I Blame Bush For [Fill In The Blank]

Did rain ruin your weekend?  Blame Bush's environmental policies!  Did your ball club lose?  I'm not sure why that is Bush's fault, but I know it is.

Andrew Sullivan and David Schraub of The Moderate Voice both evidence Bush Derangement Syndrome with their coverage of police torture in Tennessee. 

Let's go to Mr. Schraub first:

If we start torturing suspected terrorists, where do we stop? Suspected murderers? Robbers? Drug dealers?

Read the story and listen to the audio of a suspected small-time drug dealer being beaten and shocked through his testicles by "officers of the law."

Mr. Sullivan picks up the same story:

The five cops are now mercifully in jail, but only for, at most, seven years. I guess when the president has endorsed torture by the CIA, it's hard to put low-level cop-torturers in jail for life. Radley believes this kind of atrocity is more common than we might believe. I have no way to know. What I do know is that when the government launches an ill-defined "war" on a "thing", rather than an explicit foreign enemy, and when you have an administration as profoundly hostile to American liberty as this one is, all sorts of abuses will necessarily follow. And they have.

It's not clear from the context whether the "thing" upon which we have declared war is drugs (this was, after all, a drug dealer) or terror.

However - if Messrs. Sullivan and Schraub really believe that police brutality in this country began with the invasion of Iraq, or the opening of Gitmo, or the ascension of George Bush in 2000, let me just puzzle them with two names - Abner Louima and Rodney King.

'Nuff said.  Now I have to go in the backyard and deal with the crabgrass that has been spreading like crazy ever since Bush personally outed Double Super Secret Agent Valerie Plame.

MORE:  The first commenter at The Moderate Voice is even more skeptical than yours truly.

UPDATE:  Andrew Sullivan responds.

Comments

[Sue]

I blame Bush for my bad hair day.

[maryrose]

Why are all these people playing the BLAME GAME.? Accept responsibility for your own actions and reactions. Only you have the power to be proactive and to change your life and circumstances.Go forth and Bush Blame no more!

[Rick Ballard]

Bush made you say that, Maryrose. Admit it.

[Chants]

Take a public figure. Attribute all sorts of ill-defined and emotional evils to it. Then cut legal and moral corners to get after the devil.

Dangerous indeed.

Mr. Sullivan might have missed a story decribing perfectly the evil he eschews, preoccupied as he in Tennessee.

Ms. McCarthy leaked confidentital information because she was right, ethical, and guided by her own concscience. That's because Bushco is evil, the devil, and immoral for lying about the intelligence, outing a vital spy, and smearing a truth-teller.

[Northern Observer]

I agree. Bush is not to blame for the general degeneration of the American character.
In this reespect he's simply a reflection of America's soul.

[Terrye]

I guess this means that come Jan. 2009 America will have no violence or evil or bad people doing bad things.

[Sue]

Terrye,

Surely you jest. Of course we will. It will just still be Bush's fault.

[Cecil Turner]

I agree. Bush is not to blame for the general degeneration of the American character.

Oh good, so we're all evil. That's much better, I thought it was just Bush.

&ltmind rays>We are not amused</mind rays>

&ltgrovel>I meant no disrespect, Master . . . . oooohh, it burns . . . it burns . . .

[maryrose]

Let's rename this thread:
I Blame Dems For:
OR
I Blame Liberals:
or
I blame Leftist For:
or
I Blame partisan blowhards for:
or I Blame CIA leakers FOR;

[maryrose]

Answers:
Being soft on terrorism
Having their heads up their behinds
Continuously lying about everything that matters and serving up excuses for their failings
Engaging in propaganda and false talking points to benefit themselves and no one else
Leaking classified information and endangering each and everyone of us and emboldening our enemies.

[Gary Maxwell]

TM Your crabgrass started when Bush was elected? Funny mine too. Amazing coincidence. Hey maybe we have uncovered a nefarious conspiracy here. How about it, lefties? Any crabgrass to report? The apttern is going to be soooooo obvious pretty soon...

