In Your Words: Bush's Legacy

Commenter: Deane Schneider
Worst president in the history of the United States. Obliterated our freedoms and left one of the worst messses for President Obama to try and clean up.

Commenter: Bob Reynolds
1. Laisse Faire approach to regulation of business and finacial markets has led to the worst economic recession since the 1930'
2. Dragged our national values into the cesspool by being a proponet of torture.
3. Dragged us ino an unnecessary war costing billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

America's worst decision
1. Electing George Bush.

Commenter: Joe Navarro
His realization that Social Security works as it is is one of his best moves and giving almost everything to the rich in our society has left a disastrous outcome as bad as that of his governorship in Texas of which will take years to repair. Bush is one or the worst President in American history.

Commenter: Kate H
George W. Bush's worst decision was to run for President. His second worst decision was to run for re-election. Imagine where we'd be as a nation if neither of those decisions had been made. . .

As far as any good decisions he made -- hmmm, I can't think of a single one.

Commenter: Deborah
Having come of age during the Bush years, I think now former President Bush will probably be the worst president in my lifetime...multi-trillion dollar deficits that my generation will have to pay off, lower standard of living, climate and health care crises, a war that never should have happened and another one in the tubes, and a myriad of other problems...but on a positive note, I think President Obama is the right person for this new era, who, with the public's help, will be able to reverse or at least reduce some of the damage done by the Bush Administration on any of the afrementioned problems, among other ones, although like Pres. Obama said, it will take a LONG time to fix the problems this country faces.

Commenter: CJ Klein
Bush's legacy is pro-life policies, cutting taxes, keeping terriorism out of the US. One bad legacy is NAFTA

Commenter: Lee
Bush violated the Code of the Constitution when he chose to wage war against a nation which did not threaten the USA by an Attack.

He falsely reported to the American People a reason to go to war with Iraq.

He was placed in Office by a Supreme Court, which is not constitutional.

He has failed to promote harmony in the United States, let alone the World.

He has given the Tax Payers money to Banks, which will never be paid back to us. This alone is one of the worst business practices in the U.S. Not even a Bank will loan a Citizen money without Collateral. The Banks, by right, should become Nationalized by our NOW President until the Larcany is corrected and those Bankers are Jailed for their Plunder and Larceny.

Bush should be arrested and tried for his High Crimes and Misdemeanors.

If Bush would have done anything that would help, he should have proclaimed all U.S. owned Business' to return to the United States, within one year.

Lee

Commenter: Lucid Lee
Bu$hs' legacy of "Best or Worst" depends on your status in relationship to his benefits or yours!

As far as Oil Companies go, he has helped his own family and friends interests by allowing oil prices to rise, astronomically! While the Poor and Middle Classes of the USA were paying 500% higher Gasoline prices, the Oil Companies were basking in Money of the same volume. That's Greed! Bu$h gave the Oil Companies a big legacy on the backs of the USA Citizen.

As far as Banks go, He has helped them to have the congress change the law to prevent the Citizens of the USA from filing "Debt Free" Backruptcy. Thus, the Banks will continue to collect the money owed them, even after a Poor and Middle Class Citizen has filed for Bankruptcy. In addition, the Banks also have raised their interest rates to ridiculas sums that people were unable to pay, thereby taking Equity, Savings, and other property from those the banks have targeted. This means, Bush helped, while the BAnks robbed and Congress robbed us of our livelihood and jobs. Yes, Jobs... most have moved to China at the stroke of a pen from Clinton, Bush, and the Congress.

We, as U.S. Citizens, still do nothing to stop our Congress from allowing Banks to take our Money and Profits, which we have been forced, by various policies and practices, which make is more difficult to do otherwise, to entrust to them.

The above is my opinion, and in no way is intended to slander or liable anyone. It is just my opinion of how these issues came to be.

Lee

Commenter: Lynn Ann Estes
I believe that George W. Bush was a Great President, and I believe that he held true to his convictions. As the saying goes, "He who kneels before God can stand before anyone". That's exactly what George Bush did. He prayed to God, the Creator of all things, which gave him the strength to stand up against the Washington Liberals and to always do the right thing.

Commenter: Michael Couch
The Bush/Cheney "administration" was simply a direct overthrow of Constitutional Government of the People by the New World Order. Cheney orchestrated the 9/11 attacks in order to launch Oil Empire building by big corporations and natural resource theft from sovereign countries, pure and simple. And attacks on Arab people to foster a constant state of "war on terror" to bring in a police state to the U.S. and make their "security" companies gazillions of dollare playing on the fear they created.

If Obama is the real deal, he'll appoint a special investigator/prosecutor for the 9/11 crimes of the Bush/Cheney mob. Oh, and the 950 Billion theft/Bail-out. Why is Obama singing thier tune on the bail-out theft? Not a good sign.

