There's a ton to chew over in The Washington Post brilliant exposé of Dick Cheney's methods, but on a different note this was the first time I'd read that George W. Bush's nickname for the Attorney-General of the United States is "Fredo." Shouldn't this, alone, have been grounds for blocking his confirmation? Do Senators not get these pop culture allusions? Bush was clearly trying to warn us.
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Fredo
24 Jun 2007 12:34 pm
Comments (31)
I would've assumed is was projecting/delusions of grandeur.
But if Gonzo is Fredo, which character is W?
Owenz, I reckon AG's moment of disloyalty was in the past. He certainly hasn't taken sides against the family again.
I always thought of W as sort of a mix between Sonny and Fredo.
Why wouldn't W have referred to Gonzalez as Tom Hagen? The consiglieri role is an appropriate analogy, and wingnut skepticism about him as a stealth pro-choicer are similar to doubts about Hagen as a "wartime" consiglieri. On the other hand, Gonzalez gave Bush everything he wanted in the administration's context of wartime. And with Ashcroft in the hospital like the Don, Gonzalez came in like The Turk to try to take advantage, which would make Comey into Michael...
Why wouldn't W have referred to Gonzalez as Tom Hagen? The consiglieri role is an appropriate analogy, and wingnut skepticism about him as a stealth pro-choicer are similar to doubts about Hagen as a "wartime" consiglieri.
While Fredo is indeed disloyal in the Godfather story, I think his real legacy as a cultural icon is his weakness and stupidity. In other words, Bush believes Gonzo is weak and stupid on a personal level. (Plus, Karl Rove clearly fills Hagen's role as consiglieri.) Gonzo is just a lackey - the stupid little brother who owes all of his success to Bush's generosity.
And if you look at Gonzo's performance as AG, the label fits. He has no credibility. He convinces no one of anything. He does the dirtiest of dirty work for Bush insofar as he is the one who steps up to make the Administration's silliest and most unconvincing arguments. He has no shame, no pride, no desire to construct even a modest reputation for intelligence or credibility. Bush sends him in front of the Senate to take beating after beating. He is a pathetic, sickening figure worthy of contempt and disgust even among hardcore partisan Republicans.
It probably has nothing to do with the Godfather and everything to do with reminding Gonzales (and everyone else) that he's an immigrant wetback. One shudders to think what Bush's nickname for Powell was.
But, dude, this is really the first time that you're aware of this nickname? Google "Fredo" and "Bush" and you get about 160,000 hits. It's not like it was a big secret.
Al fredo.
I figured it was either a reference to George's favorite mac and cheese dinner or to his faithful servant ala Batman. Nowadays I think it refers to our administration's aid and support of Osama Bin Laden.
Does Bush watch movies made by Hollywood liberals?
I doubt the nickname has to do with the Corleone family.
owenz breaks my heart by still believing that there is any "pathetic, sickening figure" annointed by the Bush kleptocracy that will be found "worthy of contempt and disgust even among hardcore partisan Republicans." The whole point of Bush's politics for the past six years has been to boil off the softcore Republicans, the independents, the liberals of course, and get down to the base. Base as in Debased. And they have succeeded. There's about 20 percent that still strongly support Cheney, and that is the only 20 percent they care about. The GOP politicos have followed, since the scraps they were thrown by Delay and Cheney were way too delicious to resist. As in any gang, membership in the gang depends on overcoming scruples. The Crips supposedly required an unmotivated first killing by potential candidates for the gang. The Republicans require some massive public act of intellectual dishonesty. Thus, the news about Cheney's claim that he his not part of the executive branch, which a normal person would think of as a scandal, something that the white house would quickly want to cover, is actually not a scandal at all - it is a test, a shibboleth. The real Republican will swallow it whole and regurgitate a defense of it on Fox News.
If you dare to preserve your mental independence, or your scruples, or exercise your logic, in the Republican party, you will soon be out of it.
And if you look at Gonzo's performance as AG, the label fits.
Once you found out that Gonzales was willing to tie himself to the coattails of someone who would nickname him something as diminishing as "Fredo," you pretty much knew all you needed to know about Gonzales. I just want to know who got the nickname "Piss Boy."
Bush has said he chose the nickname Fredo because "he's the one what dropped the One Ring in the Crack of Doom."
Does Bush watch movies made by Hollywood liberals?
Is this some kind of joke? Who do you think watches the bulk of mainstream Hollywood films if not for the the wide swath of rank-and-file red-state, exurban middle class voters? Bush is the very profile of the sort of person who enjoyed Titanic.
The "coastal elite" can be found watching some independent film or Woody Allen's latest work over at the independent theater.
Besides, politics aside, all men love the Godfather movies.
It's because he's a-Fredo being caught. Unlike the rest of that mob.
Cheney tangent:
Whatever you think about the locus of the Vice President (re: his disputes about whether he's in the Executive Office) the same does not hold true of his staff. His staff enjoys no such ambiguous status within the Constitution.
