Bush just loves them straw men!

From today's radio address: "We do not accept a false caricature that divides the Western world between an idealistic United States and a cynical Europe."

Well, okay, granted, Bush didn't invent this one--it's a stereotype that has been kicked around, analyzed, objected to, debunked, made the basis of novels (cf. Henry James) and what have you since the 19th century. But who in the world, in the last couple of years, has been casting Europe as the cynical party of the pair, outside of the fantasies of the Bush White House?

This has become nearly the hallmark Bush rhetorical move, to postulate a (mostly imaginary) "bad" stereotype that he can play white knight by lancing. "Some people say that little brown people aren't smart enough to rule themselves! I disagree!" "Some people say that Europe is old, tired, bloated, immoral, and irrelevant. That just ain't so!"

Ah, but at least he's right that it's a caricature. Looking at the photos of the protests of his visit in Brussels, it's clear that idealism is very much alive and well there!

Typical. What a jerk.

He then disagrees, and seems reasonable by comparison.

No one buys it except naive Republicans, though.