George W. Bush – The Failed Presidency

If ever there was a presidency that failed in so many ways it has been the 43^rd president.  The Republican Party carries part of the responsibility.  The only real success is that there have been no additional attacks by terrorists on American soil since 9-11-2001. 

 

However, the attack itself may be the fault of the president.  It is not clear that the blame for protecting the nation lies with the Bill Clinton administration.  The truth about what was known and when may never become public information.

 

 

1. The Iraq War

Too many people have written books about plans in the Bush Whitehouse about an attack on Iraq even before 9-11.   Paul O’Neill wrote a book about his experience as GWB’s first Treasury Secretary.  He told in that biography, The Price of Loyalty, about GWB’s discussion well before 9-11.  What reason would he have to contend the planning of an attack?

 

We all know the Iraq War was sold to Congress based upon bad or phony intelligence.  Colin Powell was made the fall guy for a poorly presented justification at the United Nations.

 

The war is not being won now.  It is clear to most Americans that the war that was supposed to be an easy win will be abandoned because it has become a civil war that the United States cannot settle.

 

2. American Infrastructure

The country has fallen behind in the maintenance of its physical facilities.  From national parks to highways and bridges there has been considerable neglect.  The most glaring example is Interstate Highway 35 across the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to St. Paul.  This should not have been news as there were warnings about the bridge going back to 1990.  The 2007 article says there are hundreds of other bridges around the nation that need attention.

 

3. The National Debt

When GWB took office there was $5 trillion surplus.  Today there is debt of $9.5 trillion.  Well GWB did reduce income tax rates and that was good or was it?  The bulk of those tax reductions went to the rich.  If you earn your income through the receipt of capital gains rather than a pay check your tax rate is 15% regardless of the amount of income involved.  A House Budget Committee Report explains how we got into debt.

 

4. Katrina

There really are no words to explain the lack of preparation for a hurricane or the lack of follow up after Katrina hit.  It was a monumental failure of government to aid its citizens.

 

5. Financial Market Meltdown

Merrill Lynch, Countrywide Mortgage, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Bear Sterns are the names of some of the biggest companies in America.  They all have one thing in common.  They have received massive aid from the government or were forced into a sellout to protect investors.  The government was not monitoring these large companies that could and did impact our entire economy.  It all had to do with reduced oversight by government agencies.  It is something that John McCain has very vocally supported.  This philosophy has been a corner stone of the Republican Party.

 

6. 45 Million Americans Have No Health Care

This is personal for me because both of my children and my wife are not covered by an employer health plan.  The cost to buy individual plans is astronomical.  GWB and the Republican Party have stood in the way of providing a national health plan.  The reason is quite simple.  Lobbyists from health insurance companies and other health service providers earn more money when things remain as they have always been.  Concern about those big businesses has taken priority over the needs of the citizens.

 

7. Lost Jobs

Worse than the current 6.1% unemployment rate is the loss of major manufacturing industries to other nations.  The government has promoted free trade agreements that have devastated our middle class.  There is no industry on the horizon that will provide replacement jobs.  Our government sits quietly doing nothing.

 

8. Energy and the Environment

Congress, which has been controlled by Republicans for more than a decade (current legislation cannot be passed due to presidential veto), has not developed a single new plan to move the country forward. Lobbyists have more say than the citizens. GWB is more concerned with big business than the country’s future.

 

 

 

Do you need any more reasons to vote the Republican Party out of office?  GWB and the Republicans have failed.