Saturday, January 3, 2009
2008 Bye George!
Posted by Charles Mudede on Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Adding up eight years:
62, president's age.2, number of children, twin daughters Jenna and Barbara.
2, the number of Supreme Court justices appointed by Bush.
2, number of wars started during the Bush presidency _ in Iraq and Afghanistan.
$1.47, the price of a gallon of regular gas in the week of Jan 22, 2001.
$4.11, the highest price for a gallon of regular gas during Bush's presidency, in the week of July 7, 2008.
$230 billion, the approximate size of the federal budget surplus for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2000.
$4.11, the highest price for a gallon of regular gas during Bush's presidency, in the week of July 7, 2008.
$230 billion, the approximate size of the federal budget surplus for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2000.
$454.8 billion, the size of the federal budget deficit for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2008.
10,581.90, the Dow Jones industrial average at market opening on Jan. 22, 2001.
9,034.69, the Dow Jones industrial average at market closing on Jan. 2, 2009.
2,759.10, the opening of the NASDAQ composite index on Jan. 22, 2001.
1,632.21, the closing of the NASDAQ composite index on on Jan. 2, 2009.
And now for my favorite Bushism:
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.
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1
I will pay good money to toss bananas at Chimpoleon in his new cage at the Crawford Zoo.
Good riddance to bad trash! Please, no more Bushies to darken the White House towels.
Good riddance to bad trash! Please, no more Bushies to darken the White House towels.
4
I'm certainly no fan of the man, but gas is at a national average of $1.64, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a dime lower by next tuesday. It's the silver lining of the world going to hell!
6
Charles,
This not a defense of Bush but one should consider the following unfortunate events that occurred under Bush's watch:
1) Election of George W. Bush, November, 2000. Unfortunate in that it was hotly contested, the most contested US Presidential Election in US history. The country remained quite divided after that.
2) September 11, 2001 Terror Attacks on the Pentagon, World Trade Center (Twin Towers) and in Pennsylvania.
3) Hurricane Katrina, US Gulf Coast, August 2005.
4) Midwestern Floods, June 2008.
5) Tsunami, December 2004, World natural disaster.
6) Stock Market Crash/Economic Recession, September/October 2008.
7) Five significant terrorist attacks between 09/11/01-01/01/09 : Mumbai, Moscow, Bali, London and Madrid.
8) Assassination of Benazir Bhutto, candidate for PM of Pakistan, December 27, 2007.
9) Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, February 1, 2003.
None of these is he directly responsible for.
The wars on Terror, in Iraq and in Afghanistan were voluntary acts in concert with Congress.
There's not a doubt in my mind W. had bad karma during his administration. Yes, he is being judged harshly in the immediate. We'll see how he is judged in the long term (50 years?). We can't know how a Gore or Obama would have reacted with these same events. I wish Obama good luck. But, my expectations are low and I remain guarded in my admiration of him.
This not a defense of Bush but one should consider the following unfortunate events that occurred under Bush's watch:
1) Election of George W. Bush, November, 2000. Unfortunate in that it was hotly contested, the most contested US Presidential Election in US history. The country remained quite divided after that.
2) September 11, 2001 Terror Attacks on the Pentagon, World Trade Center (Twin Towers) and in Pennsylvania.
3) Hurricane Katrina, US Gulf Coast, August 2005.
4) Midwestern Floods, June 2008.
5) Tsunami, December 2004, World natural disaster.
6) Stock Market Crash/Economic Recession, September/October 2008.
7) Five significant terrorist attacks between 09/11/01-01/01/09 : Mumbai, Moscow, Bali, London and Madrid.
8) Assassination of Benazir Bhutto, candidate for PM of Pakistan, December 27, 2007.
9) Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, February 1, 2003.
None of these is he directly responsible for.
The wars on Terror, in Iraq and in Afghanistan were voluntary acts in concert with Congress.
There's not a doubt in my mind W. had bad karma during his administration. Yes, he is being judged harshly in the immediate. We'll see how he is judged in the long term (50 years?). We can't know how a Gore or Obama would have reacted with these same events. I wish Obama good luck. But, my expectations are low and I remain guarded in my admiration of him.
7
Lark, by my count, fully 7 of your 9 events are not reasons that Bush has been judged harshly, in and of themselves: they were opportunities for him to show his character and his skill in leadership, and the country overwhelmingly feels he demonstrated exactly those "qualities."
Presiding over harrowing days doesn't automatically damage a president's reputation: if he is seen as equal to his times, it can make an otherwise good president have "greatness thrust upon him." Would you argue that WWII and the Great Depression hurt FDR? They practically made his legacy -- in an awesomely positive sense. The Depression also made Hoover's legacy, and Harding's.
Having a rough eight years would've been Teddy Roosevelt's dream; he had an overweening ego, yeah, but he would've rightfully seen eight bad years as an opportunity to show his greatness.
We know what Bush felt about the last eight years, and about the presidency.
Presiding over harrowing days doesn't automatically damage a president's reputation: if he is seen as equal to his times, it can make an otherwise good president have "greatness thrust upon him." Would you argue that WWII and the Great Depression hurt FDR? They practically made his legacy -- in an awesomely positive sense. The Depression also made Hoover's legacy, and Harding's.
Having a rough eight years would've been Teddy Roosevelt's dream; he had an overweening ego, yeah, but he would've rightfully seen eight bad years as an opportunity to show his greatness.
