More Delusions About Bush And Lincoln

I began this blog a little over four months ago as a repository of information for those people who are seeking more knowledge about Abraham Lincoln, our nation's 16th president. Mostly I publish serious entries, but sometimes I publish funny (at least to me) photos, articles, or stories about Abe. I try to stay away as much as possible from commenting about current day politics because the last thing the Web needs is another ranting and raving political blogger. But this time, I simply cannot resist.

Alberto Gonzales, the former Attorney General forced to resign in disgrace, has become the latest current or former official in the Bush presidency to try to turn George W. Bush into the next coming of Abraham Lincoln. This campaign is eerily similar to those rabid fans of Ronald Reagan who push to have that president's image carved on Mt. Rushmore and declare him the equal of Lincoln. I digress.

According to Think Progress, Gonzales gave a speech yesterday at Washington University (St. Louis) in which he compared Bush to Lincoln, making the point that Lincoln was also highly criticized during his presidency but that history now reveres him. The inference of course being that eventually history will revere George W. Bush.

Gonzales joins a growing list of Bushies trying to turn their hero into Lincoln. Karl Rove thinks Bush can get to the "nub of things," just like Lincoln. And Bush himself in a recent interview with Fox News (who else??) pointed out that Lincoln was "hated" when he left office (wrong!).

Just a quick comparison seems to be in order. Lincoln went to war to preserve our nation and to prevent it from becoming "Balkanized." Bush went to war first with a nation which did indeed harbor terrorists bent on killing us, but then expanded that war into Iraq, which even Bush admits had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Lincoln had humility when dealing with his rivals, even incorporating them into his cabinet. Bush doesn't know the meaning of the word. Lincoln did suspend the writ of habeas corpus as did Bush, but Lincoln never advocated the use of torture as do Bush and his cabinet officials such as Gonzales.

The list could go on. I do not worship Abraham Lincoln, but I do personally believe he was one of the greatest presidents our nation has ever seen. It should offend any thinking American, those who don't worship Rush Limbaugh at least, that Bushies and Bush himself try to make him equivalent to Abe. Done with my rant now.