Bush has left an absolute shambles behind, and BO will only make it worse.
The big winner is Osama bin Laden. The modest “investment” he made on 9-11 has cost our country blood, treasure, and degrees of freedom, and now we get a President named after Mohammed’s horse (Barack.)
Bush is the “thank you sir, may I have another” president.
Also, the intel sector of the military was not ready to effectively use more troops. They would of been targets.
Also, the Sunnis were not ready to dump Al Queda.
So, for internal reason in Washington, the Pentagon and in Iraq, there was nothing to be done but be patient. Something which our enemies were not betting on that we could be. We were, they lost.
Iraq will be studied as a great success for hundreds of years.
I’ll never vote for a Texan again.
He never gave a damn about defending our party. Loyalty is a one way street with the Bush family.
I second that.
President Bush defeated John McCain in 2000 because the public rightly perceived him as more conservative.
His two appointments to the Supreme Court have probably saved this nation from the disaster on the Court that Obama would bring. Obama will likely only get to replace Ginsburg and Stevens. Those are both very liberal justices. Replacing O Connor and Rehnquist would have been an immediate and irrevocable national disaster.
President Bush is an awesome leader by his manner of not reducing himself to the ignorant hate that dominates his critics on the right and left. Despite his continually alleged ineptitude, he was on so many issues successful with his agenda— most importantly protecting the nation from further terror attacks.
The winning of two major wars is an astounding extension of American deterrence that makes the Somalias and Lebanaon fiascos look like well. . . fiascos. American deterrence is higher than ever because of his incredible leadership.
In reading the criticisms of Bush you always see the same consistent shallow demeaning attitude. You are forced to recognize that Bush was what his critics most wanted to be: a leader.
Bush was of such extraordinary character that he did not like Bill Clinton try to impose himself on this election or make it about the defense of his legacy— which he would be more than entitled to do. He allowed McCain to happily campaign against him. Its hard to see where that strategy yielded any electoral fruit .
I honestly believe that had he defended Bush more, he would have won more electoral votes.
Bush did reach across the aisle and unlike McCain, he pulled his opponents toward his position. He pulled Lieberman toward his position on national security. He pulled Zell Miller toward his positions on foreign policy. He pulled Senator Kennedy toward his position on educational accountability.
Despite his heroic military service, McCain defined reaching across the aisle as also stepping across the aisle to compromise core principals. McCain happily compromised freedom of speech with Feingold. He happily compromised free market principals on global warming. Reagan, Bush and others reached across the aisle with strength to pull their opponents toward them— rather than the other way around.
I believe McCain may from an optimistic point of view, be the end of the apologetic Republican that emerged after Watergate. His generation still believes that when conflicts arise it is our patriotic duty to give in to the angry and meet them half way. Such an attitude has incited the Left to be angrier than ever knowing that splitting the difference is the best way to get the most.
GW deserves all of this scorn and much much more....but don’t forget to thank his brain, Karl Rove.
I have a few comments. One in particular. When 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, several other severe hurricanes, tornados, fires and other natural disasters, and everyone had their hand out for a handout and Bush was demonized for not caring, what was he supposed to do. Everyone wanted money for everything but now its Bush’s fault for being a big spender. OK
You have arrived at the lowest rung of class with this thread congratulations.
The thought of being President frightens me and I do not think I want the job.....
Ronald Reagan
Now YOU try it