How on earth did Novak end up in the Guardian? I'll leave you lot to point out how true or otherwise the bit in bold is.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1579679,00.htmlFor two full days President Bush was bashed. He was taken to task on his handling of stem-cell research, population control, the Iraq war and, especially, Hurricane Katrina. The critics were no leftwing bloggers. They were rich, mainly Republican and presumably Bush voters in the last two presidential elections.
The Bush-bashing occurred at the annual Little Aspen Weekend, a conference sponsored by the New York investment firm Forstmann Little & Co. The weekend is made possible by the generosity of Theodore J Forstmann, a supporter of supply-side economics and contributor to the Republican party. Guests are drawn from government, diplomacy, politics, the arts, entertainment and journalism.
I do not see myself as a defender of the Bush presidency, and I am sure the White House does not regard me as such. But as a member of the second panel consisting of journalists, I felt constrained to argue against the suggestion that Hurricane Katrina should cause Bush to rediscover race and poverty. My comments generated more criticism from the audience and obvious exasperation from Rose. After the closing dinner on Saturday night, the moderator made clear he was displeased by my conduct.
Longtime participants in Forstmann conferences (this was my first and, after this column, probably my last) told me they had not experienced such hostility towards a Republican president at previous events. Yet they were sure a majority of the guests had voted for Bush. This analysis was reported to me over lunch by a financier who regularly attends these events. When he said he shared my sentiments, I asked why he did not express them publicly at a session. He replied that he did not feel able to articulate what he felt. Critics of the president who are vocal and supporters who are reticent constitute a massive communications failure.