Jewish World Review Jan. 21, 2005 / 11 Shevat, 5765

Joe Scarborough

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History is on the side of freedom


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Ever wonder how the Beatles' greatest hits would have sounded had your aging father been the lead vocalist instead of Lennon and McCartney?


Well, we know the songs would still be great, and the arrangements would be inspirational, but chances are good that something would obviously be missing.


The same could be said about President Bush's inaugural address from the western front of the U.S. Capitol.


The president's words could have been penned by Jefferson, Lincoln, or Kennedy.


Though the language was a bit sparse compared to those three giants of American history, Bush's theme borrowed heavily from former legendary orators.


Today, Bush challenged his generation to spread freedom across the globe in words that could have been lifted from JFK's 1961 address. And the almost missionary zeal by which he preached his message of global liberty was nothing short of Jeffersonian.


But George W. Bush is no Thomas Jefferson.


Nor is he JFK when it comes to speechmaking. But he doesn't have to be.

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The 43rd president knows who he is, and knows that when it comes to addressing America and the world, he comes across as something less than a rock star.


But unlike his predecessor, Bill Clinton, Bush 43 has something else going for him. People know that when he speaks, he means what he says and says what he means. And if George Bush sends terrorists the message that freedom will not be trumped by fear, they know to take him at his word.


My prediction is that this presidential address will be remembered long after Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan's combined four inaugural speeches are forgotten.


History is on the side of freedom, and that story was told today in rich detail by the most underestimated president in recent American history. And even if he didn't sound like FDR, George W. Bush confirmed the dawning of a new era in American international policy. And his political opponents would be wise to work with him or get out of the way.


It is never wise to be on the wrong side of history. And events over the past quarter century show that the irreversible march of freedom has swept from Eastern Europe through Central America, across to Afghanistan and into Iraq.


One person supporting the president's efforts in this area is the ever-intriguing Hillary Clinton. Senator Clinton showed once again last night why she is ready to lead the Democratic Party back to majority status. Not only has the formerly leftist First Lady streaked to the center on national defense, but now she is telling Democratic audiences of the importance of G-d in public life.


Last night in Boston, the junior senator from New York shocked Democratic supporters by declaring that there must be room for religious people to "live out their faith in the public square."


Egad! What are the lawyers at the ACLU saying tonight?


Who knows? But Clinton's speech shows once again that she is the one person outside of the Republican Party who was listening to Zell Miller's speech at the GOP Convention.

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Former Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.) hosts “Scarborough Country,” 10 p.m. ET, weeknights on MSNBC. He is the author of the recently published "Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day : The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Other Washington Barbarians are Bankrupting America". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.)Comment by clicking here.


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