"Bush, it now seems safe to say, is one of the great surprises in modern U.S. history."

If Hillary Clinton is duly elected as president in 2008 and then procedes to influence the world in a manner as positive as President Bush has done, well, I'm fully prepared to take back every single snide remark I've ever uttered about her.

But are Bush detractors prepared to do the same now that the president has changed the face of the Mid-East in just five short years? Many are not. But a few are... and none are more eloquent than Martin Peretz, writing in the New Republic. (free subscription required)

"If George W. Bush were to discover a cure for cancer, his critics would denounce him for having done it unilaterally, without adequate consultation, with a crude disregard for the sensibilities of others...

It's just so nice to know that a few liberals acknowledge the fact that hatred of "Bush the man" is something quite different than "Bush the MAN." (As in, "Never take your eye off the MAN. He's out to screw you. Better keep the ACLU on speed dial")

(via: Roger L. Simon)