With even conservative pundits calling for Bush to move aside and resign early, one has to wonder what is going through the man’s head. He can put on as many brave faces as he wants, that he’s satisfied with the progress in Iraq, that he’s done his best and so forth, but the brutal fact remains he’s been a dismal failure as a president in everyone’s mind but perhaps his own. Talk about narcissism.
Think back to the 2000 presidential campaign when he promised open and honest government, returning honor and dignity to the White House, being a uniter not a divider and help is on the way for the troops. The sad fact is he’s delivered exactly the opposite on every promise. And if that’s not enough to disgrace him in the annals of history, he’s also managed to sully America’s image with preemptive war, torture, rendition, our way or the highway diplomacy all while presiding over and contributing to the worst financial crisis since The Great Depression.
You’d think that would be enough to secure his place in history as the worst president in American history, but oh no, he’s also managed to allow more arsenic in our drinking water, more pollution, and fewer protections for our air quality, endangered species, forests, and even the Constitution. Add his record number of signing statements excluding him from laws passed by Congress, illegal spying on US citizens and secrecy that the worst dictator would envy, he leaves office as King George when eight years ago he was merely President Bush.
That twenty-five percent of Americans still approve of his job performance is something we as a country have to work on. How can one in four of us be so damned stupid? Calling him a lame duck, while comforting that were almost done with him messing our pants all over the globe, is hardly accurate. He’s a cooked turkey, and this evening I’m going to enjoy sticking a fork in him.