WASHINGTON – Bill and Georgia Thomas reported they were elated Monday when they met in the Oval Office with President George W. Bush to present him with a Purple Heart.
"We were just absolutely bowled over. Without reservation, it was one of the highlights of our life. He was such a gracious host," Thomas said. "It was just an incredible, incredible experience."
The couple was able to meet with President Bush for about 20 minutes to present him with one of three Purple Hearts that Bill Thomas received during his service in Vietnam.
"He said he didn't feel like he had earned it," Thomas said, noting the president looked thinner in person than on television.
The Thomases also were able to meet Barney, the president's Scottish terrier, and tour the White House Rose Garden.
Thomas said he and his wife came up with the unprecedented idea to present the president with the Purple Heart over breakfast one morning a few months ago as they discussed the verbal attacks, both foreign and domestic, the commander in chief has withstood during his time in office.
"We feel like emotional wounds and scars are as hard to carry as physical wounds," Thomas said.
Of course, I'm struck by a lot in this story. The Thomases are members of what I'll call "30% America". These folks are obviously amongst those in the polls that still, after everything we've seen over the last 6 years, still approve of the job this President is doing.
What will it take for these people? After poisoning our political process, after Robin Hood in reverse, after the squandering, after the lies, after being responsible for killing more Americans than Bin Laden (and only God knows how many otherwise), after the incompetence, after abandoning our values, after showing contempt for our laws...Assuming we still have an America after his term, how long will it take these people to unlearn the myths about this President and come back to reality?
And what is a bigger force here: The President's need to feed his vainglory or the 30% Americans to give something important of themselves just so they can worship at the feet of their boy-god? That's a tough one, but I'll go with the former. I still can't believe that with all the time and energy it takes to mismanage two wars while leading the nation into the shitter, he took 20 minutes out from, on top of everything else, hearing reports from what's happening in Blacksburg, VA to accept something he clearly has no business accepting. What a needy little man.
UPDATE: Laura Bush unloads a 30% Americanism this morning: "no one is suffers more than their President and I do."
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