The saying, "The buck stops here," derives
from the slang expression, "Pass the buck,"
which means passing the responsibility on to someone
else.
"Pass the buck" is said to have originated
in the game of poker, in which a marker or counter -
frequently in frontier days a knife with a buck-horn
handle - was used to indicate the person whose turn it
was to deal. If the player did not wish to deal, he
could pass the responsibility by passing the
"buck," as the counter came to be called, to
the next player.
In his farewell address to the American people in
January 1953, President Truman referred to this concept
very specifically when he asserted that "the
president - whoever he is - has to decide. He can't pass
the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for
him. That's his job."
The New York Times reports that Karl Rove and White
House communications director Dan Bartlett "rolled
out a plan . . . to contain the political damage from
the administration's response to Hurricane
Katrina." The core of the strategy is "to
shift the blame away from the White House and toward
officials of New Orleans and Louisiana." Doesn't
sound like the president or anyone in the White House
will allow the buck to land on his or her desk.
When President Reagan was pinned down about the
Iran-Contra scandal, he admitted it was his
responsibility to know what was going on in the country.
When President Clinton was barbecued for every move he
made, especially with women, he fessed up - in the end.
But President Bush will not admit responsibility for
the actions of his staff, Cabinet and especially
himself. What kind of role model is that?
Bush has torn this country to pieces in the past six
years, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina is the
last straw. To blame anyone but himself is cowardly.
The aftermath of Katrina was spelled out to him
before the storm hit. The governor of Louisiana asked
for National Guard troops before the storm hit and
begged for them afterward. The mayor of New Orleans went
off on the White House on the radio, pleading on behalf
of the thousands who were left to die.
The people in the Superdome and the convention center
followed the instructions of their leaders and were
abandoned for nearly a week. There are still people in
both areas yet to be evacuated.
I have never seen a leader contort the truth so much
and suffer no serious repercussions. How can Bush look
America in the eye and say: Who, me?
Investigating committees do nothing. They are an
ongoing dog and pony show to placate the masses. I'm
sick of them.
Our Constitution states the government is for the
people, by the people. Impeachment hearings need to
begin.
McKee, a wheelchair user, is an Albuquerque
writer, poet and producer. You can e-mail Barbara
at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.
Her column runs on Tuesdays.
