President Queeg
“Over the weekend, Richard A. Clarke, Bush’s former counterterrorism coordinator, said Bush focused too little attention on al Qaeda before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and too much on Iraq afterward.
Clarke detailed his allegations in a book released yesterday. In it, he echoes criticism of Bush’s judgment and fixation on Iraq that were leveled by former Treasury secretary Paul H. O’Neill in his book, which was published in January.”
— Jim VandeHei, Washington Post,
March 23, 2004
“Pity poor George Bush. For some reason, he has been beset by delusional aides who, once they leave the White House, write books containing lies and exaggerations and — this is the lowest blow of all — do not take into account the president’s genius and all-around wisdom.”
— “Bush, Clarke and A Shred of Doubt,”
Richard Cohen, Washington Post,
March 23, 2004
“He was no different than any officer in the wardroom — they were all disloyal. I tried to run the ship properly, by the book, but they fought me at every turn.
… Naturally, I can only cover these things from memory… If I’ve left anything out, why, just ask me specific questions and I’ll be glad to answer them… one-by-one…”
(With apologies to Paul Krugman… See Krugman’s column on President Queeg from March 14 last year — abstract or full text.)