New York held its usual moving, somber service at the World Trade Center site n/k/a “Ground Zero,” on the fourth anniversary of the events of 11 September 2001. It’s interesting that a mere four years to the day after that seminal event of our lives, the President’s approval rating stands literally “one below zero” at thirty-nine percent (I say that because forty per cent of the American people would support any Republican, especially this one, even if they knife-raped a nun on live national television.)

The two events are related, though not in the way you think. Yes, yes, millions of Americans (indeed most Americans) are horrified at the crass insensitivity of Barbara Bush, the crash incompetence of Michael Brown, the crass indifference of George W. Bush, over the obscene mishandling of events surrounding Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it wrought. This coalesces with a majority of Americans having come round to believe that the Iraq war was a huge mistake while a lone 48-year old woman brought the most powerful man in the world (just ask him) to his political knees.

But what’s really driving the President’s sudden unpopularity? Hint: it’s about driving. It’s about record oil prices. Only a fool would have concluded that the purpose of the Iraq war was anything other than intended to keep Iraqi oil off line so that Saudi oil hegemony would be maintained (note our ongoing enmity with the other possible threat to Saudi oil supremacy, Iran…). Well, policies intended to drive up gasoline prices… have finally coalesced to achieve that goal. Alas, a year too late for this to matter in electoral terms (the President was fortunate that hurricanes hit Florida, where his brother is the sitting governor…) Result, anyway, is that high gasoline prices are pretty much about a guaranteed way for a President to be… unpopular.

Thing is, I remember four years ago today vividly. I began work that day a block north of the North Tower of the World Trade Center around 7:30 that morning, only to be disturbed a few minutes before 9 am with a sonic boom, followed by paper and glass falling outside the window, followed by flames shooting out, followed by people falling, followed by a boom and an explosion at the South tower, followed by walking home through the airplane crash riddled streets, smoke filled aftermath, trying to figure out where my brother (who also worked a block from the WTC) was… and then later, job loss, nightmares, fear of follow-on attacks, insurance documents floating into the back yard, toxic particulates in the air for months… you all know the rest.

And a seemingly heroic performance by our then mayor (St. Rudy) and… a… complete… absence… from… our… so-called… President. Indeed, Karen Hughes had to come on the air to tell us he was alive, given his evident disappearance. A disappearance reminiscent of the President’s performance in the face of Katrina. He showed up after the fact for carefully orchestrated photo-ops, which he later portrayed as some kind of “leadership”. We knew it then. We know it now.

But it’s damned well one thing we should remember, whenever our “war president” tries to portray himself as anything other than the same damned coward who skipped out on his duty to his nation as an Air National Guard officer… Because unlike you, Mr. President, I remember 9-11 the way it actually happened. I was there. And you, Sir, were most definitely not. And I for one will not forget that.