I saw the report on 60 Minutes. I believe Walker has it right. President Bush will go down in history for having wasted the goodwill of the world after 9/11 and for wasting an historic chance to break the cycle of buying what we want and sending the bill to future generations. I have said it before and I believe it to be more true every day, President Bush is the worst president of my lifetime.

 

Walker is right. It's about time someone in government (besides Alan Greenspan or Ben Bernanke) spoke up on the ruinous spending taking place in Washington. The Medicare drug plan was a shameless giveaway by the President and Congress to garner votes from the country's senior citizens. Can we afford it? "Heck, who cares? We got the votes and by the time the bills come due, it'll be someone else's problem."

 

Entitlement spending and servicing our enormous debt will soon swamp all other portions of the federal budget, leaving little room for things such as defense and infrastructure (in other words, the things the federal government should be spending its money on).

 

Trinity Alum, I don't know how old you are, but I'm 36 and I'll go you one further. Bush is the worst President since World War II.

This doesn't appear to be a Walker v. Bush scenario. This looks more like a Walker v. the federal goverment. I think that he's right that somebody needs to get a hold of the reins of this runaway stagecoach. But I think he also underestimates the devastation that one terrorist with a WMD can do to this countries economy and morale.

I agree.

Walker is right. It's about time someone in government (besides Alan Greenspan or Ben Bernanke) spoke up on the ruinous spending taking place in Washington. The Medicare drug plan was a shameless giveaway by the President and Congress to garner votes from the country's senior citizens. Can we afford it? "Heck, who cares? We got the votes and by the time the bills come due, it'll be someone else's problem."

 

Entitlement spending and servicing our enormous debt will soon swamp all other portions of the federal budget, leaving little room for things such as defense and infrastructure (in other words, the things the federal government should be spending its money on).

 

Trinity Alum, I don't know how old you are, but I'm 36 and I'll go you one further. Bush is the worst President since World War II.

 

Two words... Jimmy Carter. You obviously didn't live outside your Mom and Dad's house during those dark days.

Two words... Jimmy Carter. You obviously didn't live outside your Mom and Dad's house during those dark days.

 

 

Bush is worse...much worse.

Two words... Jimmy Carter. You obviously didn't live outside your Mom and Dad's house during those dark days.

 

I knew someone would bring up Jimmy Carter. Just keep in mind that the seeds for any national downturn are usually sown far in advance of when it actually occurs. The guy sitting in the oval office usually takes the blame, even if he's merely the occupant when the you-know-what hits the fan. With the wreckless spending that's taken place on Bush's watch and the untold billions (trillions?) we've been committed to spend as a result of the Iraq fiasco, some poor SOB is going to have a miserable presidency when the true fiscal weight of Dubya's "policies" hit the bottom line.

I knew someone would bring up Jimmy Carter. Just keep in mind that the seeds for any national downturn are usually sown far in advance of when it actually occurs.

I agree

 

I think that a whole lot of what is going on now in the Middle East can be placed squarely at the feet of Jimmy Carter.

I agree

 

I think that a whole lot of what is going on now in the Middle East can be placed squarely at the feet of Jimmy Carter.

 

Explain. Please, be specific.

Walker is right. It's about time someone in government (besides Alan Greenspan or Ben Bernanke) spoke up on the ruinous spending taking place in Washington. The Medicare drug plan was a shameless giveaway by the President and Congress to garner votes from the country's senior citizens. Can we afford it? "Heck, who cares? We got the votes and by the time the bills come due, it'll be someone else's problem."

 

Entitlement spending and servicing our enormous debt will soon swamp all other portions of the federal budget, leaving little room for things such as defense and infrastructure (in other words, the things the federal government should be spending its money on).

 

Trinity Alum, I don't know how old you are, but I'm 36 and I'll go you one further. Bush is the worst President since World War II.

 

Worst of my lifetime goes back to Truman. I don't have memories of the Truman administration, but I do remember Eisenhower quite well.

Two words... Jimmy Carter. You obviously didn't live outside your Mom and Dad's house during those dark days.

I did. In fact, I owned my second house during the Carter administration. My oldest child predates the Carter administration, so yes I remember those days very well. President Carter got a tough hand. Some of it he played very well (Camp David). Some of it he played very well, but paid a high political price. The very high interest rates of the late 70s cost him any chance for reelection, but those interest rates are what broke the back of the inflation that was a leftover of the Vietnam war. We have enjoyed the benefit of low inflation ever since. Oil prices were largely beyond his control. Some other things he didn't handle so well. The hostage situation in Iran was not handled well. I have always believed that a great power cannnot be held hostage to 53 lives. After the rescue attempt failed I believe there should have been an ultimatum. Release the hostages or the bombs start to fall. It might have sacrificed the lives of the hostages, but it should have been done. Perphaps his biggest failure was a failure to inspire. A great leader needs to inspire.

