Milwaukee's Daily Magazine Saturday, July 4, 2009
Today
Hi: 74
Lo: 57
Sun
Hi: 80
Lo: 61
Mon
Hi: 78
Lo: 60
Section Sponsor
Article Tools
Print this Article
Make text larger
Related Twitter Posts

  • Antiwarcom:
    Larijani: Iran Is Not Iraq or Afghanistan link

  • davidsbass:
    @ImInappropriate Where are you moving to? Long Island after all, or a military barracks in Iraq with that ratio?


Follow us on Twitter ...
In Politics Blogs
One final Bush blog
President Bush thinks that history will judge him favorably. Do you?  
By Andy Tarnoff RSS Feed
Publisher

E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Andy Tarnoff

What is a blog?  For us it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Published Jan. 13, 2009 at 8:16 a.m.
Tags: george bush, iraq, hurricane katrina, war on terror

I realize that many readers will dismiss the following blog after this statement, but I'm going to make it, anyway:

President George W. Bush might very well be remembered as the worst president in the history of the United States.

I don't make this prediction lightly, either, but when history judges Bush's two terms, I expect his administration to make Herbert Hoover look like Abraham Lincoln.

In a nutshell, Bush's gross mismanagement of the economy, his dismantling of civil liberties and the Constitution, his flippant and inhumane bungling after Hurricane Katrina, his ineffective "war on terror" and his six-year, $1 trillion war in Iraq that was launched under false pretenses -- all these add up to a debacle the likes of which this nation has never seen and hopefully will never see again.

All of this was at least discussed, then generally dismissed, by Bush on Monday during a most surreal press conference. Basically, Bush acknowledged his faults but doesn't really think he did anything wrong.

And, as pitiful and depressing as it all was, I still believe Bush isn't an evil man. Delusional, incompetent and perhaps surrounded by some evil people like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, but at the core, Bush did the best he could.

Too bad it wasn't that much.

Now, not everything Bush stood for appalls me. While parts of the Patriot Act and the invalidation of habeas corpus for U.S. citizens are terrifying, I'm not overly concerned about the way he treated alleged terrorists who were nabbed overseas. The detainees at Gitmo aren't American citizens, they are prisoners of war. And while torture is never right nor is it acceptable, the Geneva Convention never considered radical fundamentalists who have no problem flying planes into buildings. Bush is right: we haven't had a terrorist attack since 2001. I'm not sure how much his administration can take credit for that, but I'm thankful, nonetheless.

That said, he has bungled everything else he's touched. He walked into a presidency with a budget surplus; he leaves with a $1 trillion deficit -- coincidentally, what he's spent in Iraq.

And while Iraq is a better place (or will be someday) without Saddam Hussein, he's sent more than 4,200 patriotic Americans to their death. More than 90,000 Iraqis have died, too, and not all of them were "bad guys."

More importantly, Bush launched this war under false pretenses, and he knew it. That is simply unconscionable. Bush is a "means to an end" sort of guy, but using Sept. 11 to rally Americans around an unconnected war is despicable, and members of Congress from both parties who sat idly by are equally to blame for not asking tougher questions before sending our soldiers into harm's way.

In yesterday's news conference, Bush admitted the "mission accomplished" debacle was a mistake, but for as much as pundits like to make fun of him for it, it's hardly notable in the big picture.

What is notable is that all along the way, he acted unilaterally, sabotaged the faith of European allies and squandered the post-Sept. 11 goodwill from the whole world that could've been parlayed into actually capturing and/or killing Osama bin Laden.

At home, Bush made only a feeble attempt at progress. His half-baked mission to fix Social Security was only a smoke-and-mirrors diversion for his international follies, and seeing his spiel in person, at our office in 2005, only made me more convinced that even Bush didn't care how it turned out.

Of course, Bush isn't to blame for Hurricane Katrina. He expressed regret Monday about not landing Air Force One in Baton Rouge. Again, who cares? How about a little regret for putting his pal and former horse training judge Michael Brown in charge of FEMA? And what about all those Americans still displaced, while the Iraqi citizens are receiving pretty good healthcare right now?

Finally, all these failed policies have obliterated our formerly sound economy. Remember what you bought with those tax stimulus checks? Me, neither. All I know is that the financial future of this country is seriously leveraged, and pretending it will all work itself out is a dangerous path to follow.

Now, people are expecting miracles from Barack Obama. They expect this fairly inexperienced politician to "pull an FDR" and solve all the country's problems in 100 days or less. Obama is inheriting the worst job in America, and the odds are heavily stacked against his success.

But the real reason I'm writing this blog is because I'm frankly stunned that America, as bruised and battered as it is, made it to the end of Bush's two terms relatively unscathed. It's a wonderful testament to our country's resilience. One man, even Dubya, can't run the United States completely into the ground in eight years.

