In 1990, after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, President George H. W. Bush was considering the American response. He was torn: On the one hand, he saw the necessity of pushing Saddam out of the oil-rich state, maintaining the impression of American strength in the region. On the other hand, he wanted to avoid conflict.
Three weeks after the invasion, Bush still had not made a decision. That’s when he famously accepted a phone call from British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
“Remember, George,” she said, “this is no time to go wobbly.” Bush didn’t go wobbly. The United States expelled Saddam from Kuwait. That was the last outright military victory in American history.
Today, the United States faces down threats on all sides, the wages of appeasement of America’s most vicious enemies. From cutting awful deals with Iran to appeasing Russian aggression in Crimea, from bowing before Chinese expansionism to abandoning Afghanistan to the Taliban to sending overt American aid to Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, America’s foreign policy, particularly under Barack Obama and Joe Biden, has bred aggressiveness among our enemies.
That aggressiveness culminated last week in the worst single terror attack on the West since 9/11, in the form of a murderous rampage through southern Israel that left 1,300 people dead and 200 kidnapped.
America’s enemies are betting on us going wobbly. They are betting on a morally blind media to press Israel to stop her offensive into the Gaza Strip in order to depose the evil terrorist group Hamas. They are betting on an activated Left to intervene to press Joe Biden to pressure Israel to stop.
If that bet pays off, the West will be far less safe.
Here’s why.
Let’s assume Israel leaves Hamas in place on the Gaza Strip — which would be the end result of a cease-fire at this point. Hamas will quickly consolidate its support among Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank, creating another massive terror threat for Israel from its East.
That terror threat is already materializing: Palestinian terrorists have already attempted to infiltrate multiple areas of Judea and Samaria. On Friday night, mosques around Israel played a muezzin call expressing solidarity with Hamas and calling for Palestinians to join the violence. That will only grow worse if Hamas survives.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1830-america-can-prevent-world-war-iii-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
Meanwhile, Hezbollah in the North, an Iranian proxy, will know Israel is surrounded on all sides and may choose to launch a massive offensive against Israel that will end with tens of thousands of Jews dead and Israel itself existentially endangered. Again, that possibility is quite real: Israel is apparently holding off on its ground offensive in order to retain enough troops in the North to prevent a massive Hezbollah move.
If Hezbollah jumps in, Israel will respond with everything in its arsenal, as it would have to; Iran, with Russian and Chinese backing, could enter the conflict. At that point, nuclear conflict would certainly not be off the table. Israel will not allow a second Holocaust to take place without using everything in its arsenal.
In fact, an Iranian attack on Israel could turn into a next-stage Sunni-Shia war, thanks to Iran’s increased regional power; at some point in this chain of events, America would be dragged directly into such a war. Meanwhile, the world’s oil supply would be radically decreased, crashing the global economy.
Or, America can stand tall.
Here is America’s role. It is a simple one, and does not require American use of force. It does not require American soldiers.
First, America must provide Israel the material and moral support to destroy Hamas. Israel will shed extraordinary levels of blood of its own citizens in order to protect civilians in Gaza and to kill terrorists, but Israel will require rearmament. America should do so. An Israel wounded by Hamas is an invitation to broader regional and possibly global conflict.
Second, America ought to use our diplomatic might to push to alleviate the situation — on the Arab side. We ought to push Egypt to open its border to refugees to minimize civilian casualties and push Turkey to accept refugees. America ought to leverage Qatar into turning over Hamas’ leadership to an international body or to America itself, and push Qatar to get Hamas to release American and other hostages held by Hamas.
Third, America must deter other actors from escalating this conflict. That’s presumably why Biden himself is visiting Israel and why America currently has aircraft carriers stationed in the Mediterranean. An ounce of prevention will be worth kilotons of cure.
All of this is doable without expending significant amounts of American treasure or any American blood.
But that can only happen if the Biden administration doesn’t go wobbly — if it doesn’t start parroting the dangerous moral equivalence of the media or the absurd perversities of international pseudo-humanitarian organizations that make no demands of the terrorist Hamas but make many demands on Israel. 
America can flex her muscles without using American force. In fact, we should. A world without America is a dark and chaotic place — and a more dangerous place for America. All that can be avoided — at virtually zero cost — as long as America doesn’t go wobbly.
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4Screenshot 2023-10-17 at 3.36.46 PM copy

