President Bush is trying to salvage something of his disastrous presidency. The Walter Reed Army Medical Center debacle and the “Scooter” Libby guilty verdict have made that more difficult. As a result, the No. 1 administration hardliner, Vice President Dick Cheney, as The New York Times reported, “has been diminished.”
That’s the good news. The bad news is that America still suffers the shame of this administration’s behavior. Under this president’s leadership, our country has been engaged in a devastating war that has destroyed the lives of countless young American soldiers and their families while asking nothing of the rest of us.
We have financed the Iraq war with huge deficits, putting the burden on the children of the very veterans who are fighting in Iraq. These deficits are in part due to large tax cuts for the rest of us, who have sacrificed nothing. Even worse is the shame of our military medical system, which saves the lives of dreadfully wounded young men and women but denies them the quality long-term care and benefits they deserve.
We have watched young soldiers sentenced to prison for torturing Iraqis and “enemy combatants,” while their officers go unscathed. And we have seen former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld deny that any abuses occurred and refuse to hold accountable anyone in the chain of command.
Through all of this, President Bush has defended his appointees. Finally, after the debacle of the 2006 election, he is beginning to reverse course, to take some responsibility for the catastrophic policies of his administration and to hold a few people accountable.
This started with the resignation of Rumsfeld the day after the 2006 election, a long overdue move. Next, he hired Robert Gates to take over the Defense Department. Gates has been a refreshing force. As soon as The Washington Post broke the disgraceful story of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and its pathetic treatment of injured outpatient veterans, Gates fired the top command, something Rumsfeld had steadfastly refused to do in previous fiascos.
Meanwhile, the president has appointed a bipartisan commission to investigate the dismal record of the military medical system in treating injured soldiers. That’s the first time he has willingly sought an outside appraisal of his administration’s failures. His newfound desire for accountability is welcome news.
President Bush also has negotiated a critical agreement to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. After years of hard-line posturing, he has taken an important step that could significantly improve global security by neutralizing a dangerous nuclear power. Cheney and his neocon colleagues still decry this move toward a safer world.
Next, the president has finally agreed to include Iran and Syria in discussions about the future of Iraq. This is a crucial turnabout, given his former refusal to talk to these two difficult countries. But no solution to the various Middle East crises can happen without including Iran and Syria, both major forces in Middle East politics.
President Bush has admitted a few of his failings in both domestic and world politics. In this, he has distanced himself from those in his administration who seem to believe that any admission of failure is a sign of weakness.
Perhaps the president’s need to salvage something of his presidency will finally overcome at least some of the policies that have led America to be a pariah in the world and the purveyor of disaster in the Middle East. If that’s the case, the last election not only put Democrats in control of Congress, but also may give this president the chance to redeem some kind of a legacy.
Gail Schoettler (gailschoettler@ email.msn.com) is a former U.S. ambassador and Colorado lieutenant governor and treasurer.
