Very scary Bushspeak

The president of the United States of America said something very frightening yesterday.

At around 12:45 ET, at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio, a member of the City Club of Cleveland asked George W. Bush this unscripted and unvetted question:

Former Nixon administration official Kevin Phillips, in his latest book, American Theocracy, discusses what has been called radical Christianity and its growing involvement into government and politics. He makes the point that members of your administration have reached out to prophetic Christians who see the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism as signs of the apocalypse. Do you believe this, that the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism are signs of the apocalypse? And if not, why not?

Instead of the only rational answer available to a politician in a democratic, secular republic -- a polite but firm "no" -- Bush offered a response that served to remind us that his administration is about more than mere incompetence and malfeasance:

The answer is -- [five second pause] -- I haven't really thought of it that way. (Laughter.) Here's how I think of it. The first I've heard of that, by the way. I guess I'm more of a practical fellow.

He then proceeds to launch into a rambling non-sequitur on his approach to terrorism.

Be afraid, people. Be very afraid.