President Bush and Dick Cheney: Closet liberals?

And now for something completely different: President Bush, yes, this President Bush--as a liberal.

The Canadian magazine Macleans is making that argument, under the shocking headline "The shockingly liberal legacy of George W. Bush."

The irony that it misses: Could it be that Vice President Dick Cheney is the force behind at least one element of the "liberalization?"

In a lengthy article that addresses the breadth of the Bush presidency and notes that the administration's legacy is more than just the war in Iraq, it says: "In some areas it is the result of hard-line conservative ideology — but in others it is surprisingly liberal."

Consider the seeming contradictions: The tax-cutting conservative who ...

The White House goes gospel

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter decided to make June "Black Music Month." This year the Bush White House celebrated with a focus on gospel music. You might call it a musical year for the president, who wowed his hosts with some of his dance moves during his February trip to Africa. 

In a proclamation marking Black Music Month, Bush said, "When facing the cruelty of slavery and injustice, African Americans lifted spirituals to the heavens, bringing comfort to troubled souls.... Today, this music continues to inspire America's citizens and advance its creative spirit. "

With Bush in the front row tapping his foot in time to the beat, the sounds of "Oh Happy Day" reverberated off the great ceiling in the East Room. "Thanks for enlivening the White House," Bush told the singers.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo Credit: Jason Reed/Reuters