Fool Me Once, Shame on You

Fool me twice, shame on me. Of course, for Dubya, the line is something like, "Fool me--uh--won't get fooled again." The Guardian UK is reporting that people in the Middle East seem to have the correct adage in mind, and are skeptical of Bush's not-quite-apology for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

Jeffrey over at Library Chronicles found this article, which focuses on one individual Iraqi who is pictured in some of the photographs. To call his recollection troubling is an understatement.

This sort of scandalous behavior by the prison guards is bad enough. Even worse, IMHO, is the casual attitude Bush is taking towards this and the rest of his Middle East policy, which now resembles nothing so much as a train wreck. Today's Daily Howler (thanks for reminding me to read it, Timshel), as well as a Kevin Drum piece from a few days back hammer home the idea that Bush displays all the signs of incompetence that got him to where he is today. Remember, this is an individual who failed in virtually every endeavor he attempted, from oil companies to a sweetheart deal that bought him a piece of the Texas Rangers (who've been a paragon of mediocrity ever since) to a governorship noteworthy for almost nothing except the numbers of people he executed (and a now whopping budget deficit, thanks to Bush tax cuts).

I'll be going to see John Kerry tomorrow at an event organized by the Louisiana Dems. If I can catch his ear, I'll try to raise the point--he shouldn't be afraid to attack Bush for being a monumental, miserable failure. Dubya's life set the stage for his present predicament. To be honest, something tells me my odds of speaking to him directly are slightly less good than winning the lottery. But one can always hope.