America Can Prevent World War III

Ben Shapiro

George H.W. Bush

Hamas

Israel

Middle East

Palestinians

Readers Pass

Awkward situations, embarrassing moments, mispronounced words, and tumbles. The men who have led the most powerful nation on earth were just that — men. And like the rest of us, they&#8217;ve suffered through some embarrassing gaffes. Yet unlike the rest of us, their mistakes were captured on camera to be remembered and laughed at for the rest of history.
Thanks to President Joe Biden, presidential gaffes have become an almost daily occurrence in the White House, but even before the 80-year-old commander-in-chief gave us a reason to roll our eyes, plenty of other U.S. presidents have made us cringe.
Republicans and Democrats are both prone to make us laugh, especially since the advent of television. From puking in a prime minister’s lap to falling down the steps of Air Force One, it would be impossible to include every blunder from modern-day presidents, but here are some of the more embarrassing moments we found, from Gerald Ford to Joe Biden.
<h2>Gerald Ford Tumbles And Stumbles</h2>
President Gerald Ford was falling down airplane steps before Joe Biden made it cool. On June 1, 1975, Ford arrived in Austria to meet with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. As Ford was walking down the Air Force One steps with his wife Betty, the president slipped and fell down the last few stairs. Then, a few hours later, Ford <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/02/archives/ford-falls-but-is-unhurt-ford-falls-but-is-unhurt.html">reportedly</a> nearly fell down a flight of stairs but was saved by Sadat.
Ford wasn’t hurt in either incident and was quick to make light of the embarrassing moments. “Thank you for your gracious welcome to Salzburg, and I am sorry I tumbled in,” he said in remarks to a crowd later that day.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="President Ford falls down airplane steps" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Jsu_qgVuhg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Gerald Ford: The Soviets Are Not Dominating Eastern Europe</h2>
Unfortunately for Ford, foreign policy proved to be as big a problem as the steps on Air Force One. Ford raised eyebrows when he claimed during a presidential debate against Democrat nominee Jimmy Carter that “There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration.”
This claim would’ve been fine if Ford was running for re-election in 1992, but it was 1976 — the middle of the Cold War. The USSR was still going strong and exercising control of the Eastern Bloc of European countries Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. At best, Ford’s comment was a blunder, but at worst, it revealed the sitting president lacked a basic level of foreign policy knowledge.
Ford went on to lose to Carter in the 1976 election. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Carter-Ford Oct. 6, 1976 Debate - &quot;No Soviet Domination&quot;" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PfyL4uQVJLw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Jimmy Carter: A Fictional Character Would Have Been One Of The Best Presidents In History</h2>
During the 1980 Democratic convention, President Jimmy riled up his base by listing names of Democrats he was proud to be in the same party as, but he mixed up the name of a former Democratic vice president with the name of a fictional British naval officer.
“We&#8217;re the party of a great leader of compassion: Lyndon Baines Johnson,” the president told the room full of Democrats. “And the party of a great man who should have been president, who would have been one of the greatest presidents in history: Hubert Horatio Hornblower!”
Carter quickly realized his gaffe and shouted, “Humphrey,” the name of Johnson&#8217;s vice president who died in 1978.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CONVENTION THROWBACK<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OTD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OTD</a> 8/14/1980 &#8212; Jimmy Carter: &quot;We&#39;re the party of a great leader of compassion: Lyndon Baines Johnson. And the party of a great man who should have been President, who would have been one of the greatest Presidents in history: Hubert Horatio Hornblower!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xAUGnbnsBT">pic.twitter.com/xAUGnbnsBT</a>
&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1294237272989216771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>Ronald Reagan Needs Help From Nancy</h2>
Nancy Reagan was a powerful influence during her husband&#8217;s eight years in office and was even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/04/us/white-house-confirms-reagans-follow-astrology-up-to-a-point.html">rumored</a> to have helped President Ronald Reagan schedule important meetings through astrology. In one Q&amp;A with the press, Reagan was asked how he would bring the Russians to the negotiating table to discuss arms control. Nancy appeared to prompt her husband before he answered.
&#8221;Tell them we are doing everything we can,” she was heard whispering.
Nancy <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/19/us/nancy-reagan-denies-giving-president-cue.html">denied</a> that she was telling the president what to say, however. Instead, Nancy said she was just talking to herself because she was frustrated by the question. 
“It always implies that he is sitting there doing nothing,&#8221; she said. &#8221;I always want to say, &#8216;What do you think he&#8217;s doing?&#8217; I know what he&#8217;s doing. So this time when it was asked, I was saying to myself, &#8216;Tell them we are doing everything we can.’”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Nancy Reagan Prompts President Reagan" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6JTtI3D6lqk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>George H.W. Bush Faints And Vomits On Japanese Prime Minister</h2>
A scary moment at a state dinner in Japan turned into one of the most embarrassing gaffes in presidential history when President George H.W. Bush fainted and vomited in the lap of Japan’s Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa.
Bush, who was 67 at the time, <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-bush-vomits-on-prime-minister-of-japan">felt fine</a> earlier in the day, even playing tennis with his host. But at dinner, Bush suffered acute gastroenteritis, causing his fainting spell. The president felt better after taking an anti-nausea drug and resumed his normal schedule.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="George H.W. Bush Vomits - January 8, 1992 (Highest Quality - Restored)" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B_KVL-wtpgg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>George H.W. Bush Gets Bored On Live TV</h2>
During a 1992 presidential debate against his Democrat opponent Bill Clinton, President George H.W. Bush glanced at his watch as a member of the audience asked him a question. While the moment only lasted for a second and the president went on to answer the question, Bush’s gaffe made him look both uninterested in the debate and dismissive of the audience member’s question. Bush lost to Clinton less than a month later in the 1992 election.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Dickerson&#039;s debate history: George Bush caught in the cutaway in 1992" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T293aYx3uw0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Bill Clinton: The Meaning of The Word &#8216;Is&#8217;</h2>
In the midst of his White House sex scandal, President Bill Clinton made a ridiculous attempt to squirm his way out of answering a question about his sexual misconduct with his intern Monica Lewinsky.
The president was asked if a statement from Clinton’s attorney was false. The statement in question read, “Counsel is fully aware that Ms. Lewinsky has filed, has an affidavit which they are in possession of saying that there is absolutely no sex of any kind in any manner, shape or form, with President Clinton.” 
Clinton <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/bctest092198_4.htm">responded</a>, “It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is. If the – if he – if ‘is’ means is and never has been that is not – that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement.”
The Democratic president was impeached by the House on charges including perjury and obstruction of justice following the sex scandal, but he was acquitted by the Senate.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bill Clinton Lie - Definition of &quot;is&quot;" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BS-cip2brsg?start=21&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>George W. Bush Fooled By Popular Saying</h2>
Before Michael Scott was butchering famous quotes on “The Office,” there was President George W. Bush. The Republican was often made fun of for his strange sayings, often called “Bushisms,” but on one occasion, Bush completely forgot the common saying, “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”
Bush was speaking to an audience in Nashville, Tennessee, when he said, &#8220;There&#8217;s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it&#8217;s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, &#8216;Fool me once, shame on … shame on you. Fool me — you can&#8217;t get fooled again.'&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="George Bush&#039;s &quot;Fool Me Once&quot; Gaffe" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KjmjqlOPd6A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Barack Obama Hot Mic</h2>
During a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in March 2012, a hot mic caught President Barack Obama saying the quiet part out loud. As reporters flowed into the room where Obama and Medvedev were speaking, the two leaders believed their conversation was still private, but cameras and microphones picked up on their words.
Obama was overheard asking Medvedev for time and space — “particularly with missile defense” — until after the election when he would be in a better position to handle the issue without the threat of facing electoral consequences, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-summit-obama-medvedev/obama-tells-russias-medvedev-more-flexibility-after-election-idUSBRE82P0JI20120326">reported</a>.
“I understand your message about space,” replied Medvedev, who was on his way out of office.
“This is my last election. &#8230; After my election, I have more flexibility,” Obama added.
“I will transmit this information to Vladimir,” Medvedev said, referring to Vladimir Putin, who was set to take back over as Russian president.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Obama tells Medvedev he will have &quot;more flexibility&quot; after election" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0mgQaFlo_p8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Barack Obama Thinks There Are 57 States </h2>
While not as consequential as being caught on a hot mic discussing future plans with a Russian president, Obama embarrassed himself when he claimed he traveled to 57 states during his campaign.
“It is just wonderful to be back in Oregon, and over the past 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states, I think one left to go,” Obama told a group of supporters as some began to laugh. “Alaska and Hawaii I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Obama: I&#039;ve now been to 57 states. I think one left to go." width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/918u5U2q3Xo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Trump Mispronounces Yosemite And Thailand</h2>
President Donald Trump could always entertain a crowd — even when he wasn’t trying to. While touting legislation on preserving national parks, Trump mispronounced the name of one of the most popular natural attractions in the U.S.
“We want every American child to have access to pristine outdoor spaces. When young Americans experience the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon when their eyes widen in amazement as Old Faithful bursts into the sky, when they gaze upon ‘Yo Semite’s’ — ‘Yo Semite’s’ — towering sequoias, their love of country grows stronger, and they know that every American has truly a duty to preserve this wondrous inheritance.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;Yo, Semite&#039;: Trump Mispronounces Yosemite While Touting National Parks Legislation | NBC News" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kwcploTZbKA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Then the president mispronounced Thailand, calling it “thigh land.” In a speech in Ohio, Trump blamed the Obama administration for companies “shifting production to ‘thigh land’ and Vietnam.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Donald Trump mispronounces Thailand as &quot;thighland&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EJQ9hknvaQM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Joe Biden Falls Three Times Walking Up Steps </h2>
What Gerald Ford began, President Joe Biden perfected. Shortly after taking office, Biden tripped not once, not twice, but three times while walking up the steps of Air Force One. The president finally made it to the top before turning around and saluting the Marines standing on the ground.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre blamed the wind for Biden’s trouble making it up the stairs.
“It’s pretty windy outside. It’s very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself,” she said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="President Biden falls on Air Force One stairs" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U5Mwc12LtRY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Joe Biden Falls Off Bike</h2>
Biden took a bigger tumble in 2022 when he fell off his bike in his home state of Delaware right in front of a crowd gathered to see him. The president came to a stop to greet a group of people when he lost his balance and fell to the pavement. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Joe Biden falls off bike while cycling in Delaware" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dSm7bjGjEwM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Joe Biden Tells Paralympic Athletes ‘Don’t Jump’</h2>
Biden has a strange habit of telling people on platforms or in high places not to jump when he makes public appearances. In one instance, the president made the joke while appearing with paralympic athletes, some of whom were in wheelchairs.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Brain Fart! Biden quips &quot;Don&#039;t Jump&quot; to wheelchair bound Paralympic athletes." width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vb5gKtYwy2Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

