This is what happens to you if you don’t agree to sit down and grant Bob Woodward an interview.
In Bob Woodward’s highly anticipated new book, “State of Denial,” President Bush emerges as a passive, impatient, sophomoric and intellectually incurious leader, presiding over a grossly dysfunctional war cabinet and given to an almost religious certainty that makes him disinclined to rethink or re-evaluate decisions he has made about the war.
This is what happens if you do agree to sit down and grant an interview to Bob Woodward.
It’s a portrait that stands in stark contrast to the laudatory one Mr. Woodward drew in “Bush at War,” his 2002 book, which depicted the president — in terms that the White House press office itself has purveyed — as a judicious, resolute leader, blessed with the “vision thing” his father was accused of lacking and firmly in control of the ship of state.
Any questions?
Bob Woodward’s last two books were horseshit. His access allowed him to gather some very interesting information, and that is true again for this book. It just so happens that this time the administration didn’t earn any good will and the result is that they got hammered.
The wheels are clearly falling off for the administration, which makes one wonder even more how they managed to pass their torture bill so easily. The only thing I can think is that they must have blackmail material on the majority of our congressmen. Methinks hundreds of Republican leaders are going to be doing prison time soon if the whole dictatorship thing doesn’t develop like they hope.
He will be replaced. The most likely scenerio is that his replacement makes something of a show but then does nothing about the torture legislation. Waterboarding may go, but holding people permanently with no charges and no trial is here to stay: They are going to need it for the next phase of their plans. People are going to get cranky when the economy collapses, and the number of folk who suddenly turn out to have been “terrorists” is going to multiply. The War on Terror(TM), to date much experienced elsewhere, will come to the US.
Sadly, these guys do NOT expect to do prison time. Our congressmen think their jobs are secure, and that no investigation will ever reach them. May they be surprised!
Replaced by who? Isn’t Hastert next in line after Cheney? He seems to be having his own career-killing (protecting a closeted gay sexual predator probably won’t play well with the homophobic base) problems at the moment. The wheels seem to be coming off for all of them. I still expect a dictatorship to be in place by next February, but it is looking more and more like it could derail spectacularly if more people in the media like Woodward start doing their jobs. Of course we know how little chance there is of that, thus my expectations.
I’ve wondered if Woodward was sucking up with the first two books and the attendant public appearances and homing in for the kill. I still wonder. Woody is known to have started his career as a Naval Intelligence Officer, and I wonder if he is becoming the voice for the pissed off intelligence sources now.
Who knows… Nonetheless, it is a heck of a good time to come out with some heavy bad shit on this administration. I just wish Woody would tell us Everything He Knows.
EXACTLY. If I’d seen this first I could have skipped my comment. That’s it, exactly.
I wonder if he is becoming the voice for the pissed off intelligence sources now.
This was exactly my thought when I heard about the recent book. As Booman points out here, its just too much of an “about-face.” But I don’t expect any of the gazillion people who will interview him over the next few weeks will ask that question. Not that I would expect Woodward to answer it truthfully if they did, still…
You’re so right, BooMan, and I think there’s more to it as well. He was shilling for the power players then, and he’s shilling for them now, now that many have changed their minds about Bush. Personally, I can’t stand Woodward. What an ass.
Remember, this is the guy who claimed a very revealing conversation with a dying ex-CIA leader at a time when the guy couldn’t speak.
This is also the guy who fictionalized his meetings with Deep Throat (see “Deep Truth,” by Adrian Havill) etc.
I’m not going to celebrate him now that he’s telling part of the truth. Too little, too late.
I agree with you, too. Woody’s got no hemorrhoids. How do I know? He’s a perfect asshole.
btw, I’ve been clicking around in your site from time to time lately and I am putting your book on my Christmas list. Thanks for all your work and for providing info on the net so we can all see it.
Hey, thanks much, blueneck. After all that work it’s always so heartening to hear that people care, and read it.
Casey, Bandar Bush, and the Beruit bombing?
Who knows?
I happen to believe that Woodward got the truth out. Whether he was honest about getting the info from Casey? No idea.
I think he did this time. But at whose behest? That’s the interesting question, to me!
(Btw – I have yet to read anyone who believes he had that convo with Casey. Casey’s wife, whom I believe would be the most credible witness, said not a chance.)
I am skeptical of the conversation too, but as to the underlying allegation, why would Woodward make it up? It didn’t serve an obvious purpose that I can think of.
Sure it does. That was probably the hook that sold the book to publishers – “I have an exclusive interview with the dying Casey.” Easy advertising hook, and it was used.
He seems to me to be a great example of someone in the media who has become more interested in his own insider status than in reporting. When a reporter becomes a celebrity, there goes the credibility. He’s irrelevent.
So when Woodward comes with an book offer, it’s one that you can’t refuse. If this is how he’s going to proceed, he’d better start writing fiction. (like the earlier Bush book)
I do believe this incident is likely true, and it’s happening again:
Source.
Have gas prices gone down because Saudi production has increased, or because oil companies really love Republican tax giveaways and want to keep them in control? I have been assuming it’s more of the latter, which isn’t any more ethical, but is harder to tie directly to Bush.
The lesson learned is that Woodward is a fucking media whore. Only this time, the media “story line” has finally caught up with reality. The story line when Woodward wrote his first two books on Bush were that Bush was decisive leader. That was bullshit then and it’s bullshit now.
Anyone reading diaries written by dozens of us on Booman or Kos would have read the truth earlier than reading Woodward.
Perhaps this will signal the media’s return from the never never land of right wing propaganda to actual journalism. But I fucking doubt it.
Hey Bob, better late than never.