IS BUSH A TEXAN?
From Angelenos in nail salons to New York writers, I keep hearing people deny that George W. Bush is a real Texan. He's really from Connecticut, they say. He's faking it. It's a pretty odd critique, for a couple of reasons. First, being a Texan isn't any great honor—I don't intend to become one if I can help it. And that assessment goes double for people who don't like W. In fact, the same sorts of people tend to see Bush's Texas roots as the cause (or evidence) of his allegedly violence-prone character. Second, the New Yorker I heard making much of W the faux Texan is from Nebraska and the Angelenos had heavy foreign accents. If George W. Bush isn't a Texan, then no immigrant can claim to be an American. Give it up folks. The guy's from Texas. [Posted 3/13.]