President Bush Discusses Current Economic Issues

Presidential Blooper Reel: Here Are 14 Of The More Memorable Gaffes, From President Ford To Biden

Barack Obama

Bill Clinton

Donald Trump

George W. Bush

Politics

Presidency

Satire

U.S.

Former Kansas senator and Republican presidential candidate Robert Joseph Dole passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 98.
According to a statement released by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the World War II veteran and longtime politician <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bob-dole-wwii-hero-former-republican-presidential-candidate-dies-98-n953981">passed in his sleep</a>.
&#8220;It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years. More information coming soon,&#8221; the Foundation shared in a tweet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years. More information coming soon. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RememberingBobDole?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RememberingBobDole</a> <a href="https://t.co/57NtGfqtmL">pic.twitter.com/57NtGfqtmL</a>
— Elizabeth Dole Foundation (@DoleFoundation) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoleFoundation/status/1467533869905817602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Dole served as top Republican in the Senate for some 11 years — a feat beaten only by current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — and is one of only eight senators in history to have received a Congressional Gold Medal.
His response, when he received the honor in January of 2018, was simple and self-deprecating: &#8220;I want to thank all those who&#8217;ve said such kind words about me. They&#8217;re probably not true, but they were nice.&#8221;
He was former President Gerald Ford&#8217;s 1976 running mate, and at 73 he became the oldest to ever make a first-time run for the presidency, clinching the Republican nomination in 1996 but losing to Bill Clinton.
Dole had been in poor health for several years – and had confirmed in February of this year that he was suffering from stage 4 lung cancer — but had continued to make an effort to serve others and honor his friends as colleagues.
Even into his 90s, he visited the World War II Memorial on the National Mall and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/bob-doles-final-mission/2018/06/18/93962908-6fff-11e8-afd5-778aca903bbe_story.html?utm_term=.3e61442d9fdb">greeted fellow veterans</a> who came to see the memorial as part of the nation&#8217;s Honor Flight program, which helps veterans of past wars obtain free flights to the nation&#8217;s capitol to visit their memorials.
As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/bob-doles-final-mission/2018/06/18/93962908-6fff-11e8-afd5-778aca903bbe_story.html">The Washington Post</a> reported in June of 2018, he saw that as his final mission:
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There, from a handicapped parking spot, he eases into the wheelchair as the greetings begin — “Oh my gosh, Bob Dole!”— finally rolling into his place in the shade just outside the main entrance to the National World War II Memorial.
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And then they come, bus after bus, wheelchair after wheelchair, battalions of his bent brothers, stooped with years but steeped in pride, veterans coming to see their country’s monument to their sacrifice and to be welcomed by of one of their country’s icons.
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“Good to see you. Where you from?” Dole says, over and over, as they roll close, sometimes one on each side. New York, Tennessee, Nevada, the old roll-call once again. “Let’s get a picture.” “Thank you for your service.” “What about your service?” “How old are you?” “I’m 90.” “I’m 94.” “Where you from?” “Good to see you.”
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And when former President and fellow World War II veteran George H.W. Bush passed away, Dole not only attended the public visitation but asked to be helped to his feet so that he could salute his fallen friend.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bob Dole was the type of man who at 96, unable to walk and struggling badly with his health, wanted to be held up so he could salute the casket of a fellow WWII veteran and former president <a href="https://t.co/udvVDSYg17">pic.twitter.com/udvVDSYg17</a>
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunnyright/status/1467536379076919305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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RIP, Robert Joseph Dole.

