W's portraits of warriors can't expunge the blood from his deeds

Former president George W. Bush is getting high marks from some in the art and political worlds over his new book 'Portraits in Courage: A Commander In Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors.' They gush over not only Bush's artistic talent, but also the bit of redemption it may be providing W over the criminal Iraq war he orchestrated which led to hundreds of thousands of dead and millions of displaced Iraqis. Oh yes, it killed 4,500 US soldiers and damaged hundreds of thousands of others, providing Bush with an endless procession of subjects.

I support Bush's artistic endeavors or any other harmless activity that provides him a bit of relief from the gargantuan guilt I trust he's experiencing. I just wish he'd do all his painting in prison, serving a lifetime sentence for war crimes.