President George W. Bush–Tributes to a good man
President George W. Bush is getting set to ride off into the sunset.
As his harshest critics contemplate suicide due to lacking a reason to now live, and his staunchest supporters like myself fight back tears that he is leaving, both sides must know one thing.
It will all be ok.
His detractors are not worth acknowledging. They can talk amongst themselves.
His supporters need to be at peace for one reason alone.
President Bush is at peace himself.
I shall offer my own tribute to him on his final day in office. In the meantime, below are some beautiful tributes to the good and decent man that led the free world for the past eight years.
Sir Charles of Krauthammer notices that the incoming President will be providing a significant amount of continuity we can believe in, a validation of the current policies.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/obamas_revises_the_bush_years.html
Peter Wehner wrote in USA Today that the main obligation of a President is to keep us safe. Many people ascribe this to luck. Luck did not keep us safe. President George W. Bush did.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/01/bush-kept-us-sa.html
Rich Galen is an insider. He has seen the President up close. He knows what this man is about. He understands that George W. Bush is a man of honor and character.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/we_have_not_tired_we_have_not.html
Mark Davis in the Dallas Morning News has a simple message for George W. Bush. It is the same message I have been saying to the man that has kept us safe in the wake of the worst attack on American soil.
“Thank you Mr. President.”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/thank_you_mr_president.html
Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation reminds everybody in the New York Post that the Bush years consisted of an overwhelming number of successes on the world stage. The media can refuse to cover them, but the successes were numerous, and substantial.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01112009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/bushs_better_world_149578.htm?page=0
The finest minds on Earth are found at the Wall Street Journal. The best and brightest understand what is important. It is no surprise that these brilliant thinkers understand that without a safe nation, Wall STreet does not function.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123206685391388221.html
On Friday in New York, a miracle occurred when a plane crash in the Hudson River resulted in heroism, bravery, and the very best triumph of the human spirit. On Sunday, sports will carry the day as teams will fight for the right to go to the Super Bowl. On Monday, the late Dr. Martin Luther King will be honored. On Tuesday, President Bush will quietly walk away, and America will have a new President.
What will be even more important will be Wednesday. Life will go on.
Yet on this Saturday, I am struck by how miraculous it is that going on is even possible. As President Bush reminded us, we went back to normal after 9/11. He never did.
He made the hard choices so that we could relax.
He sacrificed his popularity so that we could be free to express concerns.
He helped spread freedom and liberty, which resulted in many people using that freedom and liberty to castigate him.
We did what was easy. We carped, and complained, and demanded quick solutions.
He did what was hard. He did what was right.
His toughest critics will never give him his due. They never wanted him to have a moment of peace. When all was said and done, their hatred was not enough to overcome his decency.
From people in Africa fighting to defeat the scourge of Aids to women in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for their freedom to be treated as equals, George W. Bush has led these fights.
Disagreements about policy can, will, and should be debated vigorously.
What is not in dispute among anybody who is remotely credible is that this man that has led us for the last eight years acted and did what he truly believed was right.
He has been a great President, but more importantly he remains the same good man that I have been honored to see lead my nation that I love.
Monday will be a day for my formal tribute. For now others have spoken.
The one man who will not say anything is the man walking away. President George W. Bush does not need to say anything further.
He has let his deeds do the talking, and those deeds are noble.
eric
January 17th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I’m going to make a sincere effort here to think of some things about Bush and his presidency that I can applaud, or at least say something nice about…
1) Though I abhor the way it was structured, I believe it’s a great step forward that we now have Medicare Part D. In the near future, hopefully the Dems will rework the program to allow price negotiations with Big Pharma and find a way to cut the insurance companies out of the picture. But for now, this is the best we could have hoped for. Medicare Part D, whatever you think about it, however it works out in the future, should be considered a positive legacy of the Bush Adminstration.
2) The 2002 steel tariffs were a necessary and bold step toward rational trade policy in America. It’s a terrible shame that the tariffs were lifted so quickly, but for their short life, anyway, they were the right thing to do.
3) The Bush administartion and late GOP one-party state did create a renewed energy in the nation’s polity. People are more politically active, they vote a little more, they seem to have and share opinions a little more, and they seem less gullible and easily distracted by non-issues. The past eight years may just have sown the seeds for a more united future. We all were forced by Bush policies and decisions to argue things out amongst ourselves, and through that arguing we have found that we have more in common than we thought.
4) If Iraq ever does manage to pull itself into a peaceful, stable, durable democratic republic, that would be a good thing.
