In GOP bizarroworld, George W. Bush’s presidency was a huge success
by digby
In case you’re wondering where the Bush apologists on your TV today are getting their bizarroworld opinions about Bush being the most awesomest president in the whole wide world, Politico conveniently published the official talking points:
Fact Sheet: Top Line Messaging Points
President Bush was a strong leader willing to risk his personal political standing to
pursue important but difficult reforms:
Strengthened K-12 education, which resulted in dramatic improvement of math and reading scores across the board and narrowed the achievement gap between white and minority students.
Injected consumer and competitive forces into the healthcare system, imposing more discipline and lowering cost while improving quality.
Increased the involvement of faith-based and community organizations in the delivery of social services, improving efficiency and effectiveness.
Strengthened the border and fought for rational updates to America’s immigration system, laying the foundation for future reform.
Proposed strengthening Social Security for future retirees by allowing younger workers to put some payroll taxes into personal retirement accounts and by changing the benefit formula so that those who depend on the program the most would see their benefits rise over time more quickly than wealthier Americans.
President Bush made tough decisions that kept Americans safe after 9/11
Combated terror and tyranny by standing for freedom abroad and removing threatening regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ensured that the next president had every tool and capability available to protect the United States.
Merged more than 20 federal agencies to create the Department of Homeland Security.
Worked with Congress to pass the USA PATRIOT ACT and other measures to update American intelligence capabilities, many of which continue to be used today in the war on terror.
Established a Director of National Intelligence and tore down the wall between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Transformed the FBI’s focus from investigating events to preventing and stopping acts of terrorism.
Dismantled al-Qaeda by removing it from its safe haven and decimating its key leadership.
Persuaded Libya to disclose and dismantle WMD program and renounce terrorism.
Broke up A.Q. Khan network, which was selling nuclear enrichment capability to rogue states.
Used speeches, executive orders, public statements, and day-to-day leadership to keep the federal government focused on the threat of terrorism. This focus ensured that the federal government, at all levels, took all the steps it could within the law to keep America safe.
President Bush promoted freedom abroad
As President Bush said, “The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.” The idea of freedom is essential to keeping the United States safe and we reduce the risk of terrorism when extreme poverty and hopelessness are confronted head on
Fundamentally changed American foreign policy in the Middle East by refusing to pursue stability at the expense of democracy, and instead agitating for more democracy everywhere.
Doubled foreign assistance worldwide, while holding governments that accept U.S. assistance accountable for making democratic and economic reforms to increase transparency, strengthen their economies, improve the lives of their citizens, and ultimately decrease their dependence on aid.
Fought AIDS, malaria and other globally neglected diseases by providing life saving treatment for 2 million people and care for 10 million people, including more than 4 million orphans and vulnerable children.
Promoted international partnerships with India, Brazil, Mexico and Central America, to enhance global security and increased the number of countries partnering with the United States on Free TradeAgreements (FTAs) from three to 17.
President Bush created the conditions for private sector growth and rescued the financial system from the worst crisis since the Great Depression
President Bush believes that economic growth comes from the private sector, with firms competing to create new innovations and wealth in a free market. Government’s role is to set the rules for workers and firms rather than substitute for private efforts.
In his first year in office, President Bush responded to the recession created by the collapse of the tech bubble with a mix of economic reforms that included tax cuts for all Americans. In 2003, President Bush signed into law another round of tax cuts. What followed was more than four years of strong economic growth and strong employment.
President Bush’s policies rescued the financial system from the worst crisis since the Great Depression, provided tax relief for all Americans, submitted budgets that reduced and reigned in discretionary spending, and advanced the nation’s energy security.
No really. The put this out and have people using it on the TV today. And cable news gasbags are kind of into it. (makes ’em feel young I guess.) They are even spewing this bilge with straight faces.
Oh hey, did I forget the last page?
President Bush presided over both a catastrophic terrorist attack and a catastrophic financial crisis. He bungled the response to both of them.
He also invaded a country that hadn’t attacked us and tried to legalize torture and indefinite detention.
He left office the most unpopular president in history.
Not sidestepping controversy, Condoleezza Rice will defend the Bush administration’s enhanced interrogation and rendition program at the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on Thursday.
The remarks will appear in a five-minute video presentation, which was obtained by Foreign Policy in advance of the dedication. In the clip, Rice emphasizes Bush’s deep commitment to civil liberties and national security while making “difficult decisions” following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. She also claims the interrogation program prevented future attacks on the homeland.
“The president asked two very important questions in the decision to use these techniques,” says Rice of her former boss’s interrogation program. “He asked the CIA if it was necessary and he asked the Justice Department if it was legal. Both departments answered yes.”
“Only when he was satisfied that we could protect both our liberties and our security did he signal that we could go ahead,” says the former secretary of state. “The fact that we have not had a successful attack on our territory traces directly to those difficult decisions.” A portion of the clip appears below:
I went to the old Nixon library that was run by a bunch of weirdo loyalists. (It’s changed hands in recent years .) But I don’t think I saw anything in it that compared to the brazen bullshit in that clip.
Update: Here’s a great story about that Nixon library changeover.
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