The President Stands Up For His Man

W. has never had a great personal appeal to me. He was a cheerleader at Andover. I wrote the art and music reviews for the school paper.

I admire skill with words. W. doesn't really show that, unless you think he's crazy like a fox.

I supported him not so much out of affection, but because I thought he and his people had some understanding of what was needed to defend the country, and the Democrats didn't. And because the coastal elitism of the Dems. increasingly offended me.

But this story makes me feel that we picked the right guy. A guy who instinctively stands up for his people, even with his body, shows virtue (which by origin, means "manliness."):

   The president's lead agent approached the line of men as quickly as it closed and demanded to be allowed through. Within a few seconds, the confrontation began to escalate with voices being raised and shoving in all directions.

    "You're not stopping me! You're not stopping me!" yelled the agent, as captured by several television cameras. "I'm with the president."

    During the fracas, another Secret Service agent was roughly pulled from the tumult and pushed against a concrete wall by Chilean security. A few seconds later, after posing for yet more pictures about 15 feet inside the doorway, Mr. Bush and the rest of the party turned to enter the dining room. But the president quickly turned his head to the growing din just outside.

    Mr. Bush calmly turned right as the other three continued on and inserted himself into the fight. The president reached over two rows of Chilean security guards, grabbed his lead agent by the shoulder of his suit jacket and began to pull.

* * * *

    A few Chilean guards turned their heads and noticed that the arm draped over their shoulders was that of the president, and the line softened. Mr. Bush pulled his agent through, who was heard to say, "Get your hands off me" as he passed roughly through the doorway.

    Mr. Bush then adjusted his shirt cuff and said something to the first dignitary he passed as a grin crossed his face.

Reading about how leadership works among the Marines in Fallujah, we see an echo of that in the President's conduct.