Peggy Noonan, Give Me a Break

On Meet the Press this morning, Noonan bemoaning the state of American politics, that it's this divisive culture is ruining the nation. Gee Peggy, want to step up and take a share of the blame for that? I bet the book you're pushing doesn't mention the great gipper's (and your) role in the Raygun administration of constant and consistent attacks on America's poor, on those who worked to help those with less, or those suffering with AIDS. That administration's bumper sticker concept that “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” And a crew of Raygunites who left the White House for private industry, doing their best to scarf up all they can in their drive to "get theirs" while pushing the nation into debt. The words out of that White House, off of Noonan's pen, as divisive as any.

Of course, Noonan's own lovely divisive words did not end with Raygun. Here's her take on George W in 2004.

Mr. [George W.] Bush is the triumph of the seemingly average American man. He's normal. He thinks in a sort of common-sense way. He speaks the language of business and sports and politics. You know him. He's not exotic. But if there's a fire on the block, he'll run out and help. He'll help direct the rig to the right house and count the kids coming out and say, "Where's Sally?" He's responsible. He's not an intellectual. Intellectuals start all the trouble in the world. And then when the fire comes they say, "I warned Joe about that furnace." And, "Does Joe have children?" And "I saw a fire once. It spreads like syrup. No, it spreads like explosive syrup. No, it's formidable and yet fleeting." When the fire comes they talk. Bush ain't that guy. Republicans love the guy who ain't that guy. Americans love the guy who ain't that guy.

"Intellectuals start all the trouble in the world?" Well then George W must have had some great intellectual spurts since he took office! Not at all divisive Peg. And now? Noonan's been running as fast as she can to convince her base (hey, need those folks to buy her books, don't you know!) that she really didn't mean an attack against Palin when a mic caught her in that moment of honesty, ""the most qualified? No! I think they [the Republicans] went for this—excuse me—political bullshit about narratives."