Michael Couch
Brooklyn, NY

Commenter: Jim Lothrop
This is an easy one, but don't think I'm not serious.

The best: When he decided to deploy his "talents" in the open air as a cheerleader. This spared the Yale classrooms from the disruption produced by his white shoe,inanities. (Yale, in his time, sorely needed scholarship and went looking for it.)

Worst: When he swoar (probably in a drunken state) to wreck vengenece on the meritorious democracy that had resulted in his, masked, sence of inferiority. All else has stemmed from this.

Commenter: Luci in Iowa
Best: Didn't pardon Scooter Libby
Medicare Prescription Drug Reduction

Worst:
Misled the American people into Iraq
Forgot about Afghanistan
Mishandled Katrina Victims
Laissez-faire economics--Bush Big Business cronies got richer while the rest of us continue to lose
Sold our Civil Rights and Personal Privacy to data brokers

Jury is still out: Benefits of setting up a free Arab democracy in Iraq--likely to profit big business in the long haul.

Commenter: Eddie Combs
i think bush was a good president for the times that we were in. i could'nt imagine someone with the mentality such as jimmy carter or barack obama being in office during the time of 911. those with a 'well lets talk about this" attitude we would have probably had a few more attacks during those years. i also respect george bush for his right to life agenda he did all within his power to protect the unborn child something i see disappearing as soon as barrack can get to his ink pen. he is a man i have little respect for in the fact that he claims Jesus as his savior but his actions in such cases resemble nothing the Christ stands for. just as in the gay marriage situation i look for barrack to make it almost a crime to speah against this perversion. again something i feel the bible is very clear about yet barrack looks the other way. i fully apreciate the efforts that geoge bush made in these areas. i believe he made the decisions about this war that everyone else would have been afraid to make and we will one day see the truth. we are facing an enemy that wants nothing more than see us bow down to them or put us in a grave. you cannot have peace with these people because it is not on their radar but our demise is. barrack and views coulped with our own "blind" political correctness will bring america to its knees one day. hopefully to pray for forgiveness to GOD for what we have done to him and the land he gave us to dwell in.

Commenter: Charles Edward Bramblett
For all you President Bush bashers out there, I would like to see you just try walking a mile in his shoes. If you think you could do a better job as President of the United States, consider this, Jesus said in Luke 6:39, And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? Step up to the plate, the job will become available again in 2012, are you going to run, or are you going to keep running your mouth.

Commenter: Donald Nichols
President George W. Bush was and is a good man. He provided the courage and conviction to fight for freedom and right. He was too much of a gentleman at times, trying to cooperate with Democratic congressmen who wanted to spend taxpayer money like drunken sailors. But he had the country's best interest at heart. The media did their best to destroy him, like they do anyone of conservative convictions, but to the end he remained a kind, gentle leader. May God bless him and his dear wife, Laura.

Commenter: Debby Mersiel
Hello......In my opinion, the greatest thing that President Bush did was to keep us safe during his watch. He was the best commander in chief during 9/11. He was calming and reassuring. The worst decision he made was not being more public in stressing that the state of the econonmy was good in his first term and into his second. He also did so much for our troops. Being the humble guy he is, he did his work in little limelight. I believe that once the facts come to light, we will see what a class act we had for our 43rd president. I wish him well. He will be missed.

Commenter: ROMAD Raymo
Although G.W. Bush made many bad decisions while illegally occupying the Office of the President of the United States the worst mistake was made by the American people. That being allowing him to occupy that office in the first place and then reelecting him.

Commenter: Jim Byrne
The Bush presidency was launched with ENRON money and Bush inherited ENRON's magical believe in the power of Lying.
ENRON the failed Energy Trading Company created great stock market wealth without producing any service of value.

Commenter: Jeremy E
As I reflect on Inauguration Day for President Barack Hussein Obama, I am reminded for one last time on how different the next fours years are going to be in Washington. On Thursday this past week, as one of his final acts, President George Walker Bush declared that this Sunday, January 18th, as the "National Sanctity of Human Life Day". The proclamation declares that "All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection". Bush stated that on this day our country will recognize that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. He also stated that the basic duty of the government is to protect innocent life. Our incoming president has already admitted that it is above his pay grade when asked when a baby starts getting human rights, but stated that "equality is a moral imperative" for gay and lesbian Americans.

President Bush has been disrespected by the public and the media so much, but in reality he has made significant progress for the pro-life agenda. In 2002, he signed into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which provides legal protection to a baby that survives an abortion attempt. Obama opposed this law. In 2003, President Bush signed legislation to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion. Obama and his wife Michelle are against this ban. She stated in a letter that she wrote in 2004 that this ban is unconstitional and must be overturned. Obama voted to allow partial-birth abortion. In 2004, Bush signed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, also known as the "Laci and Connor's Law", (it recognizes unborn children as victims when they are injured or killed during the commission of federal or military crimes of violence). These are just to name a few of the many actions he took as a pro-life president. (See his pro-life record)

You may have disagreed with many of the hard decisions made by President Bush, but we cannot trivialize the pro-life progress that his administration has made in the last eight years. I hope in the next four years the progress that has been made does not get ripped up by the new administration. There is already over 60 pro-abortion groups sending their "wish list" to Obama. Even though Obama has made it clear in his voting record and verbally that he supports abortion, we must still pray that he will see the errors of his past and not continue to give in to the pro-abortion agenda. We must start now to uphold him in prayer and hope that he will seek God's wisdom as he leads our country. It is never to late to change.

