Somewhat Stormy Monday

Been a little busy here, but I've managed to prowl around a bit on the internets in between fits and starts (lots of stuff here involves waiting...and waiting some more).

I've noticed a number of references to this lovely story about how inadequate body armor contributed--and STILL contributes--to higher death rates for those soldiers who get shot.

You'd think a $425 billion dollar budget would, oh, I don't know, actually have funds available...and maybe it's just me, but shouldn't the geniuses itching to start Son of Gulf War have THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BEFORE deploying the troops?

Then again, if I remember right, apologists for these assclowns--like William Kristol--have gone on record as supporting MORE casualties. Well, congrats, Bill: your heroes delivered.

To me, though, this story underscores just how utterly unprepared for leadership this administration is. The lack of qualification and dreadful decision making are likewise reflected in their disastrous response to Katrina--and even to 9/11 (Frank Rich, writing from behind the Times curtain, points out that the administration which couldn't be bothered to file for warrants before wiretapping didn't bother to look at intelligence from LEGAL wiretaps on SEPTEMBER 10, 2001...intelligence that made it clear something awful was about to happen.

This administration has consistently managed to fail (I believe Shrubusto himself--in a rare moment of candor--defined it when describing Iraq: catastrophic success. Indeed). Steve Gilliard has a good post up about the administration's abject failure--he traces it, correctly, to the top.

I guess my only addition would be: how can anyone be surprised? Sure, the press has opted to play the role of Monica Lewinsky to Bush's Bill Clinton since even before the 2000 election...but anyone bothering to look at Shrub's life story could come to no other conclusion except that the guy was a repeating train wreck. Why the hell would it be any different in DC (Cheney may have provided "gravitas," but gravitas ain't competence). Screw up is as screw up does--and Team Bush manages, again and again, to do the wrong thing.

Let's just hope that, once the perp walks and frogmarches REALLY get started, things aren't completely off the deep end. And WHOEVER takes over come 2009 is going to have a hell of a mess to clean.