President George H.W. Bush Lies In State At U.S. Capitol

Former Senator, Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole Dies At 98

World War II

Former president George W. Bush wants conservatives to take a softer stance on immigration, and the left-wing media can’t get enough of it. During an interview with Norah O’Donnell that aired on CBS Sunday Morning, Bush called for Republicans “to be more respectful about the immigrant.” The United States takes in more immigrants each year than any other nation. Nearly one in five immigrants on earth ends up here. How much more &#8220;respect&#8221; can the U.S. display before she ceases to exist as a sovereign nation?
The leftist media lapped up Bush’s entreaty. “Remember this man?” asked CNN’s Fredo Chris Cuomo. “Remember why he believes this?” But the former president’s beliefs come as no surprise to those who remember that the Bushes have never been particularly conservative. The opportunistic media, which deplored Bush while he held office, now points to the former president as the conservative standard-bearer. In fact, the Bush family has represented the liberal wing of the Republican Party since 1952.
Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of future presidents, supported Margaret Sanger’s American Birth Control League and helped to launch Planned Parenthood, serving as the treasurer for the abortion mill’s first national fundraising campaign in 1947. After his election to the Senate in 1952, he voted to censure the anti-communist crusader Joseph McCarthy in 1954 and regularly associated himself with New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, at that time the face of liberal Republicanism.
Following in his father’s footsteps, George H.W. Bush also supported abortion and Planned Parenthood specifically during the 1960s and ‘70s. In 1970, Bush sponsored the pro-abortion Population Control and Research Act as a means of combatting the fictive scourge of “overpopulation.” He remained supportive of abortion up through his failed presidential bid against Ronald Reagan in 1980, during which he assailed Reagan’s more conservative views and even coined the term “voodoo economics” to describe some of them. Bush adopted more conservative positions after Reagan made him his running mate later that year, but he returned to his more liberal roots after Reagan left office in 1988, at which point the VP-turned-president promised a “kindler, gentler” type of conservatism. The slight did not escape Nancy Reagan, who reportedly <a href="https://www.aei.org/articles/common-ground-on-the-common-good/">asked</a>, “‘Kindler and gentler’ than whom?”
George W. Bush adapted his father’s rhetoric to his own White House bid eight years later, promising “compassionate conservatism” — as opposed, one infers, to the Right’s usual offering of heartlessness and cruelty. Although considerably to the right of his father, Bush tacked left on crucial issues, notably his advocacy of amnesty for 12 million illegal aliens. George’s brother Jeb(!) went even further during his own ill-fated presidential run in 2016, endorsing illegal immigration as “an act of love.”
I do not mean this trip down memory lane as an attack on the Bushes. The Republican Party comprises many disparate groups: traditional conservatives, libertarians, neocons, the Religious Right, and populists, among others. They band together because the various factions cannot harness a sufficient number of votes to win on their own. Sometimes the liberal wing takes the helm, as it did through the candidacies of Mitt Romney, John McCain, and the Bushes; at other times, the conservatives wrestle back influence within the party, as they did to at least some degree in 1980 and 2016. This week, the most famous living representative of the most prominent family in the GOP’s liberal wing criticized the party’s conservatives again. What else is new?
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CORRECTION published Sunday, June 14, 2009: A photo cutline on Page A11 Saturday should have said fo

KNOWLES: In Case You Forgot, The Bushes Have Never Been Particularly Conservative

Conservatism

Jeb Bush

On Saturday, in an article detailing prominent Republican politicians who will not support President Trump’s reelection, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/politics/trump-biden-republicans-voters.html?smid=tw-share">The New York Times</a> reported that former President George W. Bush would not support President Trump’s reelection.
But on Saturday night, Freddy Ford, a spokesman for Bush, told <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/06/george-w-bush-donald-trump/">The Texas Tribune </a> that the Times’ proclamation about his boss was false. He stated in an email, &#8220;This is completely made up. He is retired from presidential politics and has not indicated how he will vote.&#8221;
The Times story, titled “Vote for Trump? These Republican Leaders Aren’t on the Bandwagon,” stated in the sub-headline,“Former President George W. Bush and Senator Mitt Romney won’t support Mr. Trump’s re-election.”
In the Times article, it took a shot at Trump&#8217;s &#8220;incendiary response to the protests of police brutality, atop his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic,&#8221; writing:
<blockquote>But, far sooner than they expected, growing numbers of prominent Republicans are debating how far to go in revealing that they won’t back his re-election — or might even vote for Joseph R. Biden Jr., the presumptive Democratic nominee. They’re feeling a fresh urgency because of Mr. Trump’s incendiary response to the protests of police brutality, atop his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private discussions. Former President George W. Bush won’t support the re-election of Mr. Trump, and Jeb Bush isn’t sure how he’ll vote, say people familiar with their thinking.</blockquote>
The Texas Tribune noted:
<blockquote>Both of the Bush brothers — and their parents, former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush — said in 2016 they didn’t vote for Trump. But Trump endorsed Jeb’s son, George P. Bush, when he ran for reelection as Texas Land Commissioner in 2018. In 2014, before Jeb Bush ran for president (a race he lost to Trump), George P. told the Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith <a href="https://elb.texastribune.org/2014/09/21/tribfest-bush-wont-endorse-dad-for-president/">he wouldn’t endorse his father</a>.</blockquote>
PJ Media <a href="https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/06/08/new-york-times-article-claiming-george-w-bush-wont-vote-for-trump-is-completely-made-up-say-spokesman-n508402">noted</a>, “There are a lot of tensions between the Bush family and Trump. In 2016, Bush’s younger brother Jeb also sought the Republican nomination for the presidency, and was repeatedly mocked by Trump. George W. Bush has also been criticized by the current president, particularly with regard to the Iraq War. In a July 2018 rally, Trump also attacked George H.W. Bush, saying, ‘Thousand points of light, I never quite got that one.’”
Trump continued at the rally, “What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn’t it? I know one thing, Make America Great Again we understand. Putting America first we understand.”
George H.W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign, in which he defeated Massachusetts Democrat Governor Michael Dukakis, utilized the motto “a thousand points of light.” George H.W. Bush later founded a nonprofit group to encourage volunteerism that used the slogan.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Green Bay Packers v Dallas Cowboys

