President Bush

There is an interesting article at Salon today, explaining, in a thumbnail sketch, some of the background to the rights desire to pursue this war. It is interesting and certainly relevant but it does suggest, as many others have suggested that President George W. Bush is a puppet. "The neocons took advantage of Bush's ignorance and inexperience. Unlike his father, a Second World War veteran who had been ambassador to China, director of the CIA, and vice president, George W was a thinly educated playboy who had failed repeatedly in business before becoming the governor of Texas, a largely ceremonial position (the state's lieutenant governor has more power)."

I'm not sure this is a fair assessment. President Bush also has Colin Powell, who he listens to and meets with on a regular basis. Most give Powell the credit for pushing Bush to go through the UN. And President Bush's insistence on tying humanitarian efforts with our military operations is not a neocon idea.