Hero Manqué

I like pleasure spiked with pain and
Music is my aeroplane
--Aeroplane, Red Hot Chili Peppers

For all the trusts I've broke
Let justice know, it's just that easy
Cause I'm a liar,
I conspired, I'm a liar
--Fly, Nickelback
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John McCain's daughter's soon-to-be-released book about her father is "heavily illustrated" and aimed at 5 to 10-year-old crowd (Meghan McCain's Bio for Children). My Dad, John McCain "understandably portrays McCain in heroic terms."

Reading this brought to mind another ripe subject for a children's book. Jenna Bush, the President's daughter, would be the perfect authorial analog since she also writes for the younger set. And I thought, her father George would provide the perfect pairing of audience to subject, with little age-regression needed.

Instead of heroic, perhaps Bush could be depicted in anti-heroic terms. A fallen, never quite risen, flyboy-cum-fallen leader. Perhaps, he could even be a tragic hero-manqué.

Mr. Bush's own words could even be used in the telling of his story. With grammatical corrections, of course.