Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush – John Dean

Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush – John Dean, Little, Brown and Company/Time Warner Book Group (2004) 253 pp. (S) *****

Short of a much needed, long overdue, unauthorized biography of Richard B. Cheney (see Dick: The Man Who Is President), the American readership nonetheless owes John Dean a debt of gratitude. In Worse Than Watergate, Dean has courageously taken a bold hand in removing the veil that so often conceals the shady undertakings of George W. Bush and his number one henchman, Karl Rove. Where most of the media has become lost by having its poorly cast dim lights refracted in clouds of thick, obscuring smoke generated by the Rovian calliope, Dean has boldly forged ahead, cracking the nut of this extremist administration’s power. Dean is undaunted as he keeps to the scent of what he bills as the most powerful vice-presidency in U.S. history, where Cheney functions as “Co-President,” or as others have put it, the most powerful man presently in Washington

Before this write-up begins to sound peculiarly, overly exuberant, it should be noted that this book is not without its flaws. While given Dean’s legal background, it is understandable that it follows he is long on legal analysis and its implications (and who better than a former Watergate conspirator [Dean was legal counsel to Nixon] to fully understand the trappings of excessive power?). This is precisely why it is so odd that he devotes so little to Bush v. Gore, the case that ushered in the Bush mess to begin with. Another glaring oversight is the Bush Administration’s preference for bilateral immunity agreements (whereby two countries agree to exempt each others soldiers from prosecution in the International Criminal Court). Also disappointing is how the author opts to quote from nearly all conservative windbags (Molly Ivins and David Corn being the most notable exceptions) such as Gingrich, Bob Barr, and Dick Armey, even though he is likely employing the “use their own words against them” stratagem. Also short on words, Dean could have possibly explored a bit more Bush’s theocratic tendencies and what the Constitutional consequences of them may be.

Dean outlines eleven scandals brewing within the Bush administration, anyone of which could spell the end if given the proper focus and momentum. Most have to do with Bush and Cheney’s past business dealings and “character” issues, (and for Cheney, health issues), while the other issues more or less focus on secrecy measures adopted by Cheney. The last potential problem for the administration that is listed is the Valerie Plame leak case, which given recent indictments handed down by special prosecutor Fitzgerald to Cheney’s Chief of Staff, Lewis Libby, has proven to have the most traction. Regarding 9/11 Dean writes, “Bush and Cheney failed in their efforts to block a 9/11 inquiry, and . . . if Cheney’s stall in addressing terrorism had an ulterior motive, or Bush and Cheney negligently ignored warnings, it will be a horrid scandal, certainly worse than Watergate.”(p. 191) To adopt a Rovian strategy for a moment (take your opponent’s greatest strength and make it a weakness), it would seem that the 9/11 attacks should be their most tender spot, since either way, be it gross negligence or willful collusion, there is plenty of responsibility to be centered on the administration. Now if we can only embolden the Democratic leadership to focus on this point with as much energy as a chickenhawk administration employed to attack a decorated, two-tour combat veteran, then maybe the Bush crew can be unfurled from the flags they hide behind, and exposed for the shameless, criminal scoundrels they really are.