The Legacy of the Bush Administration?

The American ^ | October 24, 2007 | Victor Davis Hanson

[neverdem]

This article appears in the "Geopolitics" section of the recent issue of The American.

By October, 15 months before his presidency would end, George Bush’s approval ratings still hovered around 30 percent.

His administration will go down, say historians such as Columbia’s Eric Foner and Princeton’s Sean Wilentz, as a disaster. As Wilentz put it, “Many historians are now wondering whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history.”

A new genre in American popular culture has arisen comparing Bush to Hitler — on the Internet, and in fiction, stand-up comedy, and drama. To the novelist Garrison Keillor, Bush’s Republicans are “brownshirts in pinstripes” — echoing Al Gore’s similar slur of “digital brownshirts.”

Even Bush’s supporters seem resigned to such abuse. They now talk not of a restoration in public esteem before the president leaves office, but rather of a Trumanesque turnaround: a once-despised president only years later becomes appreciated for his unpopular but necessary decisions.

But for now, Bush seems to have an orphaned presidency defended by very few. From the left, he is criticized for his tax cuts for the rich, his lack of concern for African-American victims of Katrina, his illiberal homeland-security measures — and always for Iraq, with shrill persistent choruses of “preemption” and “unilateralism.” Much of this anger against Bush is Pavlovian and superficial, deeply embedded within the president’s caricatured dead-or-alive, smoke-’em-out lingo.

As a result, the left gives the president no credit for policies that have irked his conservative base. In his first term, he increased federal spending at a faster rate than Bill Clinton. He extended the reach of federal education policy with his No Child Left Behind legislation, and he did not veto a single spending bill, instead sponsoring a major new prescription entitlement...

[Alberta's Child]

You can delude yourself into thinking whatever you want, but I've made a lot of money in the last couple of years taking the "other" side of currency trades involving the U.S. dollar. My faith in the fiscal irresponsibility of this government has been rewarded.

I voted for Bush twice, and I'd vote for him again if I could. But there's no way in hell I would ever trust him to do the right thing all the time -- or even most of the time. The Harriet Miers debacle and this year's immigration fiasco are two perfect examples of why even those we support should face unrelenting pressure from their base at all times.

[MNJohnnie]

Clinging hysterically to the usual Dincon Neo Isolationist dogmas on Iraq will not magically change the Know Nothings opinions from fictions to facts.

One basic lesson of debate for the Freeper Dincons and their Democrat Party allies.

Since you all have dug yourself into a rhetorical hole over Iraq, the 1st step towards your recovery is to stop digging. Clinging to a failed opinions in an arrogant attempt to avoid admitting error merely does additional damage to your all ready very feeble credibility.

[Alberta's Child]

It appears that you are very confused, fella.

This is not an Iraq thread.

[Alberta's Child]

In 2003 (tax cut year) the federal revenue was $1.7 trillion and in 2007 (fiscal year) the federal revenue is $2.5 trillion. That's impressive...

It's also pretty meaningless unless you look at the entire picture. To wit:

1. How much did the "outlays" side of the ledger change in that time?

2. How much more money will be spent in the future because of enormous Federal programs that were implemented under this administration between 2003 and 2007?

[y6162]

I think Busah is a great president.

He confronted huge problems and has not shirked his responsibilities like Bill Clinton.

As he leaves office, Iraq will be a US bastion, Iran will be defanged, economy will be good, Al Qaeda greatly diminished and with any luck, he can push through another conservative supreme court justice if whats-her-name gives up the ghost.

Best of all, democrats will be driven to greater depths of insanity as they take anti Bush positions that are suicidal.

As Reagan said, all in all, not bad.

[avacado]

" It's also pretty meaningless unless you look at the entire picture. To wit:"

A 47% increase in federal revenue from 2003 to 2007 is meaningful. Very meaningful.

" 1. How much did the "outlays" side of the ledger change in that time?"

You know what? You can do as I did and just go read the monthly and yearly statements for yourself on the US Treasury website. That way you can answer you own questions and be much more informed. You are attempting to discuss that which you have not taken the time to educate yourself on. I don't spoon feed.

http://fms.treas.gov/mts/backissues.html

[MNJohnnie]

That the ticket! Don’t read the posts. Don’t think at all. Just keep screaming the same ignorant dogmas louder and louder and louder.

