February 20, 2003
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What Would Jesus Wear? Not What George is Wearing
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
Karl Rove has packaged Bush as a down home compassionate God-worshipping Republican "cultural values" populist.
Of course, as all things Republican, the image is undercut by rank hypocrisy.
Take the packaging of the "populist" George Bush. Rove wants you to believe the "Bumbler in Chief," would rather be hauling brush on his Crawford ranch, having a cup of coffee at the local diner, than be in Washington with a bunch of suits.
But if George W. Bush minds wearing suits, BuzzFlash pointed out that he doesn't mind paying $2,000 to $14,000 per suit (See: http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/12/06_Suits.html), as revealed in a BuzzFlash.com reader commentary from December 6, 2002 (with the source of the information being a Chicago Sun-Times article and an Oxxford Clothes news release). According to that article his inauguration garb came from Oxxford Clothes, and that he was so pleased with the ultra-pricey duds, he bought six more suits.
Any way you figure it, Bush is wearing a collection of suits that costs more than the income of several families at the bottom of the income scale, the kind of families that the Wall Street Journal decries as not paying their full share of taxes. BuzzFlash can't say for sure how many poor family incomes could fit into the cost of Bush's upper crust/elite suit wardrobe, because we are sure that the White House won't tell us where on the $2,000 - $14,000 per suit cost George's suits fit in.
Suffice it to say that although Rove has manufactured Bush's image into one of a Texas common man, George's tastes in clothes are purely from the Enron Executive closet, including a price tag in the thousands and thousands of dollars.
Now BuzzFlash has learned that the Republican "populist" President allegedly favors $1000 a pair shoes rather than the cowboy boots Rove has him put on for the cameras when George is in Texas.
According to The British newspaper, The Sun, (See: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003061268,00.html):
Warring George Bush and Saddam Hussein have cobbled together one thing to agree on — they both wear the same hand-made Italian shoes.
Bush — hoping to give the Iraqi tyrant a good kicking in the next few weeks — was the first to start buying £600-a-time Vito Artioli footwear.
Now deadly enemy Saddam has become the President’s sole mate ... and ordered 15 pairs of the shoes, too.
And incredibly, three of the designs are EXACTLY the same as the US President’s.
Bush, who wears a size 10, and the Iraqi leader — a 9½ — have both bought a plain leather shoe, a brogue and a crocodile, all in black.Vito, 66 — who runs his business with dad Severino, 98, and son Andrea, 33, in Italian fashion capital Milan — said: 'It came as a bit of a surprise when I noticed the order forms from both Saddam and President Bush.'
The article noted than when the Sun contacted the White House for a response, they were "immediately referred our query about them to the National Security Council. They did not call back."
A few days later, in apparent damage control, the Washington Times, as per its custom, helped bail the White House out (See: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030214-77897970.htm):
'President Bush does not own any Artioli shoes,' said White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott McClellan, desiring -- in between White House alerts on terrorism and long-range missiles -- to set the record straight on the president's footwear.
Perhaps Vito, who's getting up there in years, is confusing George W. Bush with his dad, George H.W. Bush, who's been known to stride in some fancy footwear.
But -- BuzzFlash would of course never doubt the White House's word -- we are a bit confused because the Sun article specifically says that Poppy Bush ALSO orders the shoes made for people with money to burn (OUR taxpayer money, we might add). So it would be odd to think that Artioli was confusing father and son.
Well, one thing for sure, is that George W. ain't no cowboy. He ain't no populist. He's just another Eastern elitist in suits and shoes whose cost could help defray a significant portion of the national debt.
Next time the Rush "Pigboy" Limbaugh or the "Sludge" Report start talking about a Democrat being a pampered rich kid because he gets a $75 haircut (as they did with John Kerry last year), just remind them that everyday Bush wears suits and shoes that are worth a down payment on a house.
What would Jesus wear? Not what George is wearing. That's for sure.
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
BuzzFlash Note: At http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/12/06_Suits.html you will find full information on George W. Bush's suits.
