BUSH, THE BORN-AGAIN CENTRIST:

A Fable Based on Hope for the Future of the World and Its People

President George W. Bush's lavish Christmas Party at the White House was about to wind down. Some guests were hurriedly gulping down the last of their after dinner drinks. A few of the men in the room with the President were still be puffing on their after dinner cigars. Dozens of simultaneous conversations filled the room.

Suddenly, the President bade all a cheery 'goodnight' and strode from the room. In the room where the ladies were congregated, he stuck his head in bade a second, cheery 'goodnight ladies'. As he did that, he motioned to Laura. She quickly disengaged herself from the guests and with 'goodnight nods' joined her husband, who was now striding towards the elevator that would take them to the private quarters.

Instead, he took Laura by the arm and steered into the White House kitchen area and out through a back door. An unmarked car was waiting for them. The car moved smoothly toward the exit most often used by the President and by top-level people. The car stopped briefly at the guardhouse. The President already had his window rolled down. He indicated to the guards that only the driver, he, and Laura were in car. He spoke briefly to the guard. Then, the car moved out of the driveway and disappeared into the night.

At Andrews Air Force base, the car was ushered through the VIP gate. It headed directly to the huge hanger where both Air Force One and its twin were waiting. The President and Laura got out of the car. She gave her husband a quick kiss. The President, after returning Laura's kiss with a peck on her cheek, strode up the gangway of one of the planes while Laura climbed up the stairway and into the second plane. Both planes were soon in the air speeding on their separate ways. Phase One of The Plan, in some ways the most dangerous, was over. It was executed without a hitch. Now for Phase Two.

The President picked up a secure phone and gave some terse instructions to the person on the other end. "One of the great events in American history," he mused to himself as he hung up, "was about to happen. All while most of the Nation slept peacefully in their beds." Then, he settled back in one of the chairs, still fully clothed, and fell instantly asleep. He needed as much sleep as he could get because he would need every ounce of energy, mental and physical, in the coming days.

Laura Bush was not so fortunate. She tried to sleep; instead, she tossed and turned and agonized. While she believed in her husband's plan - she had signed onto it entirely, since much of it was done after long and serious 'lobbying' by her - she was more than a little apprehensive. Her nervousness increased as the plane sped through the night.

As soon as the plane Laura was in landed, she was whisked into an unmarked car and taken to the ranch. Once there, she made sure that the Bush daughters were also safely in the house. Then, she went to bed, after taking something to help her sleep.

When the plane the President was on landed, he quickly and without ceremony was put into an armored military vehicle that then headed toward his destination, NORAD Headquarters, buried deep in a Colorado Mountain, near Colorado Springs. As the lumbering vehicle did its best to hurry from the plane to the mountain, the President made several quick phone calls. In each, he was terse, presidential, and resolved.

When the President arrived at the NORAD complex, he was ushered into a comfortable suite. He changed into his exercise suit, sat in a large, comfortable chair and went to sleep. When an alarm clock went off, he immediately looked at his watch and turned on the TV. It was time to see if Phase Two was in place.

Tim Russet was already on the air but it was obvious that he had just sat down at his desk and was preparing to make a preliminary announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen of this early morning viewing audience, a few minutes ago, I was handed a videocassette. This tape was delivered to my home by a special messenger and is from the President of the United States, George Bush. Early this morning, Eastern Time, Mr. Bush called me on a secure line at my home. He told me that a videocassette would be delivered and that I should immediately bring it to the studio and play the tape, without viewing it first, so that all of the TV viewing audience would see it as I was seeing it for the first time.

"I have no idea what is on this tape. My understanding is that every major network will be showing copies of this tape at approximately the same time. I am not going to waste time with words of speculation. The producer has just indicated that the tape is ready to roll. We will watch it together."

As the tape begins, the President is sitting behind his desk in the Oval Office. He is dressed in evening attire. His mood is one of gravity. He begins his address to the Nation:

"My fellow Americans, it is my sad duty to announce that a crisis of the gravest sort is upon our country. To my knowledge, nothing like it has ever occurred since the founding of our great Nation. Accordingly, I have taken steps that may seem, to some, extreme and beyond the scope of my powers as President of these United States.