I did. In fact, I owned my second house during the Carter administration. My oldest child predates the Carter administration, so yes I remember those days very well. President Carter got a tough hand. Some of it he played very well (Camp David). Some of it he played very well, but paid a high political price. The very high interest rates of the late 70s cost him any chance for reelection, but those interest rates are what broke the back of the inflation that was a leftover of the Vietnam war. We have enjoyed the benefit of low inflation ever since. Oil prices were largely beyond his control. Some other things he didn't handle so well. The hostage situation in Iran was not handled well. I have always believed that a great power cannnot be held hostage to 53 lives. After the rescue attempt failed I believe there should have been an ultimatum. Release the hostages or the bombs start to fall. It might have sacrificed the lives of the hostages, but it should have been done. Perphaps his biggest failure was a failure to inspire. A great leader needs to inspire.

Some of the things you say in here are similar to the things that people use as reasons for Bush being a bad President.

Some of the things you say in here are similar to the things that people use as reasons for Bush being a bad President.

I won't attempt to account for what some people say. Speaking for myself, oil prices in the short term are beyond the control of the President. In the long term, national defense and common sense say that we should move away from our economies total dependence on oil from very unstable regions. As has been pointed out by others, we pay for both sides in the war on terrorists. I think you can fault every president since the early 70s for our energy policy. Moving away from oil will require government involvement. The problem is that the cost to drill and transport oil from the Middle East is very cheap. I've seen reports that it is under $5.00 per barrel. Without government protection from cheap oil, I can't see anyone making big investments in other fuels on a scale that would take out Middle Eastern oil. As an example, suppose you came up with a zero pollution alternative energy source that you could deliver for the cost equivelent of $40.00 per barrel oil. With today's oil prices that looks like a real money maker. The problem is that your competition (oil) has a cost of production that is far below yours. You might drive down the price of oil fo a short time until you were out of business, but then oil prices would go right back up.

 

As far as issuing an ultimatum to Iran in 1980, keep in mind that an attack on the US embassy was an attack on the United States as surely as Pearl Harbor or 9/11. The attack was not directly by the government, but holding the hostages was aided by the Iranian government. I have no problem with a strong response to attacks on this country.

Explain. Please, be specific.

The hostage situatuation.

 

IMVHO Carter's wishy-washy handling of that and letting the United States be strung along like he did made the radicals think that they could "bully" the United States because we didn't have a stomach for a fight. That impression was totally nailed down after the failed rescue attempt. As soon as the bodies of our soldiers were abused like they were we should have gone in, in mass. There was now a faction in the Middle East that felt they could not only dictate to the United States they could effect elections,

The hostage situatuation.

 

IMVHO Carter's wishy-washy handling of that and letting the United States be strung along like he did made the radicals think that they could "bully" the United States because we didn't have a stomach for a fight. That impression was totally nailed down after the failed rescue attempt. As soon as the bodies of our soldiers were abused like they were we should have gone in, in mass. There was now a faction in the Middle East that felt they could not only dictate to the United States they could effect elections,

 

Carter could have gone into Iran with guns blazing like Bush did with Iraq, although that would have probably resulted in a quagmire much like we have in Iraq today and he probably realized that. I guess by saying "Bring 'em on!" and putting our soldiers and Marines in the middle of a civil war to get picked off by IEDs and snipers, we are showing that we have a stomach for a fight. Careful, but you're perilously close to confusing being tough with being stupid.

Carter could have gone into Iran with guns blazing like Bush did with Iraq, although that would have probably resulted in a quagmire much like we have in Iraq today and he probably realized that. I guess by saying "Bring 'em on!" and putting our soldiers and Marines in the middle of a civil war to get picked off by IEDs and snipers, we are showing that we have a stomach for a fight. Careful, but you're perilously close to confusing being tough with being stupid.

 

One flaw in your analysis, Reagan didn't need to fire the first shot towards Iran. It was a case of respect. The Iranians knew that a Reagan led American wouldn't be as weak as a Carter led America. They folded. Please point out any similarities in the current situation in Iraq versus the 1979 situation in Iran. Pretty much apples to oranges. FYI, it was the policy of this country under President Clinton to effect regime change in Iraq. There have been numerous UN resolutions calling for it. The congress of the United States voted to go to war with Iraq. And now typically, some in this country have lost their resolve. Careful, but you're perilously close yourself. IMO.

Carter could have gone into Iran with guns blazing like Bush did with Iraq, although that would have probably resulted in a quagmire much like we have in Iraq today and he probably realized that. I guess by saying "Bring 'em on!" and putting our soldiers and Marines in the middle of a civil war to get picked off by IEDs and snipers, we are showing that we have a stomach for a fight. Careful, but you're perilously close to confusing being tough with being stupid.

We could have done something, anything other then look like the weak nation that we showed them. For over a year they held our people after an overt act of war to take them in the first place. They very effectively brought down an American President. We'll never know but I have a very strong suspicion that Regan made it clear that it would end when he took office and that's why they were released so soon after his inauguration. Were you even alive during the Iran Hostage fiasco or is all of your knowledge of it based on history books because we all know how unbiased they tend to be. Were you even born when Carter screwed up the Iran Hostage fiasco or are you basing you opinion (arrogance) on what you have been spoonfed from what history books and teachers choose to share?