Grapes of Wrath? American people: no thanks! To the casual listener, former President George W. Bush’s presidential dedication may have seemed like a rare moment of national unity and bipartisanship. And, it almost was.
Whilom Democratic Presidents Carter and Clinton, Bush’s GOP dad 41, and the current President Barack Obama took to the podium to proclaim the virtues of W, a fellow member in the “most exclusive club in the world.” But, strangely, after all of the accolades that seemed to draw the country together as one, the U.S. Army performed the “Grapes of Wrath,” a song celebrating that most un-Civil War between the States. To make matters even worse for an oblivious 43, he expressed his appreciation to almost everyone, including the President (and former Presidents), other elected officials, his longtime political supporters, and even the library landscapers: But, he forgot to thank the American people who made his two-term Presidency possible.
Perhaps, President Bush’s presidential library dedication was actually apt. He was the patrician Bushes’ Texas son who made them proud as a well-intended, good-natured scion, who weathered 9-11 and kept the nation safe thereafter. But, sometimes, he could be quite clueless.
Carpe Diem 