Bush To Say Goodbye Tonight

[SA210]

By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President George W. Bush's farewell speech is more than a goodbye to the nation that elected him twice. It is his last chance in office to define his tumultuous presidency in his own, unfiltered terms as he rides off to a quieter life.

In a goodbye address Thursday night, Bush will follow the script of Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and many before them: Express thanks to the country and pride in the honor of serving, wish the next president well and outline what he considers to be the biggest challenges ahead.

Bush will talk about the nation's response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the broader security threat to the nation and what he considers to be the high points of his domestic agenda. He will address a national TV audience for about 13 minutes.

"I'm going to urge our nation to continue to engage the world with confidence -- confidence in the transformative power of freedom and liberty," Bush said Thursday in previewing his speech in a final visit to the State Department.

For presidents, parting thoughts are not about parting shots. This farewell will be no different. But Bush is proud of his record and will go out defending it.

In that sense, the goodbye address will underscore the competing accounts of his presidency one last time.

Still, said presidential counselor Ed Gillespie: "This is less about policy. This is more, I think, about the people that he has seen and the experiences that we've had together. I think he wanted to express a little bit of his gratitude."

Bush and his loyal backers see his record this way: He kept the country safe from attack after terrorism redefined his presidency, cut taxes, freed the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, reformed education, oversaw 52 straight months of job growth, acted decisively when the economy tanked, stuck to principle no matter what his poll numbers, retooled the military and improved federal crisis management after the worst U.S. natural disaster happened on his watch.

To his critics, Bush wasted the world's goodwill after the Sept. 11 attacks, got the nation into a catastrophic and avoidable Iraq war, presided over a staggering 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008, ran up debt, reacted slowly to Hurricane Katrina, did more dividing
than uniting and refused to listen to the will of the people.

Historians say the fairest assessment will come over time. Bush says accurate short-term history does not even exist.

Yet this much is also clear: The president does care about how the country views his time in office. Right now.

In essence, he has been giving legacy addresses for weeks. He has held separate events to defend his record on protecting the country, helping veterans, promoting volunteerism, appointing judges, expanding trade, reshaping the military, overhauling
education and fighting AIDS in impoverished lands.

On its Web site, the White House has even gone so far as to post "100 things Americans may not know about the Bush administration record."

The speech is expected to be Bush's last public commentary as president.

He will deliver it from the East Room of the White House, where the audience will include a few dozen people chosen for their personal stories, a practice normally reserved for a State of the Union address.

Bush has been much more reflective in the twilight of his presidency. That tone will probably emerge in his speech, just as it did for his predecessors.

Clinton said in his farewell, "I'll leave the presidency more idealistic, more full of hope than the day I arrived and more confident than ever that America's best days lie ahead."

Ronald Reagan invoked images of the shining city on the hill: "We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all."

And Jimmy Carter told the nation, "From the bottom of my heart, I want to express to you the gratitude I feel."

Not among that group? Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush. He never gave an official farewell address.

Life after the White House will find Bush in two homes -- his beloved ranch in Crawford, Texas, and the new home that first lady Laura Bush picked for them in an affluent Dallas neighborhood. He plans to write a book and run a new policy institute, but also will quickly get off the public stage.

"You just fade out," Bush told reporters from Texas newspapers last week. "That's fine with me. The faster the fade, the better."


http://www.woai.com/content/blogs/headlines/story/Discuss-Bush-To-Say-Goodbye/pFitut8tHkeRdCbApJwahw.cspx

[spurster]

Good riddance. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. On second thought ...

[baseline bum]

He's still got 4 days for one more fuck-up.

[jack sommerset]

I have to admit I am excited about ripping the President to come for all the bullshit Bush got. I hope he does not fuck up so much the USA will suffer. Knowing that this fuck stick is going to fuck up so much over his administration that assholes that defend him,voted for him for the simple fact they are unhappy with there own pathetic life will give me some satisfaction. I would not have voted for her but Hilary would have provided the change you losers were seeking so much. This dirt bag is the worst kind of politician and you who voted for him will be saying over shots "what the fuck was I thinking"
BOOK IT!

