Clarification, and the Beatles

Here's something I apparently didn't make clear:

The reason Suskind's article didn't shock me was because I've already read so much stuff about Bush's evangelicism. I've followed every article written about it since he was inaugurated. I already knew about Bush's frequent references to his "instinct," about the mandatory prayer meetings he holds for his staff, about his complete lack of intellectual (or other) curiosity, about his uncertainty on the difference between Sweden and Switzerland. Suskind's article was merely an unusually articulate summary of the information I'd already absorbed.

I used the word "acclimated" very deliberately in my last post. I, and I venture to guess many people, have been acclimated to W's integration of religion into public realm, slowly but surely. Bush has brought religion to the forefront so surely, so deliberately, and, I must admit, masterfully. It is suddenly, unmistakably, an essential part of the public discourse. It shouldn't be, but it is. What should be is out the window at this point. We have to deal with what is.

More on this later. I'm sick of politics.

Anyone watch Lost tonight? I love that show. It's one of three shows I'm watching right now--I'm about maxed out. Charlie's tatoo ("Living is easy with eyes closed") inspired me to pop in the Beatles. I was really wanting Strawberry Fields, but I don't have it, so I listened to Let It Be while catching up on e-mail and am now on to the White Album. What's up with Jack's demon daddy? Quality brain-dead T.V. shows are truly a gift. It's about time for online poker, folks.

ANNIE UPDATE: Tonight I again watched Annie Duke win a poker tournament. I can't keep track of exactly which tournaments they're talking about . . . it seems that every night there's a new one, and I can't figure out the hierarchy of the whole thing. Anyway, there were two consecutive tournaments going on, a women's and a men's. Annie declined to play in the women's tournament and instead played in the men's . . . AND BEAT THEM ALL. This woman is my hero.

In closing, I've typed up a partial transcript of the final Bush/Kerry debate. I will freely admit that this is not an official transcript--it's mostly (O.K., entirely) from my memory, but I think most of you will agree that it's pretty accurate. Enjoy.



Moderator: President Bush, what do you have to say to those families who have loved ones fighting in Iraq and who question your decision to go to war?

Bush: Well, one thing I would say to them is, there’s nothing more important for our soldiers in the army of compassion, who are out there in harm’s way, than to have a good education. In my first term I passed the No Child Left Behind Act, which guarantees that every soldier, whether they’re a minority or whatnot, will get the same education as everybody else who’s not a soldier. You see, there was what they call a learning gap between folks, but now that there’s No Child Left Behind, there’s not that gap anymore.


Moderator: Mr. President, your opponent lays out some pretty strong figures on job loss during your first term, and he claims that no other president since Hoover has overseen a bigger job loss than your administration. How do you respond to that?

Bush: You see, it’s very simple. While we did have a job loss, we’ve also had a job gain in the past few months. When you have a loss but then you have a gain, that’s not a loss. My opponent can’t see that, because he can’t decide whether there’s a gain or loss. But I’d also like to say that the bipartisan legislation I did during my first term, the No Child Left Behind Act, is actually a jobs act. It has guaranteed a level playing field when people are competing for jobs. Because we have standards now, and we’re going to hold people accountable.


Moderator: Mr. President, some have claimed that you don’t really seem to have any plan at all for healthcare. Can you describe for the American people what you intend to do about the rising cost of healthcare and the millions of people who are currently uninsured?

Bush: I’d love to take the opportunity to outline my plan to the American people. See, in order for people to make informed choices about healthcare, people have to be educated. I can’t explain how important education is in this decision. That’s why the No Child Left Behind Act, which I wrote with Republicans and Democrats across the aisle, will guarantee that no child can just be passed on through the system. Even if your parents don’t speak English or if you live in the inner city, you will get the help you need to not be left behind. And contrary to what my opponent claims, I have fully funded this program. In fact, I’ve overfunded it, as evidenced by the 1,000 new Pell Grants that are now out there and available for folks who want to go to college and can’t afford it.