I personally want to thank President Bush for all that he has done. I may not have agreed with every decision he has made, but when it came down to the most important issues, such as human life or the security of our nation, I knew we were in good hands. I just pray that our new leader will be as fearless and relentless on defending human life and our freedoms as much as our last president has been. May America bless God! -- JE

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

www.believersbattlecry.com

Commenter: Miriam Garcia
I believe in 2003-2004 Bush wanted to invest the nation's Social Security money into Wall street. With all the deregulation that took place under his administration, I wonder what was he thinking?



Miriam Garcia, DOE Guidance Counselor, NYC

Commenter: N Schiess
The best decision President Bush ever made was to stand his ground on issues he felt strongly about. I will remember him as the president who started with the fall of the twin towers, who had to keep the rest of the country in one piece during a time when terrorism is past our doorstep and in our homes and who has taken the heat for the falling economy. We have suddenly forgotten how the housing market has had the greatest impact on the US and global economy. Everyone has put all the blame on him. He had a tough presidency, but, in this Marine families opinion, did an outstanding job considering the circumstances.

Commenter: judy
W is a complete failure that hurt our country beyond words. It will take President Obama many years to clean up that mess. W and Co needs to be prosecuted for the crimes against our Constitution and Humanity. If not, let the Hague get them. No one is above the Law. Wrong side of history

Commenter: Marc Freedman
I support George Bush. Why? Because I am glad he won the 2000 election instead of Al Gore. Believe me September 11, 2001 was still going to happen. Even if Al Gore was President instead of George Bush. The difference in the reaction would have been this in my estimation. Al Gore would have stuck his head in the sand and said he does not believe there is any evil in the world. He would have said our priority was to his Inconvenient truth about global warming and not defending America. Believe me the Moslem hate group Al Qaeda would still laughed their heads off even if Al Gore was President on that fateful day. I will always believe that George Bush was the right one to be our President on 9-11-2001. I do know though that George never thought that he would have had to get into nation building after toppling Saddam Hussain. I do remember that in one of his debates with Al Gore in August or September 2000, George said that he was against nation building foreign policy wise. Little did he know that by the end of April 2003 that was the very thing he had to do. Believe me also that if we get rid of the electoral college we would become like Mexico with the possibility of one party rule for a long time.

Commenter: Daniel
Contrary to what George W. Bush asserts, we as a people have been made less safe by his presidency.



Bush (and Clinton before him) failed to heed Sheikh Usama bin Ladin's fatwa of February 23rd 1998:

"The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies- civilians and military- is an individual duty for every Muslim...."



And then to compound the problem, Bush used deception in order to initiate the strategy outlined in "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" which of course included the unprecedented invasion of Iraq and the attempted attack on Iran.



George W. Bush's legacy will result in many deaths for many years to come.

Commenter: Hao Guo
Best Decision: (None, I can't think of any good decision that he has made, let alone the best decision).
Worst Decision: to have Richard Cheney as his running mate. Vice president Cheney has effectively "usurped" the presidency, especially in Bush's first term. Almost every bad decision that Bush had done has the fingerprints of Cheney; he actively influences the President's many decisions, from Iraq war and energy policies to tax cuts and Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense. And of course, he picked himself as the vie president nominee.

Commenter: Sue
Bush has made the last 8 years the worst pus filled wart on the United States face that all nations can see. That is the worst.

The best: HIV relief in Africa.

Commenter: Linda
Hard to know where to begin, as far as Bush's worst decisions. From the sickening "shock and awe" to his constant assault on the environment. This page isn't long enough!
His best decision...well, hmm, can't think of any, sorry.

Commenter: Daniel
Contrary to what George W. Bush asserts, we as a people have been made less safe by his presidency.

Bush (and Clinton before him) failed to heed Sheikh Usama bin Ladin's fatwa of February 23rd 1998:
"The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies- civilians and military- is an individual duty for every Muslim...."

And then to compound the problem, Bush used deception in order to initiate the strategy outlined in "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" which of course included the unprecedented invasion of Iraq and the attempted attack on Iran.

George W. Bush's legacy will result in many deaths for many years to come.

Commenter: Susan R.
Bush's worst decisions were to believe God told him to run for president, stealing the 2000 election

Commenter: happy bush is going
The worst world leader in history!
liar, cheat,stole millions from the WARS FOR OIL.
may he rot in hell!

