Demagogue

President Bush gave his first interview of the year to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper asked him whether he would simply outline general principles for Social Security reform and leave the details for the Republican-controlled Congress to decide.

In this article, Hendrik Hertzberg of The New Yorker kindly shares Bush’s cool, lucid reply:

That’s part of—that’s part of the advice my new National Economic Council head will be giving me as to whether or not we need to—here is the plan, or here is an idea for a plan, or why don’t you just fix it.

I suspect given my nature, I’ll want to be—the White House will be very much involved with—I have an obligation to lead on this issue—I think this will be an administrative-driven idea—to take it on. And therefore, that that be the case, I have the responsibility to provide the political cover necessary for members, I have the responsibility to make the case if there is a problem, and I have the responsibility to lay out potential solutions. Now, to the specificity of which, we’ll find out—you’ll find out with time.

This brings to mind a quote from actor-writer Robert Benchley: "Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing."

If only our president did likewise.