Posted on 06/07/2004 3:29:53 PM PDT by LS
This conversation never took place . . . or did it?
The blue pickup bounced along the dusty road, seemingly hitting every pothole possible, lifting both passengers in the cab off their seats on more than one occasion.
"Y'know, George, they make a fine piece of equipment for this work. It's called a horse."
W smiled at the ex-President. "Never did like horses the way you did, Ron. Maybe it's a generational thing."
"Well, that's all right. They're expensive animals, and time consuming, that's for sure. I've been retired, you know, so I've had some time to ride. Anyway, where are we going?"
"I know you like nothing more than good, old-fashioned farm work---clearing brush, cutting trees---so I thought we'd ditch the press back at the house and go roll up our sleeves and get dirty!"
"Now you're talking, my boy. That's what I like about you. Your dad's a great guy, and God knows he worked his tail off in the oil fields, right down in there with the hands, but he always seemed more comfortable behind the wheel of a sailboat."
W laughed. "Yep, that's dad. And he's a good sailor. But, I dunno, there's something about work where you just, well, get sweaty---makes you feel like you've accomplished something. Know what I mean?"
"I know exactly what you mean. When I was an actor---that was before talkies you know!---I was used to putting in 10-hour days on a set. But it never seemed like I was really earning my pay. Maybe that's why they always called me a 'B-actor.'"
"Oh, don't sell yourself short, Ron. I've seen you in 'Knute Rockne, All American.' I'd like to see Johnny Depp pull off that part!"
(Laughing) "Ok, George, you got me there. I have to admit there's some 'stars' today whose allure is beyond me. 'Course, I come from an age when a tatoo was a sure sign you were in a motorcycle gang!"
The pickup pulled to a stop next to a long, barbed wire fence and a thicket that needed clearing. "Here we are, Mr. President. I'll get the equipment out of the back."
"George, I hear you come out here a lot."
"Seems to be the only place where I can think. Austin was one thing, but the people in Washington . . . well, they're a bunch of snakes! You never know if the advice they're giving you is honest or if they are setting you up so they can get a book contract."
"How well I know! Ever hear of David Stockman? That little . . . well, I don't like to say anything bad about someone, but suffice it to say, he didn't do me any favors. I dealt with communists in the actors' guild who were more honest than that guy. But you know as well as I that there are always people you can trust explicitly."
"Sure, Ron, I know that. Dick Cheney, for example . . ."
"Dick is a good guy, George. One of the best."
"Yes he is. And Don Rumsfeld. And Condi."
"I would have loved to have had any of them in my cabinet, although I have to admit, it's hard to top ol' Cap Weinberger. When it came to analyzing defense budgets and getting exactly what we needed at a price we could afford, well, let me put it this way: next time Nancy and I go to a flea market, I want Cap with me!"
"You're right about him, sir. And, just my personal preference, although I didn't know him, but I always kinda liked James Watt. He didn't take any crap from some of these environmental-types that are destroying genuine conservation today."
"George, all I can say about those people is that they are lucky they only had to deal with you or I, because Teddy Roosevelt would have kicked them right in the butt, and enjoyed doing it! Come to think of it, it's too bad we couldn't get him out here with us---he'd love this!"
"The other amazing thing, Ron, is that no matter how carefully you screen your people, there are always a couple of screwups. I mean, you had your Al Haig . . . ."
"Al Haig! The man wanted to be president so badly he could taste it. Then there was Richard Allen. I mean, who loses their job over some cufflinks!? We all know the rules . . . ."
"Well, all except the Clintons, but the rules didn't seem to apply to them . . . ."
"Now, George. Get rid of that anger. They'll get theirs---in spades. And when it happens, you'll say, 'Wow. And all this time I thought the Big Fellah up there was on vacation or something.' Trust me. If there's one thing I've learned in politics, it is that sooner or later you get what's coming to you."
"You're right, Ron. It's just that Florida thing. And they're planning to do it all again in '04, you know. Kerry has 2,000 lawyers lined up for election day."
"Two thousand lawyers. If they were at the bottom of the ocean, you know what we'd call that? A good start!"
(Laughing) "I knew you'd pull out that joke. But it's true."
(Suddenly more serious) "George, if I have one regret about my eight years it's that I didn't do enough to actually roll back the size of the federal government. I promised to kill the Departments of Energy and Education, and damned if I didn't actually increase their funding. And I'm still sometimes puzzled as to how that happened."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. It happened because you had bigger fish to fry: it happened because the size of government was relatively unimportant if there was no United States to govern. And I've read the reports. When you came in, the Russkies were actually wargaming nuclear surprise attacks on the United States! And in just eight years, you cut off their . . . ."
"Now George! Laura wouldn't want you talking that way."
" . . . legs." George smiled at Ron, who laughed out loud.
