Bush Bashing Republicans: What has the world become?

Comment

George and the dragons
The last thing I expected at a gathering of rich and powerful Americans was an orgy of Bush-bashing
Robert Novak
Wednesday September 28, 2005
The Guardian

For two full days President Bush was bashed. He was taken to task on his handling of stem-cell research, population control, the Iraq war and, especially, Hurricane Katrina. The critics were no leftwing bloggers. They were rich, mainly Republican and presumably Bush voters in the last two presidential elections.

The Bush-bashing occurred at the annual Little Aspen Weekend, a conference sponsored by the New York investment firm Forstmann Little & Co. The weekend is made possible by the generosity of Theodore J Forstmann, a supporter of supply-side economics and contributor to the Republican party. Guests are drawn from government, diplomacy, politics, the arts, entertainment and journalism.

More than 200 guests, mostly prestigious, arrived at the Colorado mountain resort last Thursday (many by private aircraft) and stayed until Sunday for more than golf, hikes and gourmet meals. They faithfully attended discussions, presided over by Charlie Rose of the Public Broadcasting Service, on such serious subjects as "Global poverty and human rights" and "The 'new' world economy". The connecting link was hostility to Bush.

"All discussions are off the record," admonished the conference's printed schedule. Consequently, I will refrain from quoting panellists and audience members. But the admonition says nothing about personal conversations outside the sessions. Nor do I feel inhibited in quoting myself. Even if I am violating the spirit of secrecy, revealing criticism of Bush by this elite group - and the paucity of defence for him - is valuable in reflecting the president's parlous political condition.

I was surprised to see that the first panel, on stem-cell research, consisted solely of scientists hostile to the Bush administration's position. In the absence of any disagreement, I took the floor to suggest that there are scientists and bioethicists with dissenting views, and that it was not productive to demean opposing views as "religious dogma". The response to my intervention was peeved criticism; certainly no support.

I do not see myself as a defender of the Bush presidency, and I am sure the White House does not regard me as such. But as a member of the second panel consisting of journalists, I felt constrained to argue against the suggestion that Hurricane Katrina should cause Bush to rediscover race and poverty. My comments generated more criticism from the audience and obvious exasperation from Rose. After the closing dinner on Saturday night, the moderator made clear he was displeased by my conduct.

After the first two panels, I feared I was the odd man out in accepting Teddy Forstmann's invitation. But during a break, one of the president's closest friends - who had remained silent - thanked me profusely for my comments. That set a pattern. Throughout the next two days, men and women who were mute publicly thanked me privately for speaking up. When I said nothing during one panel discussion, some people asked me why I was silent.

Longtime participants in Forstmann conferences (this was my first and, after this column, probably my last) told me they had not experienced such hostility towards a Republican president at previous events. Yet they were sure a majority of the guests had voted for Bush. This analysis was reported to me over lunch by a financier who regularly attends these events. When he said he shared my sentiments, I asked why he did not express them publicly at a session. He replied that he did not feel able to articulate what he felt. Critics of the president who are vocal and supporters who are reticent constitute a massive communications failure.

US News & World Report disclosed this week, with apparent disdain, that the presidential adviser Karl Rove took time off from the Katrina relief effort to be at Aspen. He was needed as a counterweight. I settled in for serious fireworks, expecting Bush bashers to assault the president's alter ego at the conference's final session. However, direct confrontation with a senior aide must have been more difficult than a remote attack on the president. It would be a shame if Rove returned to Washington without informing Bush how erstwhile friends have turned against him.

· This article first appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times

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Bloggers Note: Bush Bashing from the elites who have benefitted from the current administration's policies. What has the world turned into. The desire to win, in this case to see continued rise in the bottom line will eat their own, according to this report.

BTW, who's ever heard of the Little Aspen Weekend, next thing you know we'll be hearing about the Bohemian Grove and the Hoover Institute, regional neighbors (Sonoma County and Palo Alto).