President George W. Bush did not knock the rhetorical ball out of the park in his Inaugural speech last Saturday. Given some of his past speech performances it is, perhaps, amazing that he hit the ball at all. With muted tone and a call for unity, Mr. Bush seemed to be reaching out to million of embittered Democrats, including those thousands who rallied in Tallahassee, Washington, DC, and San Francisco. Few could quarrel with Bush’s call for "civility, compassion, and character," but in the next four years we will have plenty of time to try and figure out exactly what Mr. Bush means by civility. How civil is it, for example, to utter soothing words while rushing to eliminate your predecessor’s legacy.

Even as Mr. Bush was being sworn in, his staff was scrambling to block some of the Clinton administration’s final initiatives by attempting to block executive orders that Mr. Clinton released during his last month in office. For all his clutching at a historic Bible, Mr. Bush has yet to learn the adage "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," since I am certain that he would not want to see his Presidential authority undermined when he leaves office four years from now. And with barely a week in office, Mr. Bush has issued an executive order that takes a hard line on an international family planning issue, barring international agencies that provide abortions with private funds from receiving government funds.

More than 400 agencies provide essential international family planning information in developing countries where raising the age when women have their first child is directly connected to education and increased life expectancy. These agencies do not use federal dollars to pay for abortion. They say that Bush’s action represents a "global gag rule" against providing women with a full range of information about family planning options. From their perspective it is especially galling that Mr. Bush should have issued this new policy on January 22, the 28th anniversary of the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision. The same Mr. Bush who spoke of no litmus tests in his Supreme Court nominations has now placed litmus tests on international family planning agencies, mainly to shore up his anti-abortion constituents.

Where is the civility? Placing a gag order on family planning agencies is one thing, but doing it on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade is like waving the red flag of provocation at a raging bull. For all his talk of civility and bipartisanship, Mr. Bush is letting pro-choice advocates know that he is throwing down the gauntlet, much in the same way he is letting Democratic activists know that while he talks civility he will scramble to eradicate the Clinton legacy.

Few are surprised by the Bush actions. But those moderate Republicans who have counseled Democrats to give Bush a chance will have to rethink their advice. Mr. Bush may want a honeymoon period, but it takes two to make a honeymoon harmonious. In just a week, Mr. Bush has made it clear that he can smile on one hand, but attempt to implement a "my way or the highway" policy on the other hand.

It is ironic that a President whose troubled election has raised questions about his legitimacy is attempting to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the actions of his predecessor. Bush’s are likely to cause all kinds of regulatory confusion. In some cases, where regulations cannot be enforced until the Federal Register prints them, the Bush action to block printing of some regulations has the effect of eliminating them. In other cases, legislation and litigation may well establish the legitimacy of Clinton actions. And, although many new Yorkers oppose the designation of Governor’s Island in New York Harbor as a national monument, it is unlikely that Mr. Clinton’s actions can be overturned unless Congress acts.

During Saturday’s inauguration, many waxed eloquent about the "orderly transition of power" and the beauty of American democracy. But there is nothing orderly about the Bush attempt to tear down the legacy President William Jefferson Clinton left, nothing orderly about them parsing the rules to reverse executive orders that Clinton issued. There is no civility in the President Bush’s actions. Instead, George W. Bush has shown, in a few short days, how flawed an understanding he has of civility.

 Commentary
January 24, 2001