Lincoln's Bed and Bush's Crown

Sidney Blumenthal, yesterday, in Salon:

Even now, the White House is being redecorated for President Bush's second term -- or at least one room, the Lincoln Bedroom, is. The famous long bed will remain; so will the original Emancipation Proclamation in its glass case. But dominating the room, above the bed, will be a large carved crown from which will flow, ceiling to floor, royal purple satin drapes. The crown has been sent to be gilded with gold in anticipation of Bush's triumphant return from his campaign.

This looked like satire, until I found "Lincoln's Sleepy Bedroom Gets a Wake-Up Call" in the September 25 Washington Post:

Gilded crowns and royal colors strike an unusual note in a house carefully stage-managed to symbolize the democracy. Neither element would have been acceptable to George Washington, who was advised to surround himself only with things that were "substantially good and majestically plain." Eagles were fine in "the President's House." Allusions to monarchy would have been anathema.

I was reminded of the Cheney family's 2003 Christmas card, and this warm, seasonal greating:

And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

Do they know something we don't know? No, not really. We know it, too. It's just most of us don't want to admit it.