Wead's indiscretion reveals nothing terribly new about George W. Bush. Yes, Bush may have tried marijuana -- as literally millions of other members of his generation did -- but he didn't want to answer questions about it for good reason. As Bush told Wead, "I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried," proving, once again, that hypocrisy has its place as the tribute vice pays to virtue.
In the snippets of unguarded conversation that have been revealed so far, Bush comes off, according to The New York Times, as "very religious, very conservative -- and tolerant," pretty much the same man in private as he portrays himself publicly, as the Times noted. Wead, on the other hand, comes off as a mean-spirited sneak. Asked by the Times if his actions might be viewed as "an act of treachery by a trusted friend," Wead issued a clear warning to the president's men: "It depends on what else is on the tapes," Wead told the Times. "Ninety percent of the tapes have not been heard. He can see that my motive was not to try to hurt him." In other words, mess with me over the release of these tapes, and I'll release the really embarrassing stuff.
Wead's perfidy will no doubt sell lots of books, but he'll never be trusted again by anyone. One senses this is a man who values power and influence, but he's squandered -- for a mess of pottage -- any chance at attaining either.