RAGGED THOTS: Pundit Faceoff

Friday, December 01, 2006

Pundit Faceoff

George Will and Peggy Noonan have very different takes on the Bush vs. Webb clash.

Will: Webb was a pretentious, uncivil, boor.

Noonan: Bush acted like an arrogant cable talk-show host.

I'm with Peggy on this one.

UPDATE: A thoughtful conservative friend writes:

Here's my dumb question for the day. What would Reagan have done? I don't know, but he certainly would have done better than to snap "that's not what I asked you." Some possibilities "Jim, he can come back when his job is finished," "I'd love to bring him back too, Jim, but I can't given the situation in Iraq . . . I'll be happy to sit down and talk with you anytime about your ideas for how to fix things". What this emphasizes to me is Bush's inability and unwillingness to discuss the merits of any issue, a problem that has always dogged him.

Second thought, I recall a distinguished speech given before the AEI dinner about "misplaced civility" by Clarence Thomas. Civility is great and good, but it should not be the religion of our government, nor should it be used to paper over serious problems. Note the pejorative "Gentleman named Civility" who lived in the "Village named Morality."