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The truly odd part is the GW Bush was a persona non grata amongst the neo-cons in the 90's. He was not a member of PNAC or AEI. Jeb Bush was a member of PNAC but not GW. Looking back on his years in Texas GW makes very few jingoistic statements as he made post 9/11. Statements he later retracted and apologized for making. Gates at defense. He knows the neocons ruined any potential legacy and drove his approval from nearly 80% into the 20's. Clearly driving away moderates in the party like Powell.

I still say it all goes back to Philly in '00, the GOP convention. Karl Rove was Bush's champion but the neocons took over at that event. There was talk of a switch at the top of the ticket. There were then meetings that took place that eventually secured Bush's spot. But at what cost? Did they hand the neocons control of our foreign policy?

Post 9/11 it was clear that Cheney took charge behind the scenes. What role had GW ever taken in planning a re-invasion of Iraq? The idea it was revenge for an attempt on daddy just doesn't make sense. This was clearly Cheney, Rummy and Wolfie's (the mad genius) doing. Bush was their proxy. The man behind the microphone. His post presidential silence all but confirms this idea. He has no horse in the race. Those aren't his beliefs that Cheney defends. They are Cheney's own. In the end this past Bush presidency will be defined as one of pathetic leadership at the top undermined by overbearing and egocentric advisors.
No matter Cheney's braying it will be seen as a massive failure. Torture, lies, exaggerated evidence (see Curveball and the bio labs) and in the end the loss of 13 Trillion in American wealth. Iraq still a very shaky situation and add Afghanistan where little progress was made. And all they can say is that it is someones else's fault?

Are the American people really going to believe this? I suppose anything is possible but this is not likely. And then the likes of Limbaugh get behind Sarah Palin who simply cannot make a coherent argument. Sure she can speak from the stump but what is she saying? Slogans are not policies. I sat through her campaign rally and never heard anything but snide insinuations and attacks on Obama. Just what was the Republican plan to prevent a complete economic collapse? George Bush answered that with the first stimulus. And McCain would have had to take a similar course to Obama or the wreckage would be far more devastating than we see today. I haven't heard any new ideas from their side other than further misguided tax cuts. Now they are discussing the secularization of America which is truly a ruse like O'Reilly's silly "War on Christmas". It takes no great genius to understand that the majority of Americans still believe in fairy tales. I suppose the Republicans are counting on this fact. Because at this point the idea of a Republican renaissance is exactly that!

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