On March 14 I promised, in an item called “In Your Face, Punk,” to humble George W. Bush by bench pressing more than he does. From Bob Woodward’s Bush at War we know that this is 205 pounds.
“My plan,” I wrote, “is to hit Mr. Bush where it hurts, right in the fragile ego of an ex-cheerleader turned gym rat late in life. I intend to start training right now, and to bench press 205 pounds on Labor Day. By then I will be seventy years of age, but I'll still be every bit as childish as George W. Bush. What's more, I'll have the pecs to prove it.”
On August 4 I reached my goal, in the exercise room of the Eastover Resort at Lenox, Massachusetts. My witness was Marc Scholz, a security guard at the resort by night and a gym rat by day. Mr. Scholz stands ready to attest that on that date and in his presence, I completed two consecutive lifts of 215 pounds.
Let’s see you beat that, tough guy. No help from Condi, either.
Posted by Jerome Doolittle at August 12, 2003 04:23 PM
Right On!!
Way to go Mr. Doolittle!
cdm
Posted by: CDM on August 12, 2003 5:55 PM225 here, 5 reps
The pRez is such a pansy.
I hope I can stand up straight at 70. Way to go Jerome!!!
Posted by: Max on August 12, 2003 5:58 PMYOU are the one who is fabulous.
Posted by: Peanut on August 12, 2003 6:09 PMI've always suspected that George pumps up his stats a bit when he talks about his workouts. Do you remember his claim of running 6 minute miles? That's fast enough for an 18 year old to pass the army physical, but way too fast for a geezer like George. I'd bet he's something less than a superman and puts in a more normal 8-9 minute mile. Especially since he admits his 3 mile jogs take about a half hour to complete.
Posted by: Blu on August 12, 2003 6:10 PMJerone, have you considered applying for a job that is about to become available in California? You've clearly got the muscle of the current front-runner, and you seem to have him beat in the brains department. You can't lose!
Posted by: Mark on August 12, 2003 6:11 PMSchweet! Way to go Jerome, you're an inspiration to all of us!
Posted by: Jim Faith on August 12, 2003 6:12 PMGo go go!!!!!! Kick that Yalie's ass!
Posted by: Curtiss Leung on August 12, 2003 6:13 PMWell done.
I refuse to believe that Dubya benches 205. You can tell by looking at him that he'd be lucky to manage 100 lbs.
Posted by: David Dvorkin on August 12, 2003 6:37 PMBush is a serial liar... 150 probably would have been good enough. But congrats.. I'm a few months younger and 130 is probably more than I can handle now by a longshot... but you are stimulating my competitive nature..
Posted by: Wayne on August 12, 2003 6:38 PMHow do you look in a flight suit?
Posted by: on August 12, 2003 6:54 PMYou rock.
Posted by: Jadegold on August 12, 2003 7:31 PMYou da MAN!
I agree that 150 would've been enough, but it was good of you to believe the Prez.
By the way, I selected an easier means of showing up our leader. The other day, I managed to swallow a pretzel without passing out. Booooya!
Posted by: Rich White on August 12, 2003 7:44 PMHe bench presses 205 my ass.
Great job!
Posted by: busheconomy on August 12, 2003 7:50 PMWhen I was in my 20s I would warm up with 225; now, in my mid-forties, I'm just now getting back to where I can press 255 or so. Bush is, by any standard, an ignorant wuss, and Mr. Doolittle, an inspiration.
Posted by: Michael J. Hall on August 12, 2003 7:57 PMHe's all rat and no gym.
Posted by: Ken MacCardle on August 12, 2003 10:30 PMYou are now officially bookmarked, noble one. I shall henceforth be a daily visitor. I doubt that I can benchpress my OED.
Posted by: Melanie on August 13, 2003 12:27 AMThe old geezer (Jerry Doolittle) is my dad, and to respond to the poster who asked how dad looks in a flight suit, you should be aware that Dad was Mr. October in the 1994 "Men of Mystery" calendar. (That's from when Dad was still publishing his Tom Bethany mystery novels.)
Posted by: Ted on August 13, 2003 10:04 AMI think there's been some type of a mistake, and this whole thing may have been based on false pretenses. Perhaps when the book said Bush lifted 205 pounds, it was in reference to British pounds. Actually, I think he's proven he can lift quite a bit more than that in USD.
I don't think that detracts from your benchpressing abilities though. I give you serious props for being able to lift weights like that.
Posted by: RevJD on August 13, 2003 10:21 AMI've been out of weightlifting for awhile, so instead, to show Bush up, every day I utter a long, syntactically correct sentence containing multiple polysyllabic words.
Hope I don't end up in Gitmo...
Posted by: Irfo on August 13, 2003 11:28 AMTed: Please post the picture of Mr. October 1994.
Posted by: gmanedit on August 13, 2003 11:48 AMI run at a faster than seven-minute-mile pace, just so I can enjoy the thought of our punk-ass president eating my dust in a road race. He's an idiot and a punk.
Posted by: kemptonslim on August 13, 2003 11:50 AMgmanedit: I have the calendar, but no scanner. My brother Mike who's a professional photog took the pic, maybe he has an electronic version. I'll check.
You might be disappointed; I just pulled it out, and he actually has clothes on, and it's mostly just a head shot.
Posted by: Ted on August 13, 2003 12:17 PMThe 205 lb. bench press figure for Dubya creatively omits the two Secret Service "spotters."
Posted by: skimble on August 14, 2003 12:13 PMJerone, hello how are you doing.Things are good back at Eastover.Hope to see ya soon agian,keep up the good work.You really impressed me that day in the gym.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. your friend Marc Scholz
Posted by: Marc Scholz on August 15, 2003 1:51 AMi wish mister bush would take a greater interest in his job, instead of letting cheney, wolfie, rummy, pearl, ken lay, and the other right-wing/ oligarchic elites run the show while he lifts his little weights.
Posted by: Bill Floyd on September 19, 2003 5:36 AMI remember watching Tom Brokaw interview Dubya, and claiming that Dubya had a 185 lb bench press. Dubya then proceeded to unrack a bar with a 45 at each end and damned near dropped the thing. He managed 3 reps, but his left side was lagging badly and then he got the bar racked and sat up with that " I told you" look. Unfortunately, that 135 lb example belies any attempt at 185.
I'm 55, and started lifting right after my 50th birthday. Best cycle to date- 265 for one rep.
Posted by: Phil Stephens on December 11, 2003 10:16 PM