White House open to alternative viewpoints?

So they’re claiming. The idea, apparently, is that because there are a few people now on the president’s staff who disagreed with him on something, that means he’s breaking out of that little bubble. Because a press secretary, a guy who isn’t allowed to say anything except what he’s told, who used to disagree with Bush means progress.

The real test may be whether those promises are fulfilled. Bush has not agreed, for instance, to change his mind on global warming just because Paulson will join the Cabinet.

And that’s the key point there. Just because dissenters are in there doesn’t mean anything. These guys are press secretaries or economic advisors. He can just ignore them, just like he did during his first term when Colin Powell argued about the photos of “biological weapons labs”.

This is a plea to look accommodating to boost ratings and help the midterms. Even if it WERE genuine, it’s six years in and unless these “opposing viewpoints” result in massive changes, it doesn’t matter. Little tweaks mean nothing, only massive overhauls.

[tags]bush, white house, staff, bubble, opposing[/tags]