Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
From W's former chief of staff, Andy Card:
I found that Ronald Reagan and both President Bushes treated the Oval Office with tremendous respect. They treated the Office of the Presidency with tremendous respect. And some of that respect was reflected in how they expected people to behave, how they expected them to dress when they walked into the symbol of freedom for the world, the Oval Office. And yes, I'm disappointed to see the casual, laissez faire, short sleeves, no shirt and tie, no jacket, kind of locker room experience that seems to be taking place in this White House and the Oval Office.
Because that's what really matters. You need to be well dressed while you're destroying the separation of powers, suspending habeas corpus, spying on American citizens and authorizing torture.
Politics
Comments
He's perfect to represent the Bush Admin. Clueless and dumb - and not afraid to speak up and prove it.
It's times like these that make me regret my atheism - some good old-fashioned Biblical rending limb-from-limb would feel real good right about now.
Posted by: J-Dog | February 3, 2009 9:29 AM
Yet another gem of win from the party of regression, denial, infantilism and "let's pretend."
Posted by: Raging Bee | February 3, 2009 9:34 AM
Posted by: FishyFred | February 3, 2009 9:37 AM
This from the Chief of Staff of a president who, while dressed in a denim shirt, slapped the back and rubbed the shoulders of the Indian Prime Minister. I guess the formality and respect went out the door when Bush went abroad.
Posted by: Ericb | February 3, 2009 9:39 AM
Another shining example of the Style Over Substance, Symbols Over Reality thinking that has made the GOP what it is today.
Posted by: WScott | February 3, 2009 9:51 AM
I, for one, am thrilled to see a "let's roll up our sleeves and get to work" attitude being brought to the Oval Office.
Posted by: Squiddhartha | February 3, 2009 9:52 AM
One of the things I really like about where I work is the dress code. I am a programmer, and the expectations more or less go: "Show up. Wear pants." This allows me to actually concentrate on my work better.
Posted by: Chris A | February 3, 2009 9:55 AM
As I sit here in my Dockers and short sleeve shirt, taking a five minute break from multi-tasking (e-mailing and monitoring a telecon) I just gotta say:
That Andy, what a Card.
Sorry. Couldn't help it.
Posted by: Pineyman | February 3, 2009 10:19 AM
Is it just me or is there a "certain types of people just shouldn't be allowed in the oval office" kind of subtext to Card's remarks?
Posted by: Strider | February 3, 2009 10:23 AM
Posted by: Herod the Freemason | February 3, 2009 10:33 AM
They tortured human beings, but hey, they treated the office with respect.
Posted by: Dr X | February 3, 2009 10:34 AM
Wait, I thought laissez-faire was a good thing! Did I miss a memo?
Posted by: Dave | February 3, 2009 10:46 AM
I know that I've linked to this video before (sorry, but I just love it!), but I just have to say that I have about as much respect for Andy Card's opinion (about anything--not just the Oval Office) as the students and faculty of UMass Amherst.
Posted by: The Science Pundit | February 3, 2009 10:56 AM
Ah come on be charitable.
When you're a brainless clown with nothing else to go on, appearances are all that matters.
Posted by: Coriolis | February 3, 2009 11:33 AM
Casual, laissez faire, no tie, no jacket.
You mean, like George W. Bush's Official Presidential Portrait?
Posted by: Erik S. | February 3, 2009 11:58 AM
I have to go home at lunch and change from jeans into khakis because I have a meeting with some higher-ups this afternoon. Bummer.
Posted by: Taz | February 3, 2009 12:02 PM
This is respect?
http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/floor2/treaty-room-2001.jpg
(not the oval office, but still...)
Posted by: Joe Shelby | February 3, 2009 12:17 PM
One word describes the sentiments originally quoted - PATHETIC -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | February 3, 2009 12:35 PM
Words are interesting.
1) casual
2) laissez faire
3) short sleeves
4) no shirt and tie
5) no jacket
6) kind of locker room experience
Why do wing-nuts pile on so much with the synonyms? Latte-loving, left-wing, bleeding heart Volvo drivers, etc.
Card is not making a point, he is using propaganda here. And WTF is this about a "locker room experience"?
Why do you suppose this slimeball used that particular phrase? WTF does going tieless have to do with a locker room?
Or is he, just perhaps, going slyly racist here? Visions of naked (Black!!) men parading about. Saucy talk. Towel snapping? In 'this' White House!
And Card is accusing Obama of not showing 'respect'!
ESAD, Andrew.
Posted by: Gingerbaker | February 3, 2009 12:55 PM
Just curious - Is Andrew any relation to Orson Scot the 'novelist"? ?? - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | February 3, 2009 1:02 PM
If you ignore everything else about the Bush presidency, at least you can say this: he'd let hisself get dressed up nice, if'n he had to. 'Cept when he wanted to play 'cowboy.'