NYT: George W. Bush Won’t Support Trump In 2020. Bush Spokesman: ‘This Is Completely Made Up’

At the October presidential debate over thirty years ago, Ann Compton, the White House correspondent for ABC News, asked then-Vice President George H.W. Bush to identify an American hero to whom young people could look up and aspire.
The answer the late president gave at the time serves as a reminder that Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immunologist who has since established a strong presence as the White House coronavirus expert, has been drawing positive attention for his work research since the 1980s.
“&#8230;people that are clean and honorable and out there, setting a pace – I think of Dr. Fauci,” Bush said during the 1988 Los Angeles debate with Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis.
“You’ve probably never heard of him,” remarked Bush. “He’s a very fine researcher, top doctor at National Institute of Health, working hard doing something, research on this disease of AIDS.”
The footage, which was uncovered by C-Span Communications Director Howard Mortman, was posted to Twitter on Saturday evening, and can be viewed below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
10/13/1988 debate: <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnCompton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnnCompton</a> asks Bush &amp; Dukakis who their heroes are, &#8220;point out to young Americans as figures who should inspire this country?&#8221; 
Bush: &#8220;Fauci &#8230;top doctor at NIH, working hard doing something about research on this disease of AIDS&#8221; 
h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/mschlapp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mschlapp</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/bterris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bterris</a> <a href="https://t.co/2Q9WUVoUXB">pic.twitter.com/2Q9WUVoUXB</a>
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1241494707919892486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
According to the <a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/anthony-s-fauci-md-bio">National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases</a>, President Ronald Reagan appointed Dr. Fauci as director in 1984, where he has become the 41st most cited researcher, of any field, of all time. The website also reports that Dr. Fauci has advised a half-dozen U.S. presidents about public health issues.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Fauci has gained a near-universal reputation as being a trustworthy source of information.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-fauci-president-not-responsible-for-delayed-covid-19-testing-trump-biden-should-apologize">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Dr. Fauci dismissed widespread allegations last week that President Trump or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were responsible for delayed coronavirus testing.
“It was a complicated series of multiple things that conflated that just, you know, went the wrong way. One of them was a technical glitch that slowed things down in the beginning. Nobody’s fault. There weren’t any bad guys there. It just happened,” said Dr. Fauci.
In a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/sunday/fauci-coronavirus-trump.html"> New York Times</a> op-ed, Maureen Dowd praised Dr. Fauci in a column titled, “Thank God the Doctor Is In,” which features the lead-in, “It’s not easy being a national treasure.” Last week, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/14/politics/anthony-fauci-trump-coronavirus/index.html">CNN</a> ran a story that referred to the immunologist as “a rare source of frank honesty from within the White House.”
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-new-guidelines-for-americans-to-follow-over-next-15-days">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Dr. Fauci has noted that the Trump administration&#8217;s new guidelines, which instruct Americans to avoid gatherings of more than ten people until March 31, are an appropriate measure given the current stage of the pandemic. 
“It will always seem that the best way to address it would be to be doing something that looks like it might be an overreaction. It isn’t an overreaction. It’s a reaction we feel is commensurate which is actually going on in reality,” said Dr. Fauci last week. 
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-this-invisible-enemy-is-no-match-for-the-spirit-and-resolve-of-the-american-people">has encouraged</a> the public to remain optimistic in the face of an “invisible enemy.”
“I want all Americans to understand: we are at war with an invisible enemy, but that enemy is no match for the spirit and resolve of the American people,” said Trump. “It cannot overcome the dedication of our doctors, nurses, and scientists — and it cannot beat the LOVE, PATRIOTISM, and DETERMINATION of our citizens. Strong and United, WE WILL PREVAIL!”

Vice President Bush Visits Iowa

WATCH: VP Bush Praises Dr. Anthony Fauci, Coronavirus Taskforce Member, During 1988 Debate

Anthony Fauci

COVID

As the 2020 election cycle hits full swing, and as the Democratic Party&#8217;s quest to topple President Donald Trump got off to a fairly catastrophic start earlier this week in Iowa, polling now indicates that Americans are more optimistic about the economy than they have been in decades.
&#8220;For the first time in its history, the Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/284264/record-high-optimism-personal-finances.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-reader-unique-id="6">&#8216;Mood of the Nation&#8217;</a> economic survey found that 59% of people believe that they are &#8216;better off,&#8217; a trend that has soared under Trump,&#8221; Paul Bedard <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/record-economic-optimism-under-trump-better-than-reagan-clinton-obama">reported</a> this morning for the Washington Examiner. &#8220;It is higher than when President Ronald Reagan made his economy a campaign rallying cry and better than the so-called dot-com bubble under President Bill Clinton.&#8221;
&#8220;The survey follows several others that have showed public satisfaction with the economy,&#8221; Bedard added. &#8220;Just yesterday, Gallup reported a 63% satisfaction with the president’s handling of the economy, and calling it, &#8216;The highest economic approval rating not only for Trump, but for any president since George W. Bush enjoyed stratospheric job approval ratings in the first few months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.'&#8221;
Specifically, Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/284264/record-high-optimism-personal-finances.aspx">notes</a> today that &#8220;[t]he current 59% of Americans who say they are better off financially than they were a year ago is essentially tied for the all-time high of 58% in January 1999.&#8221;
&#8220;Americans&#8217; levels of optimism about both their current financial situation and where it will be a year from now are at or near record highs,&#8221; Gallup concluded. &#8220;These views align with President Donald Trump&#8217;s contention that Americans are doing better under his presidency, and with his use of the economy and job growth as key selling points for his re-election. Republicans&#8217; positive views on their finances are something of a given for a GOP president, at least during good economic times. The majority levels of optimism among political independents are more significant for Trump&#8217;s re-election prospects — and something Trump will want to maintain in 2020 to stay competitive.&#8221;
The news from Gallup today comes just one day after the same famed polling outfit reported an all-time high approval rating for Trump, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/will-trump-win-latest-trumps-national-and-state-josh-hammer">noted</a>. Furthermore, the current RealClearPolitics <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval_economy-6182.html">polling average</a> for Americans&#8217; views of Trump&#8217;s handling of the economy shows that a whopping 56% currently approve, whereas a trifling 38.9% disapprove. That ought to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_the_economy,_stupid">augur quite well</a> for the president&#8217;s electoral hopes this November.
The news of Americans&#8217; record optimism about their economy, and Trump&#8217;s handling of it, comes at a time when the Democratic Party is increasingly committed to implementing an unvarnished socialistic agenda. The bold contrast between these two visions of governance offers a stark choice for voters this fall.
&#8220;Pulling no punches in Tuesday’s [State of the Union] speech, President Trump pointedly attacked socialism, a policy that has increasingly become the heart and soul of the modern left, much to the chagrin of the Democratic establishment,&#8221; The Federalist&#8217;s Erielle Davidson <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/02/05/president-trump-offers-a-sharp-rebuke-of-socialism-at-precisely-the-right-time/">wrote</a> this morning. &#8220;In what may have been one of the most striking lines of his speech, Trump declared, &#8216;Socialism destroys nations. But always remember: Freedom unifies the soul.'&#8221;

