Love him or hate him...

Bush is Time magazine's Man of the year for 2004. This isn't really a surprise. Whether you like Bush or not, it's hard to deny that the man has had a tremendous effect on the world. Oddly enough, those who oppose Bush the most seem the most impacted by his presidency. Bush is quoted in Time's article as saying:

"I think the natural instinct for most people in the political world is that they want people to like them. On the other hand, I think sometimes I take kind of a delight in who the critics are."

This is the kind of quote I've been waiting to see from Bush for some time. I've always been curious as to how the man thinks about the force of opinion in this country against him. I'm glad he has a sense of humor about it. I hope though that he always (as any person should) remains open to the possibility that he made a wrong decision and realize he can do that without compromising any of his core benefits. So long as Bush remembers that his power comes from God and not anything grounded within himself, he will be a truly great man no matter what shortcomings befall the administration.

I hope Bush realizes the opportunity he has in front of him. He's got four years without any pressure to be reelected to push forward his agenda. And he's got at least two and most likely four years of a Republican Congress to help him out. Politics as usual will not do. Courage, innovation, and passionate conviction are needed from Washington. I wish Bush the best and pray for him. And I hope he doesn't let people like Hillary out flank him on an issue like immigration.