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There are so many insane statements today by President Bush I hardly know where to begin. Thankfully, Dan Froomkin has a complete roundup. Some highlights...

For starters:

Bush said he is aware of the anti-war sentiments of Cindy Sheehan and others who have joined her protest near the Bush ranch. "But whether it be here or in Washington or anywhere else, there's somebody who has got something to say to the president, that's part of the job," Bush said. "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. "But," he added, "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life." ..snip.. "I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy," he said when asked about riding a bike while a grieving mom wanted to speak with him. "And part of my being is to be outside exercising."

And from the same event, this:

'For me, this is a chance to feel like I'm outside the bubble,' he said. 'Whether it be here in Crawford, or Quantico, where we ride, or at Camp David or at Beltsville, Md. -- I get the sense of freedom.'

His idea of "outside the bubble" is to ride a mountain bike on the ranch he owns in the middle-of-nowhere Texas? Oh yeah, and as the headline states, "One rule for Peloton One: Don't pass the president." Funny that a man who was handed everything in his life by his family would have a rule like that, eh?

One more.... this time from the complete transcript:

And it's not a good thing to do on a mountain bike, is to relax. (Laughter.) And I was flying. I say "flying" -- it was flat, a little bit downhill and it was wet asphalt. And I guess there was a little layer of something on the surface and all I know is my bike went out from underneath me and we hit. I would strongly urge people to wear helmets on mountain bikes. I've hit my head two or three times.

OK, fine. That's too easy.

Kidding aside... I don't expect the man to be serious 24x7. His job is a hard one, and everyone needs time to relax. But "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life?" I can't imagine anything that could possibly sound more out of touch.

So let me try this directly. I know you don't read this blog, Mr. President. If you don't even read newspapers, well, I've got no chance, right? But nevertheless, whether I like it or not you are my president, and that means I too can have my say. So here goes:

There is a war on, Mr. President - YOUR war - and in case you haven't noticed things aren't going so well. Moreover, that woman outside your ranch? The one that you're ignoring? Yes, you know who I'm talking about. The one you drove right on by on your way to a fundraiser the other day. Well, according to virtually every poll conducted over the past 3-4 weeks, she represents A MAJORITY of the people you have been elected to represent. Those questions she's asking that you don't want to answer? A MAJORITY of Americans, the citizens who have entrusted you with their government, have the very same questions. So you want to "get on with your life" and go bike riding? Excuse me, but aren't you the one who likes to constantly remind us how we're at war? How you're a "wartime president? How on 9/11 we were attacked in a way that changed everything? How many vacations did FDR take after? Or Lincoln? Or LBJ? Or Wilson? How often did they go bike riding, get out of the bubble, get on with their lives? How often?

You want balance? Have at it. The country is turing against you. I don't know why it didn't happen sooner, but better late than never. And you haven't got a clue. No idea. So keep talking. Please. Let them see you find your "balance" while the rest of the nation sacrifices its blood and treasure for your policies. While you, Mr. wartime president, are out relaxing on your bike, the men and women of our armed forces, the ones you sent into harms way, the ones you supposedly lead as commander in chief, are suffering and dying in the deserts of Iraq. You don't think they're watching? That they aren't taking notice? Trust, Cindy Sheehan is just the first of many.

It's amazing really. Unlike Vietnam the anti-war movement is virtually non-existent. All last year at school I watched and wondered - why don't these kids care? Why don't they care about what's happening around them? Simple, I suppose. Unlike Vietnam there is no draft. It's easy to be self centered when you're only 18 - might even be a requirement, in fact. So no draft, no self interest, no student movement. But one by one, each fallen soldier leaves behind a shattered group of friends and family. And yes, each will grieve in their own way. Sure, wome will cling to you and your view of the world more than ever. No doubt. But some - more and more in fact - will turn against you, turn against your war. One by one they'll find each other, and together they will be an anti-war movement unlike any this nation has ever seen. And just like Mrs. Sheehan, they will hold you personally responsible. Ironic, isn't it? A man whose never been held responsible for anything in his entire life, and then... this. There's a first for everything I suppose.

The truth is... The truth is you have no concept of what the truth is. No matter what you and your friends at Fox News might think. You can try to shape it, hide it, even make it go away, but TJ was right. "It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself." Yup, TJ was right. And so was Mulder . Its out there. And thanks to these here magical Internets, its geting easier and easier to find it each day. This wasn't a war we had to fight. THAT is the truth. And it is out there. And yes, that means those deaths weren't necessary. We're fighting them "over there" so we don't have to fight them here at home? Tell that to the families of the fallen. Explain that to them.

But no, you won't - you can't - do that, will you? Because you need balance. Balance you can only find on your bike. So ride, Mr President, ride. Get out of that bubble and ride across your ranch. Feel the wind in your face, let go, and be free! Relax and get on with your life. And when you're done, I bet there's some brush that needs clearing too. Sure, it'll take time, but go ahead. You've been working hard. You earned it! And we need you relax and in shape if you're going to make "crisp" decisions, right? Wouldn't want the dull version of you, now would we?

So while you're relaxing the country will turn. Turn away from you, from your policies, and from this senseless, tragic war you and your friends just had to have. And when it all comes crashing down - and it will, already is in fact, you just don't see it - for once you'll be left to explain things on your own. Your boy Karl? Well, once that indictment comes down I suspect saving his butt will have a higher priority for him than saving yours. And he's just the first in a series of scandals about to break through the party you and your friends call home. Delay. Abramoff. Tobin. Reed. That's four right off the top of my head. But it's a long, long list. Have you ever seen the way cockroaches run when you turn on the light? That'll give you some idea of what's to come. Throw in some mid-term elections and the 08 presidential to follow, and well... something tells me we'll be the ones asking you to make that vacation a permanent one.

So ride, George, ride. Ride. You've got nothing to worry about, right?

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