Hightower Lowdown

Watch the video of this commentary!

WE'VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY over the past seven years that George W lives in his own fantasy world.

From the start of his presidency, he has all but drawn a picture of his weird approach to reality for us by hanging his favorite painting in the Oval Office. It's a 1916 cowboy scene by W.H.D. Koerner which, in Bush's own words, depicts "a horseman determinedly charging up what appears to be a steep and rough trail."

In Bush's head, that rider epitomizes George's own courageous political journey, dashing ahead against steep odds and naysayers (the two other horsemen following the daring hero). Visitors who've been shown the painting by Bush have commented that the hard-charging character bears a remarkable resemblance to George himself.

Over the years, Bush has added a Christian morality tale to the painting, declaring that the artist's indomitable horseman was a circuit-riding minister rushing passionately ahead to spread the religion of Methodism (George's own chosen faith).

It's all very inspiring, except for one small detail: It's not true. It turns out that this picture is an illustration for a Saturday Evening Post short story, "The Slipper Tongue," about a slick-tongued horse thief. Far from illustrating bold moral leadership, this work depicts an outlaw frantically fleeing a lynch mob. So when Bush says he sees himself in the painting, for once he might be right!