Posted on 05/23/2007 7:52:32 AM PDT by K-oneTexas
He oversaw a huge government expansion, the borders collapsed, he gave us the Prescription Drug benefits boondoggle, and the No Child Left Behind fiasco. Domestically, he has had many mis-steps. I voted for him twice, and I'm not sorry I did, but I have become quite disappointed.
Although I'll always be grateful for his prosecution of the war against terrorism and his supreme court picks.
Yep, the President’s domestic/economic record is just abysmal . . . or may be not:
Here’s where things stood in 1980, Carter’s last year in office, and in subsequent periods:
• Carter: Interest rate, 21%. Inflation, 13.5%. Unemployment, 7%. The so-called “Misery Index,” which Carter used to great effect in his 1976 campaign to win election, 20.5%.
• Reagan’s last year: Interest rate, 9%. Inflation, 4.1%. Unemployment, 5.5%. Misery Index, 9.6%.
• Bush today: Interest rate, 8%. Inflation, 2.6%. Unemployment, 4.5%. Misery Index, 7.1%.
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=264727202278115
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . ALL indexes better under Bush 43 than Reagan — how’d that happen?!
Thank you for posting these links . . . IBD is doing an excellent job documenting the AMAZING successes of the Bush Presidency!!
Neither the Prescription Drug benefit or the NCLB is a boondoggle or fiasco. Both were things he campaigned on and have exceeded expectations.
While I would agree with much of your critique, I would take exception to NCLB. To me it was a great tool to force even marginal accounting and reporting on out of control school districts.
Come now....although I may be considered a Bushbot...I LOVE THE MAN...in all fairness, if Bush 43 followed Carter's dismal numbers, they probably wouldn't have matched Reagan's.
Different world economy...no Soviet Uniton...Islamist on 'simmer' instead of 'boil'...etc..
LOL, sure it isn't. Course neither is Constitutional but hell when has stopped Republicans from 'doing something'. NCLB is a fiasco of epic proportions. This coming from very qualified teachers I personally know that have been affected by it. As for the prescription drug 'benefit', that's going to make Social Security look like a drop in the bucket within a generation.
You hit all of the appropriate points. on the difference between Great and Good for GWB.
Let’s see, President Bush inherited a recession/crashing stock market and then had to deal with an attack on our homeland (another devastating blow to the economy). He is currently fighting a HOT war . . . ‘nuf said.
Well I live in the third largest school district in the country where the principles of NCLB have improved schools so much that there are no longer any failing schools or whining teachers, though we went through that phase. The drug benefit is coming in at 15% less than projected and is fostering competition that is lowering prices. So, it seems to me that you are projecting your ideological preferances instead of dealing with reality.
Absolutely agree, DD. Cheers!
Thanks Dr Deb. Please keep it coming. ;o)
LOL, course they are. Reality check, NCLB changed nothing. What it did was put a new coat of paint on a failing system. You want to know why the 'whiny teachers' aren't whining? Because they found a way around some of the absolutely stupid requirements (and trust me they were insane) introduced by NCLB. As for prescription drugs, wellll that's not such a rosy picture is it?
Don’t know who you are, but education was my profession. The FCAT scores are being announced today on the radio. They are up in every category. Go pound sand.
You and I see President Bush the same way.
Oh standardized tests. I thought you were talking about the quality of education, not teaching to the tests. That's easy to fudge. And still the students know less about US history, world history, mathematics, literature, etc. But dang it, they can pass a standardized test better than ever!!
Yeah, that's a measurement to go by
What do you know? Nothing. It is very hard to teach those things to children who cannot read. First things first.
No, course not. Having multiple immediate family members for 40+ years in education what could I possibly know compared to an administrator. You are an administrator aren't you?
It is very hard to teach those things to children who cannot read. First things first.
Yes because NCLB focuses on that for the teachers doesn't it...oh that's right it doesn't. The bureaucratic machine it takes to tell someone with a Masters in History and Education they're not 'highly qualified' because they aren't also 'qualified' to teach Science really helps the children learn to read doesn't it?
NCLB does nothing except focus on teaching to the test. What it also does is slow down gifted children because they're so much further ahead of Soccer Mom's rugrat whose jacked up on Ritalin because Soccer Mom doesn't want to deal with the responsibilities of parenthood. So gifted children are held back because they don't fit into the norm. Course this is just what I 'don't know' from teachers that are still (sadly IMO) dedicated to teaching instead of programming.
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