Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Review

Timothy Goeglein gives the straight scoop on the often maligned Bush Administration.

Plagiarism The Heart Of  The Beast

He readily, and freely admitted, partial plagiarizing of several columns he wrote for the News-Sentinel. Shattered and fearful, he feared immediate excommunication from his job (Deputy Director of White House Public Liaison), and from his  immediate boss, George W. Bush, president of the US.

As one of Karl Rove’s aides, Goeglein worked inside the White House for 7 1/2 years. When tendering his resignation directly to Bush, Bush said, “I have known mercy and grace in my own life, and I am offering it to you now. You are forgiven.” Plagiary [YourDictionary] in this case, can be defined as “to take (ideas, writings, etc.) from (another) and pass them off as one’s own.”  No killing, asphyxiation, poisoning, or stabbing, but a wrongdoing nonetheless. His clear regret about plagiarism was brought out in the first pages.

Goeglien’s Vast Responsibilities

He worked with people from Dan Coats (S/In) for 10 years, to Gary Bauer (his Presidential Campaign), to George Bush. He was in the Bush vs Gore recount sensation of 2000, in 2001 the controversial Stem Cell Research option, very faith-based, survived horror of the 9/11 attacks (as Goeglein put it, “lightning out of a clear blue sky”), involved with Bush’s declaration of war (3/19/03), the US invasion to disarm Iraq, free its people, and defend the world from massive danger.

Both parties agreed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Intelligence concluded Hussein intended to restart his WMD programs again once UN sanctions were lifted. After dethroning Hussein, terrorist attacks became a major problem, but Bush altered his course (2007) with a “surge” by Generals Patraeus and Oldierno.

In the mid-1990’s, Congress overwhelmingly passed Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The White House did not get involved with states on this issue.

First-Hand View Of  Supreme Court Nomination

During all his White House years, Goeglein had no higher professional and personal regard, than for Harriet Miers (SC nominee). Because she was such a critical cog in Bush’s successes, he considered her indispensable among his closest advisors. Miers was nominated by Bush to succeed Sandra Day O’Connor. Three weeks after her nomination, Meirs’ lack of enough documentation for the Left, and the Right’s general apprehension, caused decay of her nomination, and she decided to withdraw. Had the confirmation process been less political, Miers was one of the most qualified—ever.

Final Supreme Court representatives–John Roberts and Samuel Alito was the biggest domestic achievement impacting millions of Americans. Goeglein describes Bush’s closeness with the recent Catholic popes, his refusal for tax-funded embryonic stem-cell research, opposition to gay marriage, and creation of PEPFAR (President‘s Emergency Plan For Aids Relief). PEPFAR made Bush a celeb in most of Africa, and he authorized a major anti-malarial program which ‘halved’ HIV/AIDS in 15 African countries.

But Goeglein does mention several Bush moves that were likely mistakes. He signifies his achievements with Tony Blair (England), the CIA/FBI, freeing 25 million Iraqis, missile defense progress (under General Obering), and signing a major nuclear agreement with India (fastest emerging nuclear superpower).

With hundreds of unmentioned details, one of the best staff choices ever made was selecting spokesman Tony Snow as Bush’s WH press secretary. His untimely death at a young age was shocking, because he was so good at what he did.

According to Goeglein, most of Bush’s significant decisions seemed to be rooted in innate wisdom. He stated George Washington was especially supportive of the role on religion in American life. He specifically mentioned the Constitution’s Framers agreeing all of man’s basic rights came from God—not government. That freedom and Christianity are highly symbiotic, realizing the Founders knew private and public faith were vital to the strength of the New Republic.

Despite some onerous verbadge at times, Goeglein seems to pinpoint most of the occurrences in the Bush Presidency not many knew about. At least 4 1/2 stars out of five.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————---------------------------------

Kevin Roeten can be reached at roetenks@charter.net.