I can’t think of anything else right now, but if I do, I’ll post it here. Goodbye, George.
JMJ
January 17th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Wow Jersey.
You got me a little choked up there, over the thought that you got me a little choked up.
I never thought I’d see the day.
Its inspiring.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Actually , thank you for giving the man a little respect.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Charles said basically what I’ve been saying for a couple weeks now.
I’ve never thought I’d ever be so glad to see a president go back on his words.
And I dont feel sorry for all those lunatics that were so convinced and jazzed that he was going to pull out immediately.
When his withdrawal dates started getting further and further away as his campaign progressed it was not too hard to predict that he would more than likely be keeping a few Bush policies in place.
The big ones too, like wire tapping and the amount of powers the executive has today. I dont know who he thought he was fooling since no new administration has hardly ever relinquished authorities that the previous administration had.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
In my view, history will judge Bush much more kindly for his strong stance against terror. Gitmo, NSA wiretaps and the “infamous” waterboarding were done to save lives. Iraq will depend on how that country plays out.
When it comes to stopping illegal immigration, limiting the size of govt and spending, well, I criticize him for that. However, I do feel that Bush has been unfairly and viciously maligned for 8 years. He is agood and decent man who was faced with a horrific reality on 9-11 that required strong action and decisiveness. In that respect, I think he measured up.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:09 am
GWB is a sincere man. Liberals hate him because he is not one of them and they are good at hate.
The MSM controls most of the information that ordinary people take the time to watch and/or listen to. I fear that most people do not debate issues. In fact they probably are not aware or not interested. They catch sound bites from time to time from CNN or CBS which are touted to be the most watched networks on television. It is sad to say that these two information agencies are not reliable sources. Biased and slanted toward an agenda does not describe what they disseminate.
There are those who listen and take care to research to a point to satisfy curiosity and develop an informed opinion. But WE are in the minority.
JMJ, you are an well informed citizen, a good citizen is an informed citizen.
I enjoy your posts. GWB deserves your consideration and you gave it. This tells me you are also a kind person. Obama deserves the same consideration. I hope he has a successful administration. We deserve it.
Toma
P.S. I still like Mick 2 better. He and I agree on almost every thing.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:15 am
As one of my NCOs might say, “He’s a one horse pony”, but the horse we have been riding has defined that line in the sand against terrorism…and as garyfouse pointed out, we took our eyes off the ball in many other areas that are now adversely affecting our nation, but we staved off the enemy from without - our greatest threat now is the enemy within, feeding from the government trough - greed, sloth, collectivism, and celebration of diversity. Biblical values, rugged indvidualism and focus on unity - not differences - made this country and its people great.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Eagle6
AMEN SOLDIER.
Toma
January 18th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Well, Micky, I’m just trying to be objective here, for the sake of our good host and the realism of posterity. He’s not the president I expected him to be. I think a lot of people would agree with that, albeit for a variety of different reasons. I expected a repeat of his father, but I was wrong. Personally, I thought his father was okay, as far as modern presidents go. But GHWB made the politically fatal mistake of forsaking his party’s ideology for the good of the nation, and for that, he became a one term president. I believe George Sr was correct to stop short of invading Iraq, of raising taxes necessary taxes when he did, of acting with “prudence” and pragmatism in serious affairs of state. George Jr was a very different president. When party ideology stood in the way, he changed the ideology. When that ideology was intractable, he worked around it, as if there was no dissonance at all. Whatever you think of GWB, he was a very effective president. He pretty much did whatever he wanted. Now, of course, the main reason for this was that The Hill and the courts were all majority GOP. Had either of those estates been in Democratic hands, this would have been a very different presidency. And then of course, 9/11 would be a close second for how GWB was able to act with as much effectiveness and power as he did. And whether you like what he did or not, he was very effective at doing it.
It’s always hard to say what people will think of presidents in the future. George Sr is more popular now than he almost ever was as president. I think people look at him with sort of a sense of security and stability. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, pretty much remains the same to the people. Reagan is very popular, but in that wierd love/hate sort of dichotomy. Poeple who love him really love him. People who hate him really hate. All of them pretty much feel the same way they did when he was president. Ford is more popular now than he was as president, while Carter remains sort of like the opposite of Reagan, with a small majority hating him, and a minority loving him. Nixon is more popular today than he was, certainly after Watergate. I think people look back at Watergate now as a relatively quaint affair. Also, Nixon was very liberal by GOP standards today, so more objective people see him on balance as a rather accomplished president. Even I have often said, “Nixon is the best president we’ve had since Nixon.” But Nicxon made the same politcally fatal mistake George Sr made - he violated party ideology for the good of the nation. For that - price controls, ending the war in Vietnam, the EPA, saving Headstart, etc - he paid dearly.
