So many lowlights

For the Bush Administration, it is hard to pick one out. Other bigger blogs (was it Josh Marshall) have asked what was the moment it all fell apart for Bush?

Well there are many candidates, but I think the post-reelection started the ball rolling, the evident failure of Iraq made it permanent, and Katrina took it to new, permanent levels.

But back to after his reelection. December 2004, never has hubris been more on parade when Bush gave just three "Medals of Freedom" to George Tenet, Tommy Franks and Paul Bremer, all intimately connected to the fuck up that is Iraq all while the bloodiest battle to that point, the "re-taking" of Fallujah was occuring (November 2004 remains the bloodiest month of the war for Americans) and here was Bush revelling in his glorious non-victory.

In awarding Franks and Bremer, Bush stated words that are beyond laughable in their inaccuracy:

Franks:

The General likes to say that "no plan ever survived the first contact with the enemy." But in Iraq, Tommy Franks' plan did. A force half the size of the force that won the Gulf War defeated Saddam Hussein's regime and reached Baghdad in less than a month, the fastest, longest armored advance in the history of America warfare.

Today the people of Iraq and Afghanistan are building a secure and permanent democratic future. One of the highest distinctions of history is to be called a liberator, and Tommy Franks will always carry that title.

Bremer:

When America and our coalition needed a seasoned diplomat and a manager to help the people of Iraq emerge from decades of oppression, I knew where to turn. For 14 months, Jerry Bremer worked day and night, in difficult, dangerous conditions, to stabilize the country, to help its people rebuild, and to establish a political process that would lead to justice and liberty. The job was demanding, requiring personal courage, calmness under fire and hundreds of decisions every day.

Yet, Jerry not only rose to the challenge, he found time nearly every day to study the Arabic language. Jerry Bremer earned the respect and admiration of Iraqis, and helped to assemble an exceptional group of Iraqi leaders for the Governing Council. With his help, these leaders drafted the Transitional Administrative Law which charted the country's political future and established a bill of rights. In the final days of hammering out consensus on this landmark law, Jerry sat through day-long meetings, sometimes without ever speaking. His silence was essential to reassure Iraqis that the new law was entirely their own. Yet his presence was essential to reassure Iraqis of our coalition's steadfast commitment to their future and their success. Every political benchmark that the Iraqis set for themselves and that Jerry helped them meet was achieved on time or ahead of schedule, including the transfer of sovereignty that ended his tenure.

Even in December 2004 this seemed a farce, now it is among the greatest tragic-comedies in American history.