George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Get a Free Blog

differences with Bush. Many of the other tapes were never used; many of those endorsed
pleaded as an excuse that their fundraising had been ruined by Bush's tax policy, so they
never had the money to put them on the air.
Bush attempted to regroup by seeking new demagogic themes. For those struggling with
economic depression he offered...term limits for members of Congress, in the hands of
the GOP a transparent attempt to flush out Democratic incumbents. Term limitation, said
Bush, was "an idea whose time has come." "America doesn't need a liberal House of
Lords," said Bush in Oklahoma City. "America needs a Republican Congress." The
Democrats "truly believe they deserve to be elected from now until kingdom come," said
Bush in Los Angeles. The response was less than overwhelming. Then Bush tried to
blame the depression on the Democrats. The venue chosen was a $1000 a plate fundraiser
for Sen. Pete Wilson, who wanted to be governor of California. The "strong medicine" of
the defecit package, Bush claimed, "is required because the Democratically controlled
Congress has been on an uncontrolled spending binge for years." In Oklahoma City, he
averred that the Democrats had "choked the economy" and brought the country to the
verge of recession. He accused Congressional liberals of spewing out the "class warfare
garbage" they always resurrect at election time. But none of this had any bite. [fn 56] On
November 3, Bush reached into his talk bag and pulled out Jimmy Carter, threatening
voters with a return to the "malaise days." According to Newseek, Bush had reacquired
that "electrocuted" look.
Bush went back to his staple offering: hysterical, rage-driven warmongering, with an
extra dividend for some audiences coming through the clear racist overtones. Once
Congress had adjourned, one observer noted, "Bush was able to switch to his favorite
script, 'Desperately Seeking Saddam.'" [fn 57] Bush grimaced and pouted against the
"butcher of Baghdad" trying to look like a more genteel, Anglo-Saxon Mussolini.
Saddam was now "Hitler revisited." Later, there were estimates that Bush's exclusive
concentration on the war theme had saved one to two senate seats, and perhaps half a
dozen in the House.
But Bush came dangerously close to overdoing it. In the last days of October, he had
begun a demagogic effort to whip up hysteria about the US citzens interned by Iraq. "I
have had it" with the Iraqi handling of the internees, was now Bush's favorite line. When
Bush wrapped himself in the flag, he expected the Democrats to kow-tow, but now there
was some opposition. Bush met with some 15 Congressional leaders active in foreign
policy, and began raving about the "horrible, barbarous" conditions of the hostages.
Sharp questions were immediately posed by Democrats, many of them facing re-election
in a few days. According to one Congressman, "They were asking, in not so many words,
Is this trumped up? If it isn't, how come we just have started hearing about it in the
middle of this political mess the president is in? It seems to be coming out of nowhere.
Dante Fascell said the Democrats had told Bush, "If there is additional provocation [by
Iraq], it better be real and able to stand up to press scrutiny." Too bad the Democrats had
not applied that standard to the whole trumped-up Gulf crisis. [fn 58]