The Incredible Shrinking Little Big Man

If you're not reading James Wolcott's blog (see link on the right), here's just one sample that shows why you should:

Last night I believe we saw the ugly comeback of the private face of Bush--the irritable expressions he flashes subordinates when he's presented with information he doesn't like or feels someone's taken up too much of his time or is pressed to explain himself to people he shouldn't have to explain himself to because he's the president and fuck you. The notion that Bush is "likeable" has always been laughable. It takes a Washington pundit to be that dumb. He's an angry, spoiled, resentful little big man--I use "little big man" in the Reichian sense of a small personality who puffs himself up to look big through bluster and swagger but remains a scheming coward inside--and next to a genuinely big man like Kerry, shrunk before the camera's eyes.

What's more, what's with Bush's lines like: "I know how these people [foreign leaders] think. I deal with them all the time. I sit down with the world leaders frequently and talk to them on the phone frequently," or, "I work with Director Mueller of the FBI; comes in my office when I'm in Washington every morning, talking about how to protect us"? I mean, we know the job description--he's the president. That doesn't mean he does the job well, however.

It's kind of the story of his life, though, cruising on generations of Bush power and wealth, so he could goof off and survive business collapses, the Texas Rangers, Vietnam, losing an election yet being annointed president, and, he hopes, never having to take responsibility for the most disastrous day in U.S. history.