January 12, 2009
Exit Stage Left (John Feehery)
President Bush had his last bout with the White House press corps, and I thought he gave as he good as he got.
The White House press corps, like a lot of Americans (if the polls are any indication), liked the president personally, but didn’t think he was up to the job and hated his policies.
The president is still a pretty savvy politician, and he is right about the future of the Republican Party. He said that he thinks the party will come back, but he also believes that it needs to change its tone for it to be successful.
He uses the word compassionate. I think that is a bad word for conservatives, because they don’t want government to be compassionate.
I prefer the word “realistic.” Ideology has a place in the philosophy, but government has to be governed by realism. What works? What doesn’t? What sells? What doesn’t? What attracts voters? What doesn’t?
We need a realistic immigration policy. It is not realistic to believe that we are going to export 12 million people. But it is realistic to focus on criminal gangs, meth dealers and other lawbreakers as we give honest immigrants a chance to become citizens.
Much has already been said about the president’s legacy.
On the plus side, after Sept. 11, 2001, he kept us safe from terrorism. That is no small feat. If you don’t believe me, look at Europe, Israel, Pakistan and just about anywhere else on the globe.
He challenged the teaching establishment to do better, especially in the worst schools in the country. (And by the way, as unpopular as it is, No Child Left Behind is working.)
On the minus side, there is New Orleans. The president should have immediately federalized the city, cleared out the corruption, put the lawbreakers in jail and rebuilt the levees. It was pretty clear that Ray Nagin was not up for the job, and the president couldn’t afford to let the situation fester as long as he did.
Iraq was a mixed bag. It looked good, then it looked really, really bad, and now it looks pretty good again. “Mission Accomplished” was stupid. Is the world better off without Saddam Hussein? Yes. Should we have kept our focus on Osama bin Laden? Probably.
The economy is a big minus, although it is hard to blame the president for it all. A better culprit might be Alan Greenspan, who didn’t sound the alarm quickly enough on either the housing bubble or the dark world of credit default swaps. Chris Cox was a very weak appointment at SEC, but there are so many ex-Clinton people who are up to their eyeballs in this thing (including Robert Rubin) that the blame should be bipartisan.
But the free market has taken a huge hit because of insider corruption. The president didn’t do enough to weed out the corruption and, as a result, the philosophy that he has promoted so aggressively for the last eight years will be shelved for at least the next four. Too bad. You take out corruption, you ensure fair markets and you have reasonable regulation, and you will get prosperity and economic growth.
In a hundred years, the presidency of George Bush the Younger will be remembered for three things: the attacks of Sept. 11, the war in Iraq and the election of Barack H. Obama. History condenses.
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"the blame should be bipartisan"… Clinton left the presidency almost a decade ago - it's hard to see the current crisis as a joint effort!
Comment by uk visa — January 12, 2009 @ 1:11 pm
John;
You are quite a few others have touted that he kept us safe after 9/11 but you failed to acknowledge the Anthrax attacks in October - Novembr of 2001. When are you guys going to get your heads out of the sand and report this.
Comment by Mike Coleman — January 12, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Hmmm…
realistic conservatives.
Sorry for being snarky when you are trying to sound reasonable, but isn't that an oxymoron?
Realistically, the legacy of President Bush is that he did NOT keep us safe.
He betrayed his oath of office.
His actions brought down three countries.
If ever an administration deserved impeachment it was this one.
Other that that it was just swell. What a great guy.
Comment by M. Richard — January 12, 2009 @ 3:04 pm
Yep, John boy, ever since Bush and company let 911 happen, I've felt a heck of a lot safer! And I'm always assured when a hack like you reminds me.
Comment by Michael — January 12, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
If the Republicans cave on Immigration, they are Democrats. Close the door.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — January 12, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
Up is down, in is out, it's all so simple when you're a neocon. Just beleive what you see or hear.
You are totally on the lunatic fringe Feehery. It is entertaining though.