Stock exchange graph and numbers

Americans Are More Optimistic About The Economy Than They Have Been In Decades

2020 Election

Economy

Ronald Reagan

They don&#8217;t make &#8217;em like this anymore.
Ross Perot, the self-made billionaire who ran for president in 1992 as an independent and pulled in nearly 20 million votes, has died after a battle with leukemia. He was 89.
Perot started out in the computer business in the early 1960s, founding Electronic Data Systems Corp. in 1962 with $1,000 he had saved. He sold control of it to General Motors for $2.5 billion in 1984. He started up another company, Perot Systems Corp., in 1988, which was sold to Dell for $3.9 billion in 2005.
“In business and in life, Ross was a man of integrity and action. A true American patriot and a man of rare vision, principle and deep compassion, he touched the lives of countless people through his unwavering support of the military and veterans and through his charitable endeavors,” James Fuller, a representative for the Perot family, said in a statement.
Perot ran for president twice, in 1992 and 1996, and in his first go-around, he upset the apple cart. He garnered nearly 19% of the vote, while the winners, Bill Clinton and Al Gore, took in just 43% and the losers, George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle, got just 37.5%.
Perot, at just 5-foot-6-inches tall, had a commanding presence. He was mimicked by comedian Dana Carvey on &#8220;Saturday Night Live,&#8221; repeatedly uttering a phrase he made famous in his many contentious debates, &#8220;Can I finish?&#8221;
He was mocked for picking retired Adm. James Stockdale, who also famously said in one debate, &#8220;Why am I here?&#8221;
Perot was famous for offering folksy — and common sense — solutions to complex problems, including education reform and U.S. foreign policy, as well as the then-swelling federal budget,
“If someone as blessed as I am is not willing to clean out the barn, who will?” he said with his trademark Texarkana twang during his 1992 run.
Perot&#8217;s was truly a grassroots campaign. He appeared in February 1992 on CNN’s “Larry King Live&#8221; and, asked if was running for president, stated firmly, &#8220;No.&#8221; But as the interview went on, he said he might run “if you, the people, are that serious” and “register me in 50 states.”
Within three months, Perot and his supporters had put him on the ballot in all 50 states. He garnered massive coverage as a plain-talking Texan, contrasting with the staid Bush and Clinton, aka &#8220;Slick Willy.&#8221; But by July, Perot felt he couldn&#8217;t win and said he wasn&#8217;t running anymore.
Perot jumped back in on October 1, just 33 days before Election Day, and earned a spot on the debate stage with Bush and Clinton. In one debate, he uttered another perfect phrase when he predicted that the new North American Free Trade Agreement would create a “giant sucking sound” as it yanked U.S. jobs to Mexico.
&#8220;In an interview with CBS’s &#8217;60 Minutes&#8217; that aired nine days before the election, Perot said the real reason he had dropped out in July was that he had learned of a plan by Republican leaders, whom he wouldn’t name, &#8216;to have a computer-created false photo of my daughter, Carolyn, that they were going to give the press shortly before her wedding to embarrass her.&#8217; He offered no proof,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-09/h-ross-perot-billionaire-who-sought-presidency-dies-at-89">Bloomberg News</a> reported.
After he lost in 1992, Bush blamed Perot. “I think he cost me the election, and I don’t like him,” he said in “41,” a documentary that HBO aired in 2012.
In his later years, Perot became a leading philanthropist, giving a $50 million gift in 2008 for the construction of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.

