In Kent’s post
last Friday, he referred to an article in which Bruce Bartlett and
other conservatives said that President Bush was the root of all
Republican evil, or at least that he “was never one of us.” Econopundit rescues a David Brooks column from behind the wall of sleep known as Times Select.
Brooks, contra Bartlett, argues that President Bush actually saved
conservatism from the desert of no ideas, by acknowledging that
government can do some good. Brooks also notes that would-be Tory
leader David Cameron uses the phrase “compassionate conservatism.”
Cameron’s rival, David Davis prefers Bush’s “opportunity society” meme.