George's Flat Tire

(click for full size)

With this three-week-old White House shot in mind, I found the pic above — posted last week on TIME's White House Photo site — particularly poignant.

The other day, a commenter on The BAG asked why so many interpretations these days — even concerning more neutral imagery — evokes war and militarism.  Without speaking directly to the point, those thoughts do surface for me again here — even though Andrews Air Force base could simply be seen as a runway for Air Force One.

It's the flat tire on Bush's bike, though, that "speaks" most loudly.  The scene, admittedly coupled with the White House link above, suggests a portrait of someone rough on everything he puts his hands on.

h/t: Chris

(image: Christopher Morris / VII for TIME.  posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2007.  time.com)