Nice job, RM!

 

Let's here if for Laura Bush, too! She's been one of my favorites.

This site prevents unfounded claims. Prove to me that Bill Clinton left Bush a surplus. This tells me otherwise (you must fill in the dates).

 

I'm not defending Bush's spending, but your statement is untrue

 

http://dpc.senate.gov/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=tp-108-2-79

Under Bush

The American fears of terrorism were manipulated to bring war on a belligerent enemy, but mostly powerless enemy. The given cause for the war turned out to be false. Many American soldiers died, and are dying for this.

 

We never found Bin Laden, whose terrorist group facilitated the single worst terror attack on the United States. Many have argued that the administration took a stronger focus on Iraq rather than focus on Bin Laden.

 

The American public was more divided than I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. He began with less than the popular vote but didn't waiver from his stances in spite of public opinion. Bush's only experience with a united people was after 9-11, he used the good will up quickly and never reached out to "other side" at all during his presidency.

 

The economy boomed for much of the presidency, but you didn't notice. GDP gains in this country were overwhelmingly felt by the rich with no trickle down to the middle class.

 

International respect for the United States took a dramatic nose dive. Unilateral policies and "sticking it to" even our traditional international allies created a great deal of discontent around the world for the United States.

 

We became a nation who imprisions POW's indefinatly simply by calling them something else. We endosred torture, by simply saying it wasn't.

 

We made little to no headway against the biggest issue facing our country, that being our dependance on oil. (Think about it, we fix this, then we don't have to give a darn about Iraq, Israel, or anywhere else in the Middle East and they won't see us as a threat)

 

 

So when I hear "He did the best he could" I simply don't agree.

^ 22% approval rating. The Bush supporters simply can't own up to it that he just didn't do a good job. Its that simple.

It's amazing how so much credit and blame is given to a president. While there are some things he can control, remember our government is one of checks and balances. He was President George Bush, not King Bush.

 

A man of character and integrity. He made tough decisions regardless of popular opinion. While he wasn't always right (What person is?), he stuck to his principles. All Americans should learn from that tenacity.

^ 22% approval rating. The Bush supporters simply can't own up to it that he just didn't do a good job. Its that simple.

 

 

I have no interest in entering into a back and forth debate with you tonight, way too much homework for classes tomorrow lol. But I will say, I don't think anyone is saying he did a fantastic job in office. I think he did a fine job, and made a few mistakes. Who hasn't? For what was thrown at him in his first term I think he did great. His second term is where things went a bit off path. But he is still a classy guy, and no ONE person/man put us in the situation we are in today.

I think he did a decent job except for a few notable exceptions (BAILOUT). I believe with time his presidency will be viewed favorably.

I guess its hard to shed a tear for a guy when he took over we had a surplus of $236 billion, the largest surplus in American history. The unemployment rate has doubled, and of course you know about the recession.

 

No surplus existed, unemployment rate has not doubled and Clinton's last budget was in place when the 2001 recession began. Facts can always be manipulated, can't they?

http://dpc.senate.gov/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=tp-108-2-79

Good one. As the link I provided (which is a link to the website of the United States Treasury, NOT the Democrat Policy Committee) explains, Total Public Debt Outstanding is comprised of 2 parts- Debt Held By The Public & Intergovernmental Holdings. Check the numbers from the source. I beg you too.

 

I understand that it is very easy to read from partisan sources and adopt their opinion as your own. However, I have found that it is better to go directly the source to find your information. And, this situation is a bit tricky to think about, so I will give you the benefit of the doubt. But consider this:

 

What is so great about a "budget surplus" when, from the day Clinton took office, the National Debt grew from $4.2 trillion to $5.7 trillion? It's not a budget surplus if more money is being borrowed. Absolutely not. Once again, I won't defend Bush's spending (it was worse than Clinton's) but your statement is misleading, and untrue.

But he is still a classy guy, and no ONE person/man put us in the situation we are in today.

 

:thumb:

I guess its hard to shed a tear for a guy when he took over we had a surplus of $236 billion, the largest surplus in American history. The unemployment rate has doubled, and of course you know about the recession.

Your claim that unemployment doubled under Bush is also untrue. The average unemployment rate for December was 7.2 percent, which is a long way from being double the rate under Clinton. The average rates under Clinton and Bush were very comparable.

 

Average Monthly Unemployment Rates
	ALL	WOMEN	BLACK	HISPANIC
Clinton Term I	6.00%	5.26%	11.33%	9.70%
Clinton Term II	4.41%	3.94%	8.64%	6.77%
Clinton Total	5.20%	4.60%	9.99%	8.23%
Bush Term I	5.51%	4.79%	10.01%	7.19%
Bush Term II	5.03%	4.40%	9.32%	6.12%
Bush Total	5.27%	4.59%	9.66%	6.66%

I hope that Obama does not have to suffer through the same character assasination that Bush has recieved. I cannot believe how poorly so many so called Americans treated him during his presidency. I don't care if people want to criticize his policies. But the personal attacks are just unbelievable. And the worst part is, now the same people say we need to unite behind Obama, the same people who refused to to give Bush a chance, let alone unite behind him.

I hope that Obama does not have to suffer through the same character assasination that Bush has recieved. I cannot believe how poorly so many so called Americans treated him during his presidency. I don't care if people want to criticize his policies. But the personal attacks are just unbelievable. And the worst part is, now the same people say we need to unite behind Obama, the same people who refused to to give Bush a chance, let alone unite behind him.

 

This has been going on for months for Obama.

This has been going on for months for Obama.

 

I really don't see this. You must live in a Obama hating town. The only people I have come across are the Obama supporters who are gung-ho behind him, and the people who voted Mccain, like myself, who want him to do well and support his journey as President of the United States. Obama has not had the kind of stuff thrown at his character that Bush did.

Very classy post RM. And you didn't even have to shed a tear to have respect for the position.:sssh:

 

Very classy.:clap:

 

I hope that Obama does not have to suffer through the same character assasination that Bush has recieved. I cannot believe how poorly so many so called Americans treated him during his presidency. I don't care if people want to criticize his policies. But the personal attacks are just unbelievable. And the worst part is, now the same people say we need to unite behind Obama, the same people who refused to to give Bush a chance, let alone unite behind him.

 

Honestly, Obama has had his religion, his character, his name, and virtually every other thing about him assassinated for the last year to 2 years. You don't think any of the stuff you've read in the threads leading up to th election constituted personal attacks on Obama?