Staying Healthy

Look, I know it's pretty easy to make fun of this President's attention to his health and exercise, but let's face it, we all would like to do more of the same ourselves. And our doctors tell us to do exactly what Bush is doing not only at his age, but at all ages, to stay healthy, to continue to think clearly, and to maintain our optimum fitness and weight. I don't begrudge him his health. In fact, I envy him and wish I had his commitment.

Of course, the only problem is that it doesn't translate into "the hard work" he is always talking about, and it doesn't seem to help him think more clearly either. He takes more vacations than any President in modern memory, and he seems to nap alot, somewhat like Ronald Reagan, although for different reasons.

His way of expressing himself doesn't improve because his heart is healthier, or his brain has blood pumping through it at a healthy pace. He still stumbles over his words, and has a significantly difficult time expressing his ideas (unless, of course, they are written in big bold letters for him by Karl Rove and his minions). For instance, here's the recent way he talked about himself in the third person, maintaining his health: "I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy, and part of my being is to be outside exercising."

This past Saturday's Presidential schedule, as described by the White House, included "an evening Little League Baseball playoff game, a lunch meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a nap, some fishing and some reading." Jon Stewart, with a wink in his eye last night, asked rhetorically "how'd that (the reading) get in there?" Reading is part of the healthy image Rove projects for Bush. He not only has a healthy body, but a healthy mind. Of course, he probably was scheduled to read his schedule for the next day (more bike riding, some brush cutting, another meeting of some kind, some more fishing) which is all "part of his being", and all of which help him make all those "crisp decisions" he needs to make.

So, let's lay off him on this one, folks. I mean do we really want some unhealthy, sedentary President who raises working people's wages, establishes and preserves social security for all Americans, creates worthwhile, good paying jobs, protects worker's rights, and does battle against real evil, instead of lying about a phony war?