[brainstem223]

Don't question his character as much as his competency. His appointments, for the most part have been lackluster and mediocre. You are living through history now, this is WWIII. Right after 911 he fails to lead congress to a Constitutionally mandated Declaration of War, like the days after Peal Harbor. We wait a interminable month and a half to strike back at the enemy in Afghanistan. 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.
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. More billions get spent on a prescription drug giveaway that is monstrously unaffordable, to pander to the old folks for votes. 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. Racing forward comes the Harriet Myers fiasco, then the Katrina disaster, then the trip to India where outsourcing gets praised in a bit of cheap pandering that is become habitual, never mind his countrymen have been tossed on the unemployment heap and had careers ruined from outsourcing, on the heels of that comes the port-gate debacle. Ronald Reagan must be spinning in his grave with all these serial epic blunders one on the heels of the next one in quick succession; and 37% in the polls speaks volumes. Character is not the issue, its fitness and fitness for office is glaringly questionable. Mother Teresa had wonderful character but wouldnt want her in the WH. On the other hand Ronald Reagan performed his office effortlessly and well in his two terms, and won landslide victories to boot. RR's disciples are extremely dispirited now by this unfolding rocky saga. This saddens us greatly but the truth must be faced.

[COEXERJ145]

Your post is full of DU style talking points so why don't you go back there.

[freema]

Shining beacon on a hill, are ye?

[1035rep]

"His appointments, for the most part have been lackluster and mediocre. "

Didn't need to go further than this to know you don't have a clue

[Tarnsman]

"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.

[Howlin]

Don't question his character as much as his competency.

Not from the likes of you, troll.

[Radix]

What a bunch of nonsense.

Declaration of War against who? Terrorists? The UAE?

Interminable month and a half to invade Afghanistan? A month and a half to accomplish in weeks what essentially broke the USSR?

Rebuilding the twin towers is the President's job, and should have been done in 5 years?

Do you also believe that Social Security is a sustainable program?

The more that I read your stupid post the more sure I am that you are simply not posting in the right forum.

Take a hike Ike!

[William Terrell]

But do you have any original thoughts?

[fish hawk]

Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Conner to the supreme court. Every one makes some mistakes, except you, of course. Bush will be counted as a great President by future history. Regardless of liberals and conservatives like the lot of some Freepers. When I see Republicans putting down the President, I think, how stupid, maybe they would like Billy Boy back.

[Gaffer]

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

If I remember correctly, the US was getting its but kicked across the Pacific for several months in the early days of WWII, so a month and a half isn't an outrage to me.

As for rebuilding of the WTC, the complex was a PRIVATE enterprise, and the government(let alone, Bush) really shouldn't be held responisble for not having rebuilt something. You can blame that on the carping whinies up in NY arguing about the "message" the new 'whatever-it-is' should have. One of the reasons the owner's of the landlease haven't rebuilt anything is that they only insured ONE of the buildings (for less payments). If they'd insured both, then they could have started rebuilding right away. Now, they have to seek some outside help. Ergo, the outside carping influence.

[WOSG]

Wow, what a crock of s888...

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

Wrong - September 2001 resolution was passed.

"We wait a interminable month and a half to strike back at the enemy in Afghanistan."
Wrong .. we DEFEATED Afghanistan in a month and a half...
our military assets were in motion on Sept 12th, a plan was drawn up in another 2 weeks, operations started in another week (early October), and by mid-November Taliban were defeated ...


"We sit 5 years later and the WTC's haven't been replaced. "

As a symbol, yes, but as office space, life moved on.

In WWII we had all but one of those sunken battleships back in action promptly.

"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 a ..."

Uh, saving the Federal budget from future metldown is hardly 'silly' but the MOST NECESSARY REFORM we need to make NOW to save America LATER. It's not as if we cant walk and chew gum at the same time.


And so it goes ...

Thanks for making the point of the original article so well .. your fact-challenged rant against our most excellent (yet human and fallible) President shows exactly what is going on. A piling on of media-driven cr*p that blames Bush for all the ills under the sun andgives him no credit for many correct, wise and bold decisions.

Embedded is the usual litany ...

"Iraq is invaded successfully, and the occupation is badly administered" uh ... compared to what?!? So far only 2300 have lost their lives, less than we lost on D-day, in 3 years when we have gone from dictatorship to democratic rule.


... "then the Katrina disaster,"

Yes, blaming Bush for the weather and for the incompetent acts of state and local official is standard-issue BDS behavior!

[Paulus Invictus]

Sounds just like RAT rants. Are you one, in fact? Your post is asinine and mostly incorrect.