And fuckwads, If he turns out to be a decent President I will lead the charge for "4 more years" Won't happen!

[MannyIsGod]

I have to admit I am excited about ripping the President to come for all the bullshit Bush got. I hope he does not fuck up so much the USA will suffer. Knowing that this fuck stick is going to fuck up so much over his administration that assholes that defend him,voted for him for the simple fact they are unhappy with there own pathetic life will give me some satisfaction. I would not have voted for her but Hilary would have provided the change you losers were seeking so much. This dirt bag is the worst kind of politician and you who voted for him will be saying over shots "what the fuck was I thinking"
BOOK IT!

And fuckwads, If he turns out to be a decent President I will lead the charge for "4 more years" Won't happen!

:lmao

Do I even need to explain why I'm laughing?

[jack sommerset]

:lmao

Do I even need to explain why I'm laughing?

Not at all.

[MannyIsGod]

I just want to know one thing.

Why do you hate America?

[jack sommerset]

I just want to know one thing.

Why do you hate America?

Please, be serious. Nothing that I said equals I hate America.

[Rogue]

we will miss bush

[baseline bum]

So is this fucking piece of shit going to come on and give his revisionist history tonight, or what?

[ElNono]

So is this fucking piece of shit going to come on and give his revisionist history tonight, or what?

He did. Pathetic...

At any rate, he's on his way out. Time to pop open a cold one and celebrate...

[baseline bum]

He did. Pathetic...

At any rate, he's on his way out. Time to pop open a cold one and celebrate...

I won't celebrate until his final night Monday, which is coincidentally my birthday (best present I could get). Good times! Thank you America for finally electing a competent leader.

[Cry Havoc]

Worst president in the history of the United States. Probably the least intelligent as well. So glad he's gone.

[florige]

So is this fucking piece of shit going to come on and give his revisionist history tonight, or what?




:lmao I guess it's safe to assume you participated in the latest approval rating for Bush.

[Rogue]

