Taking Command
㰀倀㸀㰀䘀伀一吀 猀椀稀攀㴀ⴀ㸀䈀礀 刀椀挀栀愀爀搀 䌀漀栀攀渀㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀匀愀琀甀爀搀愀礀Ⰰ 匀攀瀀琀攀洀戀攀爀 ㈀㈀Ⰰ ㈀ 㬀 倀愀最攀 䄀㈀㤀 ഀ
㰀倀㸀ഀ
In "Band of Brothers," the Stephen Ambrose book and the HBO television 猀攀爀椀攀猀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 猀攀爀最攀愀渀琀猀 漀昀 䔀愀猀礀 䌀漀洀瀀愀渀礀 猀琀愀最攀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 漀昀 愀 洀甀琀椀渀礀⸀ 䠀愀瘀椀渀最 氀漀猀琀 ഀ faith in the leadership abilities of their commanding officer, Herbert Sobel, 琀栀攀礀 搀攀洀愀渀搀 琀栀愀琀 栀攀 戀攀 爀攀瀀氀愀挀攀搀Ⰰ 猀愀礀椀渀最 琀栀攀礀 眀漀甀氀搀 渀漀琀 昀漀氀氀漀眀 猀甀挀栀 愀 洀愀渀 椀渀琀漀 ഀ combat. Until Thursday night, that's about how I felt about George W. Bush.
㰀倀㸀唀渀琀椀氀 栀椀猀 琀攀氀攀瘀椀猀攀搀 猀瀀攀攀挀栀 琀漀 愀 樀漀椀渀琀 猀攀猀猀椀漀渀 漀昀 䌀漀渀最爀攀猀猀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 瀀爀攀猀椀搀攀渀琀 栀愀搀 ഀ been occasionally wobbly, somewhat tentative and diminished in stature. He 猀攀攀洀攀搀 甀渀猀甀爀攀 漀昀 栀椀洀猀攀氀昀Ⰰ 猀漀洀攀栀漀眀 猀栀爀甀渀欀攀渀 椀渀 栀椀猀 挀氀漀琀栀攀猀 愀渀搀 ⴀⴀ 甀渀搀攀爀猀琀愀渀搀愀戀氀礀 ഀ -- scared by the responsibilities he suddenly faced and for which he was, by 戀愀挀欀最爀漀甀渀搀 愀渀搀 椀渀琀攀氀氀攀挀琀甀愀氀 栀愀戀椀琀Ⰰ 愀氀洀漀猀琀 琀漀琀愀氀氀礀 甀渀瀀爀攀瀀愀爀攀搀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀLittle by little, though, he gained confidence. He seemed emboldened by the 栀攀爀漀椀猀洀 漀昀 漀琀栀攀爀猀 ⴀⴀ 琀栀漀猀攀 一攀眀 夀漀爀欀 䌀椀琀礀 昀椀爀攀昀椀最栀琀攀爀猀Ⰰ 昀漀爀 椀渀猀琀愀渀挀攀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 搀椀搀 ഀ what they had to do because it was their job to do it. So it was to be with Bush 愀渀搀 猀漀Ⰰ 愀琀 氀攀愀猀琀 椀渀 琀栀愀琀 猀瀀攀攀挀栀 琀漀 琀栀攀 渀愀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 搀椀搀 栀攀 爀椀猀攀 琀漀 琀栀攀 漀挀挀愀猀椀漀渀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ
The words were perfect, occasionally eloquent, as when he said that the 琀攀爀爀漀爀椀猀琀猀 眀漀甀氀搀 昀漀氀氀漀眀 漀琀栀攀爀 攀砀琀爀攀洀椀猀琀 最爀漀甀瀀猀 ∀琀漀 栀椀猀琀漀爀礀✀猀 甀渀洀愀爀欀攀搀 最爀愀瘀攀 漀昀 ഀ discarded lies."
