Bush and Forrest Gump

I can only sigh when I read a mean-spirited commentary such as “The Forrest Gump of Presidents” by Drew Limsky (Opinion, May 27), about President Bush’s commencement address at Yale.

If Bush had played it straight and given the standard inspirational commencement speech, I’m sure Limsky would have bashed him for hypocrisy. In fact, Bush seemed to have pulled off a fairly humorous presentation and hardly mangled a word. There’s more than a trace of bitter envy in Limsky’s accusation that Bush “fail[ed] upward.” Excuse me, but regardless of what we think of anyone’s politics, no one has ever failed upward to the presidency of the U.S. There is no discussion of Bush’s policies. There is no reasoned critique of some substantial issue. We are only confronted by a bitter, humorless partisan desperate for something to complain about.

Frank Martin

San Clemente