Bush: 'That's How I Work'

Bush and the Church

Julie Mason blogs for the Houston Chronicle that Bush has apparently stopped going to church: "Another Sunday and President Bush skipped church. We can't remember the last time he went. He never used to miss church -- and we know, because we get Sunday pool duty all the time and have to get up in the dark and go with him."

Mason checks her files: "9/23 pool report: The president of America eschewed church on this fine Sunday and instead went for a bike ride in Virginia. . . . 9/30 pool report: The evangelical president did not go to church today, but he did go on a bike ride. . . . 10/7 pool report: (Bush gave a speech at the National Fire Academy) . . . . 10/14 pool report: (Bush was on his Crawford ranch) 10/21 pool report: Pool reported this morning and headed straight for biking, no church. . . . 10/28 pool report: No church, and uneventful bike ride at Fort Belvoir, Va."

Cheney Speaks

Here's the transcript of Vice President Cheney's interview on Friday with CNBC's Larry Kudlow. Among the softballs:

Question: "President Bush is speaking today, this morning, about his unhappiness with the congressional appropriations process and spending overruns. He's already vetoed the SCHIP bill. He's kind of become the budget warrior this year. What can you say about that?"

Cheney: "Well, he's doing it and he's enjoying it."

Asked about a Democratic tax plan, Cheney responded: "Well, I don't like it. I think it's bad in several respects. It raises the rate on capital gains. It raises the rate on dividends. It raises the top rate on the income tax. Those are terrible ideas. Those are all rates we reduced when we came in, in 2001 and 2003. They've been absolutely crucial to driving this economy and to creating the incentives out there for businesses to invest and to create more jobs and more wealth. They're the prime reason we've seen an increase in tax revenues. And also the fact that we've got a deficit next year that's 1.2 percent of GDP, which is half what the deficit has been over the last 40 years."

But that's bunk. As I've explained many times before, there is near unanimity among economists that Bush's tax cuts didn't come close to paying for themselves, let alone result in added revenue. Tax cuts cause deficits, they don't reduce them.

Cheney also acknowledged his unlikely relationship to Barack Obama.

Question: "Speaking of another Democratic frontrunner, you and Senator Obama are apparently related. This information comes from your wife, Lynne, who appeared on our program not too long ago. Mareen and Susan Duvall, immigrants from France -- have you spoke to Mr. Obama about this shared experience?"

Cheney: "Cousin Barack? (Laughter.) No, we haven't -- haven't had the opportunity to talk about it."

The First Lady on Fox

Ben Feller writes for the Associated Press: "First lady Laura Bush, an increasingly prominent voice on matters at home and abroad, says the difference lately is not her policy role in the White House but rather the attention she gets for it.

"'The fact is, I've been involved for a long time in policy, and I think I just didn't get a lot of coverage on it,' she said in a rare Sunday talk show appearance.

"'I mean, I really do think there's a stereotype. And I was stereotyped as being a certain way because I was a librarian and a teacher and, you know, had the careers that traditional women have,' she said.

"She returned last week from the Middle East, where she promoted breast cancer awareness in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan."

But here's the transcript of the softball interview on Fox News Sunday. The only concrete example of being involved in policy that the first lady offers is that of Burma, where she has indeed been outspoken of late.

Questoin: "Do you weigh in on policy with the President? Do you weigh in on the war in Iraq or Iran?"

Laura Bush: "You know, sure. I mean, I talk to the President about Burma. I meet with Burmese dissidents. I've had the chance to talk about that."

So is she really giving her husband a lot of policy advice? Or is she just trying to shed her well-earned image as a non-entity (certainly compared to her predecessor)? Because first lady of 43 is apparently not a fan of the first lady of 42.

As AFP reports: "First Lady Laura Bush may be a champion of women's rights but that does not extend to endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton's bid to become America's first female president. . . .

"Laura Bush said the Republican candidate would get her vote in next year's presidential race, even if Senator Clinton has the best shot yet of ensuring that a woman occupies the Oval Office.

"'I mean, I'm looking forward to voting for a Republican woman, whenever that is, but I'll be supporting the Republican,' she said, insisting that policy positions trumped gender."

Cabinet Watch

Michael Abramowitz writes in The Washington Post that "acting secretaries running the departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs. The VA vacancy is particularly perplexing, given the political troubles facing the White House on that issue and the fact that R. James Nicholson announced his departure more than three months ago.

"Veterans groups are sounding restive. 'I just don't think that VA is on the radar screen of the White House,' said David W. Gorman of the Disabled American Veterans. 'They think it is a lower priority in the whole scheme of things.' "

Bush the Jacobin?

Fran¿ois Furstenberg writes in a New York Times op-ed that "future historians examining Mr. Bush's presidency within the longer sweep of political and intellectual history may find the French Revolution useful in understanding his curious brand of 21st- century conservatism."

Dowd's Fantasy

New York Times opinion columnist Maureen Dowd imagines an unleashed Cheney talking to NBC's Tim Russert:

Russert: "Conservatives are tossing around some lock-and-load language. The president is talking about Iran sparking a 'nuclear holocaust' and World War III. Giuliani adviser Norman Podhoretz thinks we're in World War IV. Shouldn't you at least give the new sanctions against Iran a chance to work?"

Cheney: "Oh, we have, Tim. The sanctions were announced Thursday. It's now Sunday."

The Hugger in Chief

Paul Farhi writes in The Washington Post: "The wildfires in Southern California this week have served to remind the world once more about one of the singular and underappreciated skills of George W. Bush: The man is a generous hugger."

Cartoon Watch

Tom Tomorrow on a scary Halloween costume; David Horsey on Cheney's haunted house; Ann Telnaes and Jeff Danziger on Iran; Tony Auth on Bush's achievement; Mike Luckovich on Bush's relevance.