Posted on 01/21/2005 4:27:12 AM PST by kattracks
Edited on 01/21/2005 4:28:09 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Former White House political adviser and sometime presidential speechwriter Dick Morris praised President Bush's inaugural address Thursday night as the best speech in more than 40-years - and one of the top inaugural addresses in American history."That was the greatest inaugural address since John F. Kennedy's and one of the five or six greatest of all time," Morris told the Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly. "It was beautiful. It was poetic. Those of you who didn't see it missed a lot," the one-time Clinton advisor said.
The Bush speech articulated "a bold new policy" based on the spread of freedom, he noted - much the same way Kennedy did when he pledged in his address to "pay any price, bear any burden . . . to assure the survival and success of liberty."
The White House advisor said Bush's focus on the spread freedom around the globe hit on a fundamental truth: "No democracy ever starts a war of aggression."
"That doesn't mean we stop trading with China immediately," he cautioned. "It doesn't mean we invade Iran. But it does mean that we stand up for the Ukraine, like we did. It does mean we take action in the Afghanistan and Iraq elections, like we did."
Morris said there's already compelling evidence of the power of elections to defeat aggression.
"If you want proof of how effective that is, look at Palestine," he told O'Reilly. "Ever since the elections were held the terrorists can't get the right time of day."
Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, however, was less impressed.
Normally a Bush booster who worked for the president's reelection campaign, Noonan told FNC's "Hannity & Colmes" that some of Bush's inauguration rhetoric was "grating."
"I found the speech today [to be] a rather startling speech . . . a big ambitious speech," she told Alan Colmes. But she warned, "history is going to play out and history is going to compare what really happened with the assertions that were made in this speech."
Noonan added, "I'll be frank, I think some of it went over the top a little bit in regards to what is possible in this world . . . I found it a little grating, in some respects."
I just know that I was astonished to see her unjustified response. Plus, she did some damage to the softer undersides. I'm always amazed how in life the real person reveals his/her self given certain pressures. The real Peggy Noonan just stood up!
This is a speech that requires a thorough reading to fully digest. It's very audacious and intricately layered. Historic.
Of all the female conservative commentators I have always liked Peggy Noonan the least. She comes down somewhere between grating and smarmy and always seems to lean toward the melodramatic. I didn't hear her comments yesterday because I turned the channel when I saw her on the screen. She's no Ann Coulter...
The trend for Peggy seems to be that the longer she is divorced and living with her only child the less analytical and balanced and the more bitter and irrationally emotional her writing. This current piece continues the down-hill slide. I miss the insight of her earlier pieces. She definitely should enter some sort of recovery program.
I didn't watch, but I agree with you about the surprise of the intensity of her reaction when I read the article.
I'd watched Special Report with Brit Hume last night and was overwhelmed by the positive response from Mara Liaisson and Mort Kondracke. Sure, Mara thinks that the follow through is tons of free cash, but even she gave W high marks.
Maybe you are right that there is something very personal here. I wonder if she'd taken the initiative to draft a speech or document her thoughts and they did not make their way into the final speech?
I really think the only person she hurts is herself.
It is completely valid to question how W will live up to the contents of the speech. It is also completely valid to point out that the tone of her article was not warranted and reflects a personal problem.
She is her own worst enemy. That said, I don't need to knock her down any more than she knocked herself down.
I guess Peggy had to think about the speech for a while, I recorded yesterdays events on Fox. Her initial reaction was positive, 5 hours later she turns on it. I'd concur she has some issues.
It's Noonan who's grating.
We come full circle, thank goodness the leftist distraction of the 60s and 70s is now over.... Pretty much the same promise our founders made, no wonder the Communist sympathizers can't stand him... he's American.
That's a sign of something.
Considering her claim to fame in recent time is 'A THOUSAND POINTS OF LIGHT'........I'd say she is out of touch with America's loving respect for this president and his goals.
I think that I heard him say something about, "when I was a liberal", with the Clinton administration.
In all liklihood she submitted a draft for the speech that was rejected.
This isn't like her. She's been true blue until that column. I read the text of W's speech and new this was going to be historic. I'm not sure she was at the same event.
Precisely my reaction to Noonan as well. Hip-deep in treacle.
She's normally the type who could expound for 10 minutes on the deep historical significance of the President breaking wind in a particular direction.
Well put. Honestly, I feel sorry for her. She's a has-been trying to hold on. Still, I'm disappointed she let her feelings show so poorly.
My sentiments exactly. She's always appeared a little too sweet to be true for me. Now, we know she is that.
I am not a fan of women writers in general. Noonan is an example of why. (Moreover, I'm a woman--a little sick of all this over-lionizing of women. Give me a straight-talking, good man any day.)
Could be she submitted a speech. She could have been a good loser.
Morris got it right. I'm surprised at Noonan's response. Maybe she's lost focus from all the bashing by liberals. Bush is not a timid individual. Noonan is not a match for him.
Some of us have a hard time dealing with the fact that the world is smaller and unless conditions elsewhere improve big time, we'll be under terrorist attack for the foreseeable future. GW's speech laid out a plan for avoiding nuking millions of Muslims, but we'll have to see how it plays out. The recent New Jersey Coptic Christian murders weren't helpful.
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