We! The People Webzine: No More Codependent Enabling! by Becky A. Coats

by Becky A. Coats
January 16, 2007

How many readers remember a story told by both Barbara and Laura Bush regarding Dubya's problem dealing with criticism? For those whose memories have faded, please let me refresh them. Before Laura married him, she asked her future monster-in-law what she needed to know about George to insure a successful marriage. Barbara replied, "Never criticize him!" In the following years, Laura followed Barb's advice to the letter. That is, until one fateful night early in Dubya's political career while driving home after giving a particularly boring speech when he asked Laura, "Well, what'd ya think?" Recalling her husband's mother's seemingly wise counsel, Laura answered, "It was fine, dear." Her measured answer was not good enough for him. After a lifetime of coddling, he craved and even clamored for what he thought was going to be glowing praise from his wife. He asked again, "No really! What'd ya think?" "Dear. It was fine," a nervous Laura replied. Still not hearing what he wanted to hear, Dubya badgered and pressed her for a more detailed answer. Despite Laura's best efforts at restraint and just as the car turned into the driveway, she finally let go with, "OK! It could have been better." Dubya recklessly responded to Laura's hesitant honesty by jamming his foot on the accelerator and deliberately ramming the car through the garage door and back wall!

Will someone please tell me why that story seems to be so endearing to so many? I remember the interview in which Dubya and Laura related that story and I remember their obvious amusement with themselves. I remember hearing Bush supporters giggling over the story and musing about what a cute and sweet couple George and Laura were. I remember hearing them discuss the President's courage in overcoming alcoholism and I remember shaking my head in despair.

Today, my greatest sympathies go out to the 33% of Americans (according to the latest CBS poll) who believe our dry alcoholic President, with an apparent anger management problem, still has America's best interest at heart. Americans voted against him in the midterm elections and like most caught addicts he was initially repentant. However, Dubya is past the "I'm so sorry," stage now and well into the revenge stage of a privileged alcoholic's pattern of blaming others for their actions. From the moment he perceived personal humiliation, his mind began busily and creatively twisting the facts that hold him accountable into an imaginary scenario where everything that has gone wrong in Iraq is someone else's fault … classic alcoholic behavior.

While getting rid of Rummy was a good thing, replacing Iraq-savvy Generals with those who will simply mimic the President's ideology, salute and follow his orders is irresponsible. He is now recalcitrant to the people's will, has his foot on the accelerator and is deliberately ramming the United States through the garage door and back wall because he is angry with us for criticizing him.

Regardless of the words used, Bush's surge/augmentation equates to nothing more or less than an escalation … something both Generals Casey and Abizaid agreed would be helpful much earlier in the war. Perhaps if the President had listened to theirs and Senator McCain's voices earlier, we might not be in such a bad position now … big ifs and mights! It is too late … been there, done that!

Dubya's poll numbers may be waning, but the fool is still President of the United States and still dangerous. Yes! Dangerous! In his interview on CBS's Sixty Minutes, he states that it does not matter what Congress (those elected officials We, the people voted into office last November) says or does, "I've made my decision," he says emphatically. America's self-proclaimed "Burning Bush" will destroy this country before accepting responsibility for the looming disaster in Iraq or its consequences to American families' lives. Believing history will judge him a hero of Democracy, he has to be the most ill-informed President in history or he is delusional. Neither is good.

So far, Dubya has been wrong about every move he has made in Iraq. Instead of taking care of public schools, health care, clean energy and many other pressing domestic issues, he has wasted American tax dollars and human lives on a country that is clearly engulfed in a civil war that we cannot win. To suggest that victory is possible in Iraq's civil war is absurd and most Americans comprehend that fact. Only our foolish, stubborn, dictatorial President and his minions fail to grasp the magnitude of their misadventure. Congress must not allow any new funding that will support further troop involvement in Iraq. We, the people have spoken. No more codependent enabling of our addict president.