Bush Ranch: "to make a millionaire from Yale look like a workaday cowpoke"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/index.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2005/08/17/ranch/index.html

We're not playing cowboy anymore The readers write, and what a lot of them are writing these days is this: We should stop referring to a certain 1,600-acre parcel of land in Texas as a "ranch." Mission accomplished. From the beginning, the presidential-getaway-as-ranch has been a construct, a way to make a millionaire from Yale look like some kind of workaday cowpoke. Just before Bush left Washington for his latest vacation, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the trips to Crawford give the president time to "shed the coat and tie and meet with folks out in the heartland and hear what's on their minds."

It's not clear how many heartland folks Bush is hearing as he roars through Crawford in a motorcade of air-conditioned SUVs. And it's not like the locals are welcome to cross the Secret Service barricades and hang out with him back at the former pig farm he calls home. As the Christian Science Monitor noted a few years back, the Bush property is located seven miles outside of Crawford, and you can't see much of it even if you make the trek out: "Orange signs posted along the narrow road warn 'No Stopping,' 'No Standing,' 'No Parking,' and when people do try to stop, there's not much to see except a pop-up security barrier at the gate."

We haven't been on the land ourselves, of course, but we hear tell that Bush isn't exactly roughing it when he's there. There's a 10,000-square-foot house built of limestone and an 11-acre manmade pond stocked with bass and other fish for the president's amusement. There's nothing wrong with that; we think the president is entitled to whatever creature comforts he can afford. And if that means he's got himself a "haven" down in Texas, as Laura Bush says, that's fine with us -- even if it sounds a little more Martha S. than George W.

You won't catch the president and his image-makers calling the Crawford property a "haven," however. It's always a ranch for them, even if it isn't. Our dictionary defines "ranch" as either "an establishment for the grazing and rearing of horses, cattle, or sheep that usually includes the buildings occupied by the owner and employees with the adjacent barns and corrals" or "a farm of any size usually devoted to the raising of one particular specialty." The president isn't rearing a lot of horses, cattle or sheep down at Crawford. So unless a fabricated political image counts as "one particular specialty," the president's estate doesn't fit the definition of a "ranch." We won't be calling it one anymore.

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. Do you think he will ever go back there after he leaves office?

I have my doubts. It is nothing but a prop.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

5. I'm thinking Kennebunkport, to be with mommy and daddy.

Once his political goals have been met, he can go back to being a good little Yale preppie and drop the Rancher George act.

[punpirate]

8. I think it will depend upon how long it will take him...

... to find a wealthy Republican who wants the privilege to overpay to own the "Western White House." My guess, though, is that, within two or three years, he'll be in Florida where he can hobnob with other wealthy people and play golf every day.

Can you imagine him riding around on his mountain bike on his "ranch," all alone, ten years from now? When there's no need to maintain the image, the props are disassembled and put into storage, along with all the costumes he's worn.

[IntravenousDemilo]

17. He won't have time for his bike; he'll be way too busy...

...starring with Laura in their special dinner-theatre production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (eight shows a week including Sunday brunch), directed with perverse glee by the author. Good thing his character is named George, since he wouldn't be able to remember his character name and Laura would end up calling him George anyway, so he'd know he was being spoken to.

Oh, you said, "When there's no need to maintain the image, the props are disassembled and put into storage..."

Shouldn't that be "dissembled"? }(

[punpirate]

20. Only in Dubya's vocabulary. :)

[tanyev]

15. I have heard they are coming back to the Dallas area.

One of the very wealthy neighborhoods, of course. Far too close for my comfort. :puke:

[Spinzonner]

2. That's not fair

It's clearly a Brush Ranch

or is that Shrub Ranch ?

[Vincardog]

3. When he bought it it was a pig ranch. The next day he ran for Governor.

The day after he is deposed it will return to being a pig ranch. In the mean time it will continue to be a pig haven. Or as we in Texas call it Compound W.

[Rosco T.]

9. "COMPOUND W" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's PRICELESS....

[Benhurst]

10. Compound W. It removes the wart from Washington.

:rofl:

[Rosco T.]

11. Ok people... start ... er... spreading it around...

Almost to late for Randi, that's tomorrow
Sam/Janeane up next
Malloy (oh dear ghods YES, he'll have fun with that)
email to Rachael and the Mark's
email to Bernie Ward and Ray...
dare we send it to Keith?

this is too good not to make a catchphrase...

[TheCentepedeShoes]

13. I love that !

And the shrubpoke needs to remember that with real cowboys the shit is on the OUTSIDE of their boots.

[QC]

4. It's not a ranch. It's an estate.

Rich guys who like to play gentleman farmer now and then have estates.

[TahitiNut]

6. It's "Compound W"

DUer's idea. It fits. I'm using it.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. It DOES fit!

:toast:

[NV Whino]

12. Well, my goodness...

just look how he's cleared all the brush off that place.

[tanyev]

16. Not to worry.

After he leaves, they'll go pick up a few illegal workers to plant a bunch more.

[blondeatlast]

21. Dad was a farmer, my best friend's dad a rancher, and I can't figure out

why that brush is so disturbing to our Great Leader.

But damn, he's intense about dealing with it! :eyes:

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[w8liftinglady]

22. LOL-that's great

[Lisa]

18. my favorite bit ...

"So unless a fabricated political image counts as "one particular specialty" ..."

Snarf!


p.s. check out the T-shirt he's wearing in the photo -- does it say "Western White House" on it? I guess the Presidential Seal isn't good enough for our Georgie!

[Eric J in MN]

19. I put this at "SpeakSpeak News"

in response to your post:

http://www.speakspeak.org/speak-blog/index.php?p=1039