"As you view this, the following people, people who I thought were my long-time friends and who I believed to be the most loyal and patriotic Americans have, simultaneously, been put under house arrest. They are: Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Several less senior individuals and a small handful of military officers, all of whom will be named as this historic day progresses, have also been arrested.

"You are probably as shocked by this news as I was when I heard of the plans these people had made to usurp power; it was knowledge of what they intended to do that required that I take this action.

"But first, some background. Over the past several months, it became patently clear to me that I was given inadequate, inaccurate, and outdated information regarding the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq; further, it became apparent that there were, in place at the time the information was given to me, no reliable or significant delivery systems for such weapons, even if they had existed - which, as it turns out - they did not.

"In addition, I was informed that there was reliable information linking the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, to the 9/11 attacks, here in the United States, at the World Trade Center buildings and at the Pentagon. Only the brave actions by several passengers on the plane designated to crash into the White House prevented that from happening. Moreover, I was assured that the Iraqi regime had substantial ties to al-Qaeda and to other terrorist organizations. No evidence to substantiate these claims has been found, as I speak.

"Because of the information I was fed, I determined to invade Iraq in order to preempt attacks by that rogue nation on its neighbors or on freedom loving countries around the globe. Execution of the war was brilliant, for which I give sincere thanks to our military planners and leaders. Casualties, initially, were low, given the size of the enemy armies and other challenges confronting the invading coalition forces.

"Since then, coalition casualties, both in terms of dead and wounded, have continued to mount. The United Nations Chief in Iraq and many others have been killed or wounded. Many Iraqis have been killed by local insurgents and by terrorist who have entered Iraq illegally. And, as the casualties multiplied, no Weapons of Mass Destruction were found. No delivery systems were found. The evidence I was given was, obviously, false to fact.

"How could this be? How could the world's largest and best-equipped intelligence services fail so miserably to provide me with a "lamp of truth" in this most vital issue? Was it merely human error? I now know it was not!

"The misinformation campaign regarding the Weapons of Mass Destruction and the capacity to deliver those weapons for the purpose of waging a devastating war, declared or not, was part of a larger, long-range plan for economic, political, and military hegemony for the United States. The hegemony plan was the work of those now under house arrest.

"I am reminded of a quote from a Rex Stout mystery: "Young man there are vacant lots in your mind where knowledge should be," or something close to that. I admit it: There were vacant lots in my mind where knowledge should have been. More to the point, I was fed carefully crafted, false to fact information that was designed to lead me to the decision to invade Iraq. The capture of Saddam Hussein has, if anything, confirmed that the information I was given, was false to fact.

"Let me repeat, this information was, and is, false to fact. Once I became convinced that the information was faulty and that I had been deliberately fed these lies (Lies? Yes! Let us call them what they were and what they are.), I made a decision to withdraw our troops from Iraq. To bring them home. To stop the flow of American and of coalition blood, blood that was shed because of a deliberate and systematic program of deception. These deceptions led me astray and misinformed both the American people and the people of the world.

"Because of our unilateral invasion of Iraq, valuable allies were alienated. The United Nations itself was diminished. Its very existence was threatened. The United States, in effect, became a Rogue Nation! That was not my intent. It was not what America has stood for since its inception. It is not what previous wars that we have fought have been about. The invasion of Iraq is a stain of shame on our Nation.

"I am determined to erase that stain by putting our Nation back on the road of freedom and justice for all peoples in our country and of our world.

"Once I determined to do that, opposition from those who are now under house arrest developed into an illegal and illegitimate resolve. Those now under house arrest planned to prevent me from doing what I now see as a right and honorable action.

"I was to be removed from office under the guise that I was not - because of alcohol abuse - fit to hold the office and to fulfill its duties and responsibilities. Further, it was to be said that I was suicidal and that I was, therefore, under twenty-four hour guard. Make no mistake about it. This was nothing more than an attempt to seize the power of the presidency through an illegal takeover.