Somehow, and I don't know exactly how, the sun still rises and sets every day. Our allies, current and former, will probably get over their numerous snubs. Our parents will still get their Social Security checks, and we will probably, too. The free market is starting to deal with global warming and foreign oil dependency, since $4.30 gas prices slapped consumers upside the head, and even Detroit is starting (albeit slowly) to listen.

And, just like every recession, someday it will end and will be followed by an expansion. It's technically possible that once America catches its collective breath, the next generation of leaders (Obama or otherwise) can start undoing some of the last's generation's horrendous mistakes.

I'm not saying I'm encouraged, but I'm not despondent, either.

It will take work, but for a change, Americans look like they're ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in.

35 comments about this article.
Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...
Posted by Preview
George00212 Hi, This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs ...
George00212 Hi, The society is facing problems with such laws. This has to go legal and ...
teddddd Bush wiretaps to keep America safe RULED LEGAL!!!!!!!!! Ever since the Bush ...
Myke a sandstorm is nothing but a bunch of dirt blown about by hot air. U picked ...
mikeb Time judges all these issues. Winston Churchill was voted out of office immediately ...


Show me the other 30 Talkbacks

Recent blogs/briefs by Andy Tarnoff
What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Discovering Uncle Larry
Wednesday
A funny little thing happened last Thursday, as the editorial staff of OnMilwaukee.com ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Summerfest a nice homecoming for L.A.'s Some Hear Explosions
June 27, 2009
Milwaukee's Bay Dariz is in a new band called Some Hear Explosions, and I knew it would ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. A few thoughts on Michael Jackson
June 25, 2009
When I heard about Michael Jackson's death this afternoon, I must admit I was neither ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Central air or summer suffering?
June 24, 2009
When I came home from work today and stepped inside my house, it was as if I sat down ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Paid actor testimonials
June 24, 2009
Commercials make me laugh, even when that's not their intended purpose. I particularly ...

OnMilwaukee.com is part of the In Click Network. Other In Click sites include: 30RockReport.com | Behind The Scenes at OnMilwaukee.com | BetterRecipes.org | Bimmer Digest | Brain Brawn & Body | BrewCityBeats.com | Brewcitybigscreen.com | BritPop Rocks | Brooklynbanter.com | CactusLeagueReport.com | Caffeinateddigest.com | Culinary Piedmont | Cycling Chainring | Daily Lost Update | Daily Milwaukee News | Daily Spa | DannyGokeyMilwaukee.com | Dogs Blogs | EarthFueled.com | Edible Wisconsin | Gadget Deals and Steals | GolfLinksWisconsin.com | H1N1 Alerts | H1N1 Blog | H1N1 Prevention | H1N1 Reporter | H1N1 Tracker | HogEnthusiast.com | Informed Runner | iPhone Daily Report | Man United Nation | Milwaukee Brewers Nation | Milwaukee Bucks Blog | Milwaukee Dad | Minnesota Wild Nation | MomMilwaukee.com | My Super Stocks | MyGayMilwaukee.com | MyHangoverHelper | News on Draught | NY Mets Nation | OnAtlantaGA.com | OnAustinTX.com | OnBaltimoreMD.com | OnBirminghamAL.com | OnBostonMass.com | OnBuffaloNY.com | OnCharlotteNC.com | OnCincinnati.com | OnClevelandOH.com | OnColumbusOH.com | OnDallas.com | OnDCmetro.com | OnDenverCO.com | OnDetroitMI.com | OnFortLauderdale.com | OnGreenBay.com | OnHartford.com | OnIndianapolisIN.com | OnKansasCityMO.com | OnLosAngelesCA.com | OnLouisvilleKY.com | OnMadison.com | OnMemphisTN.com | OnMiamiFLA.com | OnMilwaukee.com Cars | OnMilwaukee.com Metro Headlines | OnNashvilleTN.com | OnNewOrleansLA.com | OnNYCny.com | OnOrlandoFL.com | OnPalmSprings.com | OnPhiladelphia.com | OnPhoenixAZ.com | OnPittsburgh.com | OnPortlandOR.com | OnProvidence.com | OnRichmondVA.com | OnSacramento.com | OnSaltLakeCity.com | OnSanAntonioTX.com | OnSanDiegoCA.com | OnSanFran.com | OnSanJose.com | OnSeattleWA.com | OnSinCity.com | OnStLouis.com | OnStPetersburg.com | OnTampaBay.com | OnTucsonAZ.com | OnTwinCities.com | OnWichita.com | OnWindyCity.com | Packers Posts | Porsche 911 Fans | PriusFans.com | Roller Derby Network | SnuggieFans.com | SummerfestRocks.com | Swine Flu China | Swine Flu Reporter | The 24 Reporter | The Barack Obama Fan Club | The Brilliant Manager | The Comic Book Reporter | The In Click | The Office Fan Blog | TheHDTVReporter.com | TheNetbookBlog.com | TheNewParentBlog.com | Trueguitarheroes.com | Vintage Mets | VW Busses | WaukeshaWeekly.com | Weekly Media News | WisWomen.com | Woodworker Digest