Agreed on both counts, they say that politics is the art of compromise.
IMO, our government was founded with the idea that almost its sole purpose was to protect our liberty, since anything else a government can do is likely to infringe on liberty. I'm not too convinced Bush sees it that way - he is kind of a "rationalist conservative" as far as I can see.
Am not familiar with Russell Kirk, you recommend him I guess? - isn't Plato the philosoher who started that whole "utopia" thing?
The usage by Plato of the Philosopher King concept is more illustrative of what he could see of Athenian Democracy and its limitations then of his thinking in general. While he has not been one I have studied to any real degree, I am familiar enough to know that it inprudent to ignore his and Aristotle's work.
Russell Kirk is a giant. If you haven't read him, I suggest you find some of his stuff.