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Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Father Knows Best In their fascinating new book, "The Bushes," Peter and Rochelle Schweizer depict former President George H. W. Bush as being proud but somewhat baffled by his son George W.'s rise to power. "You remember when your kid came home with two A's — and you thought she was going to fail," they quote him saying. "That's exactly what it's like."We're baffled, too, H.W. We see him as incurious, impatient, dogmatic, inflexible, callous, bullying, manichean, ill-informed, and abrasive, but you'd probably know better than we would. Help us cut through the crap, Dad. You know what he's like without all the packaging, ghost writing, and fluff, and you were surprised he would emerge as a leader. Why did you doubt his potential, and how would you explain how your hitherto thoroughly unsuccessful (and unappealing) progeny found himself governor of Texas and President of the United States of America? I mean, he never did get an A, did he? Did he accomplish it the same way he managed to make his fortune, through the efforts of your social and business network rather than through any effort or ability on his own part? Was the last name he shared with you a factor in getting the republican establishment behind him? Was backslapping quid pro quo with the conservative moneyed class, whom W has handsomely rewarded viahis tax policies, instrumental in his rise to power? Or did he develop all the qualities of a good leader out of the blue overnight? The child may be father to the man, but you were father to the child. What's his secret? 
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