George W Bush’s Greatest failure.

President Bush has failed as a President. He failed when he left NYC after the convention almost a year ago. He failed because he did not prepare the way to keep the machines of our two party oligarchy going. He let the heads of the snake lose focus and drift off each other… and thus even if he won he would fail in his next 4 years.

This failure is why the gang of 12 (or was it 14) middle benchers on both parties in the senate were able to thwart some of his judges and thwart his position on executive Primacy. This failure is why his social security proposal is dying a death of a thousand little paper cuts. This failure is why Chuck Hagel is railing about his war policy; this failure is why the President has finally had to threaten to veto 3 bills. This failure has not been seen by an American president since 1948, and unlike the situation in 1948 George W Bush could have stopped the failure in its tracks.

I am not sure why Dick Cheney is vice president today. Let me also say I am not attacking the job he has done, though there are elements of his work I’ve not been a fan of. I really questioned the Wisdom of Cheney in 2000 but in 2004 the nomination of Dick Cheney for the number 2 spot was nothing but utter folly, and it is why we will see all the important work the President has fought for and campaigned for enter into a malaise and melancholy.

Clinton had Gore, Ronnie had Bush the Elder, LBJ had Humphrey-but he did lose-, Ike had Nixon-but he only won on the spare-. All successful two term Presidents in the Modern Era had their vice president enter into the flocks of the party faithful. Why because this makes the agenda of the President in his second term part of preparing for the first part of a new Presidency for their party.

The Vice President is the heir, the crown prince if you will. He isn’t unseated because the wheels of the party establishment chug along and continue with what they have done for 8 years. Because for the establishment another 4 years for their team in office means four more years of their power and power for their protégés. No back bencher will jump the reservation because he will risk turning the establishment on its ear.

In 52 the Republican Party grappled for its soul. And in 68 they did so as well. In 1952 Ike was an outsider to the establishment and began to pave the way for the first republican administration since FDR. In 1968 Dick Nixon used the ascending conservative wing to help him rise through a unity and moderation ticket. Both of these men came to power because of a lack of party consensus. While you may say what about during an open primary year what then Larry? That is my point exactly. During an open primary year people edge for the top spot at the heap and cut deals and form new alliances to make their election possible.

Do you think John McCain brought up steroids in baseball, and tried to Sheppard the nominees of the President that Bill Frist (another pre-candidate candidate) was unable to do or that a relatively conservative senator from South Carolina joined the “Maverick” John McCain on his quest to help the President’s nominees? Or that Chuck Hagel is trying to sell his own version of Social Security reform? These back benchers are jumping the reservation because they are gaming for 2008, not to help President Bush or a Vice President in 2008.

Because the keys to the kingdom are up for grabs, far more so then at any time in modern history republicans are just as democrats will be soon fighting to see who can become king of the mountain. This “Me first” attitude is why George Bush’s domestic agenda will be more lame duck then most President’s.

George Bush laid out an agenda for an Ownership Society, but he took an action that refused to take ownership-and the responsibility- to see this transition through. To go from a country of blue collar 20th century workers to a nation build on the system of the 21st century. Social Security Reform, Pension Insurance Reform, Medicare Reform…. These things all are needed to save our future. But President Bush made it happen so politicians all over this nation will be more interested in saving themselves.

This and this alone, is the failure of George W. Bush’s presidency. He failed to build a bridge to see his grand vision to fruition. We might get lucky, and in the scuffle for the Standard of the GOP that some one will hold it high to those ideals the President laid out for his second term. But we are just as likely to get some one who will run away from them. And for that the President is to blame.