untrue and ugly things about her little boy. Having said that, it doesn't bother me any more. You
know why, because we took a tremendous pounding, not just from elitists like Doonesbury, comingout of the elite of the elite, but untrue allegations, and you know I don't worry about it anymore,
because the American people don't believe all this stuff. So I'm saying, why should I be all uptight?
[fn 14]
Although hedefend his own patrician social background a likes to suggests that it is his opponegainst criticism. When Bush was campaigning in Newnts who are the real elitist, sometimes Bush has to (^)
Jersey before the 1988 primary, he was asked if the patrician governor of that state, Tom Kean, had
a background so similar to Bush's that he could not be considered as Bush's vice presidential
running mate. Bush's reply:
Did they ask Tom Kean when he was a great success in business, a great success in government, did
they ask where he went to school or what his background was? Did they say, 'Tom, you can't be a
very good governor because you weren't born in a log cabin in the middle of Newark'? No, they
didn't ask that.... So I don't worry about fitting into some kind of mold. It's what you feel, what you
believe, what kind of experience you've had." [fn 15]
Many times the purpose of Bush's remarks is to evade questions. He often refused to talk about his
role in Iran-contra: "I forgot to tell you, I don't talk about what I told the president," was a favorite
line. Who would be his running mate? "I forgot to tell you, I'm not in the speculation business."
Would he purge the Reaganites? "I forgot16] to tell you, we're going to have wholesale change." [fn
Bush has called himself "a restrained kind of guy." He has often denied having "a rancor in there"
against his opposition, but his rage states have become increasingly difficult to control over the
years. He was unable to control his temper when defending his kow-tow to Deng Xiao-ping during1989; after a ranting defense of his China policy he thanked the press for their questions, saying:
"So, I'm glad you asked it because then I vented a spleen here." [fn 17] Bush's rage episodes have
often been associated with public criticism. Commenting once again on the Doonesbury comic
strip, Bush once confessed: "Four years ago I'd go ballistic when I read some of this stuff. But hey,
let him do his thing, and I'll do mine." "Ballistic" for Bushim to chew on the White House carpets; this is a not infrequent event. For lesser tantrums Bushh refers to a rage fit which might cause (^)
has coined another expression, "semi-ballistic," as in an offhand remark during the 1988 campaign
about his feelings when given speech drafts which he finds unsuitable: "Everybody on this airplane
will have seen me semi-ballistic when people hand me things that I'm simply not going to say."
Another feeling state which, judging from the evidence of his statements, is meaningful for Bush is
the state of being "frantic." During the 1988 campaign, Bush was asked about his tendency to assail
Dukakis. Bush replied"
I don't feel frantic. I don't feel under any time constraints. There is a little bit of cholesterol rise, thefrustration level going up. So I'm getting a little bit more combative. [fn 18]
During 1989, Bush still faced grilling about Iran-contra from a reporter. "You're burning up time.
The meter is running through the sand on you, and I am now filibustering," taunted Bush. [fn 19]
Bush's pattern of uncontrollable rage states became worse during 1990, in the interwar period
between Panama and Iraq. During February 1990, Bush came under fire for duplicity, lying to the
press, and excessive secret diplomacy. After a night's sleep on Air Force One on the way to an anti-
drug summit in Colombia, Bush came out of his quarters to confront the travelling press corps in a
way that the Washington Post correspondent found "both testy and teasing." Bush, visibly furious,