Bush - Worst President Ever?

[DawnCt1]

As for my income, it hasn't gone up drastically, but my refund in April sure has gone down as such. Don't know who's to blame for that. Perhaps, HR Block?

If you determine how much your income liability is based on your refund in April, you have no understanding of your taxes. Anyone who earns money pays less in taxes. You just might have to blame H&R Block.

 

[boomhauer]

The report that was given to him one month before 9/11 titled "Al Qaeda Determined to strike within the U.S." He received that one on vacation at his ranch and pretty much ignored it.

Do Bush supporters still either deny or ignore this?

 

[Yensid FoNaf]

I'm somewhat reluctant to respond to a thread like this, but just a few points regarding the war that many people don't take into account:

FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us; Japan did.
From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ... an average of 112,500 per year.

Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ... an average of 18,334 per year.

John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost ... an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

The years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled Al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a dictator who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida.

I'm not 100% pleased with the job President Bush has done. I am very disappointed in his immigration policy and his lack of spending discipline. There are many things I would have liked to have seen him do in regard to Katrina and other domestic issues, but I don’t believe that the majority of fault falls on Bush for all these problems.

I believe history will look kindly on President Bush.

 

[Jimbo]

What's worse? The media snapping at his feet or knowing that the vast majority of the civilised world disagrees with him fundamentally? Or living with having started not one but two wars, in which women and children perished?

Started two wars? How's that again?

 

[DawnCt1]

OMG..I forgot the best one. The FRENCH are preaching to me about unemploment!?!?! That's precious.

The French with their DOUBLE DIGIT unemployment rate preaching to us about our 5% unemployment rate.

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

Now, where is that thread that talked about the fact that this president has taken more vacation time than any of the presidents that preceeded him?

If you look at what he has gone through, I think a few extra vacation days are justified.

 

[dcentity2000]

Started two wars? How's that again?

Well, you could argue over the first one but technically the United States formally declared war on both Afghanistan and Iraq.

It's like the Great War. Germany was in many ways an aggressor, but officially it was the United Kingdom that declared war.



Rich::

 

[boomhauer]

If you look at what he has gone through, I think a few extra vacation days are justified.

I would agree with you, but with the exception of 9/11, he brought much of it on himself. And even that he could have possibly averted, had he not been on vacation at the time he received the first warning.

 

[Jimbo]

Well, you could argue over the first one but technically the United States formally declared war on both Afghanistan and Iraq.

It's like the Great War. Germany was in many ways an aggressor, but officially it was the United Kingdom that declared war.

And would you therefore be correct in saying that England started the war? Of course not. So don't insult us by saying that President Bush started the war on Afghanistan.

 

[dcentity2000]

And would you therefore be correct in saying that England started the war? Of course not. So don't insult us by saying that President Bush started the war on Afghanistan.

Well, technically, we did kick off the war with Germany. The issue is over whether doing so is just or not.



Rich::

 

[DawnCt1]

While I can't fault the President for what occurred prior to his first term, here are two things that are stuck in my craw (there are more, but I'll keep it short).

1) The report that was given to him one month before 9/11 titled "Al Qaeda Determined to strike within the U.S." He received that one on vacation at his ranch and pretty much ignored it.

2) The report just released by the 9/11 Commission (and co-headed by Tom Kean, another Republican) basically saying what a lousy job he and the federal government have done in implementing the recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission to make our country secure. They gave him more F's than A's. GWB wants to pay lip service to making our country secure and will execute a war on totally false reasons; he will spend billions on that war, but not actually provide the resources to implement measures that lots of people have agreed would make us safer. That is hypocrisy.

Where is the evidence that he "pretty much ignored it". We have known for years that Al Qaeda wanted to strike within the US. That wasn't the first attack on the WTC or on American interests abroad. I would like to hand out some grades to the 9/11 Commission. I can see them earning a few F's themselves. Able Danger collected valuable information in the late 90's but was unable to share it with the FBI and law enforcement agencies. Benvenista refers to Able Danger as a distraction. Jamie Garelick erected the wall between information that the CIA could share with the FBI. That was a big obstruction to intelligence prior to 9/11. She sat on the committee. She shouldn't have been a committee member, she should have been a witness!
For years, there was no war on terror. It was a failed law enforcement effort. President Bush changed that.

 

[eclectics]

I'm somewhat reluctant to respond to a thread like this, but just a few points regarding the war that many people don't take into account:

FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us; Japan did.
From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ... an average of 112,500 per year.

Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ... an average of 18,334 per year.

John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost ... an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

The years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled Al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a dictator who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida.

I'm not 100% pleased with the job President Bush has done. I am very disappointed in his immigration policy and his lack of spending discipline. There are many things I would have liked to have seen him do in regard to Katrina and other domestic issues, but I don’t believe that the majority of fault falls on Bush for all these problems.

I believe history will look kindly on President Bush.

Actually Eisenhower was the one to "start" the Vietnam ball rolling in 1959.

 

[DawnCt1]

Now, where is that thread that talked about the fact that this president has taken more vacation time than any of the presidents that preceeded him?

No president takes a vacation. He simply does his job from another location. And furthermore, LBJ spent more time out of the White House than President Bush.

 

[DawnCt1]

That's exactly what it looks like to me.



Rich::

More French citizens died during the last heat wave than during Hurricane Katrina, and that was due to lack of air conditioners. What would they do if they had a hurricane???

 

[dcentity2000]

I must here retract my statement that the USA declared war on Afghanistan or Iraq as no formal declaration of war was made on either country.

Many times, the United States has engaged in extended military engagements that, while not formally declared wars, were explicitly authorized by Congress, short of a formal declaration of war.

For a full explanation, please read this article in the Wikipædia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States

I wonder why they didn't bother on either?



Rich::

 

[eclectics]

More French citizens died during the last heat wave than during Hurricane Katrina, and that was due to lack of air conditioners. What would they do if they had a hurricane???

That was a rare freak weather event. Are you blaming the French government? Do you really expect every working class Frenchman to purchase a scarce (in France) and very expensive air conditioner for a climate that usually does not justify the need for one?

 

[Chicago526]

Actually Eisenhower was the one to "start" the Vietnam ball rolling in 1959.

That's what I don't get. A lot of people blame Kenedy for starting Vietnam, but he inherited it from Eisenhower. Do they not know history, or just trying to discredit a popular Democratic president?

 

[DisFlan]

No president should be judged definitively at short range or while in office. History will do that.

Short of unleashing a nuclear holocaust, I doubt that Geo. W. Bush will be considered one of the worst presidents - but he isn't likely to be on the short list for best. I have a feeling his legacy will eventually resemble something similar to the following: He and his administration were presented with almost unprecedented domestic and international opportunities and political power - and they blew it.


DisFlan

 

[eclectics]

That's what I don't get. A lot of people blame Kenedy for starting Vietnam, but he inherited it from Eisenhower. Do they not know history, or just trying to discredit a popular Democratic president?

You'll have to ask the poster. Since you brought up the post, I also have to comment on the "FDR led us into WWII. Germany didn't attack us, Japan did" quote. By declaring war on Japan (an ally of Germany), we actually declared war on Germany by default. The actual declaration was just a formality. Also, the fact that Germany attacked British (an ally of ours) merchant vessels post 1939, that technically could be considered an act of aggression against us even though we weren't officially in the war yet.

 

[WIcruizer]

It works both ways. Either you call all of them President (insert last name), or you treat all of them informally. If one deserves respect, they all do.

Exactly, and that's why I refer to President Clinton as such.