This admin should be called the DEs - Double Entendre. They came in with the PNAC plan. Rove, Abramowitz, Norquist et al believing in power independent of ideology. Cheney being the nexus of the Military-Industrial Complex AND the Independent Oil Companies (IOCs as opposed to the NOCs).
and Frank Luntz and
we got:
Blue Sky Initiative - increasing pollution
No Child Left Behind - registering kids for military purposes (Note: Like Bill Kristol and Norman Podhoretz they expected to be in a War(s) with Iraq, Iran and Syria. When we OBVIOUSLY needed more bodies for the Wars and OBVIOUSLY needed the Draft to get the bodies the names would be in place. Remember also: they re-constituted all 2,000 local Draft Boards back then as well.)
Always a double meaning
Is this some kind of joke?
Yes.
That aside, Haggai's post aptly demonstrated that it's highly unlikely that the nickname is an homage to the movie.
I would add that the Hagen analogy is actually stronger, though, since Tom Hagen was not a "real" Sicilian/member of the family, and neither is Gonzales.
"Godfather" references aside, I think this series on Cheney would have been "brilliant" about 4-5 years ago. Six years and countless crimes and blunders later, the highest praise "news" like this rates is "overdue". Only a few days ago the WaPo was congratulating itself for its role in Watergate -- *35* years in the past! Nowadays we're seeing an institution in serious and steepening decline.
I would add that the Hagen analogy is actually stronger, though, since Tom Hagen was not a "real" Sicilian/member of the family, and neither is Gonzales.
James Baker was always the real Bush family consiglieri, though. But if W is the Bush family's Fredo, then Gonzales is, logically, the sort of consigleri that Fredo would have.
Errm... I get the joke, but we're all aware that it's just short for "Alfredo," right?
Owenz, Haggai -- Yes. Dead on.
Prize line (Haggai's): "I always thought of W as sort of a mix between Sonny and Fredo."
1) The WaPo is not a friend to progressives or Democrats and anything written that seems to benefit the WaPo enemies should be viewed suspiciously.
2)I have lived my entire 55+ years under the narrative of the dumb/naive/overbusy/overidealistic Republican Presidents ill-served by crafty cunning yet incompetent advisors with bad agendas so as to recognize it when it comes up again. I remember Haldeman, Weinberger, Sununu.
3) In this case, this President used the trick from even before he was elected, it was a delberate style and plan. Even now, the Polls say people hate Bush's policies but like him as a person.
4)The theme is that Republican Presidential Candidates and Republicans in general are nice guys who have bad media corrupt and cynical advisors whatever.
5) If we don't nail Bush for the evil SOB he is, we will get another Bush. Like Romney.
6)Liberals and moderates have taken this bait hook, line & sinker.
Errm... I get the joke, but we're all aware that it's just short for "Alfredo," right?
Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? Considering that we're also aware that Gonzales' first name is Alberto.
Fredo in the Corleone sense is actually short for Frederico (that's in the novel).
Adam, short for Alfredo? I don't follow. Gonzo's name is Alberto. Why not call him "Berto"?
owenz writes: "Hmmm, can anyone think of a more insulting nickname than "Fredo" that doesn't include profane language?"
Dirty Sanchez.
What's the big deal? JFK made *his* brother AG.
What's the big deal? JFK made *his* brother AG.
Sorry, what? Isn't that a complete non sequitur? Gonzalez isn't W's brother!
Or...
Well, there is a sort of resemblance... born in Texas, 1955, when George Bush senior was working there in the oil business...
Fredo Corleone: I'm your older brother, Mike, and I was stepped over!
Michael Corleone: That's the way Pop wanted it.
Fredo Corleone: It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!
I suspect that, like adam, Bush used to mistakenly (or mockingly) call Gonzalez 'Alfredo' instead of 'Alberto', and that the Fredo nickname is derived from that.
I think employing the Godfather ref is a bit too subtle for Bush.
to put up with being called weak and stupid by GWB -- how low does Gonzo's self-esteem go?
But to bring "Fredo" into the White House and then the Cabinet strikes me a tempting the fates on the part of Bush. What a dangerous thing to do. You let it be known that you think a man "a Fredo" and then you give him the power to bring you down. Wow. Weird. No wonder we are in Iraq -- Bush is a very bad strategist.
Comments closed July 08, 2007.
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Heads in the Sand
Fredo was known for his stupidity, cowardice, and lack of loyalty. Clearly, disloyalty is not an attribute of Gonzales, who has shown himself willing to perform virtually any task for his "Godfather," no matter how dishonest or demeaning. So Bush must be referring to Gonzales' stupidity and cowardice.
Hmmm, can anyone think of a more insulting nickname than "Fredo" that doesn't include profane language?
Posted by owenz | June 24, 2007 12:58 PM