whacks it, and he's gone," says Spike Heminway, Bush's longtime friend and frequent playing
partner. Others have dubbed it aerobic golf, or golis in speed golf?" a Portland, Maine doctor asked me. "The first one in the hole." [fn 24] f in the fast lane. "Do you know who the winner
During the summer of 1989, "Bush revealed himself to be a playful yet relentless exhibitionist,"
wrote another commentator. "He was forever restless and rarely alone." Out on the golf course, he
called for silence: "All right, the crowd is hushed. They sense that Mr. Smooth is back." Later,when it came time to play tennis, Bush ordered a press aide to round up the photo dogs and
reporters to "come see what Mr. Smooth is like on the courts." [fn 25] For Newsweek, Bush's
routine was a "pentathlon."
Bush's desire for frenetic movement, seeking in space what has been lost in time, carries over intohis notorious penchant for foreign travel. By July, 1991, he had logged 339,257 miles on Air Force (^)
One, and visited 32 countries, having surpassed in less than 30 months the previous record set by
Nixon between 1969 and 1974. [fn 26]
Bush has a history of pshad been, according to his own account, a "chronic worrier." One morning during a "hectic businessychosomatic illness. During the 1950's, when he was in his early thirties, he (^)
trip to London" Bush had fainted in his hotel room, and was unable to get to his feet. A hotel doctor
thought he had food poisoning. Bush says he later sought treatment from Dr. Lillo Crain at the
Texas Medical Center. Dr. Crain told Bush that he had a bleeding ulcer. "George, you're a classic
ulcer type," Bush says he was told by Dr. Crain. "A young busout. You try to do too much and you worry too much." Bush says he expressed doubt there was anyinessman with only one speed, all-
chance he could change his ways. The doctor replied, "There'd better be, or you won't be around in
ten years, maybe five." Dr. Crain added: "If you want to keep this from happening again, it's up to
you." [fn 27] Bush claims he worked at "channeling my energies", and "never suffered a relapse."
After Bush's May 10, 1989 White House physical examination, a cyst was found on the third finger
of Bush's right hand; this was surgically removed in October, 1989, and pronounced benign. This
was allegedly Bush's only problem. On April 12, 1990, White House physician Dr. Burton Lee
announced that Bush "is in truly excellent health." "He continues to keep extremely fit through
vigorous physical activity." Bush was diagnosed with "early glaucoma" in his left eye, a conditionthat was treated with Betagen eye drops. X-rays of Bush's hips and back confirmed the presence of (^)
a "mild degenerative osteoarthritis," which allegedly had been discovered by previous
examinations. [fn 2] On March 27, 1991, Bush was given another routine physical, and the White
House doctors (and spin doctors) announced once again that their charge was in "excellent health."
On May 4, 1991, Bush delivered an address at the commencement exercises of the University of
Michigan at Ann Arbor. This campus had been the site of the first anti-war teach in of the Vietnam
epoch, in 1965, and the Ann Arbor campus had been the scene of significant anti-war activity
during Bush's Gulf adventure. Today Bar was also present. His new speech writer Tony Snow, the
former editorial page editor of the Moonie Washington Times had contributed to a speech attackingthe campus inquisition called "political correctness." The scene was the cavernous Michigan
Stadium south of the main campus, a larger version of the Circus Maximus in Rome. Bush was
looking for a wedge issue for the 1992 campaign, and the campus dictators of the politically correct
were a big target. There were hecklers with signs denouncing Bush, so he launched into his text
with vigor:
Although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and
sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. It declares certain topics off-limits,
certain expressions off-limits, even certain gestures off- limits...In their own Orwellian way,
crusades that demand correct behavior crush diversity in the name of diversity.