Presenting the Freedom Agenda: George W. Bush's Newly Birthed Spin

PEJ News - C. L. Cook - I'll admit: I'm a sucker for a well turned phrase. And Dubya's overworked PR machine has provided a plethora of, if not veritable, then memorable examples of these. Pressed yesterday during a Q & A with reporters to explain his umpteenth repetition of an implied connection between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the September 11th attacks, George Bush unveiled the new and improved, rebranded logo for his long-stale War on Terror label.

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Presenting the Freedom Agenda:
George W. Bush's Newly Birthed Spin

C. L. Cook

PEJ News
August 22, 2006


It has all the elements: Short and punchy; vague and open to interpretation; historically vacant and wilfully ignorant of the current situation; sizzling with sound bite pizzazz to appeal to a mindless press. In short, a real winner!

Answering the intrepid reporter, likely not to find work within a hundred yards of the "President" again, Mr. Bush said:

"The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East."

The Freedom Agenda

Usually these PR gems are saved for major addresses and such, and so may have the plans for the debut of this sure to become immortal bit of flackery been; but as another great maestro of the turn of a phrase once cautioned: "The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley."

A-gley sums up the recent careers of George and his merry band of nitwits nicely. But this is no ode to mice we've seen unfold across the Middle East these last terrible years. And it may be said, has been said, that George and his wrecking crew never had an ounce's concern for democracy, or its implicit agenda of freedom.

Risking falling into the dread "conspiracy theorist" ash can, I wonder if the reputedly linguistically challenged, intellectually awkward George of the Bungle really let go his load prematurely with TFA, or was this just another clever way to have the press, and other useful idiots, send his semaphore up the old flag pole for him to see who would salute? It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

Here's a snippet from Bush's epic encounter with the fourth estate yesterday.


QUESTION: What did Iraq have to do with it?

BUSH: What did Iraq have to do with what?

QUESTION: The attack on the World Trade Center.

BUSH: Nothing. Except it’s part of — and nobody has suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a — Iraq — the lesson of September 11th is take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody’s ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq.”

Well, I might have been premature with the whole Bush cleverly planted this meme purposefully thing; might be a bit of a stretch. It's possible he really did get flustered enough, being unused to the media sassing back, that he really did spill the beans on the administration's next Newspeak headline.

Now, the fun will be seeing what, after all those pencils worn to stubs at Bush's PR HQ to get to; "The Freedom Agenda" are gonna come up with next. Will it be in time for His next big public address? "Quick somebody, call up David Frum!"

Perhaps it's much ado over nothing. Bush doesn't really need new material; he has been reading from the original script for years. Why mess with a good thing now? Why indeed. George and company seem intent on carrying through their own "agenda" to make of the Middle East a cauldron, a crucible in which to forge their vision of the future.

Yesterday's little fracas with the press is just one of many examples of the nation's unease with the direction Bush and his tight group are taking the country. When I say, "the nation" I mean of course the wafer thin elite ruling the airwaves and holding most of the wealth. It seems the short leash those masters of America thought contained their servant George is proving too thin to constrain some of his baser instincts. But, a rap on the nose with a rolled newspaper may too be too little too late to bring him to heel.

To George and Dick, Don and Richard, Paul and Doug, their project has proven a great success so far. They have accomplished, in part, what they set out to do; now all that remains is to finish the job in Iran and Syria, Lebanon and Pakistan.

And if that can't now be called 'The Freedom Agenda,' it will be called something else,
but to they it will be simply a rose by another name.



C. L. Cook is a contributing editor to PEJ News, and host of Gorilla Radio, a weekly public affairs program, broad/webcast from the University of Victoria. You can check out the GR Blog here.

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