I served my country, Tim Russert!

[wrote this to some friends on Feb. 7, 2004, the night before President Bush had his "Meet the Press" interview, in which one could anticipate the answer to a certain question being robotically repeated over and over...in that way he has. And the next day, it was -- though perhaps not as absurdly as I envisioned]


As we await the big Russert interview tomorrow, one
wonders: Will he ask the Big Question, the AWOL
question? Here's a prediction about how that one would
probably go:

TIM RUSSERT: So, Mr. President, last weekend Terry
McAuliffe, the DNC chairman, essentially accused you
of failing to serve your required time in the Air
National Guard. What about that year when you were in
Alabama? Can you clear this up for the record, once
and for all?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Tim, I served my country during the
Vietnam War. I flew in the National Guard. I was a
younger man then, and a little wild, but I did serve
my country, and I'm proud of that.

RUSSERT: Yes, Mr. President. The specific question is
whether you served the time you were required to serve
during the year you were sent to Alabama. You had been
assigned to a Senate campaign there. The allegation,
as you may know, is that you didn't show up. What
about that last year, sir.

BUSH: Tim, I'm proud of my service. I served my country.

RUSSERT: Yes sir. But about Alabama, that year in particular.

BUSH: Texas may not be as dangerous as Vietnam, but
somebody had to defend it. [Laughter]

RUSSERT: Yes sir. But..

BUSH: Is there another question?

RUSSERT: Your service during that year in Alabama?

BUSH: Tim, as I've said, I served my country. I
performed my service. I'm proud that I served. It's a
great thing, the military.

RUSSERT: Yes Mr. President. But what is the answer,
about Alabama. Is it your answer that you in fact
showed up for all your required service? One person
has gone as far as to call you a "deserter."

BUSH: Tim, I was proud to serve my country in the
Guard. The National Guard is a great institution, and
there's nothing wrong with that.

RUSSERT: Respectfully, sir, that was not...

BUSH: We're beating a dead horse, here, Tim.

RUSSERT: Alabama, sir? Just on this question,
explicitly, what is the answer?

BUSH: Tim, I served my country and was proud to do so.

RUSSERT: But did you finish your service as required?

BUSH: [Looking down at paper] I served my country in the National Guard.

RUSSERT: But what about Alabama.

BUSH: Tim, I served my country, and I'm proud of that.

RUSSERT: Give me that piece of paper you keep reading from. Give it to me.

BUSH: No. No, it's mine.

RUSSERT: Give it to me. Stop reading that phrase out over and over.

BUSH: I'm the president. I can read whatever.

RUSSERT: [Trying to take talking point] Give me that.
I'm going to take that paper.

BUSH: No. No. It's mine!

[Secret Service agents fall upon Russert in a pile]

BUSH: I served my country!