Bush and Books

Carlin Romano, literary critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, writes about George Bush’s book-reading in The Chronicle Review:

Bush told The Washington Times, "If you want a glimpse of how I think about foreign policy, read Natan Sharansky’s book, The Case for Democracy."  He added that the heartfelt meditation by [Sharansky] should go on the "recommended reading list" of America‘s "opinion leaders." . . . .

Sharansky’s book, Bush told CNN, "summarizes how I feel. I would urge people to read it." Condoleezza Rice cited it in her confirmation hearings. Newsweek labeled it Bush’s "manifesto" and reported that he recommends it constantly to visitors. . . .

Bush told the Times that Sharansky’s take on tyranny and terror — that they must be fought through an expansion of freedom throughout the world — is "part of my presidential DNA. I mean, it’s what I think; it’s a part of all policy."

Elisabeth Bumiller [of The New York Times], noting parallel passages in Sharansky’s book and Bush’s inaugural speech, dubbed (or Dubyaed) the situation "a circular pattern of admiration" (unlike, one presumes, the standard rave by one West Side author of another West Side author in The New York Times Book Review).

According to Richard Cohen, Bill Clinton was “omnivorously intellectual” (I think that means "smart"), but Cohen’s column today on Bush and Books ("The Reader in the Oval Office"), concludes he "just might become one of those American Presidents who is thought to have made a difference."

In his first campaign, when Bush said he was reading James Chace’s biography of Dean Acheson, he was riddled with a near-fatal burst of scoff. The scoffing is fading.

Bob Tyrrell’s column today is "Here’s a Shocker:  GWB Reads Books!":

According to the [February 9] International Herald Tribune, he reads books. Yes, the thickest most illiterate president since Ronald Reagan is a reader — admittedly, a closet reader.

He does not boast of his erudition, as say, Bill Clinton did. Remember when Clinton boasted about reading so many books at Oxford? He claimed to read hundreds. I think it was 200 in a year. What do you recall?

Clinton’s ideas — when they weren’t simply triangulation between the ideas of others — were generally small:  school uniforms and midnight basketball (“I want to thank these men and the others who are here with the Midnight Basketball program. I love that program. And it’s going to make a difference.”).

Bush has one big idea:  freedom.  He has articulated it in speech after speech, and has been using every media outlet available (including a C-SPAN interview) to urge the public to read Sharansky’s book, rather than to compliment himself for reading it.

It is the hedgehog and the fox.

As of today, Sharansky’s book was No. 34 on the Amazon list.