Follow The Greed

The disenchanted Republican mole, located high in the Bush Administration, previously had supplied us withthe transcript of an inner-Cabinet meeting, which revealed how Bush&Co. had decided in the Summer of 2001to take advantage of the terrorist attacks they knew were coming, and which did arrive on 9/11. (See The'Shallow Throat' Documents)

I needed the reactions of "Shallow Throat" as to whether we were on the right track in ouropposition tactics to Bush&Co. I suspected that this mole -- who might well be agitated as theAdministration veered even further into HardRight territory -- would be willing to decipher for us what wasgoing on, and what is about to go down. And would keep us pointed where we needed to go.

I made the coded call. Later that evening, "Shallow Throat," wearing a wig and shades, joined meat a loud club, and, with the music blaring, we talked. What follows is the conversation transcribed fromtape.

"I don't understand," I started out. "With Bush&Co. under all this heat about pre-9/11knowledge, Enron, Halliburton, anthrax, neo-imperialism overseas, courts ruling against them, our alliesopenly disagreeing with their policies, and all the rest, they're behaving as if they don't care. Indeed,they're proceeding to carry out even more outrageous moves, such as enlarging the government's capabilties tospy on American citizens whenever and however it wants."

"You namby-pamby liberals still don't get it," said ST. "They want it ALL. They're going topush you, bully you, threaten you, lie to you, ruin you until someone pushes them back and says enough. Tryingto accomodate them, as the Democrat party leaders tend to do, just encourages them. It justifies theirby-the-throat, bullyboy strategy. All they respect is power. Present them with a unified opposition, whichthreatens them with painful consequences, and they'll back off, or, more likely, first try another way to getaround you. But at least you'll have slowed them down and put some fear into them."

"Aren't they fearful about the current Congressional hearings on pre-9/11 knowledge?"

"Sure, they're worried, but figure as long as the hearings are in the political arena, they haveenough leverage to lean on key senators and House members to make sure nothing really explosive comes out; inaddition, as you're witnessing, they using their distraction-strategy, stories designed to deflect attentionelsewhere. What they're really terrified of is a truly independent blue-ribbon commission composed of analystsand academics and folks of integrity that they might not be able to control or threaten. In short, they'refrightened about the pre-9/11 truth coming out."

"What else gives them the willies?" I asked.

"They're nervous about hearings and investigations that might start connecting dots."

"Like what?"

"Enron, Halliburton, anthrax, pipelines, influence-peddling, pre-9/11 machinations, interesting thingshappening in Florida, etc. If American citizens are permitted to peek under those rocks, they're going to findsome horrifying surprises, and their reactions might not be pretty."

"You mean, we'll find out that these individual scandals can be connected in some way toBush&Co.?"

"It's a complex web these guys weave," said ST.

[ At this point, a waitress came over to check on our drinks. "Shallow Throat" seemed a bitnervous as she took our orders. ]

"But how to enter this web and figure out the threads?", I continued.

"It's all there. Follow the greed. That's their vulnerable spot. Greedy for money, greedy for power,greedy for control. But they're sloppy at times; they've left clues around in their arrogance, thinking nobodywould have the courage to challenge them because everyone knows they play for keeps."

I countered with: "But some Democrats -- and even some Republicans, like Sensenbrenner, Safire,Shelby, Specter, some moderates in the House and Senate -- are starting to develop spines, and are beginningto raise potentially embarrassing questions. Isn't this a hopeful sign?"

"The Administration gets whacked by some embarrassing revelation or another, a few of the morecourageous stick their necks out a bit -- but quickly return to their hiding places when their patriotism isquestioned or when the Administration heavies lean on them. There's no bloody follow-through! The only wayyou're going to get these guys is to build up oppositional momentum that never lets up. The far-rightists inthe Administration and Congress are in this fight to the end; they figure this is their last, best shot tocontrol American politics for the next decade or two. That's why they're so tough and mean; they fight dirty,and they know the other side, your side, doesn't want to get into that gutter."

"You're saying we should get down there and duke it out with them in the mud?"

