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The (over)exercise of power
Los Angeles Times ^ | July 22, 2005 | Jonathan Chait

Posted on 07/22/2005 8:27:34 AM PDT by guitarist

The (over)exercise of power

A week ago, when President Bush met with Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III to interview him for a potential Supreme Court nomination, the conversation turned to exercise. When asked by the president of the United States how often he exercised, Wilkinson impressively responded that he runs 3 1/2 miles a day. Bush urged him to adopt more cross-training. "He warned me of impending doom," Wilkinson told the New York Times.

Am I the only person who finds this disturbing? I don't mean the fact that Bush would vet his selection for the highest court in the land in part on something utterly trivial. That's expected. What I mean is the fact that Bush has an obsession with exercise that borders on the creepy.

Given the importance of his job, it is astonishing how much time Bush has to exercise. His full schedule is not publicly available. The few peeks we get at Bush's daily routine usually come when some sort of disaster prods the White House Press Office to reveal what the president was doing "at the time." Earlier this year, an airplane wandered into restricted Washington air space. Bush, we learned, was bicycling in Maryland. In 2001, a gunman fired shots at the White House. Bush was inside exercising. When planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001, Bush was reading to schoolchildren, but that morning he had gone for a long run with a reporter. Either this is a series of coincidences or Bush spends an enormous amount of time working out.

There's no denying that the results are impressive. Bush can bench press 185 pounds five times, and, before a recent knee injury, he ran three miles at a 6-minute, 45-second pace. That's better than I could manage when I played two sports...

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; chait; exercise; roberts; scotus
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To: MeanWestTexan

...F'in peanut farmer!


21 posted on 07/22/2005 9:04:41 AM PDT by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
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To: E Rocc

You took the words right outta my mouth....lol

This fellow never said a word about Clinton's "creepy obsessions"

At least Bush's legacy will be known as encouraging kids to exercise and not teaching teenagers that "oral sex isn't really sex"


22 posted on 07/22/2005 9:05:13 AM PDT by RedMonqey
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To: MeanWestTexan
I ask potential employees about exercise habits. I've even driven by and checked out their lawns. Slovernly people in private life are slovernly workers.

Bullcrap. Nitwits like you are the reason I work for myself. That way I actually get judged on the quality of my work. What a concept. Personally, I would expect "slovernly" spelling to be a more accurate predictor of work behavior than poor lawn hygiene. Thank God YOUR boss doesn't have a spelling fetish, or you'd be on the street.

23 posted on 07/22/2005 9:09:25 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Disregard the law of unintended consequences at your own risk.)
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To: MeanWestTexan
The lawn is a minutely small issue in the realm of things, and depends on the profession --- and how busy a person is. Obviously exceptions abound, but you take 20-30 factors like this and put it together.

OK, disregard my previous post. Lawn care IS probably predictive enough to include in a shopping list of 20-30 items. From your post it sounded like you'd hire or fire someone based solely on his lawn.

24 posted on 07/22/2005 9:13:14 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Disregard the law of unintended consequences at your own risk.)
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To: guitarist
"Chait is worried about, theoretically, say, a terrorist attack while Bush is out running.."

Mr. Chait is obviously clueless, not realizing that the Secret Service guys are literally "within arm's reach" ALL THE TIME when Bush is out, with instant communcations ready to go.

25 posted on 07/22/2005 9:13:58 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: MeanWestTexan
Hell, I typically show up at the door with a twelve pack of beer, which is part two of the test.

"Wanted: Fossil fuel man, must be obsessive about yard care and like beer."

Sounds like you're trying to hire Hank Hill!

PS: Mrs. Thinking says I AM the flesh and blood incarnation of Hank Hill.

26 posted on 07/22/2005 9:17:05 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Disregard the law of unintended consequences at your own risk.)
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To: Wonder Warthog
..terrorist attack while Bush is out running.."

Bring it on dirty bedsheetheads, you know you can't take us on even Steven, what a herd of psycho~cowards iklamofags are!

