Inside Politics

By Greg Pierce (Contact) | Wednesday, December 3, 2008

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Defending Bush

Fox News journalist Chris Wallace on Monday evening defended President Bush against criticism by Hollywood filmmaker Ron Howard that the president has abused his office in a way similar to President Nixon, Jon Ward reports at www.washingtontimes.com.

"Richard Nixon's crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain," Mr. Wallace told Mr. Howard before an audience of a few hundred after viewing the filmmaker's new film, "Frost/Nixon," which is about the only U.S. president to resign from office.

"I think to compare what Nixon did, and the abuses of power for pure political self-preservation, to George W. Bush trying to protect this country - even if you disagree with rendition or waterboarding - it seems to me is both a gross misreading of history, both then and now," Mr. Wallace said.

Mr. Wallace was a member of the audience at a special preview screening of "Frost/Nixon," which depicts the process that led to the disgraced president's confession of failure. The screening was held at the National Geographic Society Auditorium in Washington. The movie opens nationwide Friday.

After the screening, Mr. Howard took the stage and made comments comparing Mr. Bush's actions in office to those of Mr. Nixon.

Meanwhile, Ben Bradlee, who was executive editor of The Washington Post when that newspaper led the way in exposing Mr. Nixon's abuses, expressed unhappiness with the film's depiction of Mr. Nixon.

"They [the filmmakers] never should have let him apologize in the film," he told Stephanie Green of The Washington Times after the screening. "Nixon never was sorry for what he did."

Just say no

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, unlike many of their fellow governors, want no part of federal bailouts.