㰀倀㸀吀栀攀 猀瀀攀攀挀栀 眀愀猀 愀氀猀漀 甀琀椀氀椀琀愀爀椀愀渀Ⰰ 漀甀琀氀椀渀椀渀最 眀栀愀琀 渀攀攀搀猀 琀漀 戀攀 搀漀渀攀 愀渀搀 眀栀礀 琀栀攀 ഀ United States has to do it. Details were lacking, but one suspects it is not 樀甀猀琀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 琀栀攀礀 眀攀爀攀 眀椀琀栀栀攀氀搀⸀ 䤀琀 椀猀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 琀栀攀 瀀氀愀渀猀 愀爀攀 渀漀琀 礀攀琀 愀渀礀眀栀攀爀攀 ഀ near complete.㰀倀㸀䈀甀琀 愀 猀瀀攀攀挀栀 椀猀 洀漀爀攀 琀栀愀渀 眀漀爀搀猀⸀ 䤀琀 椀猀 琀栀攀愀琀攀爀⸀ 圀椀渀猀琀漀渀 䌀栀甀爀挀栀椀氀氀 甀渀搀攀爀猀琀漀漀搀 ഀ that. His words set an unsurpassed standard for eloquence. But his effect also 洀愀琀琀攀爀攀搀 ⴀⴀ 栀椀猀 搀攀氀椀瘀攀爀礀Ⰰ 栀椀猀 瀀愀甀猀攀猀 愀渀搀 栀椀猀 搀攀琀攀爀洀椀渀愀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 瘀攀渀琀甀爀攀 漀甀琀 椀渀琀漀 ഀ still-smoking London. He became the face of Britain.㰀倀㸀吀栀椀猀 ⴀⴀ 漀爀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 氀椀欀攀 椀琀 ⴀⴀ 眀愀猀 眀栀愀琀 䈀甀猀栀 搀椀猀瀀氀愀礀攀搀 吀栀甀爀猀搀愀礀 攀瘀攀渀椀渀最⸀ 䠀攀 ഀ seemed steadfast. He seemed determined. He seemed confident. He was the master 漀昀 琀栀攀 洀漀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 愀猀 洀甀挀栀 琀栀攀 氀攀愀搀攀爀 漀昀 琀栀愀琀 爀漀漀洀 愀猀 愀 挀漀渀搀甀挀琀漀爀 椀猀 漀昀 栀椀猀 ഀ orchestra. He seemed -- this is our American word for it -- "presidential."㰀倀㸀圀愀氀琀攀爀 䰀椀瀀瀀洀愀渀渀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 最爀攀愀琀 挀漀氀甀洀渀椀猀琀 愀渀搀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀 椀渀琀攀氀氀攀挀琀甀愀氀Ⰰ 猀挀愀琀栀椀渀最氀礀 ഀ dismissed Franklin Roosevelt when he first ran for the White House. Eleanor 刀漀漀猀攀瘀攀氀琀Ⰰ 眀栀漀 欀渀攀眀 琀栀攀 最爀攀愀琀 洀攀渀 漀昀 栀攀爀 琀椀洀攀猀Ⰰ 猀椀洀椀氀愀爀氀礀 搀椀猀洀椀猀猀攀搀 䨀漀栀渀 䘀⸀ ഀ Kennedy. Others, too, considered JFK a dilettante whose father had bought him a 瀀漀氀椀琀椀挀愀氀 挀愀爀攀攀爀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀIt is too soon and too silly to liken Bush to Kennedy or Roosevelt and to say 琀栀愀琀 栀攀Ⰰ 氀椀欀攀 琀栀攀洀Ⰰ 栀愀猀 最爀漀眀渀 琀漀 洀愀琀挀栀 栀椀猀 爀攀猀瀀漀渀猀椀戀椀氀椀琀椀攀猀⸀ 䈀甀猀栀 栀愀猀 愀 氀漀渀最 眀愀礀 ഀ to go, and his task is imprecisely defined. It is called a war, but it is both 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 氀攀猀猀 愀渀搀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 洀漀爀攀⸀ 䄀氀猀漀Ⰰ 䈀甀猀栀 椀猀 最椀瘀攀渀 琀漀 戀爀椀琀琀氀攀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀 ⴀⴀ ഀ his "dead or alive" comment, for instance -- which ill-serves a world leader 氀漀漀欀椀渀最 琀漀 攀渀氀椀猀琀 樀椀琀琀攀爀礀 愀氀氀椀攀猀 椀渀 愀渀 攀渀搀攀愀瘀漀爀 琀栀愀琀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 渀漀琀 椀渀 愀渀礀 眀愀礀 戀攀 ഀ likened to an Old West posse.
㰀倀㸀吀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀 栀愀猀 琀甀爀渀攀搀 甀瀀猀椀搀攀 搀漀眀渀 漀渀 䜀攀漀爀最攀 䈀甀猀栀⸀ 䠀攀 挀愀洀攀 琀漀 圀愀猀栀椀渀最琀漀渀 琀漀 ഀ shrink it, to diminish the role of the federal government in almost all areas. 䠀攀 洀愀搀攀 洀椀猀猀椀氀攀 搀攀昀攀渀猀攀 琀栀攀 挀攀渀琀攀爀瀀椀攀挀攀 漀昀 栀椀猀 昀漀爀攀椀最渀 愀渀搀 搀攀昀攀渀猀攀 瀀漀氀椀挀椀攀猀⸀ 䠀攀 ഀ pushed through an ideologically conceived tax package that was unfortunate in 椀琀猀 椀渀挀攀瀀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 眀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 樀甀猀琀 瀀氀愀椀渀 挀愀琀愀猀琀爀漀瀀栀椀挀 椀渀 椀琀猀 椀洀瀀氀攀洀攀渀琀愀琀椀漀渀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀNow he has created a whole new Cabinet-level post, the oddly named Office of 䠀漀洀攀氀愀渀搀 匀攀挀甀爀椀琀礀⸀ 一漀眀 栀攀 椀猀 爀攀挀愀氀氀椀渀最 爀攀琀椀爀攀搀 昀攀搀攀爀愀氀 眀漀爀欀攀爀猀⸀ 䠀攀 椀猀 愀猀欀椀渀最 ഀ Congress for more and more money. He is intervening to save the airline 椀渀搀甀猀琀爀礀Ⰰ 眀栀椀氀攀 洀椀猀猀椀氀攀 搀攀昀攀渀猀攀Ⰰ 眀栀椀挀栀 椀猀 渀漀琀 猀甀挀栀 愀 挀爀愀稀礀 渀漀琀椀漀渀 椀渀 椀琀猀 瀀氀愀挀攀Ⰰ ഀ will be just part of a larger package.
㰀倀㸀䄀猀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 攀挀漀渀漀洀礀Ⰰ 栀攀 眀椀氀氀 渀攀攀搀 琀漀 琀甀爀渀 栀椀猀 琀愀砀 瀀愀挀欀愀最攀 漀渀 椀琀猀 栀攀愀搀⸀ 䤀琀 椀猀 ഀ now back-loaded and it benefits the wrong people, mostly the affluent. He needs 琀漀 昀爀漀渀琀ⴀ氀漀愀搀 椀琀 猀漀 琀栀攀 洀漀渀攀礀 最攀琀猀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 攀挀漀渀漀洀礀 愀猀 昀愀猀琀 愀猀 瀀漀猀猀椀戀氀攀 ⴀⴀ 愀渀搀 ഀ to the people most likely to spend it -- the middle class.㰀倀㸀䄀氀氀 琀栀愀琀 椀渀 琀椀洀攀⸀ 䴀攀愀渀眀栀椀氀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 洀愀渀 眀栀漀 眀愀猀 愀 洀椀搀搀氀椀渀最 猀琀甀搀攀渀琀Ⰰ 愀 戀漀漀稀攀爀 愀渀搀 ഀ towel-snapper, an incurious and intellectually inert businessman and governor 眀栀漀 戀愀挀欀ⴀ猀氀愀瀀瀀攀搀 栀椀猀 眀愀礀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 瀀爀攀猀椀搀攀渀挀礀Ⰰ 攀洀攀爀最攀搀 吀栀甀爀猀搀愀礀 渀椀最栀琀 愀猀 ഀ something we terribly needed. He was always the president. Now he is the 挀漀洀洀愀渀搀攀爀 椀渀 挀栀椀攀昀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ 㰀倀㸀ഀ