Commenter: Hans Kindt
In all honesty, I've been so occupied simply trying to keep my head above water I haven't been as attentive to specific issues as I might have liked.
I believe perhaps his worst decision was deciding to ignore the checks and balances inherent within our government and to essentially go his "own" way, without regard for the concerns of others. This is hubris and poor leadership and has no place in our great nation.
As to his "best", I suppose it might conceivably be his focus on HIV/AIDS in Africa, although there is certainly much he ignored both here and elsewhere.

Commenter: Flutterbye Dire Wolf
Joseph Campbell discribed it best when he spoke of Lucifer holding the pole of darkness, separation from God as Hell, creating this duality which blinds us to the truth that we are all One. But how can we heal the ravages of the devil himself? How do we count the dead? What story will we tell our children?

Commenter: Salle
"Ding dong, the witch is dead!"

Commenter: Trip
I find it hard to blame everything on Bush, when he has over 500 willing partners in the congress. Every thing you hate about Bush has co-conspiritors in the Democrat party. The majority of democrats moving into power now, swore that Saddam had WMD. You focus your hate on Bush, while the Democrats and Republicans spend your grandchildrens future. 982,000,000,000 dollars for a program that will fail.

Commenter: Ken
No point in debating the sorry record of this loser. Just arrest him on the 20th for both his war crimes and his crimes against the Constitution.

Commenter: Brian
I don't think he was capable of making a decision. George, the puppet, has left us with a country that has lost any semblance of trust in the federal government. I would have loved to have heard his farewell speech four years ago!

Commenter: Robert Morton
Bush took the gift to/from himself (9/11) and used it for profit and fulfillment of his delusions of true leadership. The worst things he ever said were, "Go shopping... Bring it on... and Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." He increased spending for AIDS where needed, but the US contribution in those areas is by percentage of wealth dead last among industrialized nations. What I am most disappointed about is the fact that too many in his party and others played along and allowed him to remain in office without filing for articles of impeachment. He should have been removed from office for knowingly lying us into war and for war crimes. The damage under his watch at home and abroad will take decades to repair. What a sad person he is.

Commenter: M. Lippard
Worst:

No Child Left Behind, aka The dumbing Down of America's school children.
Iraqi War.
Lack of any move on health coverage.
Opening sensitive areas to drilling, mining, logging, etc.
Lack of respect for the welfare of service personnel upon returning from deployment.

Best:

Maybe if I live long enough something positive shall come to mind.

Commenter: Roberto Aburto
The only legacy that the Bush Administration has left us with is that he doesn't believe in democracy but rather in plutocracy. I love the comment about the country becoming "the United Corporations of America", I wish I had come up with that one.

Commenter: Dave Apgar
Worst decision: to run for the US presidency. OK, so, technically he wasn't "president" then, but virtually all his major decisions since taking that title have been ill-advised and most have been ill-fated. A few examples: deciding to go to war against Iraq based on advice from God; all the religious-right based decisions that impact negatively on women's health; and all the consistution-ignoring legal decisions, as articulated by John Dean in his book "Worse than Watergate."

Best decision: can't think of one.

He is the biggest buffoon this country has ever had to call "president." The American people will be paying for his infamous legacy for generations. Where has the outrage been all these years? Clinton made some bad judgement calls in his personal life, but compared to "W" who really should have been impeached?

Commenter: Brad Beaudreau
Lets get some New Thinkers about Truth not Money...

Commenter: Richard Lyon
The worst and most fateful decision of President Bush was his order to our military to bomb, invade, and occupy Iraq--as a means toward victory in a "war on terror." It should have been evident that our terrorizing of Iraquis would serve only the purpose of multiplying dramatically, day after day, the numbers of Middle Easterners committed to the killing of Americans.

Commenter: Kathleen B
Running for president was the worst idea and this country has had to pay the consequences ever since...While they walk away with billions of dollars, (money made from the oil companies, businesses and bank investments into the invasion of the Iraqian people and the so-called rebuilding, cough choke cough puke, of Iraq, their sincerity overwhelms me. They have walked away with billions of dollars unaccounted for in the spending of this rebuilding and then their cover up stories that the main stream media wanted us to swallow in how great a job this administration has been doing. This is the very scary part, for if it was not for the production and investigation (with the reputation of accredited journalism) of Now, Bill Moyers, Nova, NPR and a few objective news papers, such as; the Washington Post and independent radio stations and the internet they may have gotten away with the story never being told...I can not tell you the best thing George W. Bush has ever done because it is probably an action, such as; the support to cure aids and 500 square miles of coral reef habitat ... Conservation and Management Act; in 2009 the Senate clears the way for passage of legislation that would expand wilderness protection to more than 2 million acres of public land nationwide, mostly in California and the west; to cover up the worse things he has done. You know, Bush, he will support you if he gets good publicity and remember, he never forgets an ally.

