An odd ring

Is it just me, or do Bush's idiotic comments to the press corps about why he's avoiding Cindy Sheehan and riding his bike instead sound more than a little . . . canned?

Bush defends decision not to meet with anti-war mom

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."

Now, take this together with an admittedly somewhat wild-eyed piece in Capitol Hill Blue today:

Is Bush Out of Control?
By DOUG THOMPSON
Aug 15, 2005

Buy beleaguered, overworked White House aides enough drinks and they tell a sordid tale of an administration under siege, beset by bitter staff infighting and led by a man whose mood swings suggest paranoia bordering on schizophrenia.

They describe a President whose public persona masks an angry, obscenity-spouting man who berates staff, unleashes tirades against those who disagree with him and ends meetings in the Oval Office with “get out of here!”

In fact, George W. Bush’s mood swings have become so drastic that White House emails often contain “weather reports” to warn of the President’s demeanor. “Calm seas” means Bush is calm while “tornado alert” is a warning that he is pissed at the world.

Decreasing job approval ratings and increased criticism within his own party drives the President’s paranoia even higher. Bush, in a meeting with senior advisors, called Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist a “god-damned traitor” for opposing him on stem-cell research.

“There’s real concern in the West Wing that the President is losing it,” a high-level aide told me recently.

I think they've got monkey-boy talking to a therapist. Not the cut-the-shit, get your life in order, stop being a narcissistic asshole kind of therapist, but the vent-your-feelings, rationalize your behavior, keep the president from pushing the button in a fit of puerile rage kind.

Just a guess.