If Only

I went to see W. yesterday. Make no mistake, I am smart enough to realize that this movie was written and directed by Democrats. It is painfully obvious. But it was still a good movie.

The public scenes were all fact based and taken from public record. There was some actual footage used and I believe that the press conference scenes are verbatim. But the stuff in the "War Room" has to be fictional and yet are probably the parts that will get the most attention, as it clearly depicts that the War on Terrorism is actually and factually (according to the movie) a War for Oil. It goes into great detail with Cheney explaining the oil fields of the world and making grandious gestures about how we need to be the oil empire.

The saddest part is those fictional scenes showed W. at his best, it is in those fictional scenes that we see him stand up to Cheney, that we hear him espouse intelligent thought processing. But in the true to life public scenes, well, that's where we see the "real" W.

We also delve a bit deeper into the relationship (or lack thereof) between the two Georges. I am not a student of the Bush family, nor do I want to be, so I have no way of knowing if any of this inormation is factual or fictional (and I am too lazy today to do the research on it), but it makes a whole hell of a lot of sense. The movie shows W.'s acohol problem but not in a diminishing way, it shows his breakthrough with his pastor and how his faith helped to turn him around. It shows the dismissive nature his father used with him and the disappointment that was procurred as a result of W.'s lack of focus in his life and inability to hold down a job. It also shows that Jeb was dad's favorite and implies that W.'s run into politics was a way to one up his brother. Total sibling rivalry. When played out it totally makes sense. And makes a good movie.

The characters in this film were SPOT ON! I would have sworn that Dick CHeney was played by himself only later to be stumped by the fact that it was really Richard Dreyfuss. The Condoleeza Rice was amazing, I don't think I have ever heard her speak so if the voice was on that just blows me away. Josh Brolin plays W. from college to present and with the help of lighting and make up you believe he is who he is playing. I did have a problem with Cromwell playing the elder Bush as he is a much taller man than I think of Bush as being.

My favorite quote form the movie was (and I forget who said it) "Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be." Sit on that for a while, we may adress it in a future post.

And for you Republicans/Conservatives reading this, my favorite scene was at the "Mission Accomplished" point of the Iraq War. W. is congratulating his War Room and Cheney and Powell are off to the side.

Powell: "We did it, we called it right"
Cheney: "We, Kimo Sabe?" (I know, huh)
Powell: "What? Everything happened as it should"
Cheney: "Not everything, YOU should have been President"

HUH? WHA? WOW!

Hearing that floored me, I knew Powell had been a thought for the Presidency some time ago, but I wonder if it ever was a serious thought in the Republican party. I clearly stated that this was in the War Room, so how factual this conversation is, is unbeknownst to me.

Having said that, I bring you to today's news. Colin Powell on Meet the Press (how I miss Tim Russert!)



Tell me your thought on his endorsement.