Fred Barnes's new book on Bush "Rebel in Chief"

[Cocoa]

From Publishers Weekly

The Weekly Standard executive editor and Fox News personality preaches to the Crawford choir in this analysis-cum-tribute to the Bush presidency. Readers who keep pace with current events will find little new in Barnes's take on the president's policies, but what's instructive are the surprising glimpses into the personality of a man Barnes celebrates as an "insurgent leader" who's "an alien in the realm of the governing class" that despises all things Washington and revels in his status as "a revolutionary with a revolutionary vision." Indeed, the capital is a locale he regards as a "job site" at best and a "detention center" at worst where the increasingly Republican-populated Washington establishment is "reactionary" (and "Bush ignores them"), and the national press corps "reminded Bush of the liberal students he detested in his years at Yale." His disdain for newspaper-reading is well-known, but Barnes goes to great lengths to detail the president's copious book-reading habit (five to every one that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reads), from Michael Crichton's State of Fear and Margaret MacMillian's Paris 1919 to Natan Sharansky's The Case for Democracy and David McCullough's 1776. However, Barnes's cheerleading proves wearying after a few chapters: no matter what the topic, the president is right and everyone else is wrong. Bush, like Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, has been "prematurely judged to fall short of presidential specifications," leaving Barnes to conclude "Bush is a president of consequence." Ardent partisans will enjoy this polemical valentine, which should be read with care by readers seeking fresh insights into the mind of the 43rd president.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


edit with Juan Williams blurb:

“A one-of-a-kind journalistic feat—getting inside the president’s view of himself and the presidency. Only Fred Barnes with his clear conservative credentials and unique access to the president could write this book. This is a direct and passionate trip into the heart of Bush country. Lucky for history.” —Juan Williams, senior correspondent, NPR

[Zenlitened]

1. The working title was "The Joy of Fellatio."

[wtmusic]

2. "Ardent partisans will enjoy this polemical valentine" ROFL

Barnes can climb in bed with Dubya and Gannon

No doubt the review is written far better than the book.

[AlCzervik]

3. Oh Fred, thou art such a asskisser, let me count the ways.

[buff2]

4. Oh yeah,the big brave hero of the world

What a crock of shit. That bastard coward is nothing but an idiot. An empty suit with a BIG mouth. Khrist,they make me sick at how they are always propping that creep up. He's a worthless pile of SHIT,nothing more.

[awoke_in_2003]

16. "An empty suit with a BIG mouth"

In Texas, we call that "All hat, no cattle".

[mirandapriestly]

5. PUKE. I can't believe that anybody who is capable of reading a book

still supports this horrid "president". Rebel? He is taking us back to the middle ages, I didn't know that was rebellion.

[mcctatas]

6. ," leaving Barnes to conclude "Bush is a president of consequence."

Yep, old fred nailed that one ,"Bush is a president of consequence." Consequenses even, unfortunately all of them bad!

[karynnj]

7. That is really an awful review

the last sentence is almost poison pen - Ardent partisans will enjoy this polemical valentine, which should be read with care by readers seeking fresh insights into the mind of the 43rd president

So, who here believes the President reads all the books claimed - he never spontaneously mentions a book. (Or we can interpret it that Rice hardly reads.)

[Cocoa]

10. Condi should sue

Fred Barnes is accusing her of being illiterate.

[Fleshdancer]

15. ROFL!!!

you have a very valid point Cocoa

:rofl:

[soothsayer]

8. Rebel without a clue?

[CottonBear]

9. Juan Williams can go fuck himself.

:grr:

[deacon]

11. Title should be Rebel Without A Clue n/t

[Justice Is Comin]

12. Dickhead in grief would be more like it.

[Sugarcoated]

13. Barnes is such a pud

[Fleshdancer]

14. $10 says Bush posed for that ridiculous cover.

I can't believe he spent time writing this book and I have a harder time believing people will waste their time reading this book. And a "one-of-a-kind journalistic feat"?? Since when did giving Bush a verbal blow job become a journalisic feat for Barnes??? Doesn't he already get paid for that?