Fellow citizens: For eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your President. The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence -- a time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey that we have traveled together, and the future of our nation.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_e5u5037-250h.jpg (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_e5u5037-515h.html)Five days from now, the world will witness the vitality of American democracy. In a tradition dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people. Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose history reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-Elect Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two beautiful girls.
Tonight I am filled with gratitude -- to Vice President Cheney and members of my administration; to Laura, who brought joy to this house and love to my life; to our wonderful daughters, Barbara and Jenna; to my parents, whose examples have provided strength for a lifetime. And above all, I thank the American people for the trust you have given me. I thank you for the prayers that have lifted my spirits. And I thank you for the countless acts of courage, generosity, and grace that I have witnessed these past eight years.
This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house -- September the 11th, 2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor. I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock. I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon, and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93. I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost. And I still carry his badge.
As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.
Over the past seven years, a new Department of Homeland Security has been created. The military, the intelligence community, and the FBI have been transformed. Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances, and break up their plots. And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them. Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored al Qaeda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school. Iraq has gone from a brutal dictatorship and a sworn enemy of America to an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_e5u5125-250h.jpg (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_e5u5125-515h.html)There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil. This is a tribute to those who toil night and day to keep us safe -- law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
Our nation is blessed to have citizens who volunteer to defend us in this time of danger. I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families. And America owes you a debt of gratitude. And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your Commander-in-Chief.
The battles waged by our troops are part of a broader struggle between two dramatically different systems. Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience, and marks unbelievers for murder. The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God, and that liberty and justice light the path to peace.
This is the belief that gave birth to our nation. And in the long run, advancing this belief is the only practical way to protect our citizens. When people live in freedom, they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror. When people have hope in the future, they will not cede their lives to violence and extremism. So around the world, America is promoting human liberty, human rights, and human dignity. We're standing with dissidents and young democracies, providing AIDS medicine to dying patients -- to bring dying patients back to life, and sparing mothers and babies from malaria. And this great republic born alone in liberty is leading the world toward a new age when freedom belongs to all nations.
For eight years, we've also strived to expand opportunity and hope here at home. Across our country, students are rising to meet higher standards in public schools. A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is bringing peace of mind to seniors and the disabled. Every taxpayer pays lower income taxes. The addicted and suffering are finding new hope through faith-based programs. Vulnerable human life is better protected. Funding for our veterans has nearly doubled. America's air and water and lands are measurably cleaner. And the federal bench includes wise new members like Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_z4g0015jpg-250h.jpg (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_z4g0015jpg-515h.html)When challenges to our prosperity emerged, we rose to meet them. Facing the prospect of a financial collapse, we took decisive measures to safeguard our economy. These are very tough times for hardworking families, but the toll would be far worse if we had not acted. All Americans are in this together. And together, with determination and hard work, we will restore our economy to the path of growth. We will show the world once again the resilience of America's free enterprise system.
Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I've always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.
The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles that should shape our course.
While our nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard.
At the same time, we must continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the face of threats from abroad, it can be tempting to seek comfort by turning inward. But we must reject isolationism and its companion, protectionism. Retreating behind our borders would only invite danger. In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.
As we address these challenges -- and others we cannot foresee tonight -- America must maintain our moral clarity. I've often spoken to you about good and evil, and this has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two of them there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense -- and to advance the cause of peace.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_p011509jb-0256-250h.jpg (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_p011509jb-0256-515h.html)President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.
I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a nation where citizens show calm in times of danger, and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America's character all around us. And Laura and I have invited some of them to join us in the White House this evening.
We see America's character in Dr. Tony Recasner, a principal who opened a new charter school from the ruins of Hurricane Katrina. We see it in Julio Medina, a former inmate who leads a faith-based program to help prisoners returning to society. We've seen it in Staff Sergeant Aubrey McDade, who charged into an ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines.
We see America's character in Bill Krissoff -- a surgeon from California. His son, Nathan -- a Marine -- gave his life in Iraq. When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps in honor of his son. This good man was 60 years old -- 18 years above the age limit. But his petition for a waiver was granted, and for the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine. Lieutenant Commander Krissoff could not be here tonight, because he will soon deploy to Iraq, where he will help save America's wounded warriors -- and uphold the legacy of his fallen son.
In citizens like these, we see the best of our country - resilient and hopeful, caring and strong. These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there's more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail.
It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your President. There have been good days and tough days. But every day I have been inspired by the greatness of our country, and uplifted by the goodness of our people. I have been blessed to represent this nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other - citizen of the United States of America.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_p011509jb-0318-250h.jpg (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/images/20090115-17_p011509jb-0318-515h.html)And so, my fellow Americans, for the final time: Good night. May God bless this house and our next President. And may God bless you and our wonderful country. Thank you. (Applause.)

[baseline bum]

:lmao I guess it's safe to assume you participated in the latest approval rating for Bush.

I was watching CBS, and they never showed it. :lol

Good riddance. Time to flush to the toilet and wipe our asses of this revolting stain on our nation's history.

[Nbadan]

Fux that, let's prosecute....

[SA210]

Fux that, let's prosecute....

:tu

[baseline bum]

Fux that, let's prosecute....

You misspelled execute ^^^

[George Gervin's Afro]

I didn't start ripping bush until it was evident Iraq was a war of choice. Nice to see those who are ready to jump on him just because he's President.

[florige]

I was watching CBS, and they never showed it. :lol

Good riddance. Time to flush to the toilet and wipe our asses of this revolting stain on our nation's history.


:lol
I totally forgot about it. Even though I didn't like Bush, I kinda wanted to hear what he had to say.

[byrontx]

Arrest his ass!

[hater]

so to go down in history as worst president ever. wow. I don't think he realizes what kind of legacy he is leaving.

[ratm1221]

His facial expressions got worse and worse through his presidency. The facial expressions he had last night put an exclamation on it.

[JudynTX]

Good riddance.

