The Apotheosis of George Washington W. Bush

Look high up into the dome of the US Capitol and you'll see Constantine Brumidi's (in)famous fresco, "The Apotheosis of George Washington".

Disturbing from a republican (small "r") perspective, Brumidi depicted the Father of Our Country in beatific glory with the triumphs of American arts and sciences (as well as a few pagan deities) as his eternal companions.

It's all very nice but it -- like the god-awful building that houses it -- is a bit too imperial for my tastes. (It grieves my Libertarian soul...)

Enter General Washington's 42nd successor...

Putting aside the very real possibility that George W. Bush has absolutely no idea who the first president was, he's not exactly immune to the royal pretensions that were thrust upon General Washington long after his death. (We all know that Washington refused the crown; let alone the halo). But George W. Bush suffers from no such republican angst. (again, notice the small "r" there) He hasn't been offered the crown (yet) but thanks to a boot licking Afghan rug maker, he's got his halo.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Apotheosis of George W. Bush:



There's Jesus showering blessings upon his High Priest, George W. Bush, while the angels look on in absolute rapture. Here's the scoop:

[...US Army reservist and Pulaski County State's Attorney, Grayson]Gile's mission - one he chose to embrace - involves a very special rug handcrafted by an Afghan man anxious to show his gratitude to President George W. Bush for this country's efforts to bring democracy to Afghanistan.

The colorful and beautifully crafted rug was hand-knotted by an elderly Hazara man from Kabul. The Hazaras, believed to be descendants of Ghengis Khan, were one of the most persecuted ethnic minorities in the Middle Eastern country prior to the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance's war with the Taliban.

[snip]

Gile was astonished when he saw the hand-knotted rug, a portrait of Bush, filled with Christian and Catholic symbolism. Filling the center of the rug is an incredible likeness of Bush, dressed in religious vestments, standing at a podium decorated with the official seal of the country and flanked by two waving American flags.

Directly above Bush is Jesus with a sacred heart and stigmata carefully knotted into the rug's pattern. The rug also shows cherubs and, apparently in an homage to both Bush and a fallen Northern Alliance leader, two lions.

Giles hasn't gotten the rug to Bush yet but he's working GOP leaders to get him into the White House.

So does this thing get met with the embarrassment and revulsion it deserves or is it proudly displayed in the State Dining Room?

Sadly, my money's on the latter possibility...