The Political Spectrum

David Ignatius offers some cautionary words regarding Bush's foreign policy idealism. It's about the seven millionth variant on the theme that has been published in the past six days. However there was something startling that showed up in the middle of the editorial. Here he quotes Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Bush's idealism astonishes even Saakashvili. The Georgian leader recalls a meeting at the White House last year in which he tried to engage Bush by telling him of Georgia's strategic importance because of its proximity to Caspian Sea oil. The president didn't seem interested. It was only when Saakashvili began talking about freedom and liberty, he says, that Bush got excited.

Hmmmmm. Suddenly I flashed back to DuPont Circle circa March 2003, and all those lovely protesters banging on their drums, screetching the mantra of "No Blood for Oil?" It was the never ending battle cry of the far left. Bush really didn't invade Iraq for the WMD or to liberate its people. No, it was all about the oil, and Bush wanting to help his oil buddies, and Haliburton blah blah blah, rinse, repeat.

And so we have a world leader testifying that President Bush could hardly be concerned at all about the strategic interest of oil as it related to the former Soviet state. No, it was only when the topic of freedom and democracy arose that Bush's antenna perked up.

And of course now that Bush has issued his call for American commitment to spreading democracy abroad, Bush critics have harped on the idealism of the Bush administration, lamenting his supposed utopianism. But two years ago it was all about the oil. So which is it?

Oh I get it. It's all an evil scheme. You see, he is a crazy idealist, a man with a vision to spread democracy so his rich oil buddies can get even richer trading with the oil democracies. That sinister evil dummy genius. It's amazing really. Even though he is supposedly too stupid to tie his own shoes he's also so clever that he is closer to accomplishing his goal of world domination. Well, as long as he hurries up so he can go back to being the "most right-wing president in history" in order to issue amnesty to illegal aliens, increase medicare spending, and expand the Education Department.