Bush, like every president, undergoes a physical every year, the general results of which are highlighted in the media. We learned over the weekend, for example, that Bush is healthy but gaining a little weight.
“The president is someone who remains in great physical shape,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday in previewing Saturday’s exam. “Anyone that doubts that can just try to go on a mountain bike ride with him and see.”
That’s great, but I’m still wondering why Bush’s physical was delayed, not because I think there’s some giant conspiracy at play, but because the explanation for the delay doesn’t make a lot of sense.
In each of the first three years of his presidency, Bush had a physical in early August. This year, the White House said “scheduling conflicts” forced the president to push back the exam until after the election. Bush couldn’t spare three hours at any point in August?
Looking back, we see that Bush had time, for example, to take a break from the White House to spend time at his Crawford ranch in August. The president had time to clear brush for the cameras, but he couldn’t submit to a physical during his little vacation? Seems a little strange.
Bush appears to be in fine physical shape, so there’s probably nothing to this. But the idea that he had to push off a trip to the doctor’s office because he didn’t have time seems flawed. Is anyone in the White House press corps expressing any skepticism about this?