The mean streak in George W. Bush, which for the most part he has kept hidden during his presidency, started to resurface earlier this month in his contretemps with war protester Cindy Sheehan over Iraq. First, his presidential caravan sped by the Sheehan outpost without his stopping to meet with her. Then Bush publicly brushed off Sheehan with the extraordinary comment: "I think it's important for me to go on with my life." (Meantime, 1,840 or so Americans ordered to Iraq at his behest have died there without having a chance to get along with their lives.)
These recent slip-ups are clues into George W.'s soul. Bush operates against his "enemies" usually through his political handlers like Karl Rove, while he remains above the battle. Bush does not express his own anger against a foe. Bush knows this script intimately. He acted as the enforcer on behalf of his father. But this time, his public miscues revealed the game at hand. Don't be surprised now about the inevitable besmirchment of Cindy Sheehan, already in process. This time, however, it will be more difficult for the White House to hide the source of the vilification.
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