If Bush has any kind of virtue to him, it's his brain-dead loyalty to

[Guaranteed]

his friends.

This Miers nomination is a pretty bad political move. He could have nominated a self-admitted Nazi, and even though we could have filibustered, the chances of us actually blocking a confirmation were pretty low. And he would have been perceived as STRONG, nominating a Nazi, as well. With this nomination, we have ways of fighting back. It was a truly weak nomination, no matter how you look at it.

But, what this goes to show you is that rewarding his friends is more important to Bush than principles. He's a loyal man, even when he's making bad political moves. This woman helped to get him where he is, unscrupulously, and so now she gets a seat....on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Jesus. I just now said that to myself. It's pretty gross.

He's using the SCOTUS as a reward for his buddies.

[Fridays Child]

1. He's a spendin' his capital and ain't nobody gonna keep him from it.

[htuttle]

2. Dude...that's how the mob works -- loyalty

Omerta, and all that.

Bush runs the government exactly the same way Gotti would have...except that I suspect Gotti would have hired more qualified capos...

[OneNation]

5. I was thinking the same thing

The Mafia rewards loyalty. I would hope the President of the United States would reward competence.

Wait a second. There's no competence on the Repug side, so I guess Bush is stuck with rewarding loyalty. Never mind.

[bklyncowgirl]

9. The Mafia rewards both loyalty and competence.

If you or someone associated with you fuck up it doesn't matter how loyal you are.

I'll give you a real life example from a few years back when I was working in Brooklyn. There was this kid in a certain neighborhood in Brooklyn who was dealing dope on the street in the neighborhood. This neighborhood was controlled by people who were--as they liked to say--involved. His dad was a made man, I believe it was in the Gambino family. Nevertheless, the kid turned up in a trunk of a car abandoned on the Belt Parkway. From what I heard around the family was reimbursed for their loss but business is business and the kid disobeyed orders.

The message, screw up and you're dead.

[Guaranteed]

10. That's actually good business-sense.

Bush, of course, has none of that.

It's just loyalty. Not out of what is good for the country, but for his image. He can't stand to confront his own failures.

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. IMO, boosh's* loyalty only really goes one way.

If Miers is confirmed, and she crosses President Tinkles in any way, I think he'll disavow any knowledge of her or her organization.

Big carrot. Bigger stick.

[tompayne1]

4. I am praying for election day to get moved to tomorrow

That would make things easier on the rest of us. Personally i say that if enough info is not released on her the dems unleash some brutal parlimentary warfare.

[Marr]

6. That's not a virtue. It's an expression of deep hatred and mistrust

for the rest of the society. He apparently believes that the only people who can be allowed access are proven allies, and they must be rewarded and installed in as many little beauracratic bunkers as possible.

That level of "loyalty" to one's friends suggests a level of paranoia, IMHO. And not just on Bush's part. His entire cabinet adopts that same paranoid stance.

[Guaranteed]

7. Kick nt

[Skwmom]

8. Friends? Try people who are willing to anything for Bush and Co. in

order to get ahead. This is much more than rewarding mere "buddies."