The Bush Tapes: Wiretapped by a Friend

Posted on February 20, 2005

Just when you thought it was safe to talk to your friends without first doing a wiretapping sweep, The New York Times gets the journalistic scoop of the new year with the release of a bunch of tape recordings of President Bush before he was President Bush. Doug Wead, a former friend of President Bush, (he may think he's a current friend, but I wouldn't count on any invites to the White House to sample the cuisine of the new chef) apparently taped hours of conversations with W for posterity.

Some juicy bits: the president admits he tried marijuana (and possibly cocaine and LSD), grumps about horrible Time magazine, praises the "fabulous" John Ashcroft and predicts that John McCain won't wear well over time with the public.

He also lets us in on his worldview: "It's me versus the world," he told Mr. Wead. "The good news is, the world is on my side. Or more than half of it." And that's before he found out his good friend was taping their private conversations. I just hope the Wead Tapes don't make him feel paranoid or anything.