As president, George W. Bush loves to talk to those who visit the Oval Office about the rug on the floor. (He claims to have tasked Laura Bush with helping come up with a design that communicated “optimistic person” to those who saw it.)
But as governor, Bush wasn’t excited about his carpet; he was excited about a painting: “A Charge to Keep.” In 1995, he issued a memo to his Texas staff, describing the painting, by W.H.D. Koerner in 1916, which he kept on his office wall. Bush told his aides:
The reason I bring this up is that the painting is based upon the Charles Wesley hymn “A Charge to Keep I Have”. I am particularly impressed by the second verse of this hymn. The second verse goes like this: “To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill; O may it all my powers engage to do my Master’s will”
This is our mission. This verse captures our spirit. […]
When you come into my office, please take a look at the beautiful painting of a horseman determinedly charging up what appears to be a steep and rough trail. This is us. What adds complete life to the painting for me is the message of Charles Wesley that we serve One greater than ourselves.
When one looks at the painting, you see a man on horseback — who actually looks a little like Bush — apparently leading a group of missionaries. It worked for Bush on a couple of levels: the title comes from one of the president’s favorite Methodist hymns, the man in the picture looks like him, and he related to the missionary work depicted in the painting.
He liked all of this so much, Bush used the title for his autobiography (which he admittedly did not write). He even brought the picture with him to Washington upon taking office.
The funny part is the truth about the painting: “Bush’s inspiring, proselytizing Methodist is in fact a silver-tongued horse thief fleeing from a lynch mob.”
No Trackbacks To “The unintentional humor of ‘A Charge to Keep’“
Is there a sequel to that painting? (If paintings do have sequels or some equivilent) Depicting what that lynch mob did when they finally got their man?
This really is priceless. How emblematic of this administration. Shhhh! Don’t spread this around to the wingnuts. Maybe shrub will hang this picture in his “library” right near his reference section of Classics Illustrated comic books. This now my most favorite sight gag!
The Irony……..The Irony…………..
FTA:
“The illustration depicts the thief fleeing his captors. In the magazine, the illustration bears the caption: “Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught.”
So it looks like they do get their man in the end :)
Bush clueless about something? Well, I never. ;)
Is he rewriting art too?
Ride faster mob! Faster! Faster!
He only likes the pretty horsey picture because he looks like the guy in the saddle.
Vanity, thy name is Chimpy McHorsetheif
“Cuz when you think about lynch mobs, you think of George Bush”
If I hadn’t known the true meaning of the picture, I would have given it a different meaning altogether: everyone in the painting is running away from some great ill in the valley behind them. The horseman is the leader of the group and, befitting his leadership status, he got the horse to guide his people better. But the great ill in the valley was created by the leader, although the people don’t know it yet. They trust him with their lives. Halfway up the mountain the horseman is gripped by such fear that the crowd may realize that he is the reason that ill has befallen them and stirs his horse into a gallop. He leaves his shocked, helpless, poor people behind to fall prey to the evil he created while he abuses their trust and the horse they provided him to escape unscathed.
To understand that the guy was running from a lynching mob would take deep thought - at least too deep for Dubya. He better not even look at M.C. Escher’s artwork.
Is there no bottom to this man’s foolishness?
This one is tops. Sent it to my rightwing relatives.
BTW, Hillary wants her Michigan delegates. Surprise!
Whenever I think Clinton I think NAFTA.
Oh, man. That’s priceless.
Heading off to vote for Edwards! Go John. Saw him at a local barbeque place yesterday. The food at that place sucks, too sweet. Hope John didn’t eat any of that swill.
When will the Bush clan and their moronic followers realize you can’t disguise stupidity?
NEVER
I dunno. Kinda looks like a terrist planning on riding his horsey into a covered wagon.
beautiful.
hey Keith - can we have a Special Comment on this one please? PLEASE?!?! :-D
Fleeing from a lynch mob. The pres better be careful what he wishes for.
….the man in the picture looks like him…..
….fleeing a lynch mob….
Oops. I think I just came.
How about this. A couple years ago I attended the destination wedding of a cousin. It was being held at a fancy desert resort in Palm Springs, in the “Presidential Suite,” which, the management was fond of pointing out, had actually recently been occupied by W and was just as it was when he was in it. On the wall near the grand piano were some very nice prints with a Middle Eastern military theme. I read the inscriptions. Priceless. They were about the disastrous First Afghan War fought by the British in the 1840’s. The central print was “General Elphinstone’s Disastrous Retreat From Kabul.” Wonder if Mr. Curious even noticed?
Sidney Blumenthals piece from Salon is a much more detailed history of the picture that still captures Bush policy perfectly. The picture had been used twice before the story Bush recounts (the first was “The Slipper Tongue) before being sold for use in his Methodist story. He simply based the history of the picture on the story he liked out of several choices that were more factual, but didn’t fit the narrative he liked. Much like the intelligence for Iraq used to take us to war.
