Friday, August 27, 2004

What Is the Guy Supposed to Do?

The BBC has uncorked another brilliant observation about President Bush's true motives. Regarding his given the Central Intelligence Director power to be central in directing intelligence.

He said one executive order would give acting CIA Director John McLaughlin "interim" authority to perform many of the functions of a proposed intelligence tsar in overseeing 15 intelligence agencies.


Before they got to this detail, however, the BBC let us know what was really important.

But correspondents note there is also a political angle to the timing of the executive orders, which do not need Congressional approval to be implemented.

It is no coincidence that Mr Bush will sign the presidential orders on the eve of a Republican Party convention in New York where national security will be a key issue, the BBC's Nick Childs in Washington says.

I think I have the rule straight here. Anything the President does to show that he is doing his job in the time leading up to Election Day is merely a political ploy to convince people that he is doing his job. If he were truly above using his office for political gain, then he should do nothing.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that the government doing nothing is the right course of action in virtually all circumstances. Defending our country against terrorist, however, is the exception that fits nicely in the void left by the "virtually".

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