European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 3, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes Page 10 James j. Kilpatrick Friday february 3, 1989 Bush s Start a Triumph finish won t be so easy George Bush never ceases to amaze. After eight years As the 90-Pound wimp he has emerged Over the past few months like Charles Atlas in the body building ads. Two weeks ago he was just Plain George. Now he is or. President and the title fits him like a Well tailored suit. All this is astonishing but it ought notto be astonishing. Bush has spent his in lire adult life in obedience to the boy scout motto be prepared As wartime Pilot successful businessman member of the House envoy to China director of the Cia and finally vice president under Ronald Reagan he has done nothing but prepare. But the War was a Long time ago and China is a Long Way away. Obscure representatives and Cia directors Are Lousy sources of news. George Bush was always around but he was Al ways in the background or off some where attending a funeral. Nothing inthe graceless autumn Campaign hinted at the Oak that has popped out of the Acorn. During january Bush set in motion a process by which ethics will get greater attention. He made needed overtures to the Black Community. He named Cabine members who Are sweeping smoothly to Ward easy confirmation. He gave Gra Cious interviews. Wife Barbara charmed the Media peacocks right out of their Trees. The inaugural address May have Beena Little on the soupy Side hard to say and the walk Down Pennsylvania ave nue evoked disco fitting memories of the populist Jimmy Carter. Let it go. Barbara stayed dutifully in the presidential Box for the great Parade clapping cheerfully until the last unit disappeared into the gathering dusk. Since then Bush has done just about everything politically right. On the fearfully sensitive Issue of abortion he pleased the right to lifers without grievously antagonizing the Freedom of choir ers he bore Down on adoption As opposed to abortion. He danced nimbly around the uproar Over a 50 percent raise in congressional pay no one can hold him responsible Fortis Folly. He refused to be drawn into a left you and him fight Over difference with defense Secretary designate John Tower on the strategic defense Initia Tive. On the bizarre proposal to tax Bank depositors to bail out the savings and Joe Murray "humbu6, 1 Tell humbu6 loan institutions Bush was As Unin solved As the Man whose leashed dog has just done his business. What dog the notable thing is to watch Bush develop a contrast with Reagan. We will see More of this in a week or so when Bush presents his budget revisions to Congress. Meanwhile consider this past Friday s press conference. Over a period of eight years we became accustomed tothe Reagan style. There weren t Many press conferences and they Seldom produced much. Reagan could be funny charming anecdotal but when the allotted 30 minutes ran out aides gave him the Hook. Often a Confer ence would be followed by corrective translations from the raganese. Bush turned in a masterly performance. Marvelled the Washington Post he acted throughout the 43-min-Ute session As if he had never met a ques Tion he did not like to deftly confidently Bush waltzed from one subject to another. Would he meet with Yas ser Arafat Leader of the palestinians head Given no thought to the matter. What about closing our embassy i Afghanistan it was a prudent policy to protect american lives. Was he snubbing the soviet Union by making his first for eign trip to China the visit stands units own and does not have any signalling that should be detrimental to anybody else s a reporter baited him with a question about William Bennett his nominee for drug Czar Why had t Bennett been Given a permanent chair at meetings of the Cabinet Bush refused to take the bait. Bennett s time could be More effectively spent in a uniting the drug War than in sitting in on a discussion of crop subsidies. In the fashion of Eisenhower Ford and Reagan Bush had occasional prob lems with syntax but we saw a Well in formed mind at work. He plainly was enjoying himself. Reagan never really enjoyed a moment of playing Christian to Media Lions. The euphoria won t last much longer than Washington s false Spring. The Cherry Trees stupid things Are Bud Ding already. The Days have been girl watching warm. But week one has been a Triumph for the president. Getting through the next 207 won t be such a Breeze. Universal press Syndicate Bush unlike Reagan in t asleep on the Job i a i i All re r for a o a m 4 is a 4 i in 4 no 1 n a 44a__.j__.t__.i1-_ j _ 1 t a Jiw v in All and All my conservative nature tells me that or. Bush is going to be an of kind of president. Sad to say my Liberal conscience remains far from convinced. So it was that i found it necessary to give myself Good talking to. Look at the Way or. Bush has hit the ground run Ning i told myself not Only does he jog he s up Early every morning and works All Day and into the night. What More could you want less. I want less myself answered. With Reagan at least you could rest easy just knowing that he was asleep on the Job much of the time. But liberals Are going to have to watch Bush every minute of every i almost added no rest for the Wacky but thought better of it. Instead i tried to reassure myself i was worrying needlessly. Just because or. Bush got elected the Way he did i said that does t mean life As you know it will cease to exist. Besides a lot of that stuff he said during the Campaign was. Well i Don t think he really meant it it. Like the stuff about Willie Horton and what he said about the Acle that the pledging of allegiance and the Reading of lips then let me ask you this what exactly do you mean when you say he really did t mean it of i guess i mean that " when a Man says something he does t mean myself said the voice in me rising in t that cheat ing Well us so what we have Here is a Man who lied and cheated and As a result was rewarded with the highest office of the land. If he lies and cheats and he wins How will he be motivated in the future to always Tell the Public the truth to always play fair or heaven help us is he Gonna dance with the one what bring him and Weed up paying the hold on i cried trying to hold myself that s How you feel about it i take it All Back. Or. Bush is a Man of his word. Far be it from me to Are you now trying to Tell me that everything bus said during the Campaign he truly believes myself asked in a quiet still voice. Now and that stuff about Willie Horton?""right." the Acle that allegiance and the lips hoho. Indeed i had turned the tables on myself. But suddenly i Felt drained. My shoulders sagged Asif a weight descended on me. For a few seconds i had trouble catching my breath. Strange that in the moment of Victory i Felt Defeated. As you can imagine that kind of sinking spell left me More than a Little concerned for myself. But like i told myself i m probably worrying need Lessly. More than Likely it s nothing serious nothing that a Good night s sleep would t cure. Cox new service the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoon son this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government