Ross Perot, The Tiny Man With A Big Heart, Dead At 89

Former President George H.W. Bush privately sponsored a 7-year-old Filipino boy for 10 years without the boy ever knowing who Bush was.
As <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/18/us/george-hw-bush-sponsored-filipino-child-trnd/index.html">CNN</a> reports, the relationship was triggered in 2001, when Bush, then 77, was in the audience at a Christmas Concert in Washington, D.C. Wess Stafford, the former president of Compassion International told CNN, &#8220;Because the musicians were mostly Christian, they believed in our mission.&#8221; During intermission, &#8220;they would tell the audience about us, and ask them if they would like to sponsor a child. All of the sudden, Mr. Bush, who was sitting only a few rows back and surrounded by security, raised his hand and asked for a pamphlet,&#8221; he added.
Stafford recalled that Bush&#8217;s security team was concerned because they were unfamiliar with the pamphlet and couldn&#8217;t vouch for its authenticity. Stafford continued, &#8220;His top security called me and said &#8216;this doesn&#8217;t surprise me coming from him, but if he&#8217;s going to sponsor this kid, we need to make sure the boy doesn&#8217;t know who his sponsor is.&#8217; So, he signed all his letters to Timothy as &#8216;George Walker.&#8217;&#8221; Stafford explained that Bush&#8217;s security team worried that if it were discovered that the boy, named Timothy, was friends with a former president, the boy&#8217;s safety would be endangered.
After making contact, Bush helped fund Timothy&#8217;s education, extracurricular activities and even some of his food. Stafford screened each letter.
The first letter from Bush to Timothy went like this:
<blockquote>
Dear Timothy:
I want to be your new pen pal.
I am an old man, 77 years old, but I love kids; and though we have not met I love you already.
I live in Texas &#8211; I will write you from time to time &#8211; Good Luck. G. Walker
</blockquote>
Another:
<blockquote>
Here is a picture of our dog. Her name is Sadie. She has met a lot of famous people.
She is a very good dog she was born in England. She catches mice and chipmunks, and she runs like the wind. G. Walker.
</blockquote>
Another:
<blockquote>
Dear Timothy,
I love that picture of you holding that &#8216;World Time&#8217; gadget. I also have learned that you play the guitar &#8211; terrific!
Timothy, have you ever heard of the White House? That&#8217;s where the president of the USA lives. I got to go to the White House at Christmas time. Here is a little booklet that I got at the White House in Washington.
</blockquote>
Stafford reminisced, &#8220;Timothy would send him hand drawings and told the President how much he liked art, so he sent over color pencils, sketch pads, and paint. I waited for my staff to go to the Philippines and send it with them. They would then bring it to the church Timothy was a part of, so he could collect his gifts.&#8221;
One letter from Timothy read:
<blockquote>
Dear Mr. &amp; Mrs. Walker,
How are you? I hope you&#8217;re in good condition.
I would like to thank you for not forgetting me. You&#8217;re so nice and good.
God is so good to us. He gives us the body &amp; will to get to where we want to go.
Thank you so much for the book, I like it very much.
</blockquote>
After Timothy graduated from high school, Stafford&#8217;s executive assistant, Angie Lathrop, flew to the Philippines to meet him and informed him who &#8220;George Walker&#8221; really was. Stafford said that was the last time there was contact with Timothy.
Stafford concluded, &#8220;We may not know where Timothy is, but we know he&#8217;s now living a successful life. Sponsoring a child, even if they are still in the womb, can encourage them and guide them to become great human beings.&#8221;

CLASS: George H. W. Bush Anonymously Supported Filipino Boy For 10 Years

Impolite question, but it needs to be asked: Is there a Republican dead body that left-wing partisans won&#8217;t use to bash Donald Trump?
This week&#8217;s partisan corpse abusers callously exploited the passing of George H.W. Bush, America&#8217;s 41st president, to get in their digs at the current commander in chief. Their vulgar level of incivility was inversely propositional to their sanctimonious calls for decency.
&#8220;The View&#8217;s&#8221; Joy Behar rudely and crudely soiled the ABC show&#8217;s tribute to the 94-year-old World War II hero and lifelong public servant. While Whoopi Goldberg and other panelists paid homage to Bush&#8217;s character and love of family, Behar wielded an old Bush quote about federal Clean Air Act amendments to attack Trump on climate change. Her narcissistic pledge to become a &#8220;one-issue voter&#8221; on &#8220;pollution and the greenhouse effect&#8221; was interrupted when co-host Meghan McCain forcefully objected to the hijacking of their short-lived unity message.
Instead of apologizing for her ill-timed lapse into Trump Derangement Syndrome, Behar ripped into McCain while Goldberg cut to a commercial break. Not-so-joyful Joy reportedly shrieked in earshot of the audience: &#8220;Get this b&#8212;&#8212; under control&#8221; and told producers &#8220;If this s&#8212;- doesn&#8217;t stop, I&#8217;m quitting this damn show. I can&#8217;t take this much more.&#8221;
Neither can my ears. Can&#8217;t we just all get along?
MSNBC&#8217;s Mika Brzezinski displayed a similar lack of restraint, extolling the Bush&#8217;s legacy of bipartisanship not for its own sake &#8212; but to carp about how &#8220;over the last two years deviancy has continued being defined down by this current president.&#8221;
The Washington Post&#8217;s lead article on Bush&#8217;s passing bemoaned: &#8220;&#8216;Honorable, gracious and decent&#8217;: In Death, Bush Becomes a Yardstick for President Trump.&#8221; Yes, it&#8217;s a virtue-signaling yardstick to wallop Trump with in hopes of beating him into Beltway media submission.
Over at CNN, correspondent Jamie Gangel derided Trump&#8217;s somber visit to the U.S. Capitol to pay his respects as Bush 41&#8217;s casket arrived at the rotunda to lie in state. Gangel trashed Trump&#8217;s ceremonial salute to Bush as &#8220;theatrical&#8221; and rejected veteran Beltway commentator David Gergen&#8217;s assessment that Trump deserved credit for his decorum.
&#8220;I&#8217;m concerned that we shouldn&#8217;t give credit to someone for not kicking dirt on the grave of a person who just passed away,&#8221; said Jeffery Engel, rebuking Gergen during an interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. (Yes, that&#8217;s the same Cooper who demonstrated his commitment to civil discourse by infamously mocking tea party conservatives by using a degrading slang term for an oral sex act &#8212; also in an interview with poor David Gergen.)
Let&#8217;s stop pretending and give the historical whitewash a rest. This isn&#8217;t about celebrating &#8220;civility.&#8221; It&#8217;s about weaponizing &#8220;civility.&#8221; The newfound fans of the Bush clan spent years demonizing them as bloodthirsty warmongers and dynastic oppressors. Bush the Younger was lambasted as a &#8220;chimp,&#8221; beheaded in protest posters, and assassinated in off-Broadway plays. When liberals now praise the Bushes&#8217; &#8220;civility,&#8221; what they are actually rewarding is the GOP establishment&#8217;s capitulation to liberal principles of big government and elitist comity.
Because the Bush family refused to fight back vigorously against media smears, daily Hollywood abuse and partisan slime, they&#8217;re considered paragons of virtue from whom Trump is lectured to &#8220;learn.&#8221; According to swamp etiquette, it&#8217;s uncouth to call out profane, deranged haters who have no qualms about letting their anti-Trump freak flags fly as decent Americans mourn.
&#8220;Civility&#8221; is in the eye of the bemoaner.
Michelle Malkin is host of &#8220;Michelle Malkin Investigates&#8221; on CRTV.com. Her email address is writemalkin@gmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

