Liberty Maven

Sometimes, out of curiosity (or perhaps some masochistic tendency), I’ll listen to neoconservative talk radio (Limbaugh, Hannity, or a local personality) to see what they have to say about the day’s events.  Usually I am quickly sickened with complaints about how suddenly everything is going to hell in a handbasket now that Obama is president.  They conveniently ignore the fact that President Bush was much like Herbert Hoover (only worse).  He increased the federal budget enormously (much of it on domestic spending) and worked to give unprecedented (and unconstitutional) powers to the executive branch, among other things.

Yes, Bush was a terrible president.  Some argue that his abuses should be considered traitorous and he should be convicted for treason.  Then today I ran across an interesting article by Bush-hater Ted Rall in which he pines for the “good old days” of George Bush:

I haven’t forgiven George W. Bush for stealing two elections, starting two wars, bankrupting the treasury and doing his damnedest to turn the U.S. into a fascist state. He deserves one of hell’s hottest picnic spots for refusing to lift a finger to bring the 9/11 murderers to justice. Bush was stupid. He was vicious. He should be in prison.

He was the worst president the U.S. had ever had. Until this one.

On major issues and a lot of minor ones, Obama is the same as or worse than Bush. But Bush had an opposition to contend with. Obama has a compliant Democratic Congress. Lulled to somnolent apathy by Obama’s charming manners, mastery of English (and yes, the color of his skin), leftist activists and journalists have been reduced to quiet disappointment, mild grumbling and unaccountable patience.

I don’t care about window dressing. Sure, it’s nice that Obama is intelligent. But policies matter–not charm. And Obama’s policies are at least as bad as Bush’s. [Continue Article]