Here’s a quick link from Roger Simon quoting Marty Peretz:
If George W. Bush were to discover a cure for cancer, his critics would denounce him for having done it unilaterally, without adequate consultation, with a crude disregard for the sensibilities of others.
This strikes me as about right, although some of Dubya’s critics have begun to admit he was basically right about that whole democracy thing, as in “yes, Virginia, even brown people want to be free.”
The link I tried to follow led nowhere, twice. Got a better connection, Richard?
It was htt://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2005/04/peretz_speaks.php
Try it again – htt: should have been http:
Got there and back thanks. And on the subject of giving the administration great credit for success, I’m afraid my judgment will remain suspended until we actually survive Iraq or not.
You’re proving his point, aren’t you?
Suspended judgment should not be confused with condemnation, I think. Hearing conflicting ‘true life’ stories from Iraq from journalists who can’t venture out on the streets, while religious leaders establish a constitution grounded in religious law and the just elected Kurdish president gets resounding cheers – by announcing his intent to eliminate foreign troops – doesn’t convince me we are there yet.
No, the president hasn’t impressed me by his methods, but I think I put more import on the accomplishments achieved. I wasn’t personally impressed by Clinton, but think the job he did as President was outstanding.
Uh, have you paid much attention to recent happenings in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Libya? Do you see the outlines of a pro-democracy movement taking shape in the Middle East? If so, who do you credit for that?
Bill Clinton was a skilled politician, but I’m not aware of any achievments with his name on them except for NAFTA. He did sign the welfare reform, but I don’t give him credit for influencing its shape, and he staffed the agencies with anti-science feminists wherever possible.
He wasn’t as bad as Carter, but he was no Reagan.
I see stirrings of democracy but I see powers in office that we are still supporting. And I see the Sudan, Congo, etc. where we are sticking our heads firmly in the sand.
I give Clinton a great deal of credit for a healthy economy and I give this admin credit for the huge deficit, falling dollar, trade imbalance and massive failure to fund its programs, leaving it to the states and local governments to overextend themselves – and resultant raising property and sales taxes to provide the unfunded mandates.
I still suspend judgment.