[doobs]

Successes: no terrorist attacks on the United States since 9/11; trusted Petraeus and made the courageous decision to start the surge; his commitment to fighting AIDS in Africa

Failures: did not make tax cuts permanent; overall budget mismanagement, failed to control spending, rarely used his veto; failed to reform social security and immigration

TBD: the decision to go to war in Iraq; to a lesser extent, the decision to go to war in Afghanistan; the Katrina fiasco; his role in addressing the financial crisis


This is my basic assessment of his presidency:

1. He trusted his instincts without agonizing over any doubts or alternative courses of action;
2. He was loyal to a fault, and he probably verged on cronyism;
3. He was well-meaning and sincere;
4. He was not an intellectual, but he was highly intelligent;
5. He deferred too much to Cheney, and thus looked weak at times;
6. He failed to control the rivalry between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon, which is a big deal during a time of war; and
7. He was a consequential president, much like Truman, and his major foreign policy and national security decisions will be debated by historians for decades.


In other words, Bush had his successes and his failures. But the defining issue of his presidency--terrorism and Iraq--is the key to his legacy. Because of the importance of hsi defining issue, he may be remembered as a great president, or a horrible president. There really is no middle ground.

[clambake]

how does "Paying them not to kill us"= successful surge?

[Winehole23]

Successes: no terrorist attacks on the United States since 9/11Amerithrax ring a bell?

[Winehole23]

Another thing: you think the judgment about Katrina is TBD? Seems like the ship has already sailed on this one. A great American city drowned while he was noodling on a guitar.

[Winehole23]

He failed to control the rivalry between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon, which is a big deal during a time of warOverblown. Look at the respective budgets. This is the rivalry of the hammer and the nail. State got hammered.

[doobs]

Another thing: you think the judgment about Katrina is TBD? Seems like the ship has already sailed on this one. A great American city drowned while he was noodling on a guitar.

Well, Bush was responsible, ultimately, for the federal response to Katrina. In the beginning, his hands were tied by posse comitatus and the insurrection act, and by Governor Blanco's stubborn refusal to order an evacuation and properly use the national guard to restore order---though I do think FEMA's after-the-fact handling of the disaster was pretty damn awful. Regardless, I believe the ultimate responsibility for planning for and responding to something like Katrina lies with state and local officials. (Individuals, too.) Texas does it pretty well. Why can't Louisiana?

I blame Governon Blanco and Mayor Nagin, first and foremost. Bush gets a share of the blame, too. I guess I put it in the TBD category because the extent to which he should be blamed for Katrina is up for debate. It's not at all clear, to me, that the Katrina fiasco should be remembered as a major failure of his presidency. (But it definitely wasn't a success.)

[doobs]

Amerithrax ring a bell?

Is that really a terrorist attack?

I guess I was referring to large-scale acts of violence from international terrorist organizations, involving guns, or bombs, or missiles, or planes, or whatever. The anthrax attacks were more of a strictly law enforcement issue, in my opinion.

[doobs]

Overblown. Look at the respective budgets. This is the rivalry of the hammer and the nail. State got hammered.

No, I think his failure to control Powell and Rumsfeld was a big deal. If the reporting on the issue is to be trusted, he made the nation's top diplomat feel isolated and useless. That's a really bad thing in a time of war.

Of course there's a disparity in their budgets. But that's beside the point. What's the NSC's budget? Probably a lot less than either State or Defense, but the national security adviser exercises a great deal of influence over foreign policy.

I recently read an interesting book by Douglas Feith about the State-Defense rivalry under Bush. He seems to believe that Powell's influence was hurt a great deal by his lack of professionalism. Powell's State Department was extremely disorganized, and his people never really wrote memos or prepared anything for the president to look at---Feith thinks this is why the Pentagon routinely got their way. He was tooting his own horn, for sure, but it's an interesting take.

[Michael Brown]

It's not at all clear, to me, that the Katrina fiasco should be remembered as a major failure of his presidency.

Here, Here! Much ado about nothing if you ask me.

