Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Column: For Bush, mission accomplished
By Daniel Earnest
Daily Texan, U. Texas
January 23, 2009

In light of the recent inauguration of President Barack Obama, many are speculating about what legacy former President Bush will leave behind. Of course, because Bush’s approval ratings were so abysmal, people may allow their ephemeral feelings of displeasure to affect their judgment of the big-picture analysis of Bush’s tenure. However, considering his administration in its entirety, Bush will surely be remembered as a good president.

Like Washington, Lincoln and many other presidents, Bush had his fair share of deficiencies. As a very fiscally conservative individual, I have disagreed with many of his policies. For instance, Bush expanded the federal government and spent money in areas where expenditures should have been cut. Also, in the midst of the current financial crisis, Bush did not do a good job communicating his plan for a solution to the American public.

However, these details seem paltry in comparison with Bush’s actions to ensure the country’s security after 9/11. The former president faced some complicated decisions, and whether you agree with his choices or not, it is indisputable that he maintained relative stability in a time of great vulnerability and even greater challenges.

Not enough time has passed to adequately judge the decisions made in the Bush White House regarding the Middle East. As former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice fittingly remarked in an interview, the reunification of Germany did not occur until 1990, nearly 50 years after World War II. Most historians evaluating the Bush presidency now are inebriated with the same lust for instant gratification that the American people were with the war on terror. Like a fine wine, results may take years before they become apparent.

Also, during Bush’s two terms, Saddam Hussein was ousted from power and millions of people were liberated from tyrannical regimes in both Iraq and Afghanistan. If you doubt this, a symbol of these people’s liberation was evident when an Iraqi journalist hurled a shoe at Bush. Though he was able to use his athletic prowess to avert the unwelcome projectile, the incident proves that the Iraqi people are a lot more free to express themselves than they were before – I never heard of any shoes being thrown at Saddam Hussein.

Even after he inherited a recession, Bush facilitated 52 months of continuous job growth. It was only the aftermath of the decisions made by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton regarding the Community Reinvestment Act that led to the current credit crisis and halted this growth.

Perhaps buried beneath the controversy is something else that most people are not aware of. Part of what will help make Bush’s legacy strong is his involvement with the continent of Africa. Under the Bush administration, there have been a number of admirable Africa initiatives, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an improved African Growth and Opportunity Act and initiatives on education and malaria prevention. These programs helped provide millions of sub-Saharan Africans with AIDS and malaria relief.

No other president has ever been more pro-Africa, and at a time when assisting Africa has become a focus of many of America’s youth, one would think the president would get more credit for the aid he provided. Ross Whittaker, a U.S. trade representative for Africa under Bush, has said America “is abandoning the traditional tokenism and ‘parachute diplomacy’ of U.S. policy toward Africa” and is working toward creating more stable democracies and open markets in a region where both have been relatively nonexistent.

All of this aside, Bush is the same man today that he was eight years ago and holds the same principles and convictions he touted for years, despite the rigors that are associated with the presidency. The Supreme Court’s decision after the 2000 election made certain that the Bush administration was not going to enjoy the benevolence of Democrats or the media, but Bush endured the ill will and did what was best for the country, not what was best for his popularity. Bush understands that a statesman can seek to do what is right or what will further his career, and for Bush, the American people were always placed first, even if they didn’t necessarily accept that.

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