How's Your War, Mr. Cohen?
In this morning’s WaPo, Richard Cohen weighed in on the now near infamous Bush-Webb interaction at the post election White House reception. He almost got it right, but it just seems that Washington pundits still have a blind spot about this president.
My response to him is after the jump.
Nice try, Mr. Cohen, but your take on the Bush-Webb interaction last months is also off the mark. Not as much as George Will’s disingenuous distortions to be sure, but nonetheless misses the central arc of the moment in question.Context is important here. George Bush’s policies and decisions about the war were repudiated by the electorate a week or so before. At the White House reception Bush sought Webb out. When Webb responded to Bush’s pseudo personal question on a policy level, rather than as small talk, the Decider-in-Chief had a decision to make. He could have raised the level of conversation to match Webb’s, and might have said something mildly conciliatory like, “I would like to get them out as soon as possible. I’d like to hear more about any ideas you have. Let’s talk soon…” Un-Bushlike to be sure, but it was a choice.
Instead, Bush went confrontational. He wanted a bended knee on his turf. He wanted to send a message to the new senator – I am in charge. I get to ask the questions. I have the home court advantage. Given the fact that Webb’s son is in harm’s way in Iraq, Mr. Bush’s second question appears to indicate a certain habit of mind, a posture of petulance.
Given the context, Mr. Bush was demonstrably rude and insensitive. Webb continually referred to him respectfully as “Mr. President”. He refrained from asking in response “How’s your girls?” or something equally nasty.
No, Mr. Cohen, this wasn’t about politeness. Rather it was about power. We have a president who believes that aggression is the only way to articulate power. The bully in the playground received a long overdue punch in the nose.