"As for bush, well lets be honest. Give me the upside of his two terms and then we can talk virtue."
When Bush entered office in 2001, some felt he “stole” the election, and he inherited an economic recession much like President Obama. Bush’s answers were tax rebates in which the government handed out $600 checks. Sept. 11 didn’t help this, yet he kept the economy from falling too far. In 2003 he found the answer to boost our economy with his tax rate cuts which lowered dividend, income and capital gains tax rates. The results: 4.1 percent GDP growth and 32 percent increase in the S&P 500 in the following six quarters, as well as the creation of 5.3 million jobs in the following 13 quarters. He presided over the seven years of economic growth and declining unemployment rates from 2003 at 6 percent through 2007 at 4.6 percent. That economy seems irrelevant to the recession we face now caused by the mortgage crises. However, Bush made eight attempts to put regulations on banks handing out loans to people who couldn’t pay them back. Each time he was rejected by both a Republican Congress and a Democratic Congress.
Bush also saved lives around the world — 10 million to be specific. In 2003, he led the world in the fight against AIDS, committing $15 billion. His efforts didn’t stop there, as another $1.2 billion went to combat malaria. U.S. Development aid to Africa went from $1.3 to $5 billion. His vision of a healthier world didn’t just stop abroad — it was felt here at home too. His prescription drug initiative came under fire by both Republicans and Democrats, but ended up providing affordable access to prescription drugs for 43 million American seniors through Medicare.
Perhaps his greatest and most overlooked accomplishment was his effort in keeping America safe. After Sept. 11 it seemed inevitable that we would face another attack, but Bush took the right steps to prevent such a catastrophe. Many of the steps he took in protecting this country have even been embraced by President Obama, who is still unsure of what to do with the detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Despite the controversial decision to go into Iraq, he has freed millions of Iraqis from the harsh rule of Saddam Hussein and put democracy in the Middle East.
Okay. I'll give you some credit with your assessment. Lets go backward here. Obama cannot do what he said he would do with those detainees. He must first get the spaces needed and get congress to climb aboard any plan. A stupid move on his part relative to those scummmmy pukes held there. Not one clear thinking American thought that was a good plan from day one. The steps taken to protect Americans and our lands were good, overdone, underdone to start with. Had his administration done more when warned, well there that is. But true, obama has realized much of it was needed. The prescription drug program didn't go far enough and wasn't paid for any better then anything obama has tried to do with health care. But yes, it did help many who couldn't afford SOME meds. Yes, his efforts to combat malaria and aids was a shining period to be certain as far as foreign aid. 1% of our budgetary consideration. I wouldn't begin to compare the minuscule recession bush took over to the disaster we are in today, and I don't know about you, but we surely didn't benefit one dollar through the capital gains, inheritance and rate cuts. Offset too by the ridiculous rocketing costs of virtually everything Americans need to survive. The only true benefit by those cuts were to the top 10%. Bush made a few inquiries regarding the banking and brokerage scams, but ultimately;y left it to corporate lawyers and legality. "If it's legal, it's okay" Clinton had the mindset of the corporate winners too. He wasn't even close to what the bottom line meant for Americans with nafta, but it was minus the coprorate tax freebies crammed into the following 6 busg signed. So bush didn't do anything then, but add to the flames of our spiraling economic collapse by handing even more free trade deals to the top *job creators. The housing collapse was fueled immediately and endlessly via schemes by corporate and private bankers and brokers deemed legal eventually by bush, and where the really BIG losses trook place, and that had nothing to do with clinton or obama. It was fully under bush. Clinton's Community reinvestment act didn't force bankers and broker to make bets on failure, load toxic funds with every tom dick and harry's loans and sell them as top rated returns. Nope, that was a full house and trifecta of government failure that again, was while bush also sold our jobs via 6 free trade deals, that flushed 15 million jobs and still flushing down the toilet along with every single formerly employed American that added to the losses we are still suffering in housing. I would think by now the world at war story from 2003 to date speaks for itself. One, afgahnastan we did not do much when we should have went all out, and the other should have been dismissed at the first thought of it's wageing. Not to mention the extraordinary efforts put forth by bush and his entire admin. to get it waged. I belatedly cheered cheney when he dressed down the talking heads who criticized GHW Bush for not going into iraq during the success of DESERT STORM. His words eased my displeasure with bush then, for not going in to get that iraqi bastard. It made sense after he said that it would be an endless quagmire, and not worth one American life. The only difference between then in 1993and 2003 was the desire to do it and the underhanded nature they took to convince congress to give the go ahead. As for the 2000 election, well I was happy as a kitten in a basket of yarn that gore lost. But the fact is he didn't as it turned out, but until he lied repeatedly about the cause for war, I was with him. Then, he signed the NCLB act that really riled me though I was retired half a decade earlier. Still associated with teaching and not one single educator as I, saw anything but a slick willie way to defund education and blame teachers for the ignorance rate of our students. Call it personal if you will, but these national scars left by him are warented.
