other president since Herbert Hoover. During Bush's presidency, our country has grown at a slower
rate, with fewer jobs created than during any other presidency in the past 60 years." That hurt.Secretary Brady was later sent out to complain that he could not "understand why it is a function of (^)
leadership to try and remind the people in this country of the recession and Herbert Hoover." [fn 64]
Brady was afraid even of the word, "depression." Earlier the same day Bush had taken part in a
"virtual political brawl" in the cabinet room over the impact of the depression on politics, with
predictions of the defeat of Bush's candidate, administrative fascist Richard Thornburgh, iimportant Pennsylvania senate race. Bush's response had been primarily one of recrimination,n the all-
judging from published accounts: he excoriated Republican congressional leaders for not toeing his
line in the October, 1990 budget battles. Bush told these leaders that he did not think he could
depend on Congressional Republicans voting with him if an economic package also contained new
taxes. The meeting had been tense and acrimonious. [fn 65]
A comment in Newsweek noted that "at a Houston fund-raising banquet last week, the president
sounded downright petulant discussing the economy, as if he'd been forced to eat broccoli for
dinner." [fn 66]
November 2: Bush's psychological stability was further impacted by the devastation of his home at
Walker's Point, in Kennebunkport, Maine, by a severe Atlantic storm. Because he was under fire for
representing only the wealthy, he flew to Maine on a small executive jet, the military equivalent of
a Grumman Gulfstream, rather than using Air Force One, a Boeing 747. The furniture and some
walls on the ground flBush found a photograph of faoor were destroyed, and there was a considerable loss of family memorabilia.ther Prescott in a swampy area several hundred feet from the house.
"It's devastating." "I can't believe it," said Bush. "A lot of this [was] stuff that you would call dear,
not valuable, but things we bought in China or different trips. It's personal. You'll see 'em floating
around out here." Bush also referred mystically to the importance of rebuilding and keeping a home
by the ocean: "We'll be here. It means something to us. It's our family strength, being this close tothe ocean. We'll figure it out." Bushwatchers sensed that Bush's mental instability could only be
exacerbated by this trauma. [fn 67] Bush once again looked ghastly on this outing, and about as old
as King Canute.
November 5: This was election day, and exit polls in the late afternoon showed a decisive defeat ofThornburgh in Pennsylvania, reflecting rising popular resentment of the Bush regime. The next day, (^)
Bush was scheduled to depart for a NATO meeting and Rome and then for a meeting with the
leaders of the European Community in The Hague. But, abruptly and in time for the evening news
programs, Bush announced that he was cancelling a later 10-day trip that was scheduled to have
taken him to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. The rationale offered for this reversalwas that Bush wanted to stay in Washington until the end of November and work on getting his
"domestic legislative package" through Congress. This explanation was incongruous for at least two
reasons: first, the Congressional leadership clearly hoped to adjourn and go home for Thanksgiving
recess by the time that Bush's scheduled trip to the Orient was to have begun. Secondly, Bush had
no domestic legislative package.
Some of Bush's closest associates were dismayed by his rapid collapse under pressure. "It makes it
look like the Democrats have us on the total run," one senior administration official told the
Washington Post. "This is ridiculous. We look like we're running around like chickens with our
heads cut off," said a GOP official with close ties to the White House. The impression was thatBush had panicked when he became aware that the Democratic National Committee had produc (^) ed a
t-shirt celebrating Bush's "Anywhere but America Tour," listing trips completed and planned during
- Bush, who was watching his own support and popularity decline inexorably in the polls, had
apparently been stampeded by the defeat of Thornburgh and wanted to propitiate public opinion by
staying home. It looked very much like a hyperthyroid decision.