We know what Bush felt about the last eight years, and about the presidency.
8
@7MSM,
Thanks for your input. I'm not disagreeing with you necessarily save for your last sentence. I'm not exactly sure what Bush thinks of his Presidency. I know Harry Truman was very unpopular at the end of his term as President. 50 years later, history has been quite kind to him.
Thanks for your input. I'm not disagreeing with you necessarily save for your last sentence. I'm not exactly sure what Bush thinks of his Presidency. I know Harry Truman was very unpopular at the end of his term as President. 50 years later, history has been quite kind to him.
9
Gas is currently lower than $1.47 where I live.
Q-Where will the Bush-haters find meaning in life after Jan 20?
A-SLOG provides a sneak preview; Obama-hating! It seems spoiled-brat discontented whining and hating is a bipartisan sport.
Q-Where will the Bush-haters find meaning in life after Jan 20?
A-SLOG provides a sneak preview; Obama-hating! It seems spoiled-brat discontented whining and hating is a bipartisan sport.
10
Lark @6, you could make the case that Bush is directly responsible for #2 on your list, because he deliberately ignored his own intelligence reports warning of the attacks.
While no one can argue that Bush is directly responsible for #3 on your list, that's not the issue. It's how he handled the situation that leads people to believe Bush is a terrible leader.
Probably the most ironic thing about the Bush years has got to be gas prices. I mean, everybody believes Bush got us into Iraq because of oil, and they hate him for it. Then gas prices go up, and what do we do? Scream at Bush again, saying he's not doing anything about it! The comedy of the American people running around like chickens with their heads cut off almost makes the last eight years worth it.
While no one can argue that Bush is directly responsible for #3 on your list, that's not the issue. It's how he handled the situation that leads people to believe Bush is a terrible leader.
Probably the most ironic thing about the Bush years has got to be gas prices. I mean, everybody believes Bush got us into Iraq because of oil, and they hate him for it. Then gas prices go up, and what do we do? Scream at Bush again, saying he's not doing anything about it! The comedy of the American people running around like chickens with their heads cut off almost makes the last eight years worth it.
11
@10 Brandon,
Thanks for your input. I disagree with the case that Bush "deliberately ignored" intelligence sources. Both the President and his security team had the best resources available. I highly doubt anyone on earth could have said "we have credible evidence of an imminent terrorist attack using commercial aircraft" on Sept. 10th or earlier. That is the nature of terror, shock, surprise and a complete disregard for human life.
As for Katrina, it is essentially impossible for Bush to recover any credibility for that fiasco. Both real and perceived failure abound. For the record, the people most responsible for that debacle are in order Ray Nagin, mayor of NO, then Gov. Kathleen Blanco and THEN Bush. W. took all the heat and accepted much of the blame.
I don't believe Bush got us into Iraq over oil. A case against and for entry into Iraq could be made without oil being the reason. I could care less if Americans pay more for fuel. I say that with conceit as I don't own a car. You're correct. It's weird that Americans scream about high gas prices. They are now very low vis-a-vis western Europe.
Thanks for your input. I disagree with the case that Bush "deliberately ignored" intelligence sources. Both the President and his security team had the best resources available. I highly doubt anyone on earth could have said "we have credible evidence of an imminent terrorist attack using commercial aircraft" on Sept. 10th or earlier. That is the nature of terror, shock, surprise and a complete disregard for human life.
As for Katrina, it is essentially impossible for Bush to recover any credibility for that fiasco. Both real and perceived failure abound. For the record, the people most responsible for that debacle are in order Ray Nagin, mayor of NO, then Gov. Kathleen Blanco and THEN Bush. W. took all the heat and accepted much of the blame.
I don't believe Bush got us into Iraq over oil. A case against and for entry into Iraq could be made without oil being the reason. I could care less if Americans pay more for fuel. I say that with conceit as I don't own a car. You're correct. It's weird that Americans scream about high gas prices. They are now very low vis-a-vis western Europe.
13
By George is the name of a kick ass women's clothing store in Austin, Texas...got some Marni heels and an Andrea Bruekner there while visiting with a douche-bag ex-boyfriend.
To claim the war was not about oil..or at least about us positioning ourselves to access it... is absurd. Not altogether different from Russia in Afganistan in the 70's as a matter of fact... albeit less obvious in our approach. Katrina was the administratron's ultimate clusterfuck..Thankfully Things have GOT to get better. Blah blah and did I mention Blah? Oh, and my pit bulls say blah, too.
To claim the war was not about oil..or at least about us positioning ourselves to access it... is absurd. Not altogether different from Russia in Afganistan in the 70's as a matter of fact... albeit less obvious in our approach. Katrina was the administratron's ultimate clusterfuck..Thankfully Things have GOT to get better. Blah blah and did I mention Blah? Oh, and my pit bulls say blah, too.
14
Rainbow's "Eyes Of The World" from their "Down To Earth" album was written in 1979, about President Nixon, yet the lyrics read just as applicably to President George Bush:
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/E…
In my view, these words are a far more accurate embodiment of his legacy than the libraries, schools, and plaques that will sanitize and package his name for future generations of like-minded, intellectually disengaged, Christio-facist war-mongers.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/E…
In my view, these words are a far more accurate embodiment of his legacy than the libraries, schools, and plaques that will sanitize and package his name for future generations of like-minded, intellectually disengaged, Christio-facist war-mongers.
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