"Not at all. The moral high ground is still available. I'm talking about momentum here. Each time theBush Administration gets hit, don't take the distraction-bait (like the "reorganization" of theanti-terrorist program, which still leaves the real bad apples outside the new Cabinet department, to beoverseen by the Ashcrofts & Rumsfelds of the Administration); don't back off, keep piling on moreinformation, more revelations, more embarrassing questions. Spend the time to construct the politicalcoalitions you're going to need; force the media to do significant investigative reporting; put unrelentingpressure on Congress."

"But there's no public clamor out there for bucking Bush on the 'war on terrorism' and some of theseother things," I said, with a discouraged tone to my voice. "That's why the Democrats are so timid.That, and betting that Bush and the GOP are more vulnerable on non-war-related issues like health care,prescription-drug coverage, job creation, the economy, environmental pollution, and the like. You want them toconfront Bush on war policy and risk being seen as insufficiently 'anti-terrorist' just prior to the upcomingNovember elections?"

"Look, it's not that difficult to figure out. Your side has the domestic issues the American peoplecare about. And the Bush Administration is vulnerable on pre-9/11 knowledge -- for chrissakes, nearly 4000people died while Bush and his cohorts did nothing in the face of all the warnings! -- and they're vulnerableon incompetent post-9/11 policy (global warming, Israel/Palestine, India/Pakistan, U.S. troops heading forcombat all over the world, etc.)."

"So," I asked, "where's the entryway to this vulnerability?"

"Forget Bush; people realize he's a doltish front man and almost have pity for him as he stumblesaround trying to act like a president. Focus on Cheney. He's in charge of so much and his ethical/financialvulnerabilities are massive. Ashcroft is a neo-fascist thug; even many of his GOP friends know he's gone wayover the line in wrecking the Constitution and giving the federal government far too much power, whichinvariably will get abused. Get the fearful, anti-big-government conservatives on your side, at least assilent partners, and go get Ashcroft. He's ripe for the picking. Those are two good starters. If you do yourjob right, you might just rope in Karl Rove, too."

"What else can be done?"

"Get Colin Powell to resign. He's come this close a few times, especially when he got hung out to drywhile they had him heading -- 'with all deliberate speed' -- to the Middle East. He knows what's going oninside the Bush White House and how rotten it all is; he just needs one more example of how far beyond thepolitical pale the Bush forces are willing to go, and, with some outside support, he's out of there. Give himthat support. He's their halfway moral cover; get him out and make him feel better about himself. MaybeChristie Whitman will walk with him."

"What else?"

"Again, it's all logical: Defeat as many Republicans as you can in November. Good ones, bad ones,doesn't matter; take the House away from the far-right conservatives and deny a Senate comeback to the GOP.When that happens, the Democrats -- and a lot more moderate and decent conservative Republicans than you canimagine -- won't be so fearful anymore and the necessary cleansing actions can start: serious investigations,pointed questions, true opposition. You do that -- even though it hurts my own party (if the GOP hadn't beenhijacked by American jihadists, I wouldn't be here talking to you) -- and I guarantee you that the BushAdministration will be on the slippery road to an inglorious end."

[ Just then, a young fellow, wearing earphones, seemingly moving to the music, came by our booth and seemedto want to hang around. We stared him down and he left. ]

"You seem flustered by that. You think he was trying to overhear?"

"The atmosphere in the Administration is as bad as it's ever been. If you're not with them 150%,you're with the enemy. I have to watch my every move, everything I say. I don't believe anybody suspects me,yet -- my position gives me pretty good cover -- but anything could happen. I think I'd better take offnow."

Shallow Throat squeezed out of the booth and started off, then turned and said: "Remember: follow thegreed."

Bernard Weiner, a playwright and poet, was the San Francisco Chronicle's theater critic for nearly 20years. Holder of a Ph.D. in government & international relations, he has taught at Western WashingtonUniversity and San Diego State University, and has published other satires and investigativearticles in The Nation, Village Voice, The Progressive, Northwest Passage and widely on the internet.