The Taking Responsibility Thing
Published September 13, 2005
Oh to have been a fly on the wall:
GEORGE W. BUSH: You want me to take responsibility?
KARL ROVE: George, the numbers are a problem. 42 percent. 38 percent. I figure "taking responsibility" puts you back up to, say, 49 percent. I can work with that.
GEORGE: But - Brownie fell on his sword. I have to fall on my sword?
KARL: It'll only hurt for a minute.
GEORGE: I don't like it. If I take responsibility for this, they're going to want me to take responsibility for everything. Every time I screw up, they're going to say "take responsibility."
KARL: No, no. I think we can deal with that. We get capital out of this. You screw up next time, we can say: look, he took responsibility for New Orleans; what do you want? Don't get greedy.
GEORGE: So, what does this involve?
KARL: Well, you go out in front of the cameras, and you say: "I take full responsibility."
GEORGE: That's it? I don't have to do anything?
KARL: No, that's it.
GEORGE: That's not a lot of work.
KARL: No work at all.
GEORGE: Well, I don't like it. But if you insist...
KARL: I insist.
GEORGE: Okay. Okay. "I take full responsibility." That's how you say it?
KARL: Perfect.
GEORGE. Gotcha. (pause) Um, Karl?
KARL: Yes, George?
GEORGE: This "taking responsibility" thing. What does it actually mean?
KARL: Nothing, buddy. Nothing. Just words. I suggest you practice in front of the mirror.
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(If you loathed this, please visit Dysblog, where it only gets worse.)
Ed/Pub:LM
- The Taking Responsibility Thing
- Published: September 13, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Politics: U.S., Culture: Original Fiction
- Writer: Douglas Anthony Cooper
- Douglas Anthony Cooper's BC Writer page
- Douglas Anthony Cooper's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
With all due respect, what a load. Maybe Bush took responsibility because he thought it was his duty to do so and because he thought it was the right thing to do.
Look, I didn't vote for Bush and I don't support most of his policies, but if you ask me, the person who needs to take some fucking responsibility is that worthless Gov. Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Nagin.
How can you possibly blame Bush for the entire recovery snafu? I suppose he was out churning up the Gulf and used secret government scientists to create Katrina too.
This was hilarious! In fairness, though, Nagin and Blanco need to announce their mea culpas too. And they need to mean them and back up their words with action.
I'm not sure that Blanco is entirely worthless - at least not on the level of Nagin. Who, by the way, has officially moved from New Orleans to Dallas and enrolled his kids in the Dallas ISD.
Dave
This is quite funny. Unlike the president, the mayor of New Orleans and Governor of Louisiana are not terrific subjects for satire because (1) they are expected to be nitwits and (2) 98% of the country doesn't give a shit about them.
I note that the owners of a nursing home have just been charged with *murder*, for abandoning their wards. Interesting. People are being made to take responsibility in pretty serious ways. How far up will this go?
this post says it all about what taking responsibility means ...NOTHING and it isn't petty Dave it's the truth..in a funny way..oh and now that all of Nagins ppl where saved by the good ppl of Texas do you think he will run for Mayor of Dallas
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Well spoken