And the Dincons wonder why they cannot accomplish a single one of their political objectives? Wonder why eveyone just laughs at them?

One time how about the Dincons trying thinking and creating some rational, thoughtful response instead of just emoting the same failed dogmas louder and longer? Screaming slogans and trite childish soundbites, such as "Bush=LBJ" may make the Dinocons feel all macho and cool, to the rest of us it just makes you all look incredibly ignorant and childish.

[jveritas]

May be you do not want to see victory. Al Qaeda in Iraq and the Taliban/Al Qaeda in Afghanistan have been utterly defeated and crushed from all practical military purposes.

[jveritas]

Ask the Iraqis if the Americans and they have defeated Al Qaeda and the vast majority will tell you yes. Ask the Afghani if the Americans and they have defeated the Taliban and the vast majority will say yes.

[BunkDetector]

Anyone who sees things differently than you is stupid.
OK, got it.
Thanks.

[Southack]

Presidency of George W. Bush -- the first 48 months

 

President Bush signing a federal ban on Partial Birth Abortion

Banned Partial Birth Abortion

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy

Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.

Supported and upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals

Signed E.O. reversing Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down some home businesses in America

First Missile is Installed For NMD on July 23, 2004

Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses

Built ten ABM silos in Alaska and California so that America has a defense against North Korean nukes

Killed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty so that the U.S. can once again test our nuclear weapons

The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act (less romantically known as H.R. 5382) ultimately allows average Americans to hitch a ride on a civilian space craft at their own risk. The federal ban on such citizen travel was repealed by HR 5382 in 2004. The President signed that bill into law two days before Christmas.

President Bush pledged to Israel on 4/14/2004 that it could keep parts of the West Bank, giving international legitimacy to Jewish settlements there

Denied Palestinian refugees any right of return to what is now Israel, saying they should be resettled in a future Palestinian state instead

Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, EU, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"

Pushed through THREE raises for our military

Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years

President Bush's Grand Strategy (click here)

President Bush's Environmental Record - 2004 (click here)

Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit

Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers

Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined *collective* right

Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e. the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty)

Signed the 2004 Omnibus Budget 1/26/2004 that now MANDATES that gun buyers' background check information be fully and permanently destroyed within 24 hours of the completion of the check, no matter what.

Repealed Gun Controls Against Active, Retired, and Off-Duty Law Enforcement Personnel Carrying Weapons Into Local and State Prohibited Zones (7/28/2004)

Enacted powerful tort reform legislation that moves many class action lawsuits from state to federal courts. Requires federal courts to hear cases where the amount of the dispute is more than $5 million, and when the defendant and any of the plaintiffs live in different states.

Disarmed Libya of its Chemical, Nuclear, and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed

Won an agreement that U.S. Navy sailors may now freely board thousands of commercial ships in international waters to search for weapons of mass destruction under a landmark pact between the United States and Liberia, the world's No. 2 shipping registry (signed Feb 11, 2004), and Panama 5/10/2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/international/americas/11ship.html).

Approves The First U.S. Counter-Intel Plan

Successfully executed 2 wars and rebuilt 2 nations: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50+ million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom...epitomized by their own free and democratic elections.

Provided Billions in aid, machines, and manpower to tsunami victims.

 

Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)

Bush Administration diplomacy led to the 5/25/2004 peace accord that ended a massive 20-year civil war between Sudan's Islamic north and Christian south after two million deaths Click Here

  Delivered vital emergency aid to millions of survivors on multiple continents (e.g. Africa, SE Asia) of a devastating Tsunami caused by a 9.1 earthquake near Sumatra.

Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Bush and Putin sign historic anti-nuclear treaty

· Largest ever missile cuts agreed
· Russia stands by Iran relations
· Putin jibe over US help to North Korea

Staff and agencies
Friday May 24, 2002


Russian president Vladimir Putin (left), and US president George Bush shake hands before signing the treaty. Photo: Yuri Kochetkov, AP.
 

Presidents George Bush and Vladimir Putin today signed a landmark treaty to make the largest reductions ever in US and Russian nuclear arsenals but public differences were voiced over Iran.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,721544,00.html

Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.
Created NATO's Rapid Response Force
Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency

Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.

Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.

Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.

Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.

GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)

Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Signed 2 income tax cuts ---- 1 of which was the largest Dollar-value tax cut in world history

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains

In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people

Eliminated the Estate Tax (AKA "Death Tax") that was taking small farms and businesses from families

Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)

Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.

