Disaster in Chief

President Trump's son-in-law appeared on Fox News on Wednesday to declare victory over the coronavirus:  "We're on the other side of the medical aspect of this," Jared Kushner said.  "We've achieved all of the different milestones that are needed.  The federal government rose to the challenge, and this is a great success story."  Really?

Over 65,000 Americans dead and the number climbing.  States, hospitals, and nursing homes desperate for equipment.  Testing widely unavailable.  No cure, no vaccine.

If we're truly on the other side of this, let's give the Disaster in Chief credit for his accomplishments:

1. He ignored the warnings contained in the President's Daily Brief as early as January, failing in his fundamental duty to protect the American people.

2. He downplayed the danger, saying on February 26, "You have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down close to zero."  We currently have over one million cases.

3. He failed to manage testing for Americans.  When asked about this on March 13 he said, "I don't take responsibility at all."  Instead Trump blamed--you know who--Barack Obama.  We still don't have enough tests today.

4. He fomented xenophobia and racism, calling the virus the "China virus" and continued to defend his use of the term.

5. He failed to coordinate the purchasing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the states, leaving them to compete with each other and with the federal government, driving up prices more than 1,000%.

6. He attacked, and continues to attack, the press, calling them "horrid," "nasty," and "third-rate."  His belittling, abusive language demeans us all.

7. He promoted unproven and dangerous treatments: think bleach, UV light, and hydroxychloroquine.

8. He criticized governors as they attempted to manage the crisis on their own.  "She doesn't get it done," he said of Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, and Jay Inslee of Washington "shouldn't be relying on the federal government."

9. He incited, and continues to incite, violent protests against state stay-at-home orders.  Calling on protesters to liberate Michigan, Virginia, and Minnesota on April 17, he also defended the mob in Lansing on Friday as "very good people."

10. He communicated clearly about the danger that lies ahead, saying on April 29, "If it does come back--it's not going to come back--and I've spoken to 10 different people, it's not going to be like it was . .  . If we have embers of corona coupled with the flu, that's not going to be pleasant, but it's not going to be what we've gone through in any way, shape or form . . . You may not even have corona coming back, just so you understand."  Huh?

So go ahead, Jared.  Declare victory and see what happens.  Wasn't it George W. Bush who famously said, "Mission Accomplished?"  Now how'd that turn out . . .

Decision Making 101

At the new George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, visitors to an interactive theater decide how they would respond to some of the challenges that faced the 43rd president.  Here's a slight twist to this game.  Pretend you are President Bush and choose in each case below the answer that best describes the action he took.

1. Terrorists primarily from Saudi Arabia and financed by operatives in Afghanistan destroy the World Trade Center in New York, killing 3,000 people.  In response, you decide to attack which of the following countries:

A. Germany

B. Zimbabwe

C. Iceland

D. Iraq

2. Once you decide to invade Iraq, you need to come up with an explanation for this unexpected move.  You invent the following scenario:

A. The Iraqi government is poised to land a manned space shuttle on Mars.

B. A group of Iraqi school children threatened publicly to throw 50 pairs of shoes (that once belonged to Imelda Marcos) at you.

C. Gold has been discovered near Basra.

D. Saddam Hussein has acquired weapons of mass destruction.

3. You begin to capture suspects in your so-called "War on Terror."  You take which of the following actions:

A. Read the prisoners their Miranda rights.

B. Appoint defense lawyers.

C. Reread the Geneva Convention.

D. Ignore the international ban on torture and set up secret detention sites.

4. A major hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast of the United States.  You act quickly in the following way:

A. Watch CNN's coverage of people stranded at the Superdome in New Orleans and wonder if the World Series is under way.

B. Watch Al Jazeera's coverage of Americans sleeping on luggage conveyors at the New Orleans airport and wonder if this isn't a third world country by mistake.

C. Watch NBC's coverage of the failure of the levees throughout the city and find yourself humming "American Pie"--"drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry/Them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye/Singing this'll be the the day that I die."

D. Watch the mayhem below from the comfort of your private presidential helicopter--seemingly disengaged and uninterested.

5. As the hurricane devastation unfolds, you compliment which of your advisers in the following way:

A. "Dick, You're as close to Voldemort as they come."

B. "Condi, You play the piano beautifully."

C. "Rummy, Thank you for reminding us of both the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns."

D. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

If you answered "D" in each case, congratulations!  You've won a day's free pass to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.

W

Here's a song in honor of the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library this week.  Sing to the tune of "Georgy Girl":

Hey there!  W!
Why is it that you don't seem so bad?
Is it 'cause we don't remember all
Of the harm you caused our country.

Hey there!  W!
Why have you been so ignored thus far?
Is it 'cause you left a mess that nobody can clean up?
You always seemed lighthearted, you never seemed too upset
With Dick and Rummy running the show, a little bit.

Hey there!  W!
There's a different side of you displayed
If we go to SMU and
Visit your new museum
The world will see a new W.

Don't cry, W!
Cheer up, W!