My take on the "Bush is drinking" story

[PSPS]

Frankly, I think Rove is behind the National Enquirer running this story.

First, Bush being "back on the sauce" is like saying the Pope is "back in his vestments." It has been obvious to anyone who has observed Bush over the past five years that he has never been "off" the sauce. His speech is regularly slurred, he has trouble forming coherent thoughts and sentences, and he has bouts of bad physical coordination (falling off bikes, "falling off the couch," various contusions visible on his face, etc.)

Second, if you read the story in the National Enquirer, it spins his drinking as "Katrina's fault," and because he "is so disturbed by the death of every soldier in Iraq." Here are a couple of direct quotes from the story:

"The handling of the Katrina crisis and troop losses in Iraq have fueled public discontent and pushed Bush back to drink."

Notice the use of the phrases, "The handling of the Katrina crisis" and "the troop losses in Iraq." This implies that it is the fault of someone or something else. Bush is portrayed as just an innocent bystander, undeserving of scorn or ridicule, let alone culpability.

"The war in Iraq, the loss of American lives, has deeply affected him. He takes every soldier's life personally. It has left him emotionally drained."

It is generally agreed that Bush is a textbook sociopath, devoid of any empathy of compassion. He truly is "the giggling murderer." I doubt he gives any thought at all to anyone in Iraq, let alone the dead soldiers or their families, beyond how he can use them for his political advantage.

The reason I think Rove is behind this (and may have actually written the piece) is that, by doing so, it helps deflect any criticism of Bush for being the walking catastrophe that he is. You see, his drinking isn't a "moral failing" or "weakness." Instead, it is meant to be seen as a "sad but understandable" toll taken on a "good man" by "extraordinary circumstances" that would have happened to anyone.

All you have to do to understand the context of this being in the National Enquirer is to evaluate this story within the broader scope of their coverage of Bush. They are solid supporters of Bush, and have been ever since they were "Anthraxed" back in 2001 after publishing stories and pictures critical of Bush's alcoholic daughters. Even the National Media guy interviewed by Jay Marvin on The Ed Schultz show admitted that he was and continues to be a "big supporter" of Bush.

So lets say this does end up being in a "real" newspaper some time down the road. This National Enquirer story, with its "Bush deserves our sympathy" spin, will tend to undercut any criticism it might generate.

Anyway, that's my take on it.

[ewagner]

1. Interesting analysis

gives me something to think about......

oh yes, I haven't welcomed you to DU, so belatedly:

:hi:

[Helga Scow Stern]

2. Makes sense.

[Lena inRI]

3. Yep, I too smell a rat. . .

because the CHOICE of words almost excuses B* negligent behavior, hoping to lighten the deserved harshest criticism.

Yesiree, the Rovian Rat at work. . .glad you voiced this subtlety, PSPS.:toast:

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. my analysis, they are usign the Enquirer to float the story

so I agree with you

And welcoem to DU

but the story is real, he is hittign the sauce and has been hitting the sauce for years now. In fact I doubt he stopped more than a day.

Now the story reminds me a tad of .... NIXON

[unrepuke]

5. I agree. I've been wondering if it isn't Karl phasing him out gently -

detox instead of impeachment. "Poor George."

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Won't work

and may set this up for the 25th ammendment

[Dark]

6. Just because he's an idiot doesn't mean he's a drunk.

I know plenty of stupid people who want nothing to do with alcohol.

And there are plenty of intelligent people who can't get enough of the sweet liquer (I'm one of them ;) )

[benburch]

18. We know he was a drunk and a stoner til he was 40.

And we know he never got any treatment for it.

Those are facts.

[Betty]

20. and just because he's a drunk doesn't mean he's NOT an idiot.

he's both.

[SoFlaJet]

8. and you know what

it ain't gonna fly-no excuses for the leader of the free world-resign then NOW and get yourself some help dammit.Friggin LIVES ARE AT STAKE-Hitler was sleeping one off on D-Day morning was he not?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. The Bush Administration is the most hermetically sealed in history

I doubt that a close family member would ever dream of saying anything derogatory to the press without another motive being involved. The question is why Bush is now to be portrayed as having a disease such as alcoholism. I think we are being prepped for something, but I'm not sure what that is.

[jedr]

21. so true; once in a discussion with a friend.

Just before the first election( the first one they stole) he noted that he doubted that anyone who sold "coke" to * remains alive today. they don't let stuff like this get out.

[July]

25. I wonder about that sometimes.

If there was no-one who could spill the beans, wouldn't Bush have just denied he ever used coke? Instead, he carefully expresses the idea that he could have passed a background check at a particular time. I always take that to mean that he can't quite get away with the lie.

Maybe it's his own family, or Rove, who's holding it over his head, but somebody knows something, I think.

[jedr]

28. sorry , posted wrong place ..see 27

[Neecy]

10. it could be a plant...

