I never thought I would say this, indeed I never thought I would be able to say it because I never thought it would happen, but George W. Bush has done a good thing.
By helping out the auto industry, Bush has shown a willingness to put practicality above ideology, and maybe finally show some of that "compassionate conservatism" he talked about in the 2000 campaign.
What's wrong with the Bush administration, and the thirty year old conservative movement in this country, is that they rely almost exclusively on ideology and thus make a lot of stupid decisions. Ideology is fine for academia, and for think tanks, but it can be deadly in government where it breeds stubbornness, insularity, and stupidity. When one holds the fate of hundreds of millions of citizens in one's hands, and a signature or a veto may determine whether people have jobs, houses, incomes, and health care, ideology isn't appropriate. What is needed is common sense and practicality.
That's why Barack Obama is such a promising politician and president elect. He is a practical man, a problem solver, a unifier, a listener, a leader who gathers facts and opinions from all corners before deciding on the most sensible action.
As for Bush, eight years into his presidency, his reputation in tatters, he finally has done the right thing, the practical thing, the good thing, and for the first time ever, I applaud him.
