"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 Bush refers to a rage fit which might cause him to
chew on the White House carpets; this is a not infrequent event. For lesser tantrums Bush
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, the frustration 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, announced "a whole new
relationship" with reporters. "From now on it's gonna be a little different. I think we have
too many press conferences," ranted Bush. "It's not good. It's overexposure to the thing."
Had he not slept well?, asked one reporter. Bush replied,
I can't go into the details of that. Because someone will think it's too much sleep,
someone will think it's too little. I'll give you a little insight into that. I had a very good
night's sleep. And I've never-- if I felt better it'd be a frame-up. There's something you
can use.
Bush was incensed because he had denied that there was about to be a four-power
conference on the future of Germany, and such a conference was announced the next day.
Bush had been misleading about his plans for the Malta summit with Gorbachov, and he
had kept secret the mission of Scowcroft and Eagleburger to Beijing on July 4, 1989.
Various press accounts had noted these discrepancies, and Bush was now having a fit.
Would he be signing a joint communique at the drug summit with Colombia, Peru and
Bolivia?
I hate to be secretive, say nothing of deceptive. But I'm not going to tell you that.
Would he discuss possible US military interdiction of drug trafficking?