We all know the first rule of polite society: If you can’t think of something nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all. In certain bien pensant circles, however, there is a corollary: If you can’t think of anything nice to say -- say something bad about George W. Bush. Consider Paul McCartney. Last night, the ex-Beatle accepted the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at a White House ceremony, with President Obama and the first lady in attendance. Upon concluding his performance, McCartney aimed a bolt of sarcasm at Obama’s predecessor. “After the last eight years,” he quipped, “it’s great to have a president who knows what a library is.” The audience erupted in laughter.
Sorry, I don't get the joke. There are many things of which Bush may be fairly accused. It would be boring to list them all. My point here, however, is that those who smugly deride his ostensible ignorance often inadvertently demonstrate their own.
And so it was with McCartney's obnoxious crack, which was not only nasty, and totally inappropriate to the occasion, but also perfectly uninformed. Bush’s wife Laura is a librarian. She and her husband made a mini-cause of supporting literacy and public libraries, both when he was governor of Texas and when he was president.
The Bush administration oversaw creation of a federal grant program to train a new generation of librarians. It’s called the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, and it has awarded $130 million to date. During Bush’s presidency, federal funding for public libraries grew from $163.2 million per year to $212.2 million per year – a 30 percent increase.
In mocking the boorishness of a former U.S. president, Sir Paul, and those who roared at his remark, unfortunately demonstrated their own.