[larwyn]

I blame Bush for not being the strong leader that Saddam was.

Schuster of Hardball would not have any chances to repeat:

"BUSH LEAKED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
FOR POLITICAL GAIN" again.

He'd probably be having a bit of problem writing it too.

If only it was possible to consider these as we would consider the homeless street corner ranter. But that would be insulting to the homeless street corner ranters who probably tell more truths than these guys.

[Neo]

There's never a disaster anymore in America that can happen as an "Act of God." No, all disasters are, by default, an "Act of Bush." On the one hand, George Bush is, in the eyes of many, a stupid and utterly incompetent President. On the other, Bush has absolute power over the winds and the waves and is even now deploying a limitless army of spooks, spies, and repurposed Spetsnaz to listen in on every Americans' international calls to that transsexual phone sex bank in New Delhi.

Of course, Bush's personal relationship with Jesus Christ sent Christ to his death on the cross as well.

[Lew Clark]

It happened in Tennessee! It goes all the way back to Lincolnhitlerhalliburton who led his hoards of neocon thugs into the pristine egalitarian paradise where Democrats were being really nice, especially to blacks, who they have always loved and cherished. Bush is just the latest incarnation of that evil.

[beautifulatrocities]

Sully is not just witless, but a hypocrite: as Taranto notes, Sully himself endorses torture

[Rick Ballard]

Lew,

Have you ever seen the pictures of Rove and Lincoln together? It's odd to seem him leaning toward Lincoln's ear with his hand covering his mouth. At least in the pictures in gli Uffizzi where he is advising Lorenzo Medici his mouth is uncovered - they just seem to be leaning their heads toward each other. Perhaps it's the timeless quality of the masterpieces.

[Semanticleo]

My BushHate compels me to admit I hate Bush
for only one reason; He is Bush.

TM; losing it a little, aren't yuh?

[Osama bin Laden]

Of course I blame Bush,I'm sitting here in this dank, dismal cave eating tinned goat and making home videos.Once I was a force to be reckoned with,now you make jokes,Osama bin Laid out,juvenile.
One day,if the cornedgoat lasts out the brutal Afghan winter...I shall return!!!

[PeterUK]

"My BushHate compels me to admit I hate Bush
for only one reason; He is Bush.

TM; losing it a little, aren't yuh?"

Cement,read that again,rethink the phrase "losing it" in more personal terms.You're getting Larryitis kid.

[Semanticleo]

Danke Schoen, Dumbya!

Liberal Larry would be proud to have ya'll
visit, take yer shoes off, rest fer awhile.
Why get bogged down in pessimism when you
can have the Happy Wanderer guide you
through life.

Blame Bush for everything is tantamount
to suggesting he has no responsibility for
anything substantive.

It's reverse projection.

You know, like BDS supposedly describing
antiBushites, whereas it's really the
BushEnablers who are deranged.

[Semanticleo]

Cement. I get it now. sarcasm like satire
requires a light touch. Your humor drops
through the floor, underklasmann

[Barney Frank]

Leo,
It must have been a pretty light touch if a mind of your incandescence took nine minutes to get it.

[PeterUK]

"Cement. I get it now" Obviously slow setting cement.Never heard of "heavy sarcasm" Cement?
BTW keep your right arm down on this site,there is a distinct sound of heels clicking coming from your direction.

[Lew Clark]

Cleo is Tom's latest sockpuppet. Because no one is really that stupid!

[topsecretk9]

Sean Penn blames Bush for his inability to quit smoking...Courtney Love blames the stress of Bush for junking up on too much heroin and hitting people/ODing, I am sure Charlie Sheen is equally Bush vexed...what will the rehabs do when he leaves office?

Today I am blaming my computer crash on Bush.

[PeterUK]

"Leo,
It must have been a pretty light touch if a mind of your incandescence took nine minutes to get it."

Barney,did you mean "adolescence"?

