The New York Times retained a hack religion writer named Paul Kengor to counter Donald Suskin’s reality-based critique of President Bush’s governing style.
The fact is that George W. Bush’s foreign policy was defined by Sept. 11, not by his faith. Had it not been for Sept. 11, he would be shaping a presidency around compassionate conservatism, a domestic policy agenda that is rooted in his Christianity.
Aside from inexplicably asserting the equation foreign policy == domestic policy, Mr. Kengor completely misses the point. The concern about Bush’s faith-based governance isn’t as much his policies as his style.
Under Bush’s faith-based presidency action becomes a dogma. Any decision becomes the stuff of exacting, absolute certainity. Again and again we note how Bush will not admit to mistakes except trusting those who prove disloyal or uncertain.
As deposed EPA Chief Christine Whitman said:
In meetings, I’d ask if there were any facts to support our case. And for that, I was accused of disloyalty!
The critics Kengor intends to answer can accept that faith will inform a President’s policies. They do not accept, however, that a President’s policies be a matter of faith.
Bush seems to think believing in a policy eclipses the policy itself. He would rather have certainty than solutions.
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