Bush holds a cocktail party to seek advice he has no intention of taking

As Agenda Falters, Bush Tries a More Personal Approach in Dealing With Congress



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/washington/11bush.html

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: June 11, 2006

WASHINGTON, June 10 — Senator John W. Warner and his wife were at the White House for a Memorial Day photo session with veterans when they received an unexpected invitation from President Bush. "Come on," the president said suddenly. "Let's go back to the Oval Office." What followed, said Mr. Warner, a Virginia Republican and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was a rare 15 minutes alone with the president, no aides or staff in sight. Mr. Bush escorted the couple to a private garden that President Ronald Reagan had built — "I never knew it was back there," said Mr. Warner, whose public service dates to the Eisenhower administration — and, just as important, solicited Mr. Warner's views on Iraq. "It was a nice way of doing things," Mr. Warner said.

It was also a new way of doing things for a president who Republicans in Congress say has for years treated them like pesky younger siblings, ignoring their ideas and calling on them only to promote his legislation on Capitol Hill.

Now, with Mr. Bush's poll numbers sinking and his agenda faltering, the White House needs Republicans in Congress more than ever. Without necessarily taking the advice he is seeking from Capitol Hill, Mr. Bush is adding a more personal touch to his presidency in an effort to put himself in the good graces of lawmakers.

The effort, choreographed by senior advisers to Mr. Bush, began late last year and intensified in April after Joshua B. Bolten became chief of staff, said two officials involved. So the president, a man not given to Washington schmoozing, now holds intimate cocktail parties on the Truman Balcony, overlooking the South Lawn, for lawmakers and their spouses, complete with tours of the Lincoln Bedroom led by him and the first lady.

For the first time in his presidency, Mr. Bush is also inviting lawmakers to the White House in small groups not to discuss specific issues, but simply to ask what is on their minds. These informal brainstorming sessions occur not in the Oval Office, but over iced tea and lemonade in the cozy Yellow Oval room of the private residence.

next to god and all. What if someone suggested he let us nail him to a couple of four by fours in the shape of a cross
and plant him on top of Capital Hill so he could really go down in history as somebody?
I for one think he'd go for it.

"Surely a great leader like yourself cannot be held back by a little thing like gravity? Win the people's hearts back by showing them your great powers! Dubya, YOU CAN FLY! Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Remember he had previous Secretaries of State and Defense to the White House for a meeting and then never actually listened to any of them. They never had time to give any input.

Madeline Albright said he never wanted their opinions; that was obvious.

Photo Ops - all he's lookig for.

There was a slobbering article in NYT this week about how Mr. Vacation talks to Putin on the phone about Iran. We're supposed to buy that the man who sat stunned for 15 minutes while the country was under attack, who wasn't even notified when DC was thought to be under attack during one of his vacations, is suddenly "Mr. Hands-on". Only the most deluded of the Limbeciles believes this shit though.

That's soooooooo 2003.

As much as I dislike the Bush Halo photos, they don't disturb me half as much as the Frist Halo photos. You could just feel the "666" vibe coming off of those.



:evilgrin:

:spank:

>These informal brainstorming sessions occur not in the Oval Office, but over iced tea and lemonade in the cozy Yellow Oval room of the private residence.<

Just more reinforcement of the "Bush is a good ol' boy" meme. Just more BS: "He cares about the little people, so he's looking for ideas." Unfortunately, the public will eat this up with a spoon and ask for seconds.

Julie

...so Warner would turn around and publicly marvel over how he had "a rare 15 minutes alone with the president, no aides or staff in sight"...sort of like an audience with the Pope, including (I'm sure) a few moments set aside for ring kissing.

And at the end, Warner would be quoted as saying "It was a nice way of doing things."

Bush "solicited Warner's views on Iraq" so that Rove and Company could de-construct any "objections," basically turn everything that didn't fall in line with what Bush already wanted inside out.

It's classic stuff. Bush takes a hit from Republicans for "not listening," so he invites them into his lair for a "listening party."

:patriot:

Once upon a time their motto was "ALL THE NEWS FIT TO PRINT"

Now it's "ALL THE PROPAGANDA KARL TELLS US TO PRINT"

Really, it's hard to tell which paper kisses Bush's ass more, The Whoreshington Post or the Screw York TImes.