Signed trade promotion authority

Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa

Passed Medicare Reform (authorized $39.5 Billion per year for preventive medicine such as drugs and doctor visits as well as included a ten year Privatization option)

Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits

Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims

Submitted comprehensive Energy Plan--awaits Congressional action (works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.)

Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)

Started the USA Freedom Corps

Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)

Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.

President Bush opened up an additional part of Alaska for domestic oil drilling. In 2004, the National Petroleum Reserve, an area west of the existing Prudhoe Bay field, was approved for new energy exploration and production.

Increased U.S. Oil Drilling Permits 70% Above Clinton-era

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
New Forest Rules Gives States Power Over Federal Forests Inside Their Borders
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

President Bush signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal Aliens
S. 1685, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003, was signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003.
It extends for five years the workplace employment eligibility authorization pilot programs created in 1996. It expands the pilot programs from the original five states to all 50 states.

U.S. Forces In Baghdad

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2nd Term Supplimental (incomplete)

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Broke the Chinese Yuan to Dollar currency peg

CAFTA - President Bush signing CAFTA

Bolton to the UN

Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the second group of eight ABM silos in Alaska and California so that America has a land-based defense (in addition to our sea-based SM-3 and AEGIS systems) of 18 ABM's against North Korean nukes (note: China itself currently only has 24 -out of several hundred- nuclear ICBM's capable of reaching the U.S.)

Energy Bill (new tax cuts...after 5 years of opposition)

Immunity For Gun Manufacturers From Crime-Related Lawsuits

4.5% unemployment
3.4% annual (after inflation, 5.5% actual) reported GDP Growth

Syrian Troops forced to withdraw from Lebanon

Russians Troops Peacefully Withdraw From Georgia

Chief Justice John Roberts
Justice Sam Alito

Dramatically improved U.S.-India relations via a breakthrough nuclear agreement

Signed Bankruptcy Reform Into Law

Full Immunity From Frivolous Lawsuits For Our Domestic Gun Industry
Click Here

Fed Chairman Bernanke

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1518385/posts
Iraqi's Thank America (Wow, this is moving!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1518877/posts
Iraqi Kurds thank the United States for liberation in New T.V ads (From MoveAmericaForward)

US forges trail-blazing UN condemnation of Hizbullah

US rules out extra pledges on global warming

Bush-appointed Judges: Most Conservative On Record, New UH Study Finds

The Essential President Bush (click here)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060623-10.html

Executive Order: Protecting the Property Rights of the American People

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to strengthen the rights of the American people against the taking of their private property, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to protect the rights of Americans to their private property, including by limiting the taking of private property by the Federal Government to situations in which the taking is for public use, with just compensation, and for the purpose of benefiting the general public and not merely for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties to be given ownership or use of the property taken.

Sec. 2. Implementation. (a) The Attorney General shall:

(i) issue instructions to the heads of departments and agencies to implement the policy set forth in section 1 of this order; and

(ii) monitor takings by departments and agencies for compliance with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order. ...

White Sands missile test 'phenomenal'

	The rising sun lights a contrail pattern made by a missile test launch at the White Sands Missile Range in the sky over Phoenix, Ariz., early Wednesday (7/12/06). The launch was a test of the Missile Defense Agency's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. (AP photo)

AP

July 27, 2006: John Walsh, right, gives a thumbs up as President Bush, left, looks on during a signing ceremony for the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in the Rose Garden at the White House.

U.S. govt gets giant cross in San Diego [with President Bush's signature...........]

Algeria has held its first competitive presidential election, and the military remained neutral.

The United Arab Emirates recently announced that half of its seats in the Federal National Council will be chosen by elections.

Kuwait held elections in which women were allowed to vote and run for office for the first time.

Citizens have voted in municipal elections in Saudi Arabia and parliamentary elections in Jordan and Bahrain and in multiparty presidential elections in Yemen and Egypt.