[Barney Frank]

Pete,

I was indulging in a little of that heavy sarcasm.

[Barney Frank]

He'll get it in minute or two.

[PeterUK]

Barney,
If we keep this up,we will have to get a structural engineer in,the floor will have to be strengthened.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

The song's already been written, but I could imagine Andy S. singing it:

I make a date for golf -
You can bet you life it rains.
I try to give a party -
And the guy upstairs complains.
I guess I'll go thru life;
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains,
Ev'rything happens to me [thanks to Bush].

I never miss a thing -
I've had measles and the mumps.
And ev'ry time I play my ace -
My partner always trumps.
I guess I'm just a fool;
Who never looks before he jumps,
Ev'rything happens to me [Because of W].

At first my heart tho't;
You could break this jinx for me.
That love would turn the trick;
To end my despair.
But now, I just can't fool;
This head that thinks for me.
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air.

I've telegraphed and called;
I sent "Air Mail Special", too;
You answer was goodbye -
And there was even postage due.
I fell in love just once;
And then it had to be with you,
Ev'rything happens to me [after Gore lost in Florida].

[Semanticleo]

took nine minutes to get it."

come on guys. I am pretty good at comebacks,
but give me something to work with here.

See if you can write as well as you think you
can think.

[Barney Frank]

"I am pretty good at comebacks..."

And you claim to be part of the 'reality based community'?

[Semanticleo]

How about a little HillaryHate? You know,
to balance all that BDS.

Has anyone heard how Hillary has been cooking Avian flu in her New York basement?

Is she going to release it the next time Condi is in NYC shooting for the Guinness Record for 'most shoes' now held by Imelda Marcos?

Sociopath that she is. Would she really cause the death of thousands of innocents to get just one person?

Would she put her party's political agenda before the safety and security of Americans?

How Loathesome and venal can a person be?

[PeterUK]

"I am pretty good at comebacks..."

Good....then go away!

[PeterUK]

"How Loathesome and venal can a person be?"

Do you want to take a shot at the title Cement?

[Syl]

The reason I know the PedanticLion is antisocial is that the tone of comments roaring out of that enormous jaw are quite different from the tone that comes from regular JOM visitors.

A lack of empathy. None of those mimicry brain connections that allow someone to get a sense of tone and balance and effective communication within the target group.

Someone who when entering a room fails to look around to see who is there and what is being discussed, but instead whose ego compels them simply to be antagonistic with no care for persuasion.

[kim]

Sociopath: there, you put your finger on it. Rules are for everyone but Hillary.
===========================

[Semanticleo]

Good....then go away!

Sorry, you guys need me for the duration

[topsecretk9]

Now I am confused...Sean Penn and Courtney Love should blame Hillary, not Bush?

[Barney Frank]

Peter,

Watching you repeatedly kneecap a defenseless Leo has become kind of painful to watch. Either finish him off or let him go.

[kim]

Feet of cement, brain of clay.
===================

[Semanticleo]

Watching you repeatedly kneecap a defenseless Leo has become kind of painful to watch. Either finish him off or let him go.

You guys shoot blanks. No teeth means
a diet of mashed potatoes and bananas for
ya'll

[Chris]

The repository for all things the fault of Bush.

[Rick Ballard]

Need a hemorrhoid? What an odd thought. Well, if it will salve what passes for your mind....

[PeterUK]

Syl,are you saying Cement is.....Hilary???

[Semanticleo]

*crickets*

Nothin' goin on north of the shoulder blades
here. But, keep tryin'. Quitters never
win.

[topsecretk9]

---Sorry, you guys need me for the duration---

Semantico you've ordained yourself

[Specter]

cleo,

I agree. Go away and come back in a month or two. We can then measure how good you are at it.

[Sweetie]

leo "You guys shoot blanks. No teeth means
a diet of mashed potatoes and bananas for
ya'll"

Do not mix metaphors while on drugs. This is your first warning.

[Sue]

Good thing I like mashed taters and nanas.