CBS’ Thalia Assuras had an interview with William F. Buckley, the father of modern conservatism, last night and he had some sharp words about Bush:

Buckley finds himself parting ways with President Bush, whom he praises as a decisive leader but admonishes for having strayed from true conservative principles in his foreign policy.

In particular, Buckley views the three-and-a-half-year Iraq War as a failure.

“If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we’ve experienced it would be expected that he would retire or resign,” Buckley says

That is rather harsh coming from a conservative like Buckley. It is also symbolic of what we are seeing in the U.K. this year, where Tony Blair is expected to be pushed out first of the year.

Buckley still sees failures with Iraq:

Asked if the Bush administration has been distracted by Iraq, Buckley says “I think it has been engulfed by Iraq, by which I mean no other subject interests anybody other than Iraq… The continued tumult in Iraq has overwhelmed what perspectives one might otherwise have entertained with respect to, well, other parts of the Middle East with respect to Iran in particular.”

And Buckley definitely parts ways with the new brand of conservatives of what to do with Iran:

Despite evidence that Iran is supplying weapons and expertise to Hezbollah in the conflict with Israel, Buckley rejects neo-conservatives who favor a more interventionist foreign policy, including a pre-emptive air strike against Iran and its nuclear facilities.

“If we find there is a warhead there that is poised, the range of it is tested, then we have no alternative. But pending that, we have to ask ourselves, ‘What would the Iranian population do?'”

Perhaps more of the neo-cons out there should listen to their forefather and heed his advice. Bush definitely should do this or get out of office. The world is teetering on the brink of the most violent times it has seen in over 60 years and when we get pushed over that edge, we need a decisive leaders with a strong foreign policy and not some chickenhawk who panders to the extremists that are destroying our country.