Commenter: kate
Bush's worst decision was becoming the President! The Best decisions is he is finally leaving office!
The last 8 years were "hell" for working Americans and wonderful for the wealthy! This was the worst President in many ways as ever elected- oh I forgot he was not elected he was appointed in one of the most corruped elections ever!!!!!!!!

Commenter: SPENCER ADAMS
WORST DECISION:
Conveniently believing Ahmad Chalabi and his defectors, putting together a PR campaign to sell the WMD story, knowing it was fatally flawed, and convincing the news media that the country was in immediate peril.

BEST DECISION:
Leaving office without completely destroying the Constitution.

Commenter: Ilof Musich
Beyond a doubt, invading Iraq was THE worst decision. And the decision to invoke expanded executive powers to suit himself in his waging of war about as bad as his relaxation of the long-held Geneva Conventions to fulfill his obcession with torture and treatment of prisoners. Between you and me, though - his very worst decision was to pick Dick Cheney as VP.

Commenter: Sabina
The 1.2 Billion Abstinence Only Program that was ineffective, fraudulent, and Scientifically Unenlightened.

Commenter: Anna Daniher
I don't believe that George Bush ever made a well thought out decision in his life. He appears locked in at about 8 years of age. Family wealth made it possible for him to pass as an adult some of the time. But the troubled child was always in charge. His behavior has been excused for his entire life. A luxury that few of us can imagine. We have paid a high price to have a man in the White House who wasn't capable of holding down even a menial job. I hope we can recover from his disastrous 8 years.

Commenter: PeteDaly
His worst decision was to run for presedent. As far as his best.........can't think of one. Huh!

Commenter: Robert Hertz
I voted for the guy--and have lived to regret it. The war in Iraq was a war of choice; His insistence on deregulation, whether it be the environment or natural resources, his use of torture, his holding of prisoners without trial--even the Nazis got trials; his disregard for the constitution, especially with his signing statements; his total lack of control on spending, adding nearly $5 trillion dollars to the deficit at a time when it wasn't necessary; plus a whole host of other decisions that were simply bullheadedly wrong. Good bye, George, and good riddance.

Commenter: Susan Rhea
In addition to the obvious (imperial war against Iraq, imperial presidency), this morning I was struck by this thought. Wasn't the Congress gripped by a basebale steroid abuse investigation at the same time the egregious predatory loan and bundling fiasco was reaching a climax? We were consumed by some overly large muscles on a few men, instead of overly large revenue for a few men on Wall St. When profits are acrueing, and we don't undestand how and why, alarms should go off.

Commenter: Chris Conley
I believe that the worst decision that President Bush made during his tenure was his flaunting of the United States Constitution when he wrote all of his signing statements.

His best decision is expected at 1 pm on January 20, 2009 when he gives up the presidency and end the most destructive 8 years that this country has suffered through in a very long time.

Commenter: richardbdurland@windstream.net
There were no best decisions during the 8 years of King george. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will go down in histry as wars of american agresion over oil.

Commenter: Gregory Williams
Trickle down economics was proven to be catastrophic; although still denyed by the ruling class. Money and wealth does not create charity and sharing, it creates a disease that breeds desire for more wealth and power. In the mean time moving jobs off shore to make a few more cents per item being manufactured eliminated the income necessary for the working class to purchase the now foreign made products and support the business structure.
Reduction and elimination of regulations just compounded the problem yet many in power are claiming the problem is that remaining regulations have a strangle hold on them. The more regulations are lifted the worse this financial crisis will be.
Perspective has been the problem all around. Note President Bush stated one of his biggest regrets was not finding WMD in Iraq rather than his having acted on intellegence that was spun to fit his pre-determined agenda resulting in the unneccesary loss of many American lives.

Commenter: G. Sedbrook
It seems like "RAIDING THE NATIONAL TILL" for themselves and their cronies was the real agenda - a war just being one of the excuses, Neil B. was in the middle of the Regan era savings and loan scandal- has his fingers in the no child left behind contract
- tried for the ports security contract, etc. etc, Jeb probably made out bigtime helping inflate Fl. real estate and getting out before the crash, and the boys at the top in with military contracts, security contracts, big oil, Ken Lay type people etc.

Commenter: Jim Crider
On September 12, 2001 President Bush had an opportunity to lead America: not just to be a "war" president, but to shape our country and world in a positive direction. FDR asked Americans to conserve materials and buy savings bonds, but even those requests were aimed merely at defeating an enemy on the battlefield. President Bush could have gone further. He could have asked us to loosen the grip that regressive Middle Eastern countries hold on the United States and cripple the terrorists' flow of money by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. He could have asked us to carpool to work and insulate our houses and buy spiral light bulbs. He could have raised gasoline taxes and offered rebates to the poor. He could have created bigger incentives to develop solar and wind and tidal and geothermal power sources. Instead, he asked us to hate terrorists and support Guantanamo. He asked us to shop and spend and use more energy instead of less. Every crisis president can choose progress or reaction. Bush chose reaction, and that is his greatest failing.

