"I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!" :

Cheney Stays in the Picture (MAUREEN DOWD, August 11, 2002, NY Times)

Republicans had been worrying about the health factor - not that Mr. Cheney's was getting worse but that Mr. Bush's was getting better.

The more buff the president grew, the more party solons fretted that he was frittering away time in the gym that could be better used formulating clear policies in a roiling time.

Last week, the president had his best checkup ever, with doctors swooning over his lissome lipoprotein, taut triglycerides, sleek homocysteine, A-plus C-reactive protein levels and thin body fat.

In a city where being a grind is better than being a glamourpuss, suspicion falls on those who are too modish or too toned. Are they spending more hours cross-training than studying the Law of the Sea Treaty?

So it is with the president. He looks too good.

Am I the only one who's starting to feel uncomfortable about Maureen Dowd's obsession with how good George W. Bush looks? She went on about it at even greater length in this essay, Hans, Franz & W. (Maureen Dowd, 23 June, 2002, New York Times), where she also revealed that she sits around sucking down junkfood while watching the President on TV. Enquiring minds want to know, is she on the verge of turning into W's own personal version of Rupert Pupkin? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 11, 2002 7:01 AM