Posted by: Joe V. | February 3, 2009 2:09 PM
Card was a fucking hack when he was a Massachusetts pol; nothing has changed except the amount of money he's paid.
Posted by: democommie | February 3, 2009 2:27 PM
Bush II treated the Office of the Presidency as a toilet. And some of that respect was reflected in how he expected people to behave as they were torturing, wiretapping, inventing new facts, and flushing the old facts down the memory hole.
There. Fixed it.
Posted by: blf | February 3, 2009 2:55 PM
Contemptible But hey, the old-style Mafia bosses were well-known to be sharp dressers, so I guess the Bushco mobsters are in good company. Apparently it's easier to pull off your criminal conspiracies when you're blinding onlookers with the glory of your $2000 bespoke suit.
Posted by: Leigh Williams | February 3, 2009 3:06 PM
Holding up Shrub as an example of showing "respect" is laughable. However, the point is well taken. Showing respect for the office of "President of the United States" (not necessarily respect for the person), or even showing respect for one's coworkers is (or should be) an important thing. How Obama and his staff dress when they're working behind closed doors is one thing. How they dress when representing the United States or "The President" is another.
When I first started working for a living, everyone (well, every male) wore a tie. Everyone was addressed by their last name and honorific. Sure, I now dress in Dockers and a polo shirt because the tie hurts. But others in the office dress in raggedy cutoffs and flip-flops. Is that really the image we want to convey? Just because you can show up to work in your underwear and smelling like you haven't bathed in three weeks, doesn't mean you should. Sure, the "me" generation is all about what "I" think about "me", and to hell with what anyone else think about "me", if they even care at all. But is that really how we want our society to run?
"Image" is not "substance". But "image" is still important. It shows respect for one's self and for others.
Posted by: Scott | February 3, 2009 4:03 PM
Re Leigh Williams
I seem to recall that a late and unlamented Mafioso was referred to as Gentleman John Gotti for his snappy suits.
Posted by: SLC | February 3, 2009 4:34 PM
RE: Scott | February 3, 2009 4:03 PM
Me too. When I started working (back when engineers were men - and men only), we wore white shirts and ties, and had our suit jackets handy.
The last time I had to talk at a colleague's retirement luncheon, I couldn't find a clean tie, and had to make one out of duct tape.
Posted by: JimV | February 3, 2009 4:50 PM
Scott, there are probably jobs where you can show up "smelling like you haven't bathed in three weeks", maybe septic tank cleaner. And there are jobs were you can show up in your underwear - think stripper. I doubt there are any where you can do both.
Posted by: Taz | February 3, 2009 4:59 PM
To get an idea of the "dignity" Bush Jr. brought to the White House, one need only observe the smug, uncaring smirk he wore throughout the Inauguration.
Barack Obama has more dignity in his armpit-hairs than Bush Jr. will manage in his entire so-called life.
(And when is your spellchecker function going to start recognizing that name?)
Posted by: Raging Bee | February 3, 2009 5:16 PM
Who here actually believes that the Oval Office is a symbol of freedom for anyone? This seemingly boundless conservative fetishization of the presidency begins to verge upon the absurd.
Posted by: Julian | February 3, 2009 5:24 PM
Actually that fairly well describes a telemarketing office I used to work in. It wasn't uncommon for the girls who worked the phones to show up in pajamas and in need of a shower. Not that I’m complaining. A bit of ripeness is small price to pay to work in an office surrounded with a bunch of collage-age girls in their PJs.
Posted by: Abby Normal | February 3, 2009 5:38 PM
I see you're one of those "elitists" who only frequents "classy" strip clubs - the ones where the girls "bathe".
Posted by: DaveL | February 3, 2009 5:44 PM
Ah, but card specified:
:P
/snark
Paul
Posted by: prn | February 3, 2009 5:55 PM
Doh! I was supposed to be pointing out that Shrub was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in that portrait.
Paul
Posted by: prn | February 3, 2009 5:59 PM
"Because that's what really matters. You need to be well dressed while you're destroying the separation of powers, suspending habeas corpus, spying on American citizens and authorizing torture."
Yes, Abe Lincoln set the standard for proper dress when he destroyed the separation of powers, voided States' rights, suspended habeus corpus, spied on Americans, shutdown newspapers, executed anti-war protesters, and imprisoned US citizens.
Posted by: Charlie Tall | February 3, 2009 6:57 PM
I do. Which is one reason I've been and am so vocal and strident in my attempts to get Kerry elected in 2004, fought a Palin Vice Presidency, and now have Bush go to prison for war crimes.
Posted by: Michael Heath | February 3, 2009 7:17 PM
Well, it will probably be the only time we'll ever see Obama described as laissez-faire.
Posted by: Miko | February 3, 2009 7:58 PM
Am recalling Billy Chrystal's send up of Fernando Lamas' tag line: "You look marvelous." The point of the send up was that if you look good and are told that you look good and if such compliments make you feel good, it really doesn't matter if you are good. It only matters that you look marvelous.
marvelous, adj.
