Gang Activity: Pat is Anguished By the Fecklessness of Power
Suggestion: read the original comic first to get a feel for the joke, then read the alternate version. You’re invited to leave your own take on the joke in our underpopulated comment section. Click here for past examples.
“–Sob– I’m concerned my president is going to send more troops, causing an escalation of violence in Iraq; but in the continued absence of a stated goal, or definitive plan, to eventually bring the war to an end!
If the plan is permanent occupation for strategic control and exploitation of energy resources in the name of ‘American Supremacy,’ then congress and The People need to know this!”
“Write a letter to the editor, Pat.”
“–Sob– My president can’t read!”
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Ok, so that’s harsh. I admit, I’m pretty sure OFFAL can read. But he’s implied that he doesn’t read the newspaper! And besides, public opinion is just something he needs to manage better. Even if knowledge of current events and respect for constituents were helpful to being president, it still wouldn’t matter much when he considers himself to be above the motherfucking law!
Maybe someone— [cough]congress[/cough] —should put the law back up above the president where it belongs. [?] Just a thought.
Oh, I’m sorry, Pat! There there, don’t cry. There’s not much use in crying over spilled milk constitutional crises and broken democracy, now is there?
‘Reverse footnotes’ for the links above (taken in order):
1. “…Andy Card will be here when I walk in. He’s here earlier than I am. And he’ll be here with the latest, and I’ll ask him what’s in the newspapers worth worrying about…”
2. “As far as public opinion, the President will not shape policy according to public opinion, but he does understand that it’s important to bring the public back to this war and restore public confidence and support for the mission.” [And if you have the stomach for it, click the link and read the exchange following this paragraph… No, wait. Trust me, you won’t have the stomach for it.]
3. “The President has the ability to exercise his own authority if he thinks Congress has voted the wrong way.”
Stump Lane 
Interestingly, a few sentences down from the section that you quote in footnote 2 (re: public opinion), I find the ONLY quote that I heard from this press conference on a major news network, which was:
Which is just a great illustration of how the mainstram media is not actually reporting even the domestic, public debates on this subject, let alone international opinion, what’s happening on the ground in Iraq, what’s going on in Guantanamo, etc.
…the world is less safe if the United States withdraws and leaves a vacuum in Iraq.
And like all of our debate (on any issue.) There are only two positions conceivable to hold or discuss.
1) Stay in Iraq and escalate the number of US troops. Or, 2) withdraw and leave a vacuum.
No discussion over what kind of vacuum at all. Should we leave a canister or an upright? How about one of them cyclonic uprights? HEPA filter? Etc.
Seriously, I’m sure he’s talking about a power vacuum into which extremist power seekers could step and set up a regime hostile to US interests.
But what is missing from the discussion is the actual withdrawal argument: ‘Withdraw and bring our political, diplomatic, and financial power to bear to ensure that a power vacuum into which extremist power seekers could step doesn’t develop.
[I should add, that this part of the discussion isn’t completely absent. There are plenty of rational people out there willing to enumerate it. It just seems the TV volume’s gets ‘turned down’ on them.]