Speaking to reporters last week, Irish rocker Bob Geldof (organizer of the 1985 Live Aid and 2005 Live 8 concerts) praised George W. Bush’s record of increasing U.S. aid to Africa, saying that Bush “has done more than any other president so far,” even though the press hasn’t taken much notice. “This is the triumph of American policy really,” Geldof said. “It was probably unexpected of the man. It was expected of the nation, but not of the man, but both rose to the occasion.” Unfortunately, Geldof told the assembled reporters, “You guys didn’t pay attention.”

His admiration for Bush’s Africa policy dates back several years. For example, in a May 2003 interview with The Guardian, Geldof lauded Bush’s work in the fight against poverty and disease. “You’ll think I’m off my trolley when I say this, but the Bush administration is the most radical—in a positive sense—in its approach to Africa since Kennedy,” he said. He contrasted U.S. humanitarian assistance under Bush with the “pathetic and appalling” efforts of the European Union.

Last month, American Enterprise Institute visiting scholar Arthur C. Brooks wrote a smart piece on Bush’s legacy in Africa.