So, I really can’t say what the future holds for the “Bush 43 Legacy.” I think it depends on how severe this economic collapse becomes and how things turn out in Iraq. Especially Iraq. It also depends on whther Obama suffers the “my war” syndrome, inheriting the problems along with the public perception that they are his creations. When people think of Vietnam, they think of Nixon, but that was really Johnson’s war. When people think of the economic problems of the late eighties and early nineties, they think of Bush Sr, but they were Reagan’s legacy. So, when people look back, oddly enough, Bush Jr’s reputation will depend a lot on Obama’s ability to fill his seat. The better Obama does with these problems, the better Bush’s reputation will be in the future. Strange world, huh?
JMJ
January 18th, 2009 at 7:15 am
A vast number of people in this country and even more across the globe are ecstatic.
The world, and this country are far, far worse off than they were 8-years ago - a sad legacy if you ask me. The jubilation you are going to see over the next few days is about our new leader. They are celebrating. There will be something for everyone.
Most of the new administration’s efforts will be focused on a host of problems.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Jafman
You make my point perfectly.
Toma
January 18th, 2009 at 9:16 am
jafman, I applaud your desire to be all inclusive and consider what people across the globe think of this country and its administration, but what sets this country and its people apart from the rest of the world is its reliance on the individual, not the government. As we become more like France, Spain, Africa, Puerto Rico, and Germany, we become more dependent on our government and not ourselves. This dependence leads to our voting for people who will give us free benefits and free money and not an opportunity to be self reliant. I would much rather depend on my abilities to make something happen than someone who is working for the government. Have you ever tried to get something done at City Hall?…or the DMV? or IRS? If PEO follows through with his socialistic promises, we will not see a flourishing economy until the next big war - and I don’t mean the mini conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan. FDR tried the same things being touted as the answers now (more government jobs), and what spurred the economy is WWII. I pray it doesn’t come to that.
I’m not sure what measurements you are using to arbitrarily state that this country and world were better off 8 years ago, but even from my seat in Iraq, I’m a whole lot better off today than I was 8 years ago, and a major reason is because one of our greatest threats is no longer viable.
I think it’s a little premature to judge whether issues will be handled in a mature, reasonable manner - I think it was perfectly reasonable to attack the Taliban and unseat Saddam Hussein. Again, my greatest fear is the “something for everyone” mentality. Granted, there are a number of veterans who voted for “change” and who don’t like the current administration’s policies, but the vast majority of people who have been willing to fight for this country and its principles over the past 30 years have an entirely different perspective about President Bush’s legacy - because they have seen despair, hopelessness, and despotism in other countries, and they understand what it means to accept risk.
January 18th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Well Said Eagle 6
Let me give you a list of people and/or organizations that are ecstatic over President Bush leaving office.
Osama bin Laden
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Kim Youg-il
Hugo Chavez
Bashar Al-Assad
Vladimir Putin
Hamas
Hezbollah
Taliban
What does this tell you. Most on the list contributed the Democratic presidential campaign, either directly or indirectly. Very disturbing.
Toma
January 18th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
The day the microphone was still hot when he told Cheny and unknowingly the whole audience that Adam Clymer was a major league a$$hole from the New York Times, he had my vote.
And he never really apologized.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Toma, you left out the ones that actually voted for him.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Meaning Obama.
sorry
January 18th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
All,
Just a reminder. For those that wish to criticize President Bush or his successor, either go to the post entitled “Lockdown” from January 15th (or anything before that), or wait until January 21st.
From January 15th (after the lockdown post) through the inauguration, only positive commentary about both men is allowed.
We can all handle 100 hours of civility. Keep the gloves up.
eric
January 19th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
This is for “jafman”. What country have you been living in for the last eight years? You must be one of those media influenced, politically correct, voters who voted for Obama.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Not so fast.
I have never in my life seen so many starry eyed, brains filled with joy juice, acting like the second coming of christ delusional people since the drug/free sex/eutopic idiots of the 60s were running around oozing with joy over the littlest things.
I mean these people are acting as if the man himself came down and will raise his hands a wipe out all evil.
Its freaky, really really freaky.
Its also scary. Becuse like the old saying goes.
“the higher you get, the further you fall.
Your crash is always in proportion to your expectations.