In the waning days of his administration, George Bush surprises the world with his expert handling of a rapidly unfolding international incident. After eight years of bungling every important issue that came across his desk, Bush showed that he was capable of rising to an unexpected and fast moving challenge. Or should we say ducking from one? I’m talking about the Iraqi shoe throwing affair, of course.
Bush showed real grace under fire. His fighter pilot reflexes were evident as he performed a brilliant evasive maneuver to avoid the first pedalian scud. Grinning, he barely moved to avoid the second, as he was now on guard and keenly calculated the trajectory of the follow up missle, allowing it to pass harmlessly by him as he resolutely stood his ground.
In the aftermath of the sandal scandal, Bush was in full Bring It On mode. “Somebody threw a shoe at me. So what?” said our leader, unfazed. “The shoe was a size ten” he quipped in perfect deadpan.
Bush is clearly in his element when he is playing the hero-baffoon. Lost in all the theater of the absurd is the sadness of it all, the pathetic symbolism of the event. Bush has brought death and devastation to Iraq with his bombs and bullets, and all that Iraq can offer in return are a couple of old shoes.
Bush, ever the political bounder, pays a suprise visit to Iraq to say goodbye to a country that he has all but destroyed, unmindful of the fact that he is about the last person in the world that country wants to see. Saddam Houssein himself would be more welcome.