Warning: Bad Joke

Paraphrasing David Letterman:

Good news! Former president Bill Clinton is awake and alert (following his open heart surgery). If only we could say the same about the current president."

Speaking of bad jokes (at least, I think they're jokes), I've heard several folks (in the media and not) joking about the president's sobriety the last several days. At least some of this is centered on Bush's latest uncomfortable gaffe in which he said it's important these OB-GYN get back to their practice of loving all women.

[As someone who's been at the receiving end of pap smears and speculums, I'd rather my GYN didn't love me. He's got enough devices to stick into me as it is.]

As funny (and NOT funny) as I've found some of the jokes, I've found a real sense of unease that there's even some question about whether the president is drinking and/or doing cocaine as well as brain-affecting prescription drugs while in office. I've seen enough people I liked and admired turn into people I couldn't stand under the influence of coke and/or alcohol to wonder if this does indeed account for some of Bush's swagger (in both senses of that word).

Seems like an awfully critical time to have a president who may feel the need to engage in drugs - and perhaps drugs that would put anyone else in prison for doing so on the job or anywhere else - to get through the day.