"It's The Incompetence, Stupid" Al Franken (I hope He's Right)

Hiring A Competent President In These Difficult Times Is A Must

I can't help but ask, why. Why so many Americans support a president whose incompetence is undeniable. He has fumbled the ball on so many occasions and in repeated fashion. The economy, jobs, foreign policy, the environment, the war in Iraq, on terrorism, just to name a few items.

Foreign policy? Forget it! This guy has divided our friends and united our enemies. Didn't know much about the rest of the world, and hadn't even been outside the country prior to becoming president. Iraq? The war may be controversial, but there is an agreement in the intelligence/military community that this war has been a disaster. Bush lied, people died! It's that simple.

Incompetence still rules in the White House, where the president, by his own admission, doesn't read the news, is not interested in anything long or complicated. Those who have his ear are instructed to make it as simple (simplistic?) as possible. At least his father was much smarter when he started the first campaign against Iraq. He got the active support of the international community which even paid for most of the costs of that war. Bush W. using Clinton's military machine won an easy battle against Saddam's forces, but Rummie, Wolf, Condi, Dick, and Dabya had no plan on how to win the peace!

It frustrates me to hear that so many Americans think Bush is strong on national defense and national security. Excuse me, but despite numerous and serious warning about "Bin Laden intent on striking in the US... using high-jacked airplanes" the White House did not think this rose to the level of a high-rank intelligence meeting and a course of action. Bush was caught like "a deer in the headlights" on September 11th, when he sat in the classroom for seven long minutes being read "My Pet Goat."

A small-minded, rather parochial politician suddenly became the leader around whom Americans and the whole world coalesced. Bush had at his disposal an immense capital of good will, sympathy, and support from all the good people on this planet who felt our pain, wanted us to punish the those responsible for such a horror. Promptly, Bush wasted such a precious commodity by showing the worst traits of an arrogant superpower. Want to be a world leader? Can't do it by using the long stick policy.

Such a person is dangerous, especially because he's got so much power available to him. His stubbornness, his fanaticism, and his misguided ultra-fundamentalist religious conviction is not suited for our American democracy, our vision for a brighter future, and a freer society. Why should we re-hire someone with a proven track of incompetence?

People in the real world lose their jobs for a lot less serious mistakes. Bush has the audacity to ask us for another term as the CEO of the United States? Come on, let's be serious here. If this administration isn't incompetent, then I don't know what is. No sir, you don't get to do it again. YOU'RE FIRED!