Bush Called for Jury Duty

From the Waco Tribune:

While most would agree that serving as president of the United States is more pressing than serving as foreman of a jury, McLennan County officials are waiting for Crawford resident George W. Bush, potential juror number 286, to respond to a summons to report Monday for jury duty.

"It is not uncommon that people don't respond for jury duty," said 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother, to whose court the president has been summoned. "It is unique having the president in this situation, so I have never faced this issue before and I am not sure what is going to happen. I am assuming at some point that we will hear something from somebody on his behalf."

White House spokesman Allen Abney said the commander-in-chief was not aware of the situation: "The White House has not received the summons yet." ...

"The president actually appearing for jury duty, I think, would create all sorts of security issues for the Secret Service, for the sheriff's department, for the courthouse, so I anticipate that we will hear some type of response to the jury summons," Strother said.

The judge is willing to cut him a break:

"I don't think I'll be sending the sheriff out to bring the president in," said Strother, a Republican who has a grandson serving in the Army in Iraq. "It seems to me that the president has plenty of things to occupy his attention. Jury duty is a very important civic function, but running the country, I think, especially in wartime, takes priority over jury service."

What to do? If he gets out of jury duty, Dems will complain he's not reporting for duty, with inevitable allusions to his Texas Air National Guard service. If he does report and serve, he'll be slacking off in his Presidential duties, with inevitable allusions to his excessive exercise regimen and long Crawford "vacations." Decisions, decisions.