Can They Read?

In my travels, I have tripped over the following quote, and it has been nagging at me. I wonder if it is mere exaggeration. Hyperbole or hype? Or both. Or what? Is it merely a Vidalism with no basis of factuality... or is it true in all of its horrid ramifications? Here it is:

“Today’s public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can’t read them either.”
-- Gore Vidal –

That is just scary. The first part is almost a given. But the second part... YIKES. Is it true?
Does Tony Blair read stuff? Can Bush do it? Where has all the erudition gone, if it’s gone?
Wasn’t the term “statesman” at one time synonymous with “brilliant” or “well-read” or “erudite?” Lincoln. Churchill. Stuff like that.
In Canadian politics, the last Prime Minister that could even be considered an intellectual would be Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Do any public figures nowadays even have time to recreationally read? Do they have the desire to do so? And, more importantly, did they ever?
I have found that it is very difficult to find any sort of answers to these questions.
I have researched the Web incessantly. I can’t really find any good information on this question. For instance.... “What are people in the White House reading?” Stuff like that.
Favorite authors of the Premiers and the Senators.
Can’t find it.
I have prowled the mega-bookstore shelves (just did it minutes ago).... and of course, it is easy to stumble across the tons of “Bushism” books that are so popular. My personal favorite Bushism, is this one:
"I want to appreciate those of you who wear our nation's uniform for your sacrifice." —George W. Bush, Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 14, 2005.
Ummmmm....
Whatever else those words may mean, they are not good evidence that the speaker is currently working his way through Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov on his off-hours!
Speaking of Russian authors though (stay with me folks) the only promising note I found today, was some stuff about the current Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice.
Rice, who was a tenure-track Stanford Professor at age twenty-eight, stands out as a thinker. Apparently, she is often seen toting historical works around Washington, and her family has spoken of her childhood requirement to read a book a day. Before the September 11th attacks, she reportedly designated an hour or two each day to purely read. (See, this is the kind of stuff I want to hear). And as a classicly trained pianist, she appreciates [as opposed to her boss, who apparently only wants to appreciate stuff, as noted above] the music of fine literature. “I actually read War and Peace in the Russian,” she told an interviewer. “It’s really quite beautiful.”
I got all misty-eyed.
I got all optimistic.
Until I read on, and found that when The President heard of this interview, he responded with “Uh-huh. Like I always said, that Warren Peace is one heck of a writer.”

Now hold on! HOLD ON!
Before two fighter jets come and shoot me down as I walk home from here, I want to say that the last part there... I made that up!
But the Condoleeza stuff.... that’s true. And it’s encouraging.
In a world where some of our statesmen and stateswomen have to phonetically sound out the signs along the road as their limousine whisks them to their next speaking engagement.... it is encouraging.

“...conspicuous intelligence seemed actively unwelcome in the Bush White House.” -- former presidential speechwriter, David Frum --