1 Boring Old Man

Donate Your Personal Tragedy to the White House

Bartlett told Bob Schieffer on CBS’s Face the Nation that the cause of longtime senior Bush strategist Matthew Dowd’s break with the President was the "personal turmoil" in Dowd’s life. In recent years, Dowd has lost a child and a marriage, and now his son is being deployed to Iraq. No wonder, says his good friend Bartlett, Dowd no longer toes the Bush line; emotions can cloud your thinking.

The immediate ad hominem response has become standard. Paul O’neill and Richard Clarke? Disgruntled employees. Joseph Wilson? Wife’s boondoggle. Matthew Dowd? Personal turmoil. It appears that the Administration’s critics are beset with an epidemic of neurotic motives. Even whole groups can be afflicted. Democrats? Cut and run. Congress? Not supporting the troops. Media? Liberal Press.

It’s hard not to return the personal attacks in kind. It’s particularly difficult right now. The Bush Administration is "on the stand" and there’s an epidemic of I-don’t-recall-itis At least we won’t have to endure endless memoirs of the Bush years – they’ll forget they were ever in office [See how I’m fighting the impulse to make sarcastic ad hominem attacks].