Commenter: John Kirwin
I can'think a good or positive decision in the past 8 years.

His worse was running for president in 2004.

Commenter: Scott Goebel
The worst decision that George Bush ever made was to select Dick Cheney as his Vice President. The last eight years would certainly have played out much differently if John McCain or Colin Powell had been (second) in command.

Commenter: Connie Barclay
Going to war in Iraq was the worst decision. A good leader never, ever goes to war until it's the last resort. His second worst decision was having no plan for peace in Iraq. What a disaster! His third worst decision was a series of actions to weaken every environmental law on the books and to cover up the scientific evidence that keep mounting about the effect of human action on global warming. At every turn he made the decision to leave the planet and its citizens worse off than when he came into office. He chose money every time. The only thing I can give him credit for is some work on AIDS in Africa. What a mess he has left.

Commenter: Gary L Warn
The worst decision was the American people who elected this lame brain for two terms! Iraq should have never happened, the military should have finished in Afghanistan first, let the people in Iraq over throw the dictator in their country. We never have found bin Laden? Mission accomplished a joke! Our country is going down the toilet because of our own government and with the so called leaders like Bush are helping this along real well, lets include congress in this also!
Bush had no foreign policty, refused to talk with other leaders like President Chavez and the president of Iran? Why?
Some point in time we as a nation will will be gone!

Commenter: George Corneliussen
The Bush legacy, among other things, will be a clear example of what happens when a nation loses it's focus on the basics of what it takes to run a country or society successfully.
While we can hang all the things that went wrong over the last eight years on Bush's shoulders,how many of those things went wrong because we the people weren't paying attention or participating in our own lives ?
If we simply go about business as usual and think that because we can blame all our problems on an ex-president we will be fooling ourselves to the point of extinction.
I guess I'm saying that the Bush legacy may be documented proof that a country can't be run successfully without the citizens who populate it participating and not just watching from the side lines.

Commenter: Hal Anthony
Mr. Bush's legacy is collectively ours.

U.S. policy in Iraq was the match that lit the world fires currently raging. Posing no imminent threat to the U.S., the Bush Administration led us to preemptive attack there. Having been already devastated by 12 years of immoral economic sanctions which caused widespread death and hardship on Iraqis, our unprovoked attack broke international law and killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and soldiers unnecessarily early on. Bush policies went full force against world public opinion, and placed our troops into position as cannon fodder in our tragic sequence of attempting to force Iraq into obeying the will of the Bush, and bombing the heart and soul out of Iraq's ancient cities and modern infrastructure. Many whom the bombs missed were struck down through U.S. destruction of Iraqi water systems, hospitals, community centers, families, jobs, their environment, farms, villages, and all aspects of their lives. The U.S. has permanently contaminated Iraqi soil with depleted uranium and cluster bombs, and caused their citizens to fear and loath America. After the recent years of failed attempts to build U.S. empire there, the culmination of sights, smells, and sounds of death in Iraq have been brought desperation to the now hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian children, women, men, and families sent to their graves since America has blessed them with little democracy and lots of funerals.

Why, after having created a broken monster of hatred and empire in the name of lies from the Bush family of tyranny, do we continue wielding our broken creation? IT IS BROKEN. Any real semblance of peace and democracy desired in Iraq by American patriots rides on this broken vessel. We must leave Iraq, and start anew, beginning with taking responsibility for the waste and ruin we've layed on their nation. America's bulkiest, overwhelming contribution to Iraq has been atrociously large numbers of dead children and civilians. The world cannot heal until we stand upright and honest about what we have collectively allowed. Mr. Bush's legacy is ours.

U.S. policy was broken when we rode into Iraq. If the horse is dead, we must get off the horse.

Commenter: Michael K.
Iraq invasion - our county protested it and the White House's evidence was unconvincing; our voices as well as most of the world's governments who opposed fell on deaf ears. We lost a lot of credibility.

Commenter: Joan Manning
His worst decision, the one that colored everything else, was to reject those who did not share his narrow, black and white ideology. He thought his rigidity was strength. He did not recognize his own ignorance, and he never understood why he became so unpopular.

Commenter: janice bulter
When the Katrina horror happened it became clear that Mr. Bush did not care about the underclass. Then every action he took after that including the Bailout of the financial companies cemented the fact that Mr. Bush has been and will continue to be a prone in the pockets of the wealthy. I believe that history will be rewritten in his favor. It is not the first time that history books have not reflected the truth and peoples memories will become dim so that they cannot recall the events that occurred in the past.