[baseline bum]

TBD: the decision to go to war in Iraq;


What's TBD about his Iraq policy? It was a disaster. He believed a bunch of plainly false intel, picked an even bigger scumbag than himself to be his first choice for puppet governor of Iraq, told the army to go fuck themselves because Rumsfeld knew what was going on, threw Iraq into total chaos, did nothing to stop Al Sadr, etc. It was like Bush didn't plan anything out for 5 minutes after the invasion. I know, God told him to do it.





6. He failed to control the rivalry between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon, which is a big deal during a time of war; and


Rivalry? He made Rumsfeld vs Powell into Spurs/Suns.

[ChumpDumper]

Successes: no terrorist attacks on the United States since 9/11; trusted Petraeus and made the courageous decision to start the surge; his commitment to fighting AIDS in Africa

Failures: did not make tax cuts permanent; overall budget mismanagement, failed to control spending, rarely used his veto; failed to reform social security and immigration

TBD: the decision to go to war in Iraq; to a lesser extent, the decision to go to war in Afghanistan; the Katrina fiasco; his role in addressing the financial crisis.If preventing terrorist attacks after 9/11 is a success, then his willful ignorance of the terrorist threat before 9/11 is his biggest and most unforgivable failure and makes Bush and overall failure as president.

[ratm1221]

If preventing terrorist attacks after 9/11 is a success, then his willful ignorance of the terrorist threat before 9/11 is his biggest and most unforgivable failure and makes Bush and overall failure as president.

Didn't think about it like that, but it makes sense. Very true.

[angel_luv]

My two cents:

http://girldefined.com/thanks-mr-president/

[SnakeBoy]

What's TBD about his Iraq policy? It was a disaster.


I think the Iraq topic needs to be divided into 3 areas. The decision to go into Iraq and then pre 2006 elections policy and post 2006 elections policy.

Decision to go into Iraq - D
Pretty hard to argue that it wasn't a mistake. I think the only reasonable argument would be that it was an intelligence failure and thus Bush doesn't deserve full blame. I give him some slack because of that so I give him a D instead of an F.

Pre 2006 elections Policy - F
Lot's of reasons but I'd put disbanding the Iraqi army at the top of my list.

Post 2006 elections Policy - A
He stuck with it instead abandoning Iraq as Dems and a growing number of repubs wanted. Which IMO would have been disastrous.

Overall Iraq GPA - 1.67

[Crookshanks]

Man - you guys are so hateful. And so wrong! You're all suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome and there's no cure. You'll still be screaming about all his "failures" years from now.

As for me - I'm going to love watching Obama and his cronies totally screw up the country and you guys aren't going to know how to react. Especially the black people - are they really gonna start blaming the "black" man?! Of course, everything that goes wrong will STILL be blamed on Bush because Obama is the chosen one and he can't fail. You guys are pathetic.

[Oh, Gee!!]

I'm going to love watching Obama and his cronies totally screw up the country

why do you want us to fail?

[doobs]

If preventing terrorist attacks after 9/11 is a success, then his willful ignorance of the terrorist threat before 9/11 is his biggest and most unforgivable failure and makes Bush and overall failure as president.

Willful ignorance? What are you talking about? Are you accusing Bush of purposely ignoring bin Laden and the 9/11 plot?

Anyway, Bush definitely deserves credit for responding to the terrorist threat. That's his job, and the results are hard to argue with. Could he have done more to prevent 9/11? Sure. Bill Clinton could have done a hell of a lot more, too. Bin Laden was not a man of significance until the 1990s, after all. Does Bill Clinton deserve blame for the embassy attacks, or the USS Cole? And I suppose FDR could have done a hell of a lot more to prevent Pearl Harbor.

9/11 put us all on notice, finally, about the threat posed by Muslim extremists. As far as knowledge of the threat and tools at his disposal to address the threat, Barack Obama on September 11, 2009 will be in a much different position than George Bush was on September 11, 2001.

[balli]

Man - I'm so hateful. And so wrong! I'm suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome and there's no cure. I'll still be screaming about all his "successes" years from now.

