In tomorrow's Times, a topic near and dear to my heart is finally broached by
Tom Friedman.
Friedman calls bullshit on Bush -- and condemns his legacy to worse then mediocrity.
He writes:
How will future historians explain it? How will they possibly explain why President George W. Bush decided to ignore the energy crisis staring us in the face and chose instead to spend all his electoral capital on a futile effort to undo the New Deal, by partially privatizing Social Security? We are, quite simply, witnessing one of the greatest examples of misplaced priorities in the history of the U.S. presidency.
More.
Though I often find Friedman smug and obtuse, this column is inspiring to me. Why? Because the only thing Bush will have to show for his miserable presidency is a legacy. And I'm betting it will be just what Friedman says.
Imagine if George Bush declared that he was getting rid of his limousine for an armor-plated Ford Escape hybrid, adopting a geo-green strategy and building an alliance of neocons, evangelicals and greens to sustain it. His popularity at home - and abroad - would soar. The country is dying to be led on this. Instead, he prefers to squander his personal energy trying to take apart the New Deal and throwing red meat to right-to-life fanatics. What a waste of a presidency. How will future historians explain it?