Delegation Without Accountibility

Of the many missteps and sins that took Bush from being one of the most popular presidents in history--for a few days after 9/11--to Nixonesque depths, the one that intrigues me the most is delegation without accountability. The hallmark of the MBA president was supposed to be his ability to delegate, make crisp decisions and hold his team accountable. It quickly became apparent that he believed in delegation for delegation's sake. Incompetence went unpunished. "Brownie" was doing a "heckuva job" until he got forced out by public pressure. Rumsfeld held on for ages. George Tenet won the Medal of Freedom. Wolfowitz made a mess wherever he went. These dolts eventually left but not because Bush discerned failure and moved quickly. Bush promised to deal with the leakers of Valerie Plame's identity. And he did so with commutations and cosseting. Now comes word that the Iraqi government has failed all of its benchmarks. Will there be any accountability? Eventually Bush will change course on Iraq, if ever so slightly, because he was forced to do so by public outcry and Republicans who forced his hand. This is not what he was taught in B School.