There was one line in Oliver Stone's perceptive 1986 film "Salvador" that capsulated the tragic American post-World War Two road to economic calamity.

James Belushi, playing the sidekick to James Woods, who seeks to resuscitate his career as an international political reporter amid the dangers of war torn El Salvador, asked Woods an important question of what it says about America's and the world's future when the U.S. was preparing to elect "a guy who played straight man to a chimp."

The scene occurred on Election Day 1980.  Belushi and Woods were attending a party given by the American Embassy in San Salvador to view U.S. election results.  

As those who followed Reagan's movie career know, he played in the 1951 comedy "Bedtime for Bonzo" in which he was cast opposite a chimp.  Those critical of his fitness for political office, beginning with governor of California and eventually the presidency, have used the film and Reagan's role in it to underscore what they deem to be the futility of a B movie leading man undertaking such awesome responsibilities.

That is the question!  The Seattle Times on October 21 carried the news brief in its regular column "Across the Nation."  The article datelined from Little Rock, Arkansas, read:

"A popular local TV anchorwoman who had a small part in the Bush bio-pic "W", was in critical condition Monday after being beaten in her home.  Police question whether she had been targeted.

"KATV anchor Anne Presley, 26, was found early Monday -- a half hour before she was to appear on the station "Daybreak" program.  Little Rock Police spokeswoman Cassandra Davis said Presley's purse was gone and robbery may have been a motive.  Presley appeared briefly in Oliver Stone's new movie about President Bush that opened over the weekend."

The film "W" is a depiction of the life of George Bush beginning mostly with a sharp focus on his college challenges and the expectations of his father, the Elder Bush, also, a president who went to war against Iraq but stopped before invading Baghdad.  The Elder Bush's Gulf War had been accomplished in a record time, and was considered a resounding success.

Oliver Stone didn't got into the details of what had triggered the Gulf War.  The event that triggered the rage of Saddam Hussein was the slant-drilling theft of Iraqi oil by neighbor Kuwait.