As for me - I'm going to hate watching Obama and his stellar/bi-partisan administration totally clean up the country and I'm not going to know how to react. Especially [in regards] to the black people - Am I really going to have to face evidence that I should start respecting a "black" man?! Of course, everything that goes wrong will STILL be blamed on Bush because he did, after all, fuck everything up beyond belief. But Obama is a really smart, honest, hard working man and although cleaning up Bush's numerous fuck ups is going to take a lot of hard work, I still hope he fails. I'm pathetic.

Fixed.

[ratm1221]

My two cents:

http://girldefined.com/thanks-mr-president/


I refused to vote at all the first time the then Govenor George W. Bush ran for office. I could not stomach the thought of helping to elect either him or his competitor.

Were you even old enough to vote for Bush's first term?

[Crookshanks]

Oooohhh Bali - you're sooooo clever! God - you're an absolute idiot! Everything about you is offensive.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

As for me - I'm going to love watching Obama and his cronies totally screw up the country and you guys aren't going to know how to react.

How in the hell can Republicans spend the better part of the last 8 years accusing people of "hating" America, and then post shit like this with a straight fucking face. Hypocrite much???

[balli]

Everything about you is offensive.
Hopefully, I'm offensive, to racist morons such as yourself

I mean seriously, I'd worry about offending like, a priest. Or I'd be worried about offending a hot girl. Or I'd be worried about offending my boss. But a dumbass, southern-fried ,piece of shit racist like yourself? Yeah, any offense a shithead like you would take, can only mean I'm doing something morally right.

[Crookshanks]

I don't hate America - on the contrary I love it very much - that's why I "hate" Obama and all he stands for. But people were so blinded by his charisma that they didn't really care to investigate the man behind the pretty speeches.

A lot of people are going to be very disallusioned and disappointed that he wasn't the be-all and end-all and the saviour of the world. That's what I'm going to laugh about - and I'm going to take great delight in saying "I told you so"! In about 18 months I think I'll get a bumper sticker that says "Don't Blame Me - I Voted For Palin".

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I don't hate America - on the contrary I love it very much - that's why I "hate" Obama and all he stands for. But people were so blinded by his charisma that they didn't really care to investigate the man behind the pretty speeches.

A lot of people are going to be very disallusioned and disappointed that he wasn't the be-all and end-all and the saviour of the world. That's what I'm going to laugh about - and I'm going to take great delight in saying "I told you so"! In about 18 months I think I'll get a bumper sticker that says "Don't Blame Me - I Voted For Palin".

please enlighten the rest of us then. What the fuck have you uncovered that makes Obama such a bad choice that you're denouncing his presidency before it even starts?? could it be you're a pathetic partisan hack?

[clambake]

why don't you become a martyr?

[ploto]

Bush was lazy and too narrow-minded ever to consider alternatives, and those together make for a bad combination. He did not want to go fight in a war himself, but he had no problem sending off others on false pretenses. He is responsible for putting an incompetent person in charge of FEMA and hence shoulders the blame for the Katrina disaster. Mostly, he really is clueless.

[Crookshanks]

Hopefully, I'm offensive, to racist morons such as yourself

I mean seriously, I'd worry about offending like, a priest. Or I'd be worried about offending a hot girl. Or I'd be worried about offending my boss. But a dumbass-southern fried piece of shit racist like you. Yeah, any offense a shithead like you would take, can only mean I'm doing something morally right.

You are so stupid - you know nothing about me. First of all, I'm NOT a southerner - I'm a Yankee born and bred. And I'm certainly not a racist. But that's going to be the mantra for the next 4 years - anybody who doesn't like Obama or who disagrees with him will be branded a racist.

I have nothing against black people individually - I really admire Justice Clarence Thomas and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. I also like Bill Cosby. I've even dated a few black guys. I'm just not too thrilled with black people as a voting block.

BTW - I bet my IQ is higher than yours!

