Bushworld is at the Top of My World

Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk is a collection of short columns written by Maureen Dowd during her stint at the New York Times regarding the ascendancy of George W. Bush, whom she refers to as number 43. She had covered the elder Bush, whom she constantly and oftentimes affectionately refers to as number 41, during his tenure as President. Dowd used many, many analogies that anyone can refer to - feudalism, the Godfather, Mini-Me and traditional mommy and daddy roles - to describe how Bush, number 43, had destroyed his father's legacy while attempting to seek retribution for him. She looks at 911 and the Iraq War, as well as many other popular political topics.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of columns. Each column is very short - no more than two or three pages at the most - and Dowd uses short, simple sentences that convey her point with eloquence, demonstrating that sometimes, simple really is in fact better. The columns are not informational, so don't expect a contemporary historian's look at the current presidency. It is more a collection of short editorials about Dubya and his administration. The book moves quickly as a result, which, if you're like me and have very little time to sit and read a book, is a blessing. Ms. Dowd's perspective is always skeptical and oftentimes, funny and witty.

I had always considered Ms. Dowd to be a diehard liberal; most of her positions are traditionally liberal planks. However, her columns seemed to demonstrate that she had genuine affection for former president George H.W. Bush, in spite of their often and humorous clashes during her coverage of his White House for the Times. On the other hand, she seems to hold Dubya in very low regard.

Ms. Dowd was also very creative in the names that she assigned to the various players that she wrote about: Dick Cheney is the "quiet American" and "Uncle Dick of the Underworld" who talks quietly out of the side of his mouth so that everyone who is there has to be quiet in order to hear him. It also correctly pinpointed the source of the evil demons that control the current administration; the popular notion currently is that Dick Cheney really runs the Presidency, not the President himself.

This book points out the depressing ways that Mr. Bush has led this country. However, some of that depression and stress is relieved by the funny way that Ms. Dowd portrays the various players in the administration, current events and the ways that the two interact. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and recommend it to everyone.