The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    A TALE OF TWO DITTIES

    By Richard Day on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 6:22am |

    All the President's Men

    DITTY ONE

     

    Woodward

    If there is one line in the movie that I shall remember till I die; it was when Redford tells his partner that he is a Republican!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_President%27s_Men_%28film%29

    Times have changed.

    Woodward's head is bigger; metaphorically and otherwise.

    I actually believe that he talks slower than he used to; if that is possible.

    And I believe that Woodward has lost the fire in his belly and merely seeks more coins in his savings accounts.

    How much more money would truly make him happy?

    I read all three books he wrote about the Bush Administration.

    The first underlined what a wonderful bunch of clever neo-cons there were in charge of the White House.

    The second began to question whether or not w's team knew what the hell they were doing.

    And the third book seemed to underline what crapheads were in charge of America's domestic and foreign policies.

    Funny...

    But the tone seemed to change as the polls nose dived over those first five or six years of the Bush Administration.

    Cheney was so damned mad at the third book he called Woodward up and complained about how he was quoted so directly.

    Cheney said:

    THAT WAS OFF THE RECORD!

    Oh I do not recall you ever mentioning a record; responded Woodward.

    "If there ever was a crystalline indictment of a president's wartime decisions, this is it. In the third volume exploring the political carnage and bureaucratic infighting prompted by the September 11 attacks, legendary investigative journalist Woodward (Bush at War, Plan of Attack) dissects the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq. The picture isn't a pretty one, and Woodward's disarming, matter-of-fact prose makes his page-turning account more powerful still. The incompetence and arrogance on display in the highest levels of the executive branch is as stunning — and as unsettling — as the dismay voiced by civilians and soldiers who endeavor and fail to open the administration's eyes to the failures in Iraq, from the complex security challenges to simple logistical matters like securing sufficient translators. Unable to manage the war they unleashed, the principals — President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and national security advisor, later Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice — fare poorly here. Many of the charges are familiar — the president lacks inquisitiveness, the vice president is obsessed with WMD, Rice is 'the worst security advisor in modern times' — but gel anew in the light of Woodward's explication. The breakout star of this disturbing spectacle is Rumsfeld, who presides over the conflict with a supreme self confidence that literally leaves Woodward at a loss for words. If journalism is the first page of history, then Woodward's opus will be required reading for any would-be historians of the time." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

    http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780743272230&atch=h

    A loss for words huh?

    WHERE THE HELL WAS HE IN 2004?

    And this repub could not help himself.

    He gave the repubs rope to hang themselves without hurting their chances for reelection in 2004.

    So Woodward looks just wonderful.

    I mean Woodward could say: I told you so!

    When it was too late for any electorate to respond!

    Well this time the repub lion ended up amongst the Democratic lambs.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bob-woodward-gaps-president-obamas-leadership-contributed-debt/story?id=17183930#.UFBaIFGzn1k

    Oh let him in, let him in cried so many dems.

    But in 2009 he shows up with the dems whom he really despises and shafts the entire lot of them.

    I do not believe that this bastard will be invited back.

    Next time the dems should invite Bernstein for a brunch or two!

    Oh these peeps have no idea what they are doing.

    Oh these peeps have an incompetent and untried leader.

    Oh this youngster is more interested in basketball and golf than making critical decisions.

    Oh this incompetent has no idea how to play REAL politics.

    Why go on?

    Woodward is so esteemed.

    Woodward is so determined to discover the truth.

    Woodward is never ever wrong about anything.

    Woodward is wise and effectual and competent.

    I am watching Cary Grant once again attempt to teach the Episcopalian played by Niven the true meaning of xmas and community and spirit.

    Niven wishes the grandest of cathedrals and must grab all the funds he can from Mildred Dunnock.

    If only Niven had been born in a later age he could have started his own 700 club; he could have asked folks on TV to help widows and orphans and eventually pocketed a hundred mill by selling his station.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson#Controversies_and_criticisms

    Oh well.

    The point here is that Woodward is a lying bastard who cares more about Woodward than he ever could for his country.

    DITTY TWO

    MICHAEL LEWIS

    http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/10/michael-lewis-profile-barack-obama

    Michael Lewis is a genius and a fair sort of gentleman.

    For some reason he was 'let into' the circle of life at the Presidential Mansion on the say-so of Barry and he does not let us down.

    Not for a minute!

    I just watched this Vanity Fair Editor interviewed by Rachel (who else?) and the interview was more than the normal sound bite.

    He loves the guy! Hahahahahaha

    The first thing Michael notes is that Barry never lauds him for his previous books.

    Barry never even refers to the previous books of Lewis during his entire time with our President.

    Lewis is quite taken by this state of affairs.

    Michael Lewis states that he has never faced a politician who has not pretended to have read all of his books!

    Recall when you were a student in elementary school and saw those wonderful cartoons about how a bill becomes law; you know, right before you saw Mr. Washington goes to Smith (or whatever)?