"Fortunately, I heard about this through the good work of people loyal to our Nation and to this President. Immediately, again with the help of loyal and dedicated people, both in the government and in the military, I devised the plan that is now in place.

"This plan has two Phases. In Phase One, Laura and our girls are at the ranch in Crawford, Texas. Governor Perry, of that great state, has mobilized the Texas National Guard and deployed it for the protection of my family. I am in a top-secret place, secure from the cabal that wanted to oust me from my elected position as President. The leaders of this failed coup are under house arrest and are being held in that condition by people loyal to the highest precepts of this Nation and loyal to this President.

"In Phase Two, the America people and the world will be made aware of the Nature and the extent of the deception that led to my order to invade Iraq. The people will be made aware of the lies, the half-truths, and all other pertinent facts.

"Formal charges will be brought. Appropriate legal institutions, including both houses of the Congress of the United States, will be fully and effectively brought into action. There will be complete transparency in all of this. The very foundation of our Nation has been threatened. Top Secret information will be revealed for the greater good of this Nation and our reputation among all freedom loving Nations.

"In addition to the house arrests mentioned previously, I have requested pro-forma resignation letters from every member of the President's Cabinet and from several other key people, including the Director of the FBI and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, along with several others who will be named later. Let me stress the fact that these are pro forma resignations. They do not mean that all of the people serving in these capacities will be replaced. In most cases, after a full review, they will not be replaced.

"In all of this, no compromise of the security of our military troops in Iraq or elsewhere around the world will be made. This I promise. Likewise, there will be no interruption in the daily functioning of the United States government at all levels. The Federal government, as we all know only too well, is a vast and complex bureaucracy. There are people in place in all of these bureaucracies that are fully capable of seeing to it that the missions of each is continued and fully met. This I can guarantee.

"In another sense, the kinder, gentler America that I envisioned in my campaign for the Presidency has been set aside by a powerful amalgam of special interests. Rules and regulations affecting nearly every aspect of our lives have been put in place which have, in many instances, set aside the freedoms Americans have fought and died for over all the long history of these United States.

"I do have the Conscience of a Conservative, a Centrist Conservative. This has seldom been reflected in Presidential actions I have taken, in the legislation I have championed, or in many actions by the Congress and by my Cabinet Members. I accept full responsibility for all of my misdeeds and I apologize for allowing my campaign promises be compromised by my advisors and their special interest puppet masters.

As my actions as President deviated ever more widely and dangerously from my campaign promises, my loving wife, Laura, and I became estranged. I was on the verge of losing her, as I nearly did when I abused alcohol. Part of my resolve to change the direction of this Presidency is a promise, by me, to reform, and to return to the principles that I espoused in my first run for this noble office. I thank God for Laura!

"While I have been lied to, I have also lied! I admit this with shame in my heart and with deep trouble in my mind. However, I am going to wipe that shame from my heart and erase from my mind those troubles.

"Chief Joseph said, 'I will fight no more forever.' I hereby promise the people of the United States, and of the United Nations, and of the world: I will lie no more forever! Truth, justice, freedom, and transparency are now the hallmarks of my life and of this administration. Let me repeat: I will lie no more forever.

"The sword of justice will be swift and sure for those who have conspired to sully this President and our Nation. Even as you view this tape, evidence is being gathered. Interviews are being conducted. Statements are being recorded. As all of this information is brought together, consistent with the highest standards of jurisprudence, each of you will be fully and expeditiously informed. Law enforcement officers at many levels are working without pause in this critical task.

"Meanwhile, as a show of good faith, I will ask the Congress to repeal the special interest tax cuts that I championed. I will ask that the comprehensive Medicare Bill, which I recently signed, be repealed, as well. Both of these are flawed pieces of legislation. They are primarily designed to help the rich at the expense of those less fortunate. I will work to see to it that other examples of legislation that primarily favor the rich are also repealed or replaced. My conscience will allow no less; in fact, my very self-concept demands a full redress of the many things I have done against the ordinary people and contrary to my campaign promises.

