David Brooks says what we’re all thinking:
And as I say that, you always got to go back to competence. And sometimes in my dark moments, I think [President Bush is] “The Manchurian Candidate” designed to discredit all the ideas I believe in.
I believe that government has an obligation to address social problems–especially those of the underclass. He gives us NCLB, a Prescription Drug Act that is mostly a conduit of welfare checks to corporations, and a Bankruptcy “Reform” act that is currently “reforming” Katrina victims into losing their entire life savings.
I believe that it’s important for politicians to be “uniters, not dividers.” He did an excellent job of uniting various strands of the Republican party together–but made bipartisanship into forbidden territory for the Democrats by kicking them every time they extended their hand.
I believe that the US must, at times, operate independently from the UN and world opinion. His foreign policy basically consists of yelling “F*** YOU!!!!!!” to the entire global community.
I believed in the war in Iraq. He went in with too few troops, too few plans, and way too much arrogance. There is nothing more aggrevating than listening to “I told you so’s” from the socialist wing of the Democratic Party. But there I am.
H/Ts: Andrew Sullivan and Obsidian Wings.