I wish I could feel more charity for repentant political malefactors such as Matthew Dowd, the former "loyal Bushie" campaign strategist who now sees his dishonorable former boss and his own dishonorable ways clearly and is undergoing an Augustinian awakening.
But you had to have known, Mr. Dowd, since the beginning of our national nightmare that you were abetting an illegitimate president whose illegitimacy soon became the least of our problems. The indisputable fact that he shouldn't have been appointed to the presidency in the first place almost immediately got lost, largely by design, in all the distracting national and international havoc he was wreaking.
Yet what did you do with this creeping knowledge attached to the unsupressable gut feeling that all was not right with His Illegitimacy? What did you do for your president who, in your own opinion, was "failing to call the nation to a shared sense of sacrifice at a time of war, failing to reach across the political divide to build consensus and ignoring the will of the people on Iraq," who "had not moved aggressively enough to hold anyone accountable for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq" and who "approached governing with a 'my way or the highway' mentality"?
Why of course, you went straight to work to legitimize him, chiefly by delegitimizing his 2004 opponent, whom you now, but only now, openly acknowledge "was right" about the need for change.
What's more, and what's worse, your doubts about the Iraq war deepened into open revolt only when your boss' international crime funneled down to a personal ordeal.
The war was tolerable as long as it disrupted or cost the lives of other people's sons and daughters, husbands and wives. But then came the "deployment of [your] son Daniel," which you admit "was an important factor" in your break. Like Paul Harvey, who waved the hyperpatriotic flag during the Vietnam war until his son became an Indochinese target, you cast an unempathetic eye on others' misery: the coffins, the missing limbs, the mental trauma pouring out of Iraq were merely political embarrassments to be shouted down by the scoundrel's last refuge -- until they became looming personal realities.
You now say, Mr. Dowd, to quote the New York Times, that your "faith in Mr. Bush was misplaced." What a happy, euphemistic phrase; what a comforting, personal rationalization. It connotes a certain passivity -- that you had an authentic, yearning and justifiable faith, but were fooled by externalities.
No, Mr. Dowd, you were a knowing accomplice. No one of your political acuity could have missed that the suit you promoted was empty of honor. But promote it you did -- and with the panache of a Lee Atwater, another converted malefactor who never fooled himself as he was doing the irreversible damage.
So now comes the repentance: "I’m a big believer that in part what we’re called to do — to me, by God; other people call it karma — is to restore balance when things didn’t turn out the way they should have," you say. "Just being quiet is not an option when I was so publicly advocating an election."
I'm sorry, Mr. Dowd, but forgiveness is just not an option I can find in my heart. Not yet, anyway. And of that I'm as ashamed as you are.
The Matt Dowd interview in NY Times was very interesting reading. After finishing the article I came to think about an episode from the 2004 election: Was Bush wired during the first Kerry-Bush debate?
As I remember it, in the aftermath of that debate, Matt Dowd was evading having to answer the question by telling a stupid joke about Bush being controlled from outer space.
Would be very interesting asking him about that now...
Posted by: Jonas | April 02, 2007 at 10:17 AM
PM, thanks for keeping this little act of self-service on Dowd's part in the spotlight.
As for Dan Bartlett's response to Dowd's perfidy in his interview with Bob Schieffer, I tried to say this on ThinkProgress yesterday but the comment didn't get posted. I used the f-word once in context, but perhaps that was just too much for them. Here is what I said, more or less:
With due respect to the quite intelligent comments on Bartlett's spinning of Dowd's betrayal, I think they miss the point.
Note Bartlett's reference to Dowd's son being about to deploy to Iraq.
This is "code" for: "Nice kid you got there, Matthew. It'd be a shame if something...happened to him while he was in Iraq."
They did this to McCain, which would go a long way toward explaining why he's been so insane lately, and Bush tried to do it to Jim Webb at the WH reception. I'm still trying to figure out if they've also done it to Arlen Specter, since he's clearly cowed about something.
Imagine what it would take to cow a cancer survivor in such a way.
Now, prove me wrong about this. I don't think you can.
Posted by: Rich Miles | April 02, 2007 at 10:18 AM
P.S. If Dowd recants in the near future, you can be sure I'm right. If he doesn't, then perhaps I'm not.
Posted by: Rich Miles | April 02, 2007 at 10:21 AM
There was some German writer (I'm not being coy, I just can't remember whose blog I read it on) who said, God, grant me forgiveness--when my enemies are hanging by the neck from the trees in my garden. To which I say, yes.
Posted by: J Marra | April 02, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Be not ashamed. Sure they're being extorted for their lives. But they've damned THEMSELVES for eternity as hellbound hypocrites.