It fits, the man, and I say that loosely, has been so egregiously wrong on everything…him being born again, he of course thinks he’s heading off to heben, considering his trak record, the delicious irony is that he will head in the other direction where he can cut brush & burn fires for a long time, yeah uh huh! He could even meet up with a hoss theif or two.
Of course in any story told, speech given, or policy pushed Bush and his administration have never let the facts get in the way. Some times I waver on whether I believe if they believe what they are saying. It all seems so easy to punch holes through and that they can’t really think they are telling the truth. Then a story like this comes along and you think “maybe they do”.
So Bush wants to do ‘His’ Masters will?
His Master must be Satan then. I mean come on,
just look at all the love his actions have wrought.
HA! The horse thief fleeing an angry lynch mob. If only it were prophetic and not just another symbol is his incredible lack of curiosity or anything even resembling human intelligence.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake some morning to hear that shrub and cheney had high tailed it out of town in the dark of night to an unknown location and are now wanted criminals. Reward. Dead or alive.
Yes… if only.
lucid fiction @ 22:
Have you read the old testament? Kill em all in the name of the Lord is THE theme.
Then take their land.
Because God is great.
This painting example gives great insight into how Bush sees himself and how he makes decision with regards to what’s best for our country. It’s all about the “truth” as Bush sees it whether it’s accurate or not.
Haven’t we established he’s a dumbass by now? Now what would be interesting is a post where Bush actually shows some intelligence. Will that happen? If you believe in miracles …
Ironic? or pathological? take your pick.
Horse Thief, yep, that’s our bush. But instead of 15 minutes he’s had 7 years. It’s time we brought him to justice.
We don’t forgive him for what he has done to America … Maybe his god will.
NAW!
The painting is fitting actually. Most Republicans think crooks and thieves are great guys until they are caught anyway.
I’ll bet Bush imagines himself in that painting somewhere
cutting down some brush.
Two words: Springsteen’s Born in the USA
thanks for this I linked to it…
Maybe Bush knows the real meaning behind this painting and pictures himself running from a lynch mob. If his Administration keeps up its criminal actions he may just see that painting become a reality.
lucid fiction Says: I’ll bet Bush imagines himself in that painting somewhere cutting down some brush.
EXCELLENT!
Well, if that IS true (source?)…then it all the better fit’s his comment that “This is us”!
The ironic part is that he KNEW about the real meaning of the picture and was putting one over on everybody else….
“I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound—with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.”
Stephen Colbert, just a few feet away from George W. Bush, on Saturday, April 29, 2006, at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.
OOPS…no apostrophe in fits…
On top of his myriad faults, we can add philistine to the Boy Blunder’s portfolio. I’m sure he’s more proud of his collection of card-playing dog paintings.
A picture is worth a thousand words , I can think of 3 FUCK THAT IDIOT !!
Rimmer’s Clone @ 1:
Methinks this one portrays shrub at the end of his 8 yr. long trail.
Be kind to animals…please.
priceless. i wish MSM would pick this one up.
Bush the Re-Writer
Awesome post! I just love irony, don’t you?
The good news is that W. is afraid of large animals and doesn’t know how to ride a horse (some friggin’ cowboy), so when the lynch mob is after him he won’t be able to get away.
Marty @ 9:
She probably wants all those delegates who voted “uncommitted” too, because she’s entitled to them in some way that relates to her last name.
The WashTimes printed an editorial on the 24th suggesting that the five redacted pages of the Barrett Report (redacted by Kerry, etc.) can be unredacted by any Congressman. One Republican has already tried, but got quieted. There’s another Clinton scandal waiting to be unearthed and the theory goes that the Republicans are waiting for her to get the nomination before they destroy her with it. (or at least try) Fact or fiction? I don’t know…but i’m not sure that i want to even find out.
typical…….
Proving once again Bush is “The Buffoon in Chief “
What a moron - I guess this is what snorting coke in the 70s did to people.
Since the horse thief resembles Dubya does that mean the two guys behind him resemble Waxman and Conyers? Now they do have a “charge to keep”.
“Bush’s inspiring, proselytizing Methodist is in fact a silver-tongued horse thief fleeing from a lynch mob.”
Perfect metaphor for this administration. For once, Bush unwittingly found the true expression of his term in office.
Hmmm…Would that this painting had a tone of the prophetic to it, namely Dubya trying to escape the country to escape the international justice he so richly deserves.
Yhat is genuinely funny. May be the first time something Bush did made me laugh since his wrestling match with a “pretzel.”
If only there was a democratic congress on his tail.
There is nothing to say except…
Rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off!!!
Irony is precious, isn’t it? *giggles*
PEOPLE! Do you not realize we have a drunk running this country.
Do you think any of his staff are going to mention this to him?
I thought they were fox hunting.
Necadawg Says @ 55: