George W. Bush and I are pen pals. We've been sending cards and drawings back and forth for almost seven months now. He's really, really nice! I tell him about my classes and friends, and he tells me about his family and all the juicy Capitol Hill gossip. Would you have EVER guessed that Mrs. Cheney's favorite drink is limeade? IT IS!
George and I have a LOT in common. We both have all the Barenaked Ladies CDs and almost cried at the end of Steel Magnolias. And our similarities don't stop there! We see eye to eye on tons of political issues. He and I both condemn terrorism and unemployment while supporting prudence and the appointment of Reno Harnish to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
But we don't always agree on everything. The other day he sent me a note expressing his frustration with Congress for not passing his new bill mandating the forced sterilization of people with diabetes. I didn't really like that idea, and I let him know it -- through artwork! I drew a picture of a barren diabetic woman whose solitude drove her to espionage. Her thought bubble read, "If I had a baby I wouldn't be so prone to sell national secrets to the Azerbaijanis." I think my drawing helped him see the implications of his proposal and the error of his ways.
We don't always talk about similarities and differences. In fact, our letters are usually about our daily activities and how much we wish we had super powers. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to fly or shoot yellow steam out of your eyes?!?!
OH! And just so you know, his birthday is coming up in July. He keeps dropping reminders in his letters like, "I can't believe I'm almost 58! I really like argyle sweaters!" Or, "I just hope my birthday is more fun than my half-birthday. No one even remembered me." I know it's four months away, but I really want to make this birthday special for him -- after all, for all I know this could be his last birthday in the White House. So here's the drill: e-mail me if you want to help out with a presidential surprise party! I already ordered an ice cream cake, but it would be REALLY helpful if someone would take charge of decorations and the guest list. Any ideas for themes? I was thinking maybe Wild West, because he's definitely a Texas cowboy at heart : ) Seriously, let me know if you have any ideas. And for Pete's sake -- KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT!
I'm almost done putting together a care package for him. I think he'll really appreciate it since he's had a rough month with all the character attacks and whatnot. Let me know if you want to include any small presents or special messages. I'm sure he'd LOVE to hear from you. And if you do send a picture of a comic book character make sure it's not a tracing, because he can tell -- and he's not afraid to call you on it! One thing you'll find out about George is that he does not go for BS. That's probably why he's such an awesome president!
Anthony Cotton is a Wharton senior from LaGrange, IL. His e-mail address is ancottonwharton.upenn.edu. Red & Blue Steel appears sporadically throughout the semester.
