opinion
Reign of Bush II ends in whimper
In the waning hours of his administration, the president's lackluster attempts to paint his legacy in rosier hues fall flat.
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/19/2009 12:30:00 AM MST


The end of George W. Bush's presidency is hours away and for many Americans, it can't come fast enough.

It's not just the reckless policies he helped further that contributed to the worst economic crisis in 80 years, and the unwarranted and hugely expensive war in Iraq that make us shudder. It's also the missed opportunities that have come to define the 43rd president's administration as a disappointment.

As we've watched the extended farewell tour of interviews and speeches given by George Bush, it's difficult not to feel a little sorry for him and the alarming post- 9/11 world he found himself dealing with, and that he was somewhat confounded by.

At the same time, it's maddening to wonder how the 9/11 attacks happened on his watch — the missed warning signs, the Aug. 6, 2001, memo spelling out Osama bin Laden's intentions — and to contemplate how he squandered the ensuing global goodwill with anguishing prisoner interrogation and detention policies.

We agree with his assessment that his greatest achievement was the absence of any terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001. But the costs have been staggering.

The erosion of civil liberties, including warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens, was deplorable. The U.S. invasion of Iraq, which has cost more than $650 billion, was undoubtedly a mistake. And his arrogant "mission accomplished" declaration just six weeks after the invasion only inflamed our enemies.

In his early political days, the Republican governor of Texas billed himself as a "compassionate conservative" who advocated restrained foreign policy and had a record of working with Democrats.

We never saw that George W. Bush. Instead, his presidential administration was relentlessly partisan.

Not only were Democrats shut out, they also were demonized and painted as soft on national defense if they had the temerity to raise questions about surveillance or interrogation techniques. His "my way or the highway" pursuit of policy was among the missed opportunities of his presidency. In attempting to set up Republican domination of the union, he sowed the seeds for his party's later deterioration at the polls.

Furthermore, the so-called conservative was anything but when it came to government spending and executive power. The budget surplus that Bush inherited from Bill Clinton quickly became a staggering deficit that our grandchildren will inherit.

Bush pushed tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 and racked up huge costs pursuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Historically, we've fought wars while actually cutting taxes and increasing spending. Our IOU to China is immense.

The federal deficit is more than $450 billion, with costs mounting as the government tries to prop up an economy on the verge of collapse.While there is blame enough to go around for the economic crisis, Bush's encouragement of a lax regulatory system surely contributed.

History, Bush says, will judge him better than do today's opinion polls. Perhaps. But he departs the White House as one of the country's least popular chief executives — and he's earned those dismal ratings.

The sad truth is it didn't have to be that way.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_11486311