McClellan: Bush Partied So Much, He Couldn't Remember Whether He Tried Cocaine
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's new book is pissing off the Bush Administration for a dozen reasons, most of them irrelevant to this blog. This passage, however, ought to replace "I didn't inhale," as the most infamous pseudo-acknowledgement of drug use in presidential history:
McClellan tracks Bush's penchant for self-deception back to an overheard incident on the campaign trail in 1999 when the then-governor was dogged by reports of possible cocaine use in his younger days.
The book recounts an evening in a hotel suite "somewhere in the Midwest." Bush was on the phone with a supporter and motioned for McClellan to have a seat.
"'The media won't let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,' I heard Bush say. 'You know, the truth is I honestly don't remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don't remember.'" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
I'm almost prepared to give Bush the benefit of the doubt on this, seeing as he was speaking off the record with a supporter. It's not a context in which one would be inclined to lie. Nor is "I don't remember" a particularly flattering portrayal of one's own drug history. Really, one begins to wonder what else Bush doesn’t remember doing at these "wild parties." Let's all just pause for a moment to picture George W. Bush on acid. Yikes, nevermind.
Anyhow, in case you're wondering where I'm going with this, I'm not going to argue that you can do cocaine, party until you forget all about it, and then grow up to be just as smart and great as George Bush. A lot of people would find that argument unimpressive for a variety of reasons.
My point, rather, is that as we inevitably subject future presidential hopefuls to the usual and predictable inquisitions over their past drug use, we now have a new bottom line against which to compare their answers. From now on, all we should ask is that candidates for the job of president be able to accurately and confidently tell us what drugs they did in college. As long as you have some vague idea what you put in your body and why, you can pass the newly revised presidential drug use questionnaire.
Nothing is "off the record"
Anybody who is a presidential candidate is never ever off the record. I'm sure Bush and Rove knew that much in 1999.
Anyways, if you can't remember snorting lines of cocaine powder up your nose, what can you remember? I'm sure there will be more books coming out from the people he partied with.
Bush proves one thing
The presidency of the United States is not as high powered as it is cut out to be. Any idiot on a bar stool can do the job. Not well but then America has never had high standards for politicians.
Bush is going to get his
Bush is on his way out and he and Cheney have made a lot of ememies. People are just counting down the days until they have no more power and payback is on they way. He knows what he's done.
let he that is without sin cast the first stone.
I have heard many complaints on GW-and they are all valid. But, one thing that pisses me off the most is people blaming inadament things trying to explain why someone is just plain stupid-is stupid. Now there are many things I would love to say to the President (that actually lost the presidential race to Gore, but miraculously won by a recount in a state ran by whom, thats right his little brother Jeb), but I don't think that secret service would allow me to piss on him. Never in our history as a nation have we lost so many freedoms for security. When we elected this man into presidency we might as well have tore up the constitution and threw it away. The patriot act-the wiretaps-Americans being tortured overseas by the cia, the war which we all knew was bullshit, letting new orleans sink to the bottom of the ocean and not do a damn thing to help anyone... the list goes on and on-but we did this people. We elected him, even though we everyone's vote was counted gore was a head by a large margin, but we elected the electoral college to piss away our rights, and put people into power that shouldn't. We have a huge problem in America, and we need throw away every last politician and start fresh-at least the old fucks in office will be gone-and make it a requirement for all politicians to have a higher iq than 91-
just a rant-
peace
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