Talking Texan

I'm still stunned by your "press conference" yesterday, Bush. A whole hour of unadulterated blather, most of it repeated several times over in answer to completely different questions. You couldn't even come up with a few gracious, authentic, spontaneous words about Ann Richards--as a former alcoholic, you'd surely have a word to say about her courageous, and very public battle with that disease. The only thing that sounded theleast bit true was your joking reference to her noted ability to "Talk Texan." For Ann Richards, that implied a certain tough-minded, unsparing and impromptu wit.

For you, Bush, it amounts to nothing more than bluster.

I can think of no better word to describe your performance yesterday. Blustering, as I understand it, is talking Texan when you have nothing to say--or so little that you need to repeat it over and over, just a little bit louder and more indignantly each time. I'm talking about empty utterances like these: "My job is to protect the people of this country," "It's a dangerous world," and "We've got to give our professionals the tools they need... to win the war on terror."

Also gems like this one, (uttered in tones of withering pity for the ignorance of your questioner): "Pakistan is a sovereign nation. You can't go sending thousands of troops into a sovereign nation without being invited." Really? Though I suppose this rule doesn't apply when we're dealing with sovereign nations whose leaders we happen to despise--or when it's a matter of nations harder to defeat than was Iraq.

Or this: "The Islamic terrorists... want to impose their ideology throughout the Middle East." Oh? And what's your current rationale for being there? Or this: "We'll continue to work with allies, building a vast coalition..." A vast coalition? I mean, Bush, I don't wish to sound trite, but what planet are you living on, there in your White House? Has it escaped your notice that most of the nations of the world oppose your policies, and some of them with venom?

Then there were the usual political asides. "The Democrats," you asserted, after modestly disclaiming any partisan intention, "would raise taxes on the working people." I suppose there are those who would believe this kind of nonsense, but where do you get this stuff from, Bush? Not from the Democrats, for sure. And while proclaiming loudly your repudiation of any and all attacks on the patriotism of those who dare to criticize your policies and strategies (though please let's not forget John Kerry and the Swift Boaters), you impugn their character or their common sense instead. They are "confused." Or "partisan." Or "dead wrong."

I watched in open-mouthed amazement as you managed to bluster your way through a whole hour of reasonable questions while the media--give them a little credit--did their best to probe and keep you on the subject. To no avail. You blustered on without losing a stride. Texas talk, I guess.

By the way, you got short shrift from the BBC News last night. They led with Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmandinejad taunting you delightedly from Fidel Castro's Cuba, at the Non-Aligned Nations' summit meeting. Then came the Pope and his insult to Islam. Political protests in the Ivory Coast. The business report, with the troubles at Ford--and the thousands more jobs lost at that former giant of American industry. Then twenty seconds of the Bush press conference, before moving on to people trafficking in the Canary Islands and wind farms off the coast of Norway. Even Katie over at CBS relegated you to third place, Bush, after E.coli and Ford.

Is it possible people aren't taking Texas talk seriously any more?