But even then, the reason why I think George W. Bush was worse than Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter (who was also truly incompetent) is because George W. Bush governed as a liberal while claiming to be a conservative. Now, when your average person thinks of the failures of the Bush Administration, they think that they are failures of conservative principles when nothing could be further from the truth.

For example, most people think we have deficits because of Bush’s tax cuts when in truth, they were caused by Bush’s big government ways, bigger than any President since FDR. But try telling that to most people; including many Republicans. George W. Bush moved the entire political conversation to the Left and for that, I think he is one of the worst Presidents in history.

And worst of all, Bush failed with his liberalism and incompetence while claiming to be a “conservative.” Is it any wonder that a significant portion of the American populace is now turned off by conservatism?

Yeah, mbecker908, you may give Bush higher marks than I do.

It’s a wonder he beat John Kerry.

George W. Bush took a bitter Middle East enemy and turned them into a staunch ally.

Say what you will about how W handled Iran, but remember that if it wasn’t for Jimmy Carter’s utter and abject boneheaded handling of Iran in the late 1970s, W wouldn’t have had to worry about dealing with Iran because they’d still be our ally.

If you’re to the right of Bush and you complain, prepare to hear lectures about what the *REAL* issues are and how you aren’t being mindful of the big picture, etc.

And, for reasons cited above, Bush is leaving the country in much more peril than did Clinton.

1. Bush promised to veto CFR. Didn’t.
2. Bush promised that NCLB (an absolute anathema to anybody who is a fiscal conservative or gives a damn about education) would include vouchers. It was a sop. Didn’t happen.
3. Bush got his initial round of tax cuts passed and never did a damn thing about making any of them permanent.
4. Post 911 Bush pursued exactly the right policies in the WoT for all the right reasons. And he hid under his desk for the next five years while the Ds and the media hammered him. He never said a word in his own defense no matter how outrageous the lies. Hell, on 16 Words he agreed with their lies.
5. Immigration reform. Border security. Port security.
6. He nominated great judicial nominees and then let them sit without so much as a peep for up to five YEARS without getting a vote, much of that time with a Republican Senate.
7. Harriet Meirs.
8. He let the NYT and WaPo print classified material in wartime and didn’t even so much as order a federal grand jury to subpoena the reporters and publishers to reveal their sources. Then Thomas Tamm outs himself in Newsweek last month and he’s given a hero’s welcome by the left while Bush plays with Barney.
9. Democrats in Congress publicly compared our troops to Nazis and to Pol Pot. Crickets chirping.
10. One veto in his first four years while Congress went on a spree my ex-wife would be jealous of. Oh, and the veto had nothing to do with spending.
11. Medicare Part D.
12. The bank bailout.
13. The automotive bailout.
14. Steel tariff.
15. Ethanol.
16. The Farm Bill.
17. Faith based initiatives (and I’m an active Evangelical).
18. Did I mention allowing Arlen Specter to get down on his knees in front of all the Ds on the Senate Judiciary while great nominees were thrown to the wolves.
19. Not having John McCain arrested and sent to Gitmo for the torture amendment and the Gang of Pussies.
20. Providing exactly no, zero, nada, bupkis leadership on any issue – INCLUDING the WoT – for the past six years.
21. Leaving us in a situation where the far left will likely make significant cuts to the Pentagon and to our intel resources that we may never be able to recover from. See Frank Church for a shining example.
22. NewTone™.
23. Colin Powell anywhere.
24. Condi Rice at State.
25. Not exercising the necessary leadership to get John Bolton confirmed.
26. Generally being on vacation for the last six years.
27. Offering no response to D & media lies about Katrina.
28. Not holding Ds feet to the fire over corruption. Or anything.
29. Rolling out his push for privatization of SS without so much as even reviewing it with Congressional R’s to get them on board. Doing his little town hall meetings and never mentioning it again.
30. The current condition of the economy.
31. His failure to push the Congress for reforms for Fannie/Freddie. Or anything else. He just sat on his chair in the Oval Office and waited for them to send him stuff.

I could go on for another fifty or sixty bullet points, but the guy has been worthless. Clinton wasn’t worse overall, he was worse on what he left us for the Pentagon and national security, but Bush left the country in such a poor state that Obama’s changes will make you long for Bill Clinton. Plus, the Republican Congressional caucuses have been without leadership for so damn long, I’m not sure they’re capable of actually accomplishing anything or even if they’d be willing to follow a real leader. And, “so damn long” is since Reagan with a very brief moment in the sun with Newt in 94 before he flamed out.

So what if he can’t pronounce “nuclear” correctly.

My hat’s off to him for his eight years in the hot seat.

Considering President Bush is not a great communicator, I thought he defended himself reasonably well. Everybody can’t be Ronald Reagan.

PS: If we read from past diaries and comments and already know a commentator’s stand why do commentators need to keep posting on-liner? We know their stand already. Right?