Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast

Bush's first year in office begins by describing Inauguration Day festivities, speeches, Oval Office actions, Bush and Cheney staff appointments, Cabinet positions, ambassadorships et al. After initial actions, Bush s nationwide tour to enlist support for his agenda and lavish Cinco de Mayo celebration at the White House to curry Hispanic votes are related. Jefford's defection and loss of Senate control to Democrats, passage of the $1.35 trillion tax cut over ten years and "unchanged, revisionist" curricula in education, plans for more military base closings, ABM shield, JSF and experimental planes, drones, hi-speed computers, inane USS Greenville and spy plane incidents are discussed. To his credit, "unilateralist, exceptionalist" Bush rejected the '72 Treaty and the Kyoto Protocol. Topics that went nowhere included Medicare, prescription drugs, Social Security, campaign finance reform faith-based social services, Mid-East peace, energy and federal judicial appointments. Limited movement occurred with stem cell research, Americans with Disabilities Act and environment. One world Bush's relentless, shameless pursuit of the Hispanic vote along with Fox's boorish behavior, lack of border control, disgraceful legalization of "illegal immigrant lawbreakers" and push for FTAA and "fast track" despite growing trade deficits, loss of U. S. manufacturing and hi-pay jobs are detailed. After the September 11th terrorists attacks, Bush opportunistically placed his stalled legislative agenda "on hold," focused as "wartime president," got even by mercilessly bombing air defenseless, archaic Afghanistan, haven for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida amid a domestic anthrax scare. Great Britain was aggressively involved; however, other "allies" offered moral support, fly over permission, other token gestures and use of bases for money or U. S. protection. Victories at Mazur-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Kabul and Kandahar, destruction of al-Qaida terrorist training camps, removal of the Taliban from power, installation of a provisional government, declaration of victory although "PR plums" bin Laden and Omar remained free, flip flop Bush's plan to "rebuild Afghanistan," pursuit of al-Qaida terrorists worldwide and "cajoling a flimsy coalition" amid Arab-Muslim reluctance perhaps for assault against daddy's old nemesis Iraq are described. Brief airing of the new budget, state of the union, Enron and author's comments and suggestions complete coverage.