Right-wing media celebrates, rehabilitates Bush

Hoft: "One Year Ago- The World's Greatest Liberator Since World War II Leaves Office." In a January 20 Gateway Pundit post, Jim Hoft called Bush "The World's Greatest Liberator Since World War II," claiming that "George W. Bush liberated 60,000,000 Muslims from tyranny." Hoft linked to a U.K. Telegraph article, which he called "an honest review of the Bush years." Hoft also posted a "tribute" to Bush that he posted last year and said, "Don't expect to read anything this honest in the US papers." Hoft also linked to a post by the Boston Herald's Jules Crittenden that, according to Hoft, "[A]dds that it is also with tremendous grace that George Bush has accepted his designated role as villain, fall guy, punching bag."

Fox Nation: "Miss Him? 1 Year Later, Bush Still Stands Proud." From the Fox Nation, accessed on January 20:

Andrew Breitbart: "Rethinking Bush: After the MSM's Relentless Assault, the President Still Stands Proud." In a January 20 post on his blog Big Journalism, Breitbart linked to his 2008 "heartfelt thank you to President Bush." He called media criticism of Bush "Goebbels-like rants from the media," adding that "the simple fact was that media deliberately and malevolently sustained a false caricature of Bush in its pages and on its broadcasts in order to bog down the leader of the free world when he needed all the help he could get, and a time when the country was in great danger." Breitbart ended by saying, "A year after he left office, it looks more and more like others will now not only start appreciating our 43rd president, they might start wishing they helped him when he had the toughest job in the world and they could only wish him ill."

Adam Baldwin: "ONE YEAR GONE: President George W. Bush Answered the Calling of Our Time." On January 20, Big Hollywood blogger Adam Baldwin thanked Bush "for his honorable service, for his dedication and strength in leadership, for his goodness and decency as a man, our nation owes him a debt of gratitude that it can never repay." Baldwin called Bush "a great American individual to whom tens of millions of your fellow citizens will long extend their own goodness, grateful remembrance and love," adding, "You are indeed truly missed."

Jeffrey Scott Shapiro: "America Betrayed President Bush." On January 20, Big Government blogger Jeffrey Scott Shapiro compared Obama's foreign policy decisions to Bush's and claimed, "Americans who chastised President Bush for removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq should apologize and show him the same respect they are now showing President Obama as he neutralizes the Taliban in Afghanistan." According to Shapiro, Bush "seemed to have an almost mystical understanding of what the American people needed when we needed it most. He reminded all of us of why we should be proud to be Americans at a time when there was a whisper that we brought the Sept. 11 attacks upon ourselves for promoting democracy abroad," adding, "President Bush deserves our respect, not our betrayal."

Gary Graham: "ONE YEAR GONE: The Death of Class." In a January 20 Big Hollywood post, blogger Gary Graham called the transition from Bush to Obama "not so much as the grand event of inaugurating our first black President, as it was a societal harbinger of ominous times ahead." According to Graham, the criticism of Bush at the time marked "the death of class." After speculating about the cause of the criticism, Graham concluded that the cause of all of it was "George Bush is openly Pro-Life."

Paul Rahe: "George Bush Revisited." In a January 20 Big Government post, blogger Paul Rahe asked, "What, in retrospect, should we think of George W. Bush?" According to Rahe, "The first thing that needs to be said is that he meant well. He is not a vindictive man, and he sought to put behind him the controversies and turmoil of the Clinton years. He thought that his focus would be domestic policy, but, as tends to happen, events intervened." Rahe said of Bush's invasion of Iraq, "Given the information available, it was the right thing to do." Rahe reserved some criticism of Bush; in particular, Rahe chastised "Bush's failure as President to do what he knew to be his constitutional duty" by signing McCain-Feingold.

Pam Meister: "I often wonder how serious President Barack Obama is about keeping Americans safe." In a January 20 Big Hollywood post entitled, "ONE YEAR GONE: Hope and Change -- Miss Bush Yet?" blogger Pam Meister compared Obama's policy toward terrorism unfavorably to Bush's. According to Meister, "I truly believe that national security was a high priority for President Bush. President Obama? Not so much." Meister called Obama a "devoted Alinskyite" who has "appointed more 'czars' in one year than the Romanov dynasty produced in three centuries."

Doug O'Brien: "Bush Administration Saw the Market as Key to Health Reform." In a January 20 Big Government post, blogger Doug O'Brien compared the health care policies of Obama and Bush, claiming that Bush's policies would have "result[ed] in improved national health, better access, and enhanced cost effectivenes." O'Brien called the Bush administration "forward looking in its promotion of prevention and wellness programs" and "a pioneer in harnessing information technology to improve the quality of care." According to O'Brien, the Bush administration "knew an empowered and informed consumer would make cost-effective choices for themselves and their families and that the resulting competition and improved quality would lead to more manageable costs and better overall health."

Andrea Shea King and Dave Logan: "GW Bush: Rock Solid Under Fire." In a January 20 Big Government post, Andrea Shea King and Dave Logan declared that "when it came to supporting our military and their loved ones, President Bush was rock solid." They described Bush as having "irrefutable resolve ... in defending our country, supporting our military, and staying the course. He had his heart in it." King and Logan attributed Bush's low approval rating to the media's "full-scale attack to discredit" him, "wasting no opportunity to malign and discredit President Bush," and "willfully ignor[ing] the successful troop surge in Iraq."

Leigh Scott: Under Bush, the "country felt safer. Morale was higher. And there wasn't this sinking feeling that freedom was being sold out." In a January 20 Big Hollywood post, Leigh Scott called Bush an "idiot" but not in "the traditional definition ... I'm using the current, leftist lexicon in describing the man." According to Scott, Democrats classify Bush as "a clown, buffoon, and utter retard" because "they call a bunch of snotty, elitist, knuckleheads who are completely clueless about economics and foreign policy 'smart power.' And they refer to their leader, famous for dodging responsibility and voting 'present,' as 'pragmatic.' " Scott praised Bush, claiming he "naively saw himself as a public servant, and not as the 'ruler' of the masses who are incapable of self-governance. He understood that sometimes America's interests conflict with those of other countries, and winning the adoration of foreigners isn't always good for America." Scott claimed Bush's "greatest sin, of course, was attempting to lead by principle and not by the whims of the polls and the influence of his financial supporters." Scott also said he "miss[ed] having my fellow simpleton in the Oval Office. The country felt safer. Morale was higher. And there wasn't this sinking feeling that freedom was being sold out to the interests of unions, community organizers, and a network of government parasites."