…it’s not the presidents job to place his political survival above the nations safety.

CC: J. Carter, Wm. J. Clinton

Edit: worst since FDR

lodge on December 31, 2008 at 8:30 AM

LBJ, Jimmy Carter.

Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 10:38 AM

To say nothing of Clinton, who ignored Al Quaeda even while calling it his “top priority,” and foolishly put the FBI in charge of defending against terrorism. If you wondered why terrorism was treated as a law enforcement issue before 9/11, that should answer the question.

We were in a horribly weak position to deal with Al Quaeda, and that goes directly to the neglect of the Clinton administration. Incidentally, we were in a weak position to deal with North Korea because the Clinton administration winked at any attempt to keep them away from nuclear bombs. And our weakness in dealing with Iran was due to the Clinton administration ignoring terrorism issues while Iran supported Hezbollah and Hamas.

Clinton also made regime change in Iraq the policy of the U.S government, then did … nothing.

So in any real historical perspective, Bush was the worst American president since … Clinton.

I can appreciate complaints about Bush, but I have no patience for the “worst president evah!” silliness.

It entered American thinking through public education, the entertainment industry and the news media.

Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 10:42 AM

Yes. It did…in contemporary times.

There are other historical foundations for it too, though, such as the creation of the Fed, and the 16th amendment,and the New Deal, for instance.

That photo and what he said to those brave folks in New York with that bull horn, and really the rest of us in the country who were grieving, will be what I remember about W.

Excellent point and undoubtedly true, but it’s not the presidents job to place his political survival above the nations safety.

FloatingRock on December 31, 2008 at 1:56 AM

Bush really wasn’t in a position to attack AQ/Taliban right after the election – Pakistan and the former Soviet Republics would not have played along absent a really obvious cause.

The central problem is that we had abandoned our allies in Afghanistan in the 90s and the Clinton administration had no interest in doing anything about AQ. Had we taken Osama any of the times he was offered to us or even just significantly escalated after any of the attacks on us in the 90s we would have been in a much better position to do something about AQ.

In fairness, Bush could have tried to push through some of the anti-terror measures he did after 9/11 before, but we need to recall the Democrats obstructed his transition into office in general and forming his national security team in specific while the Clinton hold overs he had were busy fretting about cyberterror and “rightwing militias”.

Realistically, our absolute intelligence and policy failures in the 90s all but guaranteed 9/11.

Oh please. GWB is the worst President in history. He has socialized the American economy.

lodge on December 31, 2008 at 8:23 AM

Ummm…kay. Carter, Johnson, Harding, Wilson, Buchanan, Grant…try a little history next time.

Socialism entered American thinking at the cerebral cortex, and through a steady dose of hypnotism, is now deeply embedded into the cerebellum.

That’s not Bush’s fault.

Saltysam on December 31, 2008 at 9:12 AM

It entered American thinking through public education, the entertainment industry and the news media.

Edit: worst since FDR

lodge on December 31, 2008 at 8:30 AM

LBJ, Jimmy Carter.

here’s Bush signing the historic No Bank Left Behind Bill

when history looks back on this, it will be seen as the trigger for the destruction of the American economy

lodge on December 31, 2008 at 9:16 AM

You’r just full of hyperbole.

I’m just venting that it’s easy to blame the president, and he deserves a LOT of blame.

It’s just that…based on this last election, I would say that, apparently, Bush wasn’t socialist enough.

when history looks back on this, it will be seen as the trigger for the destruction of the American economy

Oh please. GWB is the worst President in history. He has socialized the American economy.

lodge on December 31, 2008 at 8:23 AM

Not a big Bush fan…but,

A brief study of the American Presidency will reveal many candidates for this title of “worst”. Their worthiness should factor in the context of the times to put them under somewhat of an equal lens for examination.

You want to place the blame for all this socialist engineering squarely on Bush’s shoulders?

Let’s take a cross section on a profile of Congress. That sick body is the embodiment of the expectations of the American people. This slow and steady march toward centralized collectivism has been going on for quite a long time. Socialism entered American thinking at the cerebral cortex, and through a steady dose of hypnotism, is now deeply embedded into the cerebellum.

That’s not Bush’s fault.

Also, in my city a recent murder was committed to an 85 year old woman…she was “gutted” and robbed. Right now they are focusing on a some young Albanian males. These same males happen to go into a bar that my nephews own a few weeks back. They were making lots of trouble. So my husband and his friends bodily threw them out on the street. They yelled and threaten but finally picked themselves off the street and left. I posted this same story on another website and was told I was hateful for diliking islam. So be it.

Expanding the Dept. of Education with No Child Left Behind, expanding Medicare with the prescription drug benefit, not firing the entire executive staff of the CIA, calling Islam the religion of peace, hanging with terrorists while smoke rose from WTC…don’t believe me then check this.

The rubble is still smoking and President Bush has at his side, Abdurahaman Alamoudi who US Intelligence suspected of having ties to the people who knocked the buildings down in the first goddamn place. Our Islamic friend Abdurahaman goes on to be prosecuted for terrorist ties and is now serving time. But it gets even better! Also at our President’s side is Muzzammil Siddiqi the spiritual leader of the Islamic Society of Orange county and who had claimed an year earlier that the US deserved to be attacked for our ties.

Being unable to find some justification for freedom guiding our economic behavior…for the dimwitted Bush never ONCE saw a problem he didn’t think Government could fix.

Using the worst reasons for going to war with Iraq to appease the United Nations. As if anyone would have stopped us had he gone directly into Iraq.

Bush never increased Defense Spending as a % of GNP. He never increased the total size of the Armed Forces while he at the same time vastly increased other arms of the useless US Government.

Gave Tenet a medal when the schmuck should have at least been fired.

In the last 6 months he has completely outdone himself in incompetence by sinking our freedoms under the weight of a vastly increased “Incompetent” government.

Yea THANK YOU GEORGE BUSH…you schmuck.

George W Bush had the balls to do what others wouldn’t, he fought for what was right and stood up and took action, action which he stayed with even in the face of political suicide and continued harassment from his detractors. To criticize him for having done so only reveals the pathetic weak nature of ones own fabric.

Oh please. GWB is the worst President in history. He has socialized the American economy.

Viper1 on December 31, 2008 at 7:56 AM

Well said, my friend. President Bush had the courage and fortitude to lead us in one of the darkest hours this Nation has ever known. Everyone, regardless of political stripes, should be grateful for his service.

And now, we true Americans have to deal with four years of a regime which doesn’t even believe in this nation.

You are SOOOO right!!! When I read that lead-in I thought the same – and when I got to “Global Warming” – I KNEW they have their heads up their @sses. Yeah. Bush’s fault. It’s not even real and they blame it on him.