Posted by: Vic Anderson | April 02, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Well put. Mr. Dowd is one dude to whom I would have no end of enjoyment saying - I could have told you so. My question has always been how anyone half-way intelligent could have listened to George Bush while campaigning and not realize how dumb this man is. We need a president who is bright and thinks on his feet, not "someone you'd like to have a beer with."
Posted by: Audrey | April 02, 2007 at 11:08 AM
Can't help but wonder if Dowd isn't thinking ahead to possible trials of Bush and Company for treason, war crimes, and/or impeachable offenses--trying to gain some cover for himself.
Posted by: Larry | April 02, 2007 at 11:48 AM
I used to think Bush was dumb, but no longer. He, and the people behind him, like things just the way they are. The problem is that most people have a hard time believing anyone could be that evil. No me any longer.
Posted by: jimp1947 | April 02, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Mr Dowd is in a very hard place and Carpenter's comments are actually fairly compassionate given Dowd's history.
Many will be leaving the sinking ship that is the Bush administration and will be seen as vermin by both the right and the left.
Let's save a place at the table for all.
We just don't need to seat them in a place of honor.
Maybe they can work in the kitchen until they redeem themselves.
Posted by: Art Durand aka Whitebear | April 02, 2007 at 02:29 PM
Bring back the draft w/o exceptions - the troops would be home by July 1. When it's your blood in harms way your common sense kicks in bigtime.
Posted by: MaryinNC | April 02, 2007 at 02:36 PM
Im glad Dowd has seen the light. He can sleep soundly knowing that the victims of the destroyed middle class, the 3000+ dead soldiers, the 20000+ wounded soldiers, the 600000 dead Iraqi, the economy, the justice department, the environment, all forgive him too. Repent? How, speaking engagements that pay him thousands of dollars to throw himself onto his knees.... how about this one Mr Dowd, I will believe your repentance when it includes NO money, no fame, just you in church praying for forgivemess and resign from the career you have disgraced. The next dummy in the employment line has NOT caused what you did, let him have your job.
Posted by: Mark Mywords | April 02, 2007 at 03:26 PM
I think Dowd's interview shows how wrong it is for any of us - on the right or the left - to demonize other Americans for their support of someone or something other than what we passionatly believe in. A lot of people are on the "wrong" side of issues "in good faith". As in lousy marriages - it takes a while to get out of denial and admit that you've made a mistake and the man you've given your heart to is a miserable disappointment, to say the least.
Mr. Dowd sounds like a human being who has the guts to grow and change and admit he was wrong and has making up to do. Yes he's going through some personal turmoil - that's what growing is all about. And when he comes out of it clearly, I bet he's going to do something he feels in his heart is right to make amends. He certainly has been on the "other side" of where I stand politically and has helped (like so many others, including the millions of Americans who don't vote and had dropped out of the political process) to foster upon our nation and this world this inept, incompetent administration that has trashed so much that was good about America. But I'm grateful that he has "seen the light" and I am grateful for his decision to come out publically and tell it like it is - even at this late date.
Posted by: Granni G | April 02, 2007 at 06:58 PM
They say love is blind,and this character said in the interveiw that"what he felt for Bush was just like falling in love."Is it any wonder his wife divorced him.Maybe Bush threw him over for Condi.Nothing out of this bunch of creeps would surprise me nor anyone else.
Posted by: cincigal74 | April 02, 2007 at 08:08 PM
I'd love a guy who, first of all reduced my monetary obligation to the Federal government to a pittance, assured me that my kith and kin would not have to take a part in his military advebtures, and, finally, turned the government into an oversight-free cash cow for my friends and me. How could you not fall in love with a guy like that.
And thus Bush seduced almost all the affluent with his effluent.
Posted by: Mooser | April 02, 2007 at 09:34 PM
I'm sorry, but I don't see Dowd as having the guts to grow and learn from a mistake. He is just like the rest of the spoiled, rich weaklings currently running the show. Had he come to this realization in another circumstance, perhaps I could offer some empathy. But the ONLY reason he know feels this way is that HIS son could be killed. And he, having inside information, KNOWS that he could be killed not in the battle for some noble cause -- but in the battle to secure Israel and control Iraq's oil. He doesn't want his son to die for that. I don't blame him -- but I do blame him for thinking that it is okay for other people's sons and daughters to die for it.
Sure, he is speaking out now -- but for purely selfish reasons. He wants to get his son out of harm's way. The only way I could respect him less is if, rather than speaking out, he kept quiet. At least he puts his son ahead of the Republican party. That is about the nicest thing I can say about him.
Posted by: Scarlett | April 02, 2007 at 10:28 PM