Why was this not front-page news (or even reported) three years ago??? From a 2003 Ladies Home Journal interview with the Bushes, talking about the night of 9/11:
George W. Bush: But the day ended on a relatively humorous note. The agents said, “you’ll be sleeping downstairs. Washington’s still a dangerous place.” And I said no, I can’t sleep down there, the bed didn’t look comfortable. I was really tired, Laura was tired, we like our own bed. We like our own routine. You know, kind of a nester. I knew I had to deal with the issue the next day and provide strength and comfort to the country, and so I needed rest in order to be mentally prepared. [For all the rest he gets, why does he never seem even remotely “crisp” to me? Baked, maybe.] So I told the agent we’re going upstairs, and he reluctantly said okay. Laura wears contacts, and she was sound asleep. Barney was there. And the agent comes running up and says, “We’re under attack. We need you downstairs,” and so there we go. I’m in my running shorts and my T-shirt, and I’m barefooted. Got the dog in one hand, Laura had a cat, I’m holding Laura –
Laura Bush: I don’t have my contacts in , and I’m in my fuzzy house slippers –
George W. Bush: And this guy’s out of breath, and we’re heading straight down to the basement because there’s an incoming unidentified airplane, which is coming toward the White House. Then the guy says it’s a friendly airplane. And we hustle all the way back up stairs and go to bed.
Mrs. Bush: And we just lay there thinking about the way we must have looked.
Peggy Noonan (interviewer): So the day starts in tragedy and ends in Marx Brothers.
George W. Bush: That’s right – we got a laugh out of it.
Nothing quite like a massive terrorist attack in the morning to help you appreciate the absurdity of life.
No, I’m not referring to the video of Katherine Harris and Rick Renzi practically making out in the middle of a presentation on the House floor, although that’s pretty cool too.
I have to say, I’m instantly skeptical of any story (or “News Analysis”) containing the phrase “Bush’s Realization,” but David Sanger’s NYT piece about Bush giving in to pressure to negotiate with Iran is certainly thought-provoking.
And the thought that it principally provokes in me is this: Given the choice between a statesmanlike diplomatic coup (and I’m using “coup” in the figurative sense, just so we’re clear) and a prolonged, ugly, costly, unsuccessful war that cements our global reputation as a rogue bully and a sworn enemy of Islam, which one will Bush pick?
Hey, remember when we had troops massed in Saddam’s backyard, and he let inspectors in, and they didn’t find anything? How did that turn out?
Look, I’m not saying negotiations with Iran would be a slam-dunk, although I believe they are genuinely willing to deal. I just believe that Bush cares only about his legacy as the Strong Fighter War President, and couldn’t give two shits about this nancy-boy diplomacy stuff. And the last time he was in a similar situaton, he chose war to make himself and the Republican party look tough and serious about “fighting terror.”
This time around, the case for war isn’t as strong, the outcome would be more clearly disastrous (no visions of flowers and sugarplums this time), we have no troops available, and Bush is winding down his last term, which is when presidents traditionally think about burnishing their statesman credentials. For a rational president, any one of those factors would be enough to dissuade them from an unnecessary war, but Bush is not a rational president. War is the basis of his entire self-image, the only thing that makes him feel powerful and in charge. I also think he wants to recapture that heady new-war smell, when everyone thought he was Manly King Stud. I personally think it would backfire, but I don’t think he cares.
Anyway, to sum up, our president is a bloodthirsty madman who needs war to get an erection. And just like an addict, he needs a bigger and bigger fix to get a buzz. Is there a 12-step program for this, I wonder. “Hello. My name is George, and I am a warmonger.”
I know I really should wait until after I’ve posted some kind of Serious Analysis Of The Political Situation, to recharge my credibility battery, but who knows how long that could take. My readers should not be cruelly deprived of this masterpiece for one instant longer:
It’s like they deliberately tried to make the Worst Music Video Of All Time.
