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"Don't question his character as much as his competency. His appointments, for the most part have been lackluster and mediocre."

Rice and Rumsfield are mediocre? The selection of Cheney as VP was a master stroke. Like or hate him Cheney has single-handily change forever the power and importance of the Vice Presidency. Remember, Bush is the only President since FDR to add seats in Congress for his party during the mid-terms and re-election. He's just brought India into our "tent". Not the workings of an incompenent.

"Right after 911 he fails to lead congress to a Constitutionally mandated Declaration of War, like the days after Peal Harbor."

Exactly who were/are we going to declare war on? Declarations of War are legal instruments to wage war against a nation-state. A terrorist organization is not a state. Further, this country has engaged in "low scale" undeclared wars since the founding. Adams waged war against the French. Jefferson waged war against the Barbary Pirates with no declaration of war. The list goes on and on. Finally, there is no comparing WWII with WoT. The nation's very survival was on the line in WWII. Until the terrorists start wielding nuclear weapons the WoT is nothing more than a bunch of knats annoying the lion. As terrible as 9/11 was it didn't diminish our power one bit. In a nation of nearly 300 million the loss of 3,000 is "nothing" [note the scare quotes, please before flaming me for this comment]. We could absorb multiple 9/11s and the nation would still survive. And would be mightily pissed off to the point that we might actually start fighting this war like a real war with no remorse or pity.

"We wait a interminable month and a half to strike back at the enemy in Afghanistan."

Logistics, my friend. You can't start a war without positioning your troops and supplies. Sorry, Star Fleet isn't circling above ready to teleport the 4th ID into Afghanistan. That we toppled the Taliban in less than three months has to be counted as a victory unrivaled in the annals of history. Remember we did that with only special forces, air power and friendlies on the ground. Russia floundered there for eight years and lost 50,000+ before leaving in defeat. Remember all the talk that we were going to be there slugging it out in the mountains of Afghanistan for years and years. Never happened did it?

"We sit 5 years later and the WTC's haven't been replaced. In WWII we had all but one of those sunken battleships back in action promptly."

You pay attention to the news at all or just make pronouncements? Anyone following the news knows that the reason that the WTCs haven't been rebuilt is because the good people of New York can't get their act together. The whole project has devolved into a name-calling mess.

"The 2nd term has been noteworthy exercise in rudderlessness. With war raging in Iraq and Afghanistan, he goes out barnstorming Social Security with the claim that if we don't fix it, it will be broke in 2042. That silly initiative falls flat on its face and political capital as well."

Give the President his due for at least bringing the subject up. We HAVE to reform/replace Social Security. Period. It will go belly up if nothing is done.

"More billions get spent on a prescription drug giveaway that is monstrously unaffordable, to pander to the old folks for votes."

Bush promised to do this during the 2000 campaign. Just fulfilling a campaign promise. Rememeber he and Gore were falling all over themselves over this. Seems a lot of voters wanted this. Blame the voters, not the President. Besides, the President can't do jack unless Congress gives his the authority/money. Blame should fall on our fine representatives in Congress, don't you think? The President isn't the king.

"Iraq is invaded successfully, and the occupation is badly administered, billions are wasted on the attempt to democratize Iraq which has scant bearing on our national security."

My question to you is what if after all our blood and money Iraq does become a democracy and friend to the United States? What say you then? Iraq could even become a full-fledged partner in the WoT. There is a reason Syria and Iran fear a democratic Iraq. The Iraqis will remember who stood beside them and who stood against them in getting rid of Saddam and the terrorists. Remember, a new American trained and equipped army is rising in the Middle East. Soon it will be kicking butt and taking names. BTW We didn't invade Iraq, we LIBERATED it.

"Racing forward comes the Harriet Myers fiasco,"

Thanks to the spoiled brats in the punditry and here at FR. Instead of allowing the President his Constitutional right to name his choice, many decided otherwise and ran over the Democrats in attacking the President and his choice. There is absolutely no proof that Myers wouldn't have made a SC justice to make us proud. Instead many decided to throw a temper-tantrum.

"then the Katrina disaster,"
Media-made up disaster, my friend. Most of the stories that came out of New Orleans shortyly after Katrina hit have been proved to have been false. Why no discussion of Mississippi or Alabama? Both those states suffered greatly and yet scarely a word about how well the Feds and local folks worked together. The Coast Guard did its job in New Orleans. The National Guard did it's job, WHEN Blanco finally got around to asking for help. FEMA is a RELIEF organization. Not a RESCUE organization. The responsibly for the Katrina disaster in LA and New Orleans falls on two people: Blanco and Nagin.

"never mind his countrymen have been tossed on the unemployment heap and had careers ruined from outsourcing"

Funny, last time I check the unemployment stats I seem to remember a 4.7% unemployment rate. 6% is considered good.
5 million new jobs in five years. Record EMPLOYMENT. An economy that continues to hum along despire record oil prices. And for all this talk of out-sourcing it turns out that the "in-sourcing" of jobs into the United States by foreign companies is greater than the out-sourcing of jobs out of the United States.

"on the heels of that comes the port-gate debacle."

See the Myers debacle above. Same thing applies here.

"Ronald Reagan performed his office effortlessly and well in his two terms, and won landslide victories to boot."

Take those rose-colored glasses off, my friend. Reagan endured the same trials as Bush currently does with a hostile media and name-calling opponenets. Surely you remember the "amiable dunce" and other names they called him. Remember Beurit? We lost 300 soldiers and turned tail and ran. Remember Iran-Contra. Remember the Bork fiasco? As great as President as Reagan was he had his ups and downs. That we remember glowing his Presidency is because the Cold War ended AFTER he had left office and we could all see that he was a big reason for our victory. The same I think will be said of Bush twenty years hence. BTW George W. Bush won more votes for a second term to the Presidency than any other President in history.