MALKIN: Stop Partisan Corpse Abuse

Joy Behar

Everyone seems to have his own George H.W. Bush story. I&#8217;ll give one that gives an insight into this man&#8217;s character.
Some years ago, we were at his home in Kennebunkport after having sped across the water in his infamous speedboat for lunch (yes, with Secret Service chase boats hopelessly trying to keep up). We were going to say our goodbyes when the former president asked me to accompany him upstairs to his simple office. He fired up his computer and entered an address. Howard Stern&#8217;s face popped up. The president hit some commands and a page opened with a perfectly obscene pictorial about his son. He pointed at it and then turned to me with a strained expression. &#8220;Do people really do this to people?&#8221; he asked. He couldn&#8217;t understand it. He opened a second link. More of the same, aimed at someone else (maybe himself; I can&#8217;t remember). Again the sad look. Again the question: &#8220;Why do people do this?&#8221; He opened a third one. Same question, same answer.
There were those who had accused him of being hopelessly out of touch with the common man because he allegedly wasn&#8217;t familiar with bar codes. In this sense, I suppose they were right. I was looking at a man who was innocent, to the point of ignorance, about this damaged element in the American cultural soul. The man who could laugh at himself so publicly couldn&#8217;t understand why anyone would find such viciousness to be amusing. This was the former leader of the free world and a warrior. He was also a husband and a father seemingly crushed by such incivility.
I thought about him while reviewing these recent quotes, from another publication. How would he have reacted to them?
—New York Times columnist Bret Stephens on Sen. Ted Cruz: &#8220;(H)e&#8217;s like a serpent covered in Vaseline. &#8230; he&#8217;s the type of man who would sell his family into slavery if that&#8217;s what it took to get elected. And that he would use said slavery as a sob story to get himself re-elected.&#8221;
—CNN host Don Lemon on Trump supporters: &#8220;We&#8217;re up against people who will lie, steal and cheat, lie to their own mother, lie to themselves about what&#8217;s right for this country, about truth and about facts.&#8221;
—On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View,&#8221; Joy Behar on President Trump: &#8220;(H)e realizes that women like him less than menstrual cramps,&#8221; and the women who still like him &#8220;don&#8217;t know the difference between a predator and a protector.&#8221;
—On HBO, &#8220;comedian&#8221; Sarah Silverman on Trump: &#8220;In a time &#8230; where anti-Semitic crime is up 57 percent since this douchebag has taken office, it is not lost on me that I am very lucky that I get a star and I don&#8217;t have to sew it on my clothes.&#8221;
—ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel: &#8220;I think there&#8217;s a compromise here, and &#8230; hear me out on this. So Kavanaugh gets confirmed to the Supreme Court. OK. Well, in return, we get to cut that pesky penis of his off in front of everyone.&#8221;
—Comedian and Viceland host Tom Arnold on Twitter: &#8220;Alcoholism stunts your emotional growth so if you start drinking alcoholically as a teenager you stay a teenager emotionally until you deal with it. Explains a lot about Brett Kavanaugh. From his combative behavior yesterday to his unusual bond with teenage girls basketball teams.&#8221;
I didn&#8217;t know the president well, though I always considered him one of the most decent men this country has produced in my lifetime. I&#8217;m glad I told him so directly. I never saw him again, so I don&#8217;t know to what degree he tuned in to that world of such human depravity. I hope he didn&#8217;t. I hope President George H.W. Bush remained hopelessly naive.
L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Brent Bozell III and Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

BOZELL & GRAHAM: The Charming Cultural Decency Of Bush 41

Hollywood

Leftism

On Wednesday, former President George H.W. Bush&#8217;s body was laid to rest after he passed away on Saturday at the age of 94. The former president&#8217;s legacy is filled with important achievements, including his administration&#8217;s pro-life policies that saved countless babies from the clutches of abortion.
But Mr. Bush didn&#8217;t always hold a pro-life position.
According to then-president of the National Right to Life Committee Dr. Jack Willke, Bush described himself as &#8220;pro-choice&#8221; when he was named as the Republican vice-presidential candidate under would-be President Ronald Reagan. Dr. Willke explains that he &#8220;briefed&#8221; Mr. Bush for hours before there was change of heart.
As soon as he was notified that Bush was named to the ticket, <a href="https://www.lifenews.com/2018/12/05/the-amazing-story-of-how-president-george-h-w-bush-became-pro-life/">reports</a> Life News, Dr. Willke rushed to the hotel that housed the Republican HQ at the time of the campaign and asked to see the VP candidate. After explaining the reason he was there to Reagan&#8217;s campaign manager, Bill Casey, Willke was seated alone with Mr. Bush to make his pro-life pitch.
&#8220;Jack stressed to Bush the need to elect Ronald Reagan, he conveyed the complication of having a running mate who supported abortion and suggested to the candidate that he brief him on the abortion issue. Mr. Bush began to share his opinion on the issue, but Jack interrupted him saying that he&#8217;d rather hear Mr. Bush&#8217;s position on abortion after the briefing,&#8221; reports Life News.
&#8220;I need four hours to thoroughly brief you,&#8221; insisted Willke, to a shocked Bush. &#8220;We represent a lot of pro-life Americans. If we can tell them that you thought this issue was so important, you dedicated a substantial amount of time to be briefed, it will make a favorable impression on our people.&#8221;
&#8220;You make a valid point. Let&#8217;s do it,&#8221; Bush answered, according to Willke.
Willke visited Bush&#8217;s Kennebunkport, Maine home a few weeks later, this time with a slide projector and a full presentation, which emphasized both &#8220;the beauty of life in the womb, as well as the shocking reality of what abortion does to babies and their mothers,&#8221; and addressed the key arguments surrounding the issue.
Then came the moment of truth: Willke wanted to know if his pitch had changed Mr. Bush&#8217;s position.
&#8220;&#8203;I wasn&#8217;t here before, but I am now,&#8221; Bush told Willke. &#8220;I will support an amendment to the Constitution to forbid abortion and overturn Roe v. Wade, as a state&#8217;s rights amendment.&#8221;
And the rest, as they say, is history.
You can watch Dr. Willke speak of the briefing with former President Bush <a href="https://www.lifeissues.org/2018/12/dr-jack-willke-on-president-bushs-pro-life-conversion/">here</a>.

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