George W. Bush: Compassionate War President

To the consternation of some and the praise of others, President Bush has clearly not separated his faith from his governance. Most noticeably, he drew upon his faith in responding to September 11, as he described the terrorist attacks as "evil" and the terrorists themselves as "evildoers." He said God is on the side of justice and that in the long run evil will not prevail. Bush has never wavered in these convictions, and they help explain why he is widely seen as a commander-in-chief of resolve and fortitude.

Yet he is also a president who speaks often--and is expected to again this week when he is renominated in New York--of compassion. He doesn't confine the theme to domestic policy, where its applications have stirred controversy, but has also talked about compassion in the context of foreign policy, even of war.

Now, it may seem odd to contemplate a president who has toppled regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq as a compassionate war president. But Bush thinks of himself that way. And for him, compassion comes directly from his faith--specifically from the second great commandment, to love your neighbor.

The centrality of compassion, or "neighbor-love," to this presidency was indicated in Bush's inaugural address when the president referred to the parable of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus related in response to a question based on the second great commandment. That question was, "Who is my neighbor?" As he took office, Bush pledged the nation to a goal that "when we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side."

At the time Bush seemed to be commending neighbor--love within these United States. His presidency, after all, was expected to be concerned mostly with domestic matters. And in the first months of his term, Bush introduced the policy most commonly identified with compassion--his faith-based initiative. Aiming to enlist religious charities in the fight against poverty, Bush described it as "good public policy based on the willingness of our citizens to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself." Bush also invoked compassion in contending for another big domestic policy initiative of his early presidency--his No Child Left Behind legislation. These and other "compassionate" policies have been vigorously debated--Democrats charge the president with "underfunding" the No Child Left Behind bill--and doubtless will be until Election Day.

But, as we all know, the world changed on September 11, and so did the Bush presidency. No one can say to what extent compassion might have figured in Bush's foreign policy had September 11 not occurred. But, three years later, it's apparent that compassion has indeed played a large role in not only the president's response to terror but his work overseas generally.

In his 2003 State of the Union Address, Bush said, in a summation of his foreign policy, "The qualities of courage and compassion that we strive for in America also determine our conduct abroad. ...Our founders dedicated this country to the cause of human dignity, the rights of every person, and the possibilities of every life. This conviction leads us into the world to help the afflicted and defend the peace, and confound the designs of evil men."

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