Scenario: a major publication is about to expose the fact that Bush is still a drunk and indeed never stopped being one.

So, this story is planted with the sympathetic storyline as you described to take the edge off of the "real" story. If this is the case, then yes, I could well see Rove pushing this "I drink because I'm so damned sad about the blood on my hands and the incompetence of everyone around me" type of fable.

[cally]

24. Good point...a man from NE said today that a major newspaper

is working on a similar story. So maybe Rove was trying to paint it in a more sympathetic light.

[jedr]

27. My friends thoughts were.

daddy ran the CIA and who would miss a few coke dealers...Problem solved.

[Minstrel Boy]

11. Exactly what I've been saying.

The "insider" says deaths and tragedies affect him deeply and are taking a toll. Yeah, that sounds like Bush all over. Mr Empathy, he is.

Very clever, this catapulted propaganda.

[jsamuel]

12. Plus, they say he was in Crawford when the levees broke and found out ther

e. He wasn't in Crawford... just goes to show you how this is a lie.

There are too many true stories out there about Bush to repeat this lie, as it will sully all the true ones.

[wellstone_democrat]

13. "Innoculation"

sez an old DC friend of mine who is in a position to know what we all know: The bastard drinks, always has, always will. The "drying out with the Lord" is for both the "conversion" narrative for the religious and to defuse stories of his wild youth.

I thought it was and I asked and he told me: fear that in his vulnerable low-poll state *real* stories will be told. If so, its "already out there" that POOR Bush* is tormented by things bigger than him. Desperate yes, true yes, and now it can never be a scoop.

BTW, my friend, a political analyst of 30 years experience says that Rove is hated ONLY second to Bush* and that the chance to take him out is eagerly awaited "two mean fucks" is what this "gentleman" who rarely swears says. BTW, again, there are more than enough pics of bush getting a glass filled with red and white wine from the same bottle as others and pics with him with beer---when asked, the WH says it is no-alcohol beer or apple juice. But, as my guy said today: "notice that no one really asks? Guess why?"

Oh, and yep, he's a Dem analyst--no I'm not telling his name but yes, those of you who follow such things would know it. He's a straight guy and I've known him since I was a teenager and he's NEVER wrong because he never speaks until he knows.

[tularetom]

14. I wouldn't put it past them

but it is at odds with the super macho tough guy he man image they have tried so hard to craft for bush. Drinking because he is under stress would show he couldn't handle the stress. A sissy like John Kerry would drink under such stress but not bush. Oh no, he is too steely eyed, too resolute and just too manly to succumb to a weakness like drinking.

At least I think thats what his asshole true believers would think.

[madokie]

15. Now that you mention it.

[jsamuel]

16. Yeah, I don't think DU should be pushing this story at all.

[pretzel4gore]

17. cocaine and unruly teenagers...

the 'albion monitour' had an article a few years ago (pre 911) about the 'bush is a cokehead' story...the gist of the article was that such rumours cost bush nothing, but gave him credence with those rightwingers who also used drugs like coke....similarly, it seems the stories about the bush family's troubles with the girls pre 2k election also won bush sympathy while costing the busheviks nothing (to think anyone, even a cop, could get near the girls defies common sense, but that was the hinge the story swung on)...all these 'bush is a fawed human being' stories cost him nothing, but strengthen his image with the drunks and pigs who like him...the reality is that bush indeed is a user, and also he indulges himself xxxually (use your imagination; these people don't have moral code outside of cosmetic) and some day the news will probably appear that geebush has a tongue on him worse then a born again dick nixon...

[enid602]

19. pitiful

So, in other words, repugnicons are FINALLY admitting that the results of this President are so frightful that there's really no way in hell they can continue to spin these results, and that the only humane thing to do is to paint the chimp as the long-suffering martyr whose little body finally gave out. Pitiful, after our country has been so brutally raped.

[July]

26. I don't think it will work.

The group that can handle the idea that Bush is a drunk WHILE supposedly running the most powerful nation on earth is very small.

[yy4me]

22. Very lucid thoughts; somehow it all makes sense as a Rovian plan.

Smacks of "poor George, don't blame him, he's sick" To establish sympathy and take the burden of these 5 years of horrible mistakes off the republican party and put the blame on the shoulders of this poor sick man. I don't buy this excuse. No-one should. I'm sure he is drinking, but that does not absolve him of responsibility. If he was driving a car while drunk and hit someone, would he be not guilty of DUI because he was drinking? He has got to go, with scorn, not sympathy!

[oddtext]

23. i call bullshit

for the same reasons, on a once through the piece there were too many stretches for the article to be fully credible. there may be a shred of light in the piece, but there's more shadow there than anything else. therefore, bush may be drinking, but that's probably nothing new too. perhaps katrina, failure in iraq, in increasingly banal war on terror and the bankrupting of *'s political capital etc, have taken their toll and multiplied the drunkeness.