[balli]

But that's going to be the mantra for the next 4 years - anybody who doesn't like Obama or who disagrees with him will be branded a racist.I branded you a racist for stammering about black people like you were that racist fucker from 12 Angry Men. You sounded like that dude- to a T.


BTW - I bet my IQ is higher than yours!
:lol
Okay????

In any event, you sure aren't putting that ever so lofty IQ to good use.

[ChumpDumper]

Willful ignorance? What are you talking about? Are you accusing Bush of purposely ignoring bin Laden and the 9/11 plot?Through their dismantling of the counterterrorism apparatus built up during the Clinton administration and his foreign policy shift to considering Russia as the biggest concern, I am absolutely accusing Bush of purposely ignoring the threat of terrorism.


Anyway, Bush definitely deserves credit for responding to the terrorist threat. That's his job, and the results are hard to argue with.He sure shut the barn door after the wolves got in. Woo-hoo!


Could he have done more to prevent 9/11? Sure. Bill Clinton could have done a hell of a lot more, too.The thing is Bush did less than Clinton before 9/11. He went backwards regarding the terrorist threat.


9/11 put us all on notice, finally, about the threat posed by Muslim extremists.We were on notice long before that. Bush simply ignored the notice. His fault. There is no excuse or forgiveness for that.


As far as knowledge of the threat and tools at his disposal to address the threat, Barack Obama on September 11, 2009 will be in a much different position than George Bush was on September 11, 2001.Thanks, Captain Obvious.

[baseline bum]

As for me - I'm going to love watching Obama and his cronies totally screw up the country and you guys aren't going to know how to react.

Makes sense, as you and your cronies have loved seeing Bush destroy it.

[ChumpDumper]

Damn, you really have to hate America if you want two administrations in a row to screw up the country.

[MannyIsGod]

Successes: no terrorist attacks on the United States since 9/11; trusted Petraeus and made the courageous decision to start the surge; his commitment to fighting AIDS in Africa

Failures: did not make tax cuts permanent; overall budget mismanagement, failed to control spending, rarely used his veto; failed to reform social security and immigration

TBD: the decision to go to war in Iraq; to a lesser extent, the decision to go to war in Afghanistan; the Katrina fiasco; his role in addressing the financial crisis


This is my basic assessment of his presidency:

1. He trusted his instincts without agonizing over any doubts or alternative courses of action;
2. He was loyal to a fault, and he probably verged on cronyism;
3. He was well-meaning and sincere;
4. He was not an intellectual, but he was highly intelligent;
5. He deferred too much to Cheney, and thus looked weak at times;
6. He failed to control the rivalry between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon, which is a big deal during a time of war; and
7. He was a consequential president, much like Truman, and his major foreign policy and national security decisions will be debated by historians for decades.


In other words, Bush had his successes and his failures. But the defining issue of his presidency--terrorism and Iraq--is the key to his legacy. Because of the importance of hsi defining issue, he may be remembered as a great president, or a horrible president. There really is no middle ground.

This is a fairly resonable post with one glaring exception and a minor one. Katrina is not a TBD. Its an abject failure and could possibly be his greatest failure. The Iraq war - regardless of revisionist history - is also a huge failure even if we manage to fix the situation simply because there was no justification for the invasion. The ends do not justify the means.

You also failed to mention Abu Graib, Guantanamoo and FISA as other areas he failed or could be mentioned as failures.

[MannyIsGod]

Man - you guys are so hateful. And so wrong! You're all suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome and there's no cure. You'll still be screaming about all his "failures" years from now.

As for me - I'm going to love watching Obama and his cronies totally screw up the country and you guys aren't going to know how to react. Especially the black people - are they really gonna start blaming the "black" man?! Of course, everything that goes wrong will STILL be blamed on Bush because Obama is the chosen one and he can't fail. You guys are pathetic.

Why do you hate America?

[byrontx]

1. He trusted his instincts without agonizing over any doubts or alternative courses of action;
Substituting instincts for planning and being inflexable are not signs of effective leadership.