Bush Legacy;
Presided over an attack of Our country (9/11), tortured prisoners (war crimes), illegally wiretapped American's, cut and ran from Bin Laden, Jack Abramoff, Enron, $4.50/gallon gas, stole an election,
betrayed state's rights in the process, lied and manipulated intelligence to wage war, outed a CIA agent, threw buckets of money to the tribal thugs in Iraq, ignored a drowning City, expanded the government exponentially, expanded the deficit and debt beyond comprehension, hired Dick Cheney, trampled the Constitution ,,,,,,,,,,,,I give up, it would take me two days to write the atrocities the "Worst President in History" has committed.
Comment by Lester — January 12, 2009 @ 7:57 pm
Mr Feehery should feel shame for supporting Bush. Take a look around John. Look at the mess you've left your kids, and your grandkids. It is a shameful mess Mr Feehery. Now you're trying to revise history. That is pathetic. You should hold yourself accountable for the atrocities Bush has committed.
Comment by Mattie in DC — January 13, 2009 @ 1:04 am
Its quite humorous to watch those people of tolerance and forgiveness trip all over themselves to spew hate and bile. The only revision of history that is being done is by those seeking to place Clinton's trangression, oversights, and criminal negligence onto Bush.
Eight years, EIGHT YEARS Clinton knew about Bin Laden and did nothing, NOTHING. But he gives Bush a portfolio and briefing and that exonerates him. Pass the buck wet noodles, the man should apologize to every person who lost a family member on 09/11 and face criminal negligence charges.
The aurora program, begun by the Clinton admin to spy on your email and digital accounts. This was expanded upon by the NSA under Bush to tap foreign sourced cell phone calls. Another thing placed at Bush's feet that he didn't deserve.
Ask Harry Reid and Chris Dodd among others about lobbyist ties, specifically Abramoff. Their hands are dirtier than Bush's on this issue.
Bush never outed anyone, this is another liberal fantasy. Richard Armitage was the one who spoke her name. Every dem leader knew this yet in their orgy to condemn Bush overlook this fact. Its poetic justice that Fitzgerald is the one that has the Dem party in such a bind now.
Stole an election, another fantasy that we could go round and round about. Dems have never seemed to let go of their hatred from losing and ransacked the country and this presidency with their infantile tantrums.
Katrina, you DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT sir. I work in disaster recovery in Louisiana and there is not much blame to be laid at Bush's feet for this disaster. But nobody wants to hear that though, the state and local governments take the lead in these disasters not the fed. The governments under served their own communities in many ways coupled with the size and scope of the storm you get aftermath. But not that you care about the local officials being dems and for decades before the storm and not one cared a bit about updating plans or moving food and water out of low lying areas, just want to bash Bush.
I agree about the size of government growing too much under his watch. This needs to be corrected and fast, unfortunately the only answer forthcoming is that the government will grow exponentially in the near future.
I have friends who served in the military and intelligence services under Clinton and to a man say that the reason they left was the way their service was treated under Clinton. they risked their lives over and over again to get him info and alot on Bin Laden and other terrorists again and again he and his staff did nothing but ignored them.
Don't pass the buck on to Bush, look in the mirror chastise yourself. Ironically the only hatred is being spewed by those who claim tolerance as their beacon. Bush never stooped to your level and hurled insults or irresponsible nonsense. Pat yourself on the back, mission accomplished you have split this nation in two and sadly you are satisfied.
Comment by Winfield — January 13, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
Winfield,
These people are not spewing hatred or lacking forgiveness…. These people want to see a war criminal brought to justice. I know you can't understand that.
Comment by Aftermath — January 14, 2009 @ 10:46 am
No, these people have two faces and refuse to acknowledge anything that is different (watch Pelosi squelch debate, tolerant?).
Bush is no more a war criminal than pigs can fly. If he is then every president dating back to the first, George Washington, could be tried for some sort of war crime.
Comment by Winfield — January 14, 2009 @ 1:14 pm