According to several news reports this morning, Bush administration officials say the president is frustrated by media questions over whether the war in Iraq is in danger of bogging down. "I think it is fair to say that there's some level of frustration with the press corps," a senior administration official said, adding, "He (Bush) thinks it's silly, not borne out by the facts."
However, citing the Iraqi irregulars' guerrilla tactics, Lt. Gen. William S. Wallace, commander of the U.S. Army's V Corps, was quoted Friday as saying, "The enemy we're fighting is different from the one we'd war-gamed against." Does that mean the general also is being "silly?" Of course not. Nor are the media.
It's hard to entirely parse the signal now being broadcast by the White House as it attempts to manage civilian expectations about the conflict. But this much seems clear: The administration's arrogance has no bounds.
Bush and company exude contempt toward the pesky media, the United Nations, and, really, anyone who may not share their every belief. They seem incapable of simply disagreeing with their critics, but instead insist on characterizing other views as wrong, silly and stupid. This same unbridled arrogance turned the world's post-9/11 sympathies into an ever-widening anger toward America. Whether you are for, against or confused by the march toward Baghdad, it's pretty clear that Bush bungled the diplomatic run-up to it because of this chip on his shoulder.
At work, on the playground, or abroad, such in-your-face arrogance makes enemies, loses friends, and just hurts your case. If regular folk had this attitude in their own jobs, they'd be called on it faster than their bosses could say "please come into my office for a moment." I'm not saying the French would have reacted differently if we'd only played nice on the jungle gym. But at least the rest of the playground wouldn't be crowding around the ensuring fight, booing us. The Bush administration winds up looking especially childish when compared to Tony Blair.
At the same Thursday press conference that so ticked off Bush, the British prime minister also was asked if the war was not going as expected. Blair didn't bristle and just answered the question, acknowledging the unexpected resistance along the troops' supply routes along the Euphrates River. Apparently, he didn't think it was a silly question—or if he did, knew enough to keep it to himself.
2:07:46 PM 
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