Any connection between Noonan’s criticism of Bush and her personal situation are assumptions only. We ought not to presume to make denigrating comments about a person’s character unless we know for sure. and with Noonan we don’t.
I am a Republican and was bothered by Bush’s Inaugural Address in 2005. In fact I was working for a Republican Congressman at the time. My criticism of the speech had nothing to do with references to God. It had to do with assigning the United States a goal (the end of tyranny on earth) which is properly left to a spiritual process (the discipling of the nations) and not a political process (the democratization of the nations.) Democracy comes most easily from a strong Christian foundation. Democracy will not save the world.
I certainly hope democracy comes in Iraq, and I do think we should encourage it all over the world where we can, and where it is in our interest to do so. But I would not have set our grand strategy in foreign policy as the end of tyranny on earth. Democracy will not bring this about; democracy needs a foundation, and in the end it is God’s to bring.
Oh, please, if Noonan can make herself part of every article that she writes, we can feel free to connect the dots regarding her political about face. She was a gushing supporter of Bush, up until she went to D.C. to offer her services.
It doesn’t really matter whether she criticizes Bush or gushes over him, I hated her writing style before she did her about face. The fact that she abruptly switched sides is more indicative of her shallowness of thought, than the quality of her writing. She makes herself part of everything she writes, as if she is some important figure. She’s not. She never did give an any explanation of why she so abruptly turned into a Bush hater.
Bush’s policy problems seem to arise from the fact that he always looks for the best in people, until they prove him wrong. He is purely a black and white person, no shades of gray. Bush thinks that because America is so blessed that it is our duty to share that blessing with the weak, not just here at home, but worldwide. That is what colors Bush's foreign policy, both the WOT and immigration. Someone needs to tell the president, that you can't give people anything, that people don't value anything that is too easily acquired. I don't think that he would listen. Again, it's a matter of black and white.