2. He was loyal to a fault, and he probably verged on cronyism;
It was cronyism, Brownie was a good example.

3. He was well-meaning and sincere;
He lied about the reasons for taking the country to war. In fact, he lied his ass off and had everyone in his administration lying like hell on just about everythiing-outing a CIA agent, politicizing the Justice Department, circumventing and undermining environmental regulations, etc. Dishonesty was rampant.

4. He was not an intellectual, but he was highly intelligent;
I don't think you really believe that. He definitely was not an intellectual (as if that is a bad thing) and there was no evidence he had the intellectual capacity to run a $1 store.

5. He deferred too much to Cheney, and thus looked weak at times;
He was weak, see number 6. Unfortunately, being weak did not stop him from moving from one blunder to the next.

6. He failed to control the rivalry between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon, which is a big deal during a time of war; and
And many people died. Not that everyone considers that a problem. If you get to march around and wave flags while somebody else dying it is cool, right?

7. He was a consequential president, much like Truman, and his major foreign policy and national security decisions will be debated by historians for decades.
I hope that debate occurs in a court of law.

[ClingingMars]

Successes: no terrorist attacks on the United States since 9/11; trusted Petraeus and made the courageous decision to start the surge; his commitment to fighting AIDS in Africa

Failures: did not make tax cuts permanent; overall budget mismanagement, failed to control spending, rarely used his veto; failed to reform social security and immigration

TBD: the decision to go to war in Iraq; to a lesser extent, the decision to go to war in Afghanistan; the Katrina fiasco; his role in addressing the financial crisis


This is my basic assessment of his presidency:

1. He trusted his instincts without agonizing over any doubts or alternative courses of action;
2. He was loyal to a fault, and he probably verged on cronyism;
3. He was well-meaning and sincere;
4. He was not an intellectual, but he was highly intelligent;
5. He deferred too much to Cheney, and thus looked weak at times;
6. He failed to control the rivalry between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon, which is a big deal during a time of war; and
7. He was a consequential president, much like Truman, and his major foreign policy and national security decisions will be debated by historians for decades.


In other words, Bush had his successes and his failures. But the defining issue of his presidency--terrorism and Iraq--is the key to his legacy. Because of the importance of hsi defining issue, he may be remembered as a great president, or a horrible president. There really is no middle ground.

good assessment.

i can't wait for 4 years from now when Obama is leaving, and we conservatives have a chance to exhibit some class, unlike the idiots in this thread.

-Mars

[ClingingMars]

If preventing terrorist attacks after 9/11 is a success, then his willful ignorance of the terrorist threat before 9/11 is his biggest and most unforgivable failure and makes Bush and overall failure as president.

that would be Clinton's fault, but that's for another thread.

-Mars

[MannyIsGod]

good assessment.

i can't wait for 4 years from now when Obama is leaving, and we conservatives have a chance to exhibit some class, unlike the idiots in this thread.

-Mars

Why do you hate America? Shouldn't you be hoping for your preisdentto succeed?

[Bartleby]

that would be Clinton's fault, but that's for another thread.

-Mars

Bush had been in office for more than half a year before 9/11.

[ChumpDumper]

that would be Clinton's fault, but that's for another thread.

-MarsBullshit.

Look up how many cabinet meetings Bush had on terra in the eight months before 9/11. Chances are you are as ignorant as any Republican about it.

[balli]

I cannot believe the gall of you conservative fucks, who simply cannot admit Bush ever did anything wrong... ever. For every single, monumental Bush fuckup, you literally blame Clinton, or say something to the effect of, "given what Bush had to deal with."

You're pathetic. The man was a walking fucking disaster on a global scale. Grow some balls, face the facts, man up and quit trying to exonerate yourselves from the horrible record, legacy and devastation you've left in the wake of Bush's God awful presidency.

Bush had been in office for more than half a year before 9/11.

Whilst ignoring just about everything related to Osama Bin Laden, that Clinton's people stressed the importance of.

edit: And I too would like to know- Mars, why do you hate America?

[angel_luv]

Were you even old enough to vote for Bush's first term?

I was 18.