George W. Bush spends his days painting dogs and avoiding people, a lengthy new profile of the Bush family in general reveals.
George Bush painting dogs was just one aspect of the long write-up done of Bush & co. in the new New York Magazine write up of the political dynasty, but it was one that caught the eye of many in the media as, perhaps bizarrely, no one seems to ever talk about George W. Bush anymore.
George Bush painting dogs is only part of what the profile revealed, and while largely focusing on little bro Jeb Bush, the 43rd president got a significant mention, if only to underscore the strange nature of his near-complete disappearance from the public eye.
Just under four years ago, George Bush was not painting dogs all day — he was leading the free world, in what is likely the most controversial presidency in modern memory. But now Bush “gets a regular drip feed of political news from (former aide) Karl Rove and others” and the former prez has “been critical of Romney’s campaign and skeptical of his chances.”
The mag describes a Bush that is hiding away from the public eye, with one unnamed person observing:
“He’s become increasingly agoraphobic … he doesn’t like people, he never did, he doesn’t now.”
The profile also says:
“The most unpopular president in recent political history, W. left a record of big-government spending and intractable wars that remains difficult even for allies to defend … W. remains convinced history will vindicate him. But the Bush family is well aware of the damage to their future prospects. Perhaps none more than Jeb, the new custodian of the family brand. ‘Jeb is highly pained,’ says a friend. ‘He is so loyal. Jeb knows some of the missteps, but Jeb is profoundly impacted by the kind of criticism he’s taken about his brother. It’s over the top.’”
Perhaps George Bush painting dogs seems a safer pastime for the warmongering former president, but it seems he can’t even escape critique doing that. An erstwhile Bush adviser told the mag:
“I find it stunning that he has the patience to sit and take instruction and paint.”
And just remember, before George Bush was painting dogs, he had access to nukes. Do you think it’s weird that the GOP barely mentions Bush at all?