01 December 2003

Too Bad It's Not California
We can't recall Bush. As Professor Jack Balkin notes, though,

Back before the war, in September 2002, I argued that Bush was the most dangerous person on Earth. Not because he was evil, or bad hearted, or opposed to freedom, but because he was a gambler, cocksure, arrogant, and altogether convinced of his own rectitude. He and his Administration are the last people we should be trusting to handle this most delicate moment in American foreign policy. The war was unwise because it made us less safe, and weakened our hand in the war on terror. Now we must make the best of a bad situation. The first step is voting the person who made this terrible mess out of office as soon as possible.

"The Next Six Months" (30 Nov 03) (emphasis added). As bad as George III is, though, most of the lasting damage is being inflicted by his cronies and chosen advisors—many of whom (such as Karl Rove) did not even have to get advice and consent of the Senate. It's kind of ironic that advice and consent of the Senate is required for judges, but not (in this post-Chevron world of deference to administrative agencies) for the White House Chief of Staff who functions as a de facto executive vice president.