    Well, this book appears to be a real 'Day In The Life' sort of thing.

    We only get to view 9 pages or so of Michael's new book, but it is a fun read!

    No kidding.

    Lewis is playing basketball with the Prez!

    And whilst the two are in the Presidential Carriage, Barry is upset because he has forgotten his mouth-guard. Hahahahah

    But the doc who accompanies the Prez (where ever he goes evidently) pulls the object out of his case.

    hahahahaha

    Lewis is taking tours of the White House led by the President of the United States of America.

    Lewis spends 6 entire months going back and forth to the White House!

    Folks, take the time to read this segment at Vanity Fair.

    I watched Jonathan Alter on MSNBC today.

    Alter was talking about the recent smut that Cheney was spewing about our foreign policy.

    Cheney is just an angry, self-possessed, crotchety old man. (Not exact words, just from memory)

    Screw Woodward. Woodward is a self-possessed crotchety old man!

    He shall change his tune once Barry is reelected in order to sell his next book.

    But Lewis is a fun read!

    The end.

     

     

    Comments

    I recall that line from the movie, but from the looks exchanged between Redford and Hoffman when Hoffman says he's a Republican, you get the distinct impression that it's an obvious lie and that they both know it's a lie and that it just shows how far they both would go to try to establish empathy in order to pull some bits of information out of someone he was interviewing.  It's an old Reporter's trick:  Tell the subject that you're on their side and they'll open up for you more because they think you're with them and will understand.  Woodward is good at convincing those in power that he's really on their side and so he gets them to drop their guard and say revealing things which he then writes down and publishes in books.   You'd think the Washington establishment would have caught onto his trick by now, but Woodward's perceived reputation, makes the Washington elites swoon and they all think they can out-smart him and control what they tell him and win him over to their side.  Woodward lets them think that, while at the same time, gathering the damning evidence which will hurt them the most.  And because he's "fair", he'll do it to both sides, just to show he's a 'great reporter'.   That said, you're right, he's "a lying bastard who cares more about Woodward than he ever could for his country." 

     

    P.S.  Isn't Hoffman playing Carl Bernstein in the movie?

     

     

     

     

     

     


    by MrSmith1 on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 6:54am

    It was Redford who said he was a repub (playing Woodward who was and is a repub) and Hoffman played Bernstein.

    I probably screwed up the line in my post.

    Anyway, Woodward gave Bush and Cheney every frickin break he could until the last of his trilogy that was not published until a year or more following the 2004 elections.

    But as far as President Obama; there were no breaks given whatsoever!


    by Richard Day on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 2:55pm

    It's long past the time for people to continue giving Woodward credibility because of any perceived cachet he achieved from yesteryear's deeds.  I agree  that it's puzzling any politicos continue to give him access, seemingly without pause.  I haven't  read the last few of his tomes because like him, his prose is dated and  bloated.


    by Aunt Sam on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 12:58pm

    Well I certainly hope Barry does not give Bob any more access.


    by Richard Day on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 2:56pm

    Ron Suskind is the reporter and author who seems to have the most success getting WH and other high sources from both parties to talk to him, on and off the record. 


    by AmericanDreamer on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 3:22pm

    I read both his books on w--he co authored one with that ex Treasury Sec.

    Remember:

    We're goin into Iraq; find a way!

    Suskind is a good journalist.

    Of course his renderings changed nothing as far as the 2004 elections were concerned; so I suppose Woodward could not have changed anything anyway.


    by Richard Day on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 3:40pm

    Thanks for talking about this.  I think Woodward bringing out this book at this time is such a nakedly political move, it's astonishing.  Then again, it may just be for the money.  No way will bringing this thing out in an election year, virtually minutes before the election is going to hurt the book sales.  

    For years, I wanted to think of Woodward as some kind of hero.  Of course, I wanted him to be Redford.  But he's not and he does talk too freaking slow.  

    And his books are snoozefests.  Even his CIA book (to me at least) was no page turner.  And his more recent personality as politics things...  Outside the occasional outrageous relevations, it's ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.


    by anna am on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 7:51pm

    Well I think I made it clear that I lost faith in Bob back in 2002?

    He shows up on these Sunday comics to express his true feelings; READ MY LATEST BOOK!

    An 'insider' who will get to the truth no matter what.

    Hell, it was only as a WASP outsider that he and his Jewish friend found out anything.

    I am mad.

    I am brought back to neocons and hidden plans to wage war in five or six countries instead of the two we got stuck in.

    I do know this.

    Feith and many neocons are really working with Romney to keep the dream alive:

    WE WILL ATTACK EVERYONE, EVERY COUNTRY, EVERY FAITH (that is not Judeo Christian) AND WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP.

    Bolton is one of Mitt's best advisors for chrissakes!

    I am just advising people to at least scan the trilogy on the neocons and watch as he hedges his bets.

    DAMN!

    Give Bernstein some space for chrissakes.

    I still love that guy!

     


    by Richard Day on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 8:11pm