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The Republican Gazette
Bush in West Virginia
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REPUBLICAN OF THE YEAR
Marshall prof tapped to pen 'definitive' Bush bio calls himself 'yellow dog Dem'
Jean Edward Smith already says Iraq was a war based upon lies
JEAN EDWARD SMITH
On Thursday, various news outlets including The Charleston Gazette and The Associated Press, reported that Marshall professor Jean Edward Smith has been contracted to produce what will "undoubtedly be the definitive biography of George W. Bush," Random House president and publisher Gina Centrello said in a statement, according to the Gazette story.But a definitive biography would not be best written by an author who describes himself as a "yellow dog Democrat" and who already has concluded that the Iraq war was based on lies, as Smith told me earlier this month during an interview on 800 Talk Radio WVHU.
In early July when I filled in two days for the vacationing Tom Roten on his morning talk show, Professor Smith was my final guest during the second day of my stint. I had invited him on because he had written a piece about Dwight D. Eisenhower which was published a few days earlier in The New York Times, questioning why Ike is not more revered by today's Republicans.What I expected to be a rather tame and pleasant discussion of the GOP in Ike's day versus the party since Reagan co-opted it quickly digressed into an unpleasant disagreement about conservatives, President George W. Bush and the Iraq war. Smith was free and open with his opinions, particularly that the Iraq war was based on lies. At one point during the discussion, Smith offered that I was not going to change his mind because, quote, "I'm a yellow dog Democrat."I was somewhat surprised but hardly offended by Prof. Smith's opinions, to which he is certainly entitled. But the fact that such an openly hostile and partisan individual has been tapped by Random House to write the "definitive" biography of President Bush is surprising, to say the least. It's the equivalent of asking Rush Limbaugh to write the definitive biography of Bill Clinton, or tapping Bill O'Reilly to write a definitive treatise on humility. To be sure, Smith is a biographer of longstanding, with excellent academic credentials. Before settling in Huntington, he spent 35 years as professor of political economy at the University of Toronto. He has an A.B. from Princeton and a Ph.D. from Columbia. His most recent work, "FDR," has indeed been tagged the "definitive" work regarding that president.Smith may well be that rare breed of historian who is able to completely set aside his personal prejudices in favor of a fair, honest and balanced accounting of someone's life and times. But aside from his appearance with me on WVHU, Smith has given away his attitudes in many other columns and books.For example, in 1992's "George Bush's War," Smith tackled the subject of the driving of Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. As reflected by Kirkus Reviews, "According to Smith ... in this volatile study, America's adventure in the Persian Gulf War was not a crusade for freedom but a checkpoint on the personal agenda of George Bush, who disregarded constitutional restrictions on presidential power and cynically manipulated the public, the press, Congress, and even the military." And that was Smith's attitude about the first Gulf War. Imagine how he feels about the current war in Iraq and against terrorism in general.In fact, imagination is not necessary. Smith wrote in a New York Times blog in 2007, "A national security concern does not become a war simply because it is baptized as such. President George W. Bush’s questionable use of the metaphor 'war on terror' to justify indefinite detention of suspects, warrantless eavesdropping and spying on the reading habits of citizens could invite from historians even more opprobrium than they have cast on the repressive actions taken by other presidents when the survival of the United States was at risk."This week, Smith told the Charleston Gazette, "The most important thing is to write an objective study. That requires accuracy. It's important to point out the flaws as well as their achievements, and I think my track record sustains that. I'm concerned about presenting an objective portrait. I'm not concerned about whitewashing or trashing."Time will tell.Harvey Peyton says '04 McGraw ad best ever
Charleston atty cites ad Thursday on WCHS show
Charleston attorney Harvey Peyton said Thursday that the radio ad produced in 2004 mocking Warren McGraw's "rant at Racine" was the best political ad ever produced in West Virginia, according to several listeners who heard the program.Peyton, a staunch Democrat, participates in WCHS radio's "Ask The Expert" rotation of programs from 9-10 a.m. Monday through Friday. His comments were apparently very similar to an observation made at the time by "Talkline" host Hoppy Kercheval.CLICK ABOVE, ENJOY AGAIN
Republicans were right about ineffective minimum wage hike
A story this week in the Beckley Register-Herald reveals that Republicans in the State Legislature were right when they said that raising the state's minimum wage to $7.25 an hour would benefit virtually no one.The story pointed out that so far, state officials are unable to pinpoint anyone who actually benefits from the state increase in the minimum wage, since virtually everyone is instead covered by federal minimum wage laws.In fact, as one GOP delegate said this week, if the leadership who has controlled the agenda for the last 80 years would put forth fair policies to encourage businesses to locate here, "we would have good paying jobs for our citizens and not make them rely on minimum wage."Manchin begs off prez greeting
According to sources, Gov. Joe Manchin's office called the White House early Thursday and begged off Mojo greeting President Bush due to "weather problems." Like, "weather" or not to have to explain to Barack Obama why the gov was being so cozy with the president. However, Congressman Nick Joe Rahall did travel with Bush, and Secretary of State Betty Ireland was on hand, too. Read a transcript of the president's remarks here.
In this image from the Beckley Register-Herald, Nancy Kogoy of Charleston gets a warm greeting from Bush.
