Today's Wall Street Journal contains an editorial angrily maintaining that The Treatment of Bush has been a Disgrace. In taking this position, the WSJ commits the very same sin that like-minded conservatives have projected onto Obama supporters: putting words over substance. Citing a speech from 2004, Mr. Shapiro complains that Bush reached out in a bi-partisan manner only to be rebuked from all sides. Most of the time, when you're pointing your finger out in all directions... well, you know.
The reality is, Bush's bi-partisan "Uniter" persona existed only in speeches. In practice, the Bush Administration has pursued a firm policy of "my way or the highway." Gleefully defying the views of other world leaders, sister branches of the federal government and even members of his own party, Bush turned out to be much more a unilateralist. The Administration's single minded approaches to
President Bush is not a poor victim of circumstance and irony of hearing a conservative make that argument shows just how much they've forgotten their own principles. The stunning rejection of Republicans in this election has to reflect on the person leading the Party and the Country for the last eight years. The buck stops at the top. Or at least it used to.
