Negroponte: Bush More Intellectual Than You Think
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
It still irks some Bushies when people call W "Dumya." The latest defender is the former administration's intelligence chief, John Negroponte, who has also worked with several other presidents. "Some are more intellectual than you think. Bush 43 is in that category," he says. For proof, he embellished the oft-told story about the reading race between the former president and top aide Karl Rove, reports our Suzi Parker. Both carried lists of books they had read and compared them often. Bush, says Negroponte, read "heavy-duty stuff," like French history. "He must have read two to three books a day," says the former aide. Negroponte adds that after hearing this, his anti-Bush brother snorted: "He was just making up for lost time." Ronald Reagan, however, had different smarts. The old actor wasn't very hands on but could learn his lines quickly. "He would read his overnight assignments," says Negroponte.
Tags: George W. Bush | John Negroponte | books
Tools: 
Share
|
| Comments (13) | Print
Reader Comments
sayitwithwookies - how much time do you have?
Would love to write a book, but unfortunately I have a job (where at nearly midnight I happen to still be).
Actually I don't like name calling anymore than you - I admittedly get a little steamed when sneering libs start vilifying and trashing a fundamentally decent man. I don't happen to agree with a lot of things he did - e.g., increasing the Federal beauracracy by tens of thousands of TSA employees, or creating another entitlement program (prescription drugs - although at least if those of you who want the government to take over healthcare would take the time to look, there's a program done primarily outside government that actually works and is well under cost projections), or steel tarrifs. I think he was wholely unaffective in several situations. But I don't believe he was stupid, and it speaks to your character that you are compelled to insist he is and to set yourself up as the intellectual superior. Hindsight is 20/20 for most people.
You are, however, fundamentally dishonest at an intellectual level. For example, you throw out your sneering little standard line about cutting taxes, as if that confirms he didn't want address any budgetary issues, and ignore the indisputable history of tax cuts spurring economic growth which in turn INCREASED tax revenue even though rates were reduced. Kennedy did it; Reagan did it (only an over-spending liberal congress prevented that from turning into a balanced budget and a decrease in the national debt). It takes a head in the sand to ignore it. And you can quote whoever you want all you want, there's no question the economic decline started on Clinton's watch. Actually I don't attribute it just to Clinton policies - there was a .dot com bubble, a great period of irrational exuberance as Greenspan put it, and cycles happen regardless of who's in office. That doesn't mean, though, that who's in office can't have an adverse affect. Ask the good citizens of Michigan, which is the perfect example of what Obama-style government with high-tax, business-unfriendly, something-for-everyone policies will bring. Or NJ, MA, CA, take your pick. And contrast with TX. Maggie had it right - sooner or later you will run out of other people's money. By the way, how's that "we're broke - let's spend $870 billion" plan working for you?
Own it. Hmm. So now all the attacks pre-9/11 don't count and the only "dire warnings" you think were around were just for 9/11? You're willing to give previous administrations a pass for the prior decade of escalation? How convenient.
Wish I had more time, but gotta get back to work. I'm one of those evil conservatives who work 100s of hours of overtime a year, unpaid, to help win work that results in jobs for 100s of people, just so I can be demonized for not wanting to pay more than the $50K or so I already pay in taxes, all because I'm greedy. But just keep it up - tax me 75% - see how much longer I put in the effort to keep others employed.
liberal idiocy
Reducing high tax rates increases revenue to the treasury as the Reagan years proved.
As for "sayitwithwookies" assertion that 9-11 was "preceded by months of dire warnings that some sort of al-Qaida attack was imminent", the chatter was overwhelmingly about attacks in foreign locatons - not the usa. But hey - liberals rarely bother with facts.
The dumb president
GWB could express himself without the need for someone to tell him what to say. He had strong opinions and where he stood on an issue was known to all.
The problem the liberals have is they think they are the smart ones. Proof of their stupidity is their belief that the government can solve all problems.
advertisement
