Pitching The Staff

Marking its supposed staff shake-up,  the White House released a not-so-intentionally humorous set of images Tuesday.  Forgetting for a moment that the Card for Bolten swap is little more than a token difference, consider the “meta-communication” in and between these shots.

Given the way Bush has been floundering, the top photo seems like a tremendous rip on Card.  We see Andy Boy helping Bush with a map, knowing full well Bush has become hopelessly lost of late.  In the second pic (And, why wouldn’t the White House have its own stewardesses?), the lighting is not only more dramatic, the kneeling Bolten actually seems to have an audience.  (If you consider this a completely obvious point, well, you could survey a lot of pictures before you came across one in which Bush actually seemed to be listening to an aide.)

Going back to the day’s White House photo gallery, also notice the matching pair of Bolten and Card photos with Bush on the White House lawn.  It’s also a crack-up how the Bush/Bolten shot is so large and businesslike, whereas the Bush/Card shot — beyond the endearing nostalgia — shows the two looking not-so-significant amidst the green expanse.

(image 1: March 2002. Air Force One en route to El Paso.  whitehouse.gov.  image 2: Eric Draper. March 28, 2006.  Air Force One en route to Portland. whitehouse.gov.)