Commenter: Janice Tone
Bush knows and always knew what he was doing. He funneled money, contracts, power to his "base". He and his fraternity in and out of government have milked the american public just as he intended.
We are talking about a man who went to exclusive prep schools, harvard, and yale. he and his clan must have the most powerful roladex since lyndon johnson.
bush's administration (i.e. cheney, rumsfeld, etc) has people who shaped government in washington for decades.

1. during the first term bush wanted to privatize social security (he knew about the global financial state.....he tried to get paul wolfawitz to head the imf...where would we be he had actually remained head of the imf).
2. after 9/11 bush, our president, gives the most revealing statement to the american public = go shopping. bush knew and didn't care that the u.s. financial system was already a house of cards.
3. he pulls out the "axis of evil" and "war on terror" to lay the groundwork for the rest of his administrations "plan".
4. bush has privatized the military, bankrupted the country, funneled billions of dollars using his latest fake emergency, enriched his cronies (why did haliburton move it's headquarters to dubai when we wanted access to their accounting books)
5. bush didn't even have to testify "on the record" and he had cheney to hold his hand.

there are so many unanswered questions, missing e-mails, testimonies, etc..........

i don't know HOW but i FEEL i've been suckered big time. unless there are some real answers and investigations, i'm NOT proud to be an american anymore.

bush and cheney are HAPPY with their SUCCESS! they really pulled off "mission accomplished".

Commenter: Ron B.
I cannot think of anything President Bush did in his 8 years that I would consider "best" decisions, only the best of the worst. His two worst decisions were to turn from the imperative war in Afghanistan and let Bin Laden and Al Queda prevail in Pakistan in order to take us into Iraq, which has been a blunder that has cost us dearly. His second worst decision was to let Dick Cheney pick himself to be Vice President. Then there's Katrina, the financial implosion, tax breaks for the wealthy while the middle class dissipates, not to get involved in the Israeli/Palestinian situation, and on and on. For his two best decisions: Laura and Barney the dog.

Commenter: Patrick Cone
Mr Bush's best decision was to increase funding for the fight of AIDS in Africa. He is to be highly commended for that.

Mr Bush's worst decision was to enter into war in Iraq, a situation which he never fully understood. The recklessness and foolishness of his and his administration's decisions and action there cannot be justified currently nor in the future. No revisionist viewpoint or rewriting of history will be able to rescue his reputation from the derision this decision deserves.

Commenter: Norman Holly
George W. Bush's best (and only good) decision is his recent establishment of the marine reserve in the western Pacific, around the Marianas Islands. His worst decision was running as a candidate for the presidency.

Commenter: Pam
worst decisions - to invade Iraq, continuing drug war in Colombia without regard to the effect on innocent Colombian citizens, delay on the rescue of Katrina and the continued disregard for the struggles of survivors, permitting torture, illegal wiretapping and generally allowing activities to contribute to the destruction of the Constitution
best decision - to increase funds in the fight against AIDS, establish marine preserve

Commenter: Amy Cox
The best thing about the Bush presidency is that it is over. Although, I hope that the massive corruption, the lies, the theft from the working folk and the move towards ownership of public things (i.e. our national parks and roads) will be a wake up call to folks about the ethical position of the progressives and the greedy, selfish position of the right.

Commenter: James Brady
Best Decision: Not to instigate a coup d'etat to retain power. Choosing to voluntarily leave office instead.

Worst Decision: Tough call. #1 would be instigating an illegal war, torture policy and domestic spying regimen.

Hoped-for Outcome: Prosecution in a civil court for murder of more than 4,000 American soldiers. Read "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" - Vincent Bugliosi.

Commenter: Brooke Millington
I think George W. Bush made only one poor decision: To run for presidential office.

I think George W. Bush did not make a single, good decision. Not one.

Commenter: Kathy Sheridan
The man knowingly stole two elections. He has tortured, was a disgrace with the treatment of those who suffered in Hurricane Katrina, ignored the Constitution, led us into an illegal war, did away with habeus corpus, wiretapped American citizens, (probably Democratic citizens) and enriched his pals like Cheney through the energy policy, Halliburton contracts without competition and the entire Wall Street and housing debacle. His message of fear was self induced. 9/11 happened on his watch!

Commenter: Tom
Capitalism and the Chicago School of Economics of Milton Friedman unfettered. Look at the results. They have no conscious. Billions upon billions of tax payer dollars given away in Iraq and here without any oversight.

Commenter: Allan Hunkin
I think that GWB's legacy is to show us in blatant terms, once and for all so that we finally get it how government should "not" be done. We learned never to hire someone who doesn't believe that government has an important roll to play.

In Canada, he did more for national unity than any prime minister we ever had because he showed us how we don't want to be.

I wish him well on the next leg of his journey.