"I will roll back many of the environmental unfriendly Executive Orders that I have issued. Throughout the rest of my administration, environmental issues will occupy my attention. I resolve to see to it that the environment suffers as little as it can under my stewardship. A new energy plan will be sent to the Congress. In this plan, conservation and alternative energies will be at its center; energy independence for our Nation will be our long-range goal. Education and, in many cases, re-education will be hallmarks of the rest of my tenure as President.

"In addition, I am instructing the Justice Department to investigate what I believe were violations of voters' rights in Florida in the 2000 election and, most especially, what I believe were violations of the civil rights of hundreds, perhaps thousands of good, honest, hardworking Americans in Miami during the Free Trade of the Americas Agreement conference that took place on November in November, 2003. I believe human rights abuses took place that the constitutional rights of many ordinary citizens were set aside, and that unnecessary force was used, all within the flimsy excuse of preventing terrorism and civil disobedience. In truth, many of the actions of the law enforcement agencies smacked of Nazism. My conscience and my administration will not tolerate such anti-American, non-constitutional acts.

"I am asking all TV stations to air, on a recurring basis at different times of the day, the documentary, 'Uncovered: the Truth behind the Iraq War.' This documentary shows, in graphic detail, how - because of the false information I was fed, I lied on repeated occasions and it details the lies that every one of those under house arrest told and retold and retold. It is a devastating indictment of that which led us into the war with Iraq; it is damning almost beyond repair.

"But, you have my pledge: the system will be repaired. Our Nation will be made whole once more. Our alliances will be mended and made even stronger than before. The damage done to the United Nations will be overcome and the United States and all of the UN's member nations will work toward common goals.

"Laura and I will return to the White House as soon as I am certain that we will be safe from those who might try to harm us because the forthright actions I have taken. Many rich and powerful people will object to these actions. But truth and justice will prevail. And, God willing, I will serve out this term and be re-elected with a new, honest, and dedicated team and I will be your President until 2009.

"As each of the above people is convicted of the offenses of which they will be charged, they will of course suffer the consequences. All, except the Vice-President, serve at my pleasure. I have summarily dismissed the others, formally, officially, and within the letter and the spirit of the law. The Vice-President has been asked to resign. That decision is his alone to make. In the meantime, he will still be the Vice-President.

"I will fill the other positions as soon as time and circumstance permit. My appointments will be bi-partisan in the very best, deepest, and most sincere meaning of that term. The names of some of the people I have in mind will raise eyebrows and bring forth dissent from the neo-conservative right and, perhaps, from the far left as well. That is as it must be if the sweeping changes I have outlined are to be realized.

"I do intend to run for re-election. I will have a strong, fully qualified running mate. However, that decision rests with the Republican Party and its convention delegates. Some may come forward to challenge me. I hope some will. We need a full airing of the issues before us now and of the issues for the future. In addition, there must be and will be a series of debates between myself, if I am the Republican candidate for president, and whomsoever the Democratic candidate is.

"It is time for me to sign off. I have given you much to think about. No doubt some of you are in shock. I was before I steeled myself to act so that the tragedy of a coup would not happen. Those who planned it will be fully identified. They will be dealt with fairly, justly, and, yes, with mercy.

"God Bless the United States of America, its people and all of the freedom loving people of the world!"

The TV cameras switch back to Tim Russet. "I am nearly at a loss for words. That is the most extraordinary message any president ever presented to the people. In fact, it may the most singular speech any world leader has ever given. Reporters have been dispatched to the residences of the Vice-President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Advisor, and to Paul Wolfowitz's home in a preliminary effort to determine what is happening at those locations. As we find out who the other people the President mentioned are, we will send teams to their homes as well. We will investigate every allegation the President has made. We will discover and report the truths. All of this will be done within the highest standards of investigating and reporting. This I promise you and I make this promise with full backing of all of us at this station.

"A team of analysts will be in the studio in a few minutes. Following a commercial break, the documentary, 'Uncovered' will be shown as the President requested.

This is Tim Russet in Washington."