The Bush administration’s handling of the Katrina crisis has been inspiring. It has inspired red-staters, at long last, to shake their heads in disbelief at their superstar’s staggering cluelessness. It has inspired conservative pols to run for cover while pointing their fingers at the clueless one. It has inspired usually supportive newspaper editorial boards to grow uniformly critical. With the natural exception of Fox, the cable networks finally have been inspired to unleash reporters to question America’s leadership. Even talking heads like former right-wing loyalist Joe Scarborough can no longer look into the camera’s eye and pretend that the cretinous thugs at the top and far to the right have done anything right.

In short, the Bushies have once again demonstrated just how good they really are at running things.

So naturally we on the left once again launch into optimistic speculation that this time - this time - boy, did they ever blow it. They’re ruined. The truth is out. Everyone now knows what we knew from the beginning: George W. Bush is Marie Antoinette with a press agent.

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