Allan Hunkin, Author
"Finding The Elegant Solution In Any Situation"

Commenter: C. Reyner
Busch is by far the worst president the
U.S. has ever had. He is a very dangerous man who has much blood on his hands and who
has apparently no sincere feelings for his fellow man and from whom you can't believe a word he says. And on top of that he has installed the biggest cast of incompetent bums this country has ever seen.
Busch and his henchmen were fabulous in
their handling of the 9/11 catastrophe:
their unjustified attack on Iraq, their alienation of most of the world's people
by their actions and attitude, their barbarian use of torture to extract bogus
confessions and info from POWs who may
or may not have been innocent, etc.., ad infinitum.
Busch has also undermined the regulation in
every government department by cutting staff and putting cruel and ignorant incompetents in charge.
Etc,..etc, ad infinitum.
Busch will never admit any of this, not because he is an ignoramus but because he is a bold faced LIAR!!!!
Read and pass on!
Ciao,
C. Reyner

Commenter: Diane
Worst Decision:
To even accept the office of the President of the United Sates eight years ago and then to have the gall to accept his party's nomination again 4 years ago !!!

Commenter: John Hawkins
President Bush, Good job on getting money to HIV/AIDS relief in Africa. However, I do not think that you actually listened to the people throughout your Presidency. I do not know where your head was during Katrina or when you invaded a sovreign country when we were not finished with the busiess in Afghanistan.
I think you misunderstood that a good President is a good servant to the People. A good leader is also a good servant. When needed you, you did not show.
I wish you no ill-will but I am happy for your retirement.

Commenter: Jacqueline O'Connor
And a few more: Bush's good ol' boy appointments to federal agencies (Gonzales, Brown, Rumsfeld, etc.) or his thwarted nomination of Harriett Myers to the Supreme Court.

Commenter: Jacqueline O'Connor
President Bush had few moments which would qualify as "best" and a long list of "worst". For example, his dazed response to the 9/11 attack news, his preemptive strike into Iraq on erroneous intelligence (his and Cheney's), his lack of response to Katrina destruction, his support of torture, his belief that the president is "the decider" regardless of constitutional limits to presidential power. Shall I go on? Perhaps Baby Bush's worst decision was to accept the nomination knowing his own limits. We all suffer his lack.

Commenter: GwenEllyn Nordquist
I believe that "W" has left us with chaos born of ignorance. His worst decision was to put Cheney in the VP seat; his best decision was to get Karl Rove out of the other driver's seat. It will take the rest of my lifetime to bring the US back to it original design. I'm glad I'm not 22 again!

Commenter: edie
Bush's legacy is a trashed constitution, the worst economy since the depression, corruption of the goverment with illegal laws and torture, spying on innocent Americans, rendition, military commissions, ruining our moral reputation in the world, increasing terrorism against America all over the world, lying to get us into a war, lying every day of the Presidency to the end, Hurricane Katrina disaster and aftermath. There is no best decisions only bad ones that will tarnish further administrations for decades. Two wars without resolution, making the middle east and India and Pakistan less secure by aiding military dictators. He will be seen by history as now the worst stolen presidency of our country. He should be held accountable for not preventing 9-11 which he was warned about beforehand and failed to take appropriate actions to stop the terrorists. People who voted for him and didn't stop his illigitimate appointment by the Supreme Coutt in 2000 and subsequent stealing votes in 2004 should stop and think about what they wrought. Cheney and Bush agree that they are above all laws and the Congress allowed it to happen without consequences : Impeachment. Will they continue to do nothing to prosecute them now that they are leaving office? It is our responsibility as we the people to tell Congress what we expect them to do. They work for us as well as our new President. Use your voice.

Commenter: Joanie
We have become the United Corporations of America with facist overtones.

Commenter: Rebecca Squires
The War-

Actual promoting more global warming.

The stigma of a weak and ineffective leader on the world stage.

Giving big business an open pocketbook.

Giving Cheney way too much power.

Commenter: Wendi Chen
The decision to go to war in Iraq is the worst among many bad decisions. The consequences the US has to suffer are numerous: US's poor political standing in the world, moral degradation, all the human lives lost, financial cost, more enemies created that the future generations might have to deal with, Abu Ghraib disgrace, the division of the US internally, and the list can go on.

Commenter: Hubert J Steed
Best? Can't think of any.

Worst? Lying to our country for his reasons to order an invasion into Iraq with "shock

Commenter: Kate vanHorn
Best: Assistance in fighting Aids
Worst: Iraq War

Commenter: Josh Andrews
Mr. Bush's worst decision was choosing Dick Cheney as his V.P.

His best decision was to allow for a peaceful and smooth transition from his administration to Barack Obama's.

Commenter: Mark
The worst was IRAQ. Cannot think of a best!

Commenter: Meteor
People s;hould listen to David Ray Griffin's research into why this country will not face the realities of 9/11.

http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090112195359281

Commenter: mimbrava
His worst decision: to run for president
His best decision: He made no good decisions.

Commenter: Elizabeth Younger
How about his blatant disregard for the consitution? The unjustified invasion of Iraq? His assault on reproductive rights?