1. So remarkable as to elicit disbelief: amazing, astonishing, astounding, fabulous, fantastic, fantastical, incredible, miraculous, phenomenal, prodigious, stupendous, unbelievable, wonderful, wondrous. See good/bad.
2. Particularly excellent: divine, fabulous, fantastic, fantastical, glorious, sensational, splendid, superb, terrific, wonderful. Informal dandy, dreamy, great, ripping, super, swell, tremendous. Slang cool, groovy, hot, keen1, neat, nifty. Idioms: out of this world. See good/bad.
That doesn't sound like Two Ewes (George double u Bush) except maybe "unbelievable," "dreamy" or "out of this world."
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | February 3, 2009 8:36 PM
Charlie Tall:
"Yes, Abe Lincoln set the standard for proper dress when he destroyed the separation of powers, voided States' rights, suspended habeus corpus, spied on Americans, shutdown newspapers, executed anti-war protesters, and imprisoned US citizens."
I'm guessing you're one of those folks that still refers to the U.S. Civil War, wherein large groups of southern gentlemen became traitors, as the War of Northern Aggression.
Posted by: democommie | February 3, 2009 9:25 PM
JimV - LOL 'Constructing a tie from duct tape' -only an engineer would even consider it.
PS Was it one of those skinny, plastic '80's numbers or a wide, short, ugly '70's tie?
Posted by: DingoJack | February 3, 2009 10:53 PM
Ah, the Republicans are just pissed because they left the loaner jacket in the Oval Office closet and the Dems won't give it back.
Posted by: Ex-drone | February 3, 2009 11:08 PM
As has been pointed out (with pics) at AmericaBlog, Bush's team did not always wear jackets in the Oval Office. So not only is Card saying something stupid, he's telling a lie.
Posted by: QrazyQat | February 3, 2009 11:24 PM
Andy Card was the guy who said (in 2000, w/r/t Bush's race against Gore) "Do you really want the President of the United States to be the smartest guy in the room?"
As for Bush's insistence on suits and ties, this wasn't about decorum or respect for the office; this was about the overprivileged frat boy using his position to bully the staff at every opportunity--in this case, about their clothes.
Posted by: Molly, NYC | February 4, 2009 4:30 AM
Yes, standards are declining:
Usually Ed B cites a source for his quotes.
Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | February 4, 2009 1:35 PM
Democommie,
Read the Constitution.
It will surprise you.
Charlie
Posted by: Charlie Tall | February 4, 2009 7:45 PM
Yeah Demo, read the Constitution, especially the section on the Presidential dress code, right Charlie? -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | February 4, 2009 8:10 PM
Concern for "image" as epitomized in the suit-and-tie thing and restricted forms of address shows a willingness to waste time and energy jumping through stupid, pointless hoops to fulfill expectations that have no value of their own and are considered important solely because a group of people arbitrarily decided to consider them important (originally, I suspect, for underclass-exclusion reasons).
Also, equating basic hygiene with the above is intellectually dishonest.
Posted by: Azkyroth | February 5, 2009 2:47 AM
The section relevant to Democommie's quote:
Are you arguing that this does not characterize the actions of the Confederate government and military?
Posted by: Azkyroth | February 5, 2009 2:51 AM
"I'm disappointed to see the casual, laissez faire, short sleeves, no shirt and tie, no jacket, kind of locker room experience that seems to be taking place in this White House and the Oval Office."
Yep 'cause wearing short sleeves & no jacket is just like sending cash to Al-Qaeda or Ptisburgh declaring war on Albany. [rolls eyes]
Please keep up. -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | February 5, 2009 3:45 AM
Hey butt wipes, why not some flip flops and baggy-ass shorts for you slobs who are seen in the Four Seasons lobby looking like the kind of idiot Americans that the rest of the world thinks we are. Remember: if you're going to run the world, dress the part. Hey, why not Putin and Obama bare-chested on the b-ball court? Why not some snot-nosed junior press secretary with his leg slung over the sofa in the Oval Office while taking a briefing from President Empty Pants? Just like in your home! Andy Card is a cipher; what matters is that the abdication of standards by people who think the world is their den. Get dressed!
Posted by: Jas. Murphy | February 5, 2009 3:10 PM
Charlie, which part? You are a bitter, disenfranchised old son'othesouth, aintcha?
Jas. Murphy:
I concur, when dress standards are ignored people just get wiggy. The next thing y'know, people like me are telling people like you to go fuck themselves. What's to be done?
Posted by: democommie | February 5, 2009 7:25 PM
An illegal war based on lies, busting the budget, polluting the environment, eroding our civil liberties, etc, etc, didn't "disrespect" the office of president, but horror of horrors, Obama's working in his shirt sleeves! I wish Card and the other Bushevik scumbags would slither under their rocks and leave us alone, they've done quite enough already.
Posted by: Raymond Minton | February 5, 2009 8:16 PM