Rumors

Is the Administration falling apart? The rumor mill is working overtime. If either of these are true, we are in for some rocky times, especially if Hurricane Rita destroys what's left of the Gulf of Mexico oil infrastructure and causes another few hundred billion dollars in damage, as looks increasingly likely.

1) Rumor #1: Bush hitting the bottle again
Yes, it's the National Enquirer, but as Steve Gilliard points out, when was the last time the Enquirer had to pay out in a libel suit?

Bush, who said he quit drinking the morning after his 40th birthday, has started boozing amid the Katrina catastrophe.

Family sources have told how the 59-year-old president was caught by First Lady Laura downing a shot of booze at their family ranch in Crawford, Texas, when he learned of the hurricane disaster.

His worried wife yelled at him: "Stop, George."

Following the shocking incident, disclosed here for the first time, Laura privately warned her husband against "falling off the wagon" and vowed to travel with him more often so that she can keep an eye on Dubya, the sources add.

"When the levees broke in New Orleans, it apparently made him reach for a shot," said one insider. "He poured himself a Texas-sized shot of straight whiskey and tossed it back. The First Lady was shocked and shouted: "Stop George!"

[snip]

Bush is under the worst pressure of his two terms in office and his popularity is near an all-time low. The handling of the Katrina crisis and troop losses in Iraq have fueled public discontent and pushed Bush back to drink.

A Washington source said: "The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him — but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months.

"The war in Iraq, the loss of American lives, has deeply affected him. He takes every soldier's life personally. It has left him emotionally drained.

The result is he's taking drinks here and there, likely in private, to cope. "And now with the worst domestic crisis in his administration over Katrina, you pray his drinking doesn't go out of control."

Another source said: "I'm only surprised to hear that he hadn't taken a shot sooner. Before Katrina, he was at his wit's end. I've known him for years. He's been a good ol' Texas boy forever. George had a drinking problem for years that most professionals would say needed therapy. He doesn't believe in it [therapy], he never got it. He drank his way through his youth, through college and well into his thirties. Everyone's drinking around him."

Another source said: "A family member told me they fear George is 'falling apart.' The First Lady has been assigned the job of gatekeeper."

I hope for everyone's sake that one isn't true, because if it is, we are in serious trouble. George, if you're reading this, write in the comments and tell me why you have nothing better to do. But seriously...if this is true, this guy had better get some help and FAST. He may not believe in therapy, but let's face it: he's under more stress than he's ever had in his life, and he's a dry drunk. What he does with his own life is his business, except when it affects the rest of us, which a president on a bender certainly does.

2) A falling-out between Bush and Cheney, with Cheney trying to distance himself from a failing president:

Is it possible that the President and the Vice President have fallen out? I mean, I’m just asking. But if you remember September 11, 2001 -- and I’m sure you do -- the President had no idea what to do, but the Vice President did. The Vice President took over. He didn’t even consult with the President. He put the President on Air Force One and the President spent the day flying from one airport to another, which was something that even the President eventually understood made him look as if he wasn’t in charge.