Is George W. Bush a feminist?

David Goss has sent me an insightful

• article by Phyllis Schlafly

that starts with the announcement that the Bush administration is going to investigate universities with fewer women in math and science than the feminists such as Barbara Boxer would like. Schlafly notices that even though Bush has been the president for more than five years, Bill Clinton's feminist policies are apparently still in force.

She asks: Is Bush a feminist or just a gentleman who is intimidated by the feminists? At the physical level of policies, there is no real difference between the two answers. 171 wrestling teams have already been intentionally destroyed by these dumb policies and math and science may follow.

Schlafly explains how this mindless feminist mentality, based on a striking misunderstanding of the differences between men and women, can have a devastating effect on universities and beyond. There is of course not a shred of evidence of any discrimination, she writes: men are simply more interested in competitive sports, math, and science.

Moreover, when it comes to muscle growth, testosterone is the key to success.

After having explained how unreasonable the feminist approach is, she says that the Bush administration is ignoring one example of increasing gender disparity that can indeed have bad consequences: a decreasing percentage of male schoolteachers.

With all my respect for George W. Bush, let me offer an obvious answer to Schlafly's basic question. Yes, Bush is a feminist and he in fact does think that women are brighter in many respects including science and math - and most discussions he has with the First Lady have to reinforce this belief. ;-)