| Presidents of the United States can only make | | | | George Washington held, and Thomas Jefferson, |
| decisions based on the information they are | | | | Abraham Lincoln, both Roosevelt's, Teddy, and |
| getting from the people and other sources | | | | Franklin. Those thoughts and heritages never |
| that are available to them. Different | | | | leave your mind when you are in the room with |
| Presidents obtain that data flow in different | | | | that man regardless of who he is. |
| ways. This is particularly important because | | | | |
| the events we are dealing with are so much | | | | Now let's take a look at President Bush. |
| more crucial than other Presidents may be | | | | Contrary to some people's thoughts this is |
| dealing with. Iraq, North Korea, high | | | | not a dumb man. He has degrees from both |
| gasoline prices, competitive position versus | | | | Yale, and Harvard Business. A lot was handed |
| China, long-term deficits are all huge | | | | to him in life, but he also knew how to play |
| problems that must be solved one way or | | | | a pretty good hand. He has to his detriment |
| another. | | | | in my opinion surrounded himself with |
| | | | arrogant, ideological, one-dimensional minds |
| President Kennedy had an open door policy. He | | | | with limited capacity for growth. |
| functioned as his own chief of staff, a | | | | |
| center of the spokes strategy if you will. It | | | | Dick Cheney is brilliant. He is also |
| was highly successful. Unlike this President, | | | | arrogant, secretive, and ideological. Cheney |
| Kennedy asked incisive questions, and | | | | has hurt this President by not growing his |
| followed up with more incisive questions. JFK | | | | own thinking over the last six years. The way |
| developed his decision making skills very | | | | he thought in the early 1990's, is the same |
| quickly. He was not like this on day one, but | | | | way he is thinking today. The VP's |
| he certainly was at the top of his game by | | | | secretiveness as opposed to openness has cost |
| year two of his Administration. In year one, | | | | the President dearly in our need to safeguard |
| Kennedy learned not to trust the CIA, or the | | | | the people's constitutional rights regarding |
| military. Both organizations had failed him | | | | privacy. |
| at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba. | | | | |
| | | | Donald Rumsfeld is the worst Secretary of |
| When JFK came into office, he was presented | | | | Defense since Robert McNamara. Both McNamara |
| with a CIA plan created during the Eisenhower | | | | and Rumsfeld seem to be almost identical in |
| Administration to land 1500 expatriate Cubans | | | | their arrogance. He is sad to watch Rumsfeld |
| in Cuba to unseat Fidel Castro. The CIA | | | | repeat the same pattern of arrogance that |
| pushed the plan hard, and the military sat it | | | | caused McNamara to lead this country down the |
| out when it came time to speak. The | | | | path of suicide during the Viet Nam debacle. |
| disastrous invasion which took place in April | | | | Rumsfeld inability to entertain new ideas is |
| 1961, four months after the inauguration was | | | | costing us dearly in Iraq. His bullying of |
| a wakeup call for JFK. To his dying days, JFK | | | | the generals who are charged with the |
| said, "I asked the wrong questions." | | | | responsibility to wage the war is |
| | | | inexcusable, and history will not treat this |
| He said that if he had it to do over, he | | | | man kindly. |
| would have told the Joint Chiefs, "I want to | | | | |
| make this an American operation, forget the | | | | Now what do you think happens when the |
| 1500 Cubans, let's do it with our military. | | | | President has men like Cheney and Rumsfeld |
| How many Marines do we have to send in to do | | | | around him? The problem is that everybody |
| this right?" The answer the Joint Chiefs | | | | else is speaking in that low voice, afraid to |
| would have given was 250,000 marines. JFK had | | | | utter what they perceive is the truth to the |
| he known this would have immediately | | | | President. This would all be okay except the |
| cancelled the invasion. He would have said to | | | | President hasn't figured out the game yet. He |
| himself how can 1500 poorly trained Cubans do | | | | doesn't understand how to get the information |
| the job that we would need 250,000 Marines to | | | | he needs to make good, solid decisions that |
| do? The president picked up ten years of | | | | WORK. |
| experience in those first few months. | | | | |
| | | | In his press conference today, the President |
| The next major tool we can learn from JFK is | | | | said that "I feel confident when General |
| the use of an executive committee (ExComm) in | | | | Casey (4 star general-Vice Chief of Staff-US |
| times of national crisis. When the Cuban | | | | Army, and Commander of Multi-National |
| Missile Crisis took place, JFK did not round | | | | Force-Iraq) tells me what's on his mind." |
| up the usual suspects to deal with the | | | | General Casey could never tell the President |
| crisis. He brought together the best minds he | | | | what's on his mind, and that's the problem |
| knew, put them in a room and let them deal | | | | with this whole Administration. The President |
| with the crisis alone. He would periodically | | | | is not getting the information he needs to |
| enter the room, find out what was going on, | | | | deal with the problem whatever it might be. |
| and leave again. He knew that people react | | | | |
| differently when the President is in the | | | | In being spoon fed the equivalent of |
| room. His presence completely jaded the | | | | ideological dogma, the President is finding |
| conversation and advice that would come out | | | | himself in a position that JFK would say is |
| of such a meeting. | | | | unacceptable. Even Richard Nixon a very |
| | | | strong conservative thinker had Daniel |
| This brings us to President Bush. I do not | | | | Patrick Moynihan a very liberal Harvard |
| know if you have ever been in the Oval Office | | | | Professor right next to him giving the |
| or at a meeting with a sitting President of | | | | President the other side of the story. If Mr. |
| the United States. Let me tell you what it's | | | | Bush is to succeed in the remaining two years |
| like. Everybody speaks with a soft voice in | | | | of this Presidency, he has to start hearing |
| his presence. It's like they are whispering. | | | | the other side of the story. I do not have |
| Grown men who command corporations with | | | | much hope that this is going to happen, and |
| hundreds of thousands of employees turn to | | | | our biggest problem which is the quagmire in |
| mush in his presence. It doesn't matter who | | | | Iraq will continue until new leadership is |
| the President is, the reaction is always the | | | | elected with the mandate to change. Of course |
| same. It's cultural; we are brought up to | | | | the ideologues will say, we should have |
| respect the office and the sacredness of the | | | | stayed the course. History will show them |
| office. After all, this is the office that | | | | wrong. |