By stipulation President George W. Bush suffered a frisson of the moment that no president ever suffered on 9/11/01. I ran across these photographs today on Publocc as I was searching I now forget what. This first, the famous photograph in the Florida school when Andrew Card has given him the news. Bush is a million miles away.

These were taken when he arrived back in Washington. They are exquisitely painful to view and the heart, any human heart, instinctively empathizes with the cataclysm he now faces and the pained, dazed emotions of the man.

Cheney is looking deeply into Bush's psyche. Is he processing information or is he consumed with grief yet.

Consumed with worry. Cheney gives him some distance.

Staring at the television images.

Numb. Lost.

Bush has separated himself from the others. Andrew Card is worried about him and is keeping an eye on him.

Never was there a president more alone in the moment than Bush.

Years later, a Bush self portrait, alone in the shower, examining his soul.

My heart breaks for the man.

Good night.