"Seriously, Ron. In two years you authorized the B-1, the B-2, the MX missile; you deployed cruise missiles on everything that flew, sailed, or walked on two legs; and you started planning SDI."
"Oh, the press loved that one!"
"To heck with those pencil-necks in the press. Bill Sammon is the only one I can stand. Here's my point, though, Ron: from day one you knew that we had to ELIMINATE the Soviet Union, not just play footsies with them. SDI was a genius move. Did you work all that out in advance?"
"Work out what?"
"Well, how if they tried to build SDI---or a counter to it---they'd go broke; but they might try to use computer technology to counter it, except you banned sales of data processing equipment to the Soviets."
A twinkle lit up Ron's eye. "So, you caught on to that one, did you?"
"Oh, it got better, didn't it? Even if they somehow stole or obtained enough personal computers to begin to counter the data-intense SDI program, you knew that the very nature of linked computer networks would involve e-mail, what we call instant messaging, and all forms of uncontrolled and unregulated communication. So even if they got the networks, they were slitting their own throats---the system couldn't stand freedom and would collapse. How in the world did you know that when e-mail was still in its infancy then?"
"Well, just call it intuition. People want liberty. You know that. You've been saying that about Iraq and the Middle East for a couple of years now. Something about the 'yearning in the human breast for freedom?'"
"Yeah, I guess I have. Well, since you brought it up, what do you think of Iraq. Am I off base on this one? I really did think they had WMDs, you know. In fact, I'm still halfway convinced the WMDs are still there."
"It's irrelevant, George. You had a dictator who was personally funding suicide bombers in Palestine. The man had an al-Qaeda training base right there in his country. No one except the New York Times and that Chirac fellow thinks that al-Qaeda and Saddam weren't scratching each other's backs. You took him out. Good for you. You haven't cut and run. I'm sorry to say I cut and run in Lebanon. It was the wrong thing to do, but the battle lines weren't as clear then. I was a little tunnel-visioned when it came to the USSR. But I don't make the same mistake twice, and we got the SOBs in Libya and took out those Achille Lauro hijackers in mid-air. Listen, George, it's not going to be popular, and the lefties will have a field day, but you have to stick to your guns. It's exactly like the Soviet empire: every inch of ground you liberate from those crazies is one less inch we have to defend."
"Those were my thoughts, but there are a lot of people that don't see the big picture."
"And there always will be, George."
"I gotta say, being met by thousands of protestors everywhere is not a very pleasant experience."
"Cry me a river, George. When you get one million protestors in the streets of Europe, then we'll talk."
"Point taken, Mr. President. I know, I'm having a pity party, as Laura calls it."
"Hey, it's ok. We're in a people business. You want to be liked. It's natural. I never did dislike my political opponents, never hated them. But boy did they hate me!"
"How well I know."
"Yeah, I gotta admit, there was nothing Tip O'Neill said that came close to what these lunatics on democratunderground say about you. I thought I'd heard it all, but blaming you for 9/11? It just shows you how mentally unbalanced these people are."
"So how did you keep it together? I mean, I believe in loving your enemies, and I do. But at times, I just want to whack 'em upside the head . . . in love!"
(Laughing) "I've had those moments, too, although at 73 I was getting past the point that I could choose off many of them except for that fat Kennedy kid! George, you know the Book. You probably know it better than I do. We win by being good, and we win by being right. Every time you say a kind word about those people, every time you invite the Kennedys over to the White House to watch a movie, well, doesn't the Good Book say something about "heaping burning coals upon their heads?"
"You're right, Ron. Every once in a while, I have to be reminded, but you're right."
"Well, looks like we've got this place pretty spic and span. Time flies when you're having good conversation."
"Indeed, Mr. President. Let's get you back to Crawford, so you can get back to Nancy."
"Oh, that's all right. Nancy's not expecting me. She knows I'm not coming back this time. It's all right. We'll be together again soon."
"So you came all this way just to see me?"
"I thought you could use a little bucking up. Don't let 'em see you sweat, George. That's an old movie line. You know what's right. The people will back you up. Oh, they may be slow coming around, but don't forget I trailed that Mondull fellow in my re-election. It's sort of like dating: the voters want to remind you they have other options, but they really don't want to marry them!"
"Thanks, Ron, I needed that. Will I see you again? I mean, here on this, er, planet?"
"See me? No George. But you know those times you pray? I've already talked to a couple of guys named Washington and Lincoln. They tell me that they're right there with you during those times with God. Don't tell me you can't feel their hands on your shoulders."
"Come to think of it, I have."
"Well, next time, you're going to feel one more pair of hands. Now go to work."
Excellent! Thank you so much.
"We win by being good, and we win by being right."
Words to live by. Thank you.
another bump for the pickup truck
bump
A touching tribute with your usual insight, LS. Thanks for posting it here!
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