Bush bedeviled again

On the very day that the leader of the Free World concludes an historic nuclear accord with the world’s largest Democracy, one paper choose to feature protesters burning a bedeviled effigy of Bush replete with horns and fangs. One look at the top-of-the-fold picture (Rocky Mountain News, WORLD & NATION 3/3/06) and its no wonder President Bush’s approval ratings are down. Would a simple photograph of the two leaders shaking hands have been asking too much? Like him or not, is it fair to portray the President of the United States of America as the devil just as he successfully negotiates a major international deal that holds the promise of significantly reducing dependence on fossil fuels?
So there are some radicals screaming in the streets of Kolkata, India during Bush’s visit – who cares? So there are some unnamed members of Congress and a couple of energy analysts who are skeptical about the amount of oil that may be conserved – who cares? Surely there will be plenty of time in the future and plenty of newspaper ink to criticize this deal, but can’t these editors give President Bush even one day of recognition for this achievement before succumbing to more incessant Bush-bashing? All this, from a newspaper that endorsed the President’s re-election. Is it any wonder the man’s numbers have fallen off?
With press treatment like this even the anointed Mayor of Denver, St. Hickenlooper would go back to bartending.

P.S. To add insult to injury, in their joint news conference, Bush didn’t even mispronounciate the word “nuclear”.