace.
Certainly the president's continued commitment to peace and prosperity proves warranted, but the accomplishment of these goals lies in his ability to employ discretion when necessary. He could benefit from either new speechwriters, Hooked on Phonics or actual wit.
Moreover, to truly ring out the false and welcome in the true in 2006, Bush should quit listening to the commands of Dick Cheney's calcified heart and accurately assess the repercussions of certain political decisions (such as claiming victory in an unfinished war), and thereby improve domestic and foreign rapport.
In light of the indictments, resignations and scandals of senior administration officials, an improvement in executive credibility would strengthen his entire administration. The president's aggressive and questionably unconstitutional policies, such as domestic wire tapping, and allegiance to corrupt officials like Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, hang on his public approval ratings like cement bricks.
The sad reality is the majority of New Year's resolutions fail. Even if Bush manages to shake the dead weight of administration scandal, abandons 'smoking gun' rationalizations for the war and learns to employ tact, the likelihood that he will secure world peace and domestic prosperity in 2006 remains bleak.
If Bush abandons his resolution and reverts to tactless diplomacy (business as usual), he could at least switch to the pageant scene, change his title to Mr. America and express intentions to distribute cute little puppies to everyone in the whole world. After all, a policy for puppies seems about as reasonable as striving for world peace under the current political machine.