700 Miles of Border Fencing Approved And Funded

New Civil and Military Space Policy (includes using nuclear power for long-range space exploration)

Implemented "clean diesel" EPA mandates that reduce diesel air pollution by up to 97% as well as enable U.S. refiners to profitably use U.S. coal or natural gas to produce diesel in a move that aids our environment as well as enables the U.S. to gradually wean itself from Middle-East oil

Lifted The Oil-Drilling Ban in Alaska's Bristol Bay

Waived Make-Work Enviro Studies For New Oil Drilling

Using Closed Bases For New Refineries, Cutting Refinery Red Tape

Enforced Mandatory Declassification of All Government Documents older than 25 years, Automatically

[Alberta's Child]

Go back and see what I posted in #66. U.S. Treasury reports are not a very good indicator of the Federal balance sheet. For one thing, the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are being funded primarily through "off-budget" appropriations . . . which may explain the discrepancy between the $163 billion budget deficit that was reported for FY2007 and the REAL $500+ billion deficit that had to be covered through an extension of the Federal debt ceiling.

[Alberta's Child]

I have no idea what the hell a “Dincon” is, so I couldn’t even begin to respond to that last post of yours.

[avacado]

"Go back and see what I posted in #66. U.S. Treasury reports are not a very good indicator of the Federal balance sheet. For one thing, the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are being funded primarily through "off-budget" appropriations . ."

*sigh* Look, I will NOT spoon feed you. The monthly and yearly statements have on and off budget expenses.

Have a nice day.

[MNJohnnie]

I wonder what the Freeper 100%ers around here would of said about a President who raised taxes 6 times? Signed a real Illegals Amnesty? Doubled Federal Spending in 8 years? Appointed 2 Liberals to the Supreme Court? Spent Record Defects? Played diplomatic footsie with the Mullahs in Iraq? A President who was routinely being accused of apostasy by the purist media establishment "Conservatives" of his day? -

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That President was Ronald Reagan. Yet what is Reagan's legacy 20 years later?

So maybe all the Freeper Dinocons with their knee jerk hate for all things Bush might want to put their arrogant snotty certainty about how history will view GW Bush on hold before them make themselves look any more foolish.

[brookwood]

There are about 200 policemen killed in the line of duty every year in the United States. Our casualty level in Iraq is approaching that level. This isn’t a war, it’s a police action. Most of the criminal activity in Iraq is equivalent to gang wars in East LA. We are winning the peace now. In the 1980’s there were about 5 murders every day in NYC, comparable to the recent average in Baghdad. It’s the media that makes Iraq a “civil war” when in NYC 5 murders a day was just everyday life.
Congratulations to President Bush for staying the course, finishing the job, and making all the liberals safe to criticize the heros who saved them.

[PerConPat]

As Wilentz put it, “Many historians are now wondering whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history.”

Oh my! Many historians are wondering! Well, this is serious.

Don't misunderstand, I admire VDH. And I believe that he is putting the needle, historiographically speaking, to Wilentz. Historians, the competent ones anyway, are trained to be cautious in making grand pronouncements based on current events. And a reasonable verdict on GWB is a long way off.

The country was probably not disposed to elect any Pub POTUS in '00 or '04. It was the dazzling stupidity of the DIMs that gave us the gifts of Gore and Kerry. However, that did not change the razor thin margin GWB has had to work with in the past seven years.

Now, there are some who always advise a full speed ahead approach on bringing Conservative policies to the public's doorstep, something not even Reagan attempted. The result is usually a face full of slammed door. IMHO, it will take a generation or more of careful politicking, abetted by the natural consequences of national dissipation, to convince a debt and benefit besotted public that the Left's policies amount to destruction.

So, I have been patient with the sometimes infuriating GWB, trying to remember that no president in my lifetime- going back to HST- has inherited a a more difficult set of circumstances.

[af_vet_rr]

It is to early to answer this for anyone.

Yes and no. I think it's easy to see that his stance on illegal (criminal) immigrants, I mean "Guest Workers" as well as his refusal to secure the borders, will harm future generations. He has laid the groundwork for amnesty, and even if he doesn't get it next year, if a Democrat follows him, amnesty will happen.

The problem is you are looking at our grandchildren's grandchildren having to deal with the things he wants (and will get, even if it's accomplished under a Hillary or Obama). In that aspect, it's too hard to see how damaging this will all be, but make no mistake, it will be damaging.

[George W. Bush]

Trashing President Reagan is likely to get you banned. You must be a Rudi troll since that’s usually their M.O.

[George W. Bush]

Instead of putting your hands over your eyes and childishly screaming “no no no no” so you can cling to your dogmatic ignorance and emotion based feeling, how about you try actually reading the data and learning some facts for once?

But then how could I cling to my dogmatic ignorance?