The Rude Pundit: The Incredible Shrinking President

[Bhaisahab]

So yesterday the Rude Pundit did his laundry. And in that fine urban laundromat, the Rude Pundit was alone with the Chinese immigrant and Nuyorican women who work there. The television was tuned to CNN, where the "news" network paused in its Scott Peterson trial coverage to show the unveiling of the portraits of Bill and Hillary Clinton. George W. Bush spoke, earnestly, kindly, even transcendantly (in the context of Bush's politics), about the Clintons, but it was a typical "performance" by "compassionate" George - trying too hard, awkwardly pausing and smirking. We folded laundry, transferred things to dryers, and occasionally paused and watched. Then Bill Clinton began to speak, and all three of us stopped, almost at the same time, and turned to the television above the change machine and saw this man with such a command of self and words and such a knowledge of audience and humanity, someone funny, wise, and comforting. When he was finished, the Rude Pundit said, "Remember when we had a President?"

more: http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

[ashling]

1. Having failed at tying himself to Reagan's corpse,

maybe in some sick way, Bush is now trying to get support by tieing himself to Clinton.

[izzie]

2. Bush has always been a 'little' man.

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[muriel_volestrangler]

3. And that's before Tuesday's attempt at a press conference

"Hold on a second, I'll get you in a minute, please. A little patience in front of the President here."
"How many questions? One question apiece. If we're going to stand out here in 100-degree temperature, let's just have one question."
"Look, it's very hot out here, we've got a President from a -- a respectful President here. Why don't you just ask one question, if you don't mind? I don't mean to be telling you how to do your business. All right, I'll answer both."
"The second part was what? I forgot. It was so long ago that you asked it --"

And he damn near pleaded the fifth:

Q On another issue, have you been called to answer questions regarding the CIA leak? And have you retained the attorney --

PRESIDENT BUSH: You need to call -- you need to call -- you need to talk to the counsel over there.

then:
Q He said that politicians should not wear religious faith on their sleeve. And a lot of Republicans interpreted those remarks as being critical of you and your position on stem cell. I'd like to ask you about that.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Whether or not a politician should wear their -- I've always said I think it's very important for someone not to try to take the speck out of somebody else's eye when they may have a log in their own. In other words, I'm very mindful about saying, you know, oh, vote for me, I'm more religious than my neighbor. And I think it's -- I think it's perfectly -- I think it's important for people of religion to serve. I think it is very important for people who are serving to make sure there is a separation of church and state.

WTF? When asked whether politicians should wear their religion on their sleeve, he responds with a biblical quotation about hypocrisy, and then says he's mindful about saying "vote for me, I'm more religious". This level of self-reference, hypocrisy, and wearing his religion on his sleeve, is truly impressive. Is Bush in fact a constructor of philosophical paradoxes to rival Zeno?