27 posted on 07/22/2005 9:25:26 AM PDT by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
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To: Still Thinking

". . . From your post it sounded like you'd hire or fire someone based solely on his lawn . . ."

Definately not! I just like to know EVERYTHING I can about a person before I put the lives of a drilling crew and millions of my and other participants dollars in his hands.

And that includes personal practices.

Good engineers are typically slightly neurotic, obsesive-compulsive, detail-oriented (to the extreme) Dockers-wearing people.

This personality generally spills out into their lawns, their cars, their wives, kids, etc.


28 posted on 07/22/2005 9:29:31 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan
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To: guitarist

I swear, they will take a swipe over anything. What's next? His bedtime?

If Bill Clinton had done the saem thing, this freakin' idiot would praise him for bettering the health of all Americans.


29 posted on 07/22/2005 9:29:45 AM PDT by 1L
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To: guitarist
I'd bet $1000 that the author used to deride President Reagan for his long hours of sleep and afternoon naps, too

I want a president who is, as the Boy Scout oath says, "physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight".

Give me a president who gets enough rest and exercise, and keeps his mind at its best for the important decision making.

What a contrast from Democrat presidents. Carter and Clinton wowed us with their frat boy all nighters and workaholic hours, and got almost all the important policies wrong.

30 posted on 07/22/2005 9:42:48 AM PDT by SupplySider
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To: 1L

"I swear, they will take a swipe over anything. What's next? His bedtime? "

Already been done.


31 posted on 07/22/2005 9:52:07 AM PDT by Grig
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To: guitarist

Sometimes he runs to keep his promises.

http://www.techcentralstation.com/071504C.html


32 posted on 07/22/2005 10:04:56 AM PDT by rector seal
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To: GeorgiaYankee; All

image hosted by www.putfile.com

33 posted on 07/22/2005 10:08:32 AM PDT by GeorgiaYankee
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To: Still Thinking

Yup, Karl Rove is a walking advertisement for the Bush administration's commitment to aerobic exercise.


34 posted on 07/22/2005 10:27:01 AM PDT by churchillbuff
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To: guitarist
There are some issues: -Should friends let friends not exercise, get fat and die? -Should the government continue interfering in our personal lives, like, say, imposing a fast-food- or fat-tax? -Should Roberts vote to overturn Roe? (Yes.)

Yes I agree those are some 'issues' but what in the world does that have to do with this article and how ridiculous it is?

35 posted on 07/22/2005 10:33:24 AM PDT by sydbas
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To: guitarist
Am I the only person who finds this disturbing?

Yes, Jonathon Chait, you are. You are "unique", perhaps "obsessed past the point of reason", and mostly, you're just "special" in your own way. We don't hold that against you. Now, go and try to play well with the other children.

36 posted on 07/22/2005 11:01:46 AM PDT by alwaysconservative (FReepers are the BEST people!)
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To: GeorgiaYankee

LOLOLOLOL!


37 posted on 07/22/2005 11:02:11 AM PDT by alwaysconservative (FReepers are the BEST people!)
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To: MeanWestTexan

I agree with you that there are clues from all kinds of things about the person you are planning on hiring, and since you want it to to be a successful long-time relationship, it is your duty to find out what the clues will tell you about how you'll get along or how that person will "fit" in your organization. I've never driven by a prospective employee's house before! Hmmmmmm. I'll have to think that one over.


38 posted on 07/22/2005 11:06:01 AM PDT by alwaysconservative (FReepers are the BEST people!)
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To: alwaysconservative

https://ssl.tnr.com/p/docsub.mhtml?i=20030929&s=chait092903


39 posted on 07/22/2005 11:07:58 AM PDT by Howlin (Yesterday was my 7 year FR anniversary!)
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To: rector seal

That was a beautiful story! Thanks for posting that link!


40 posted on 07/22/2005 11:09:36 AM PDT by alwaysconservative (FReepers are the BEST people!)
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