Let's list all of George W. Bush's disastrous incidents, policies, and appointments
Let's just get all of our grievances with the Bush Administration out there, once and for all. The object is not analysis here. Let's simply list as many Bush disasters as we can think of-- no analysis, no sourcing, just briefly name the person, policy, or incident that has been bad for the country.
Four rules for comments in this diary:
1. You may not use the body of the comment form. Your comments should use the title only-- which will limit you to maybe 10 words or so. (That should keep the comments analysis free)
2. One disaster per comment.
3. Try not to duplicate a disaster that someone else has already listed.
4. The disaster must be something that Bush has some plausible fault-- so, no Asian Tsunami. But incidents which simply brought embarassment to Bush, such as the Harriet Miers affair, are allowed, on the grounds that they are embarrassing to the country.
What's the purpose? Well, John brought up a point that he didn't think it was very useful to simply list bad things about Bush without cause/effect analysis, but there have been so many bad things that have happened under Bush, that many of us just need a way to periodically vent about them. Perhaps if we just have a place to list all of the disasters, big and small, that Bush may have some responsibility for, we will get some of our frustration off our chests and we can be more analytical elsewhere. There also may be some venting value in seeing how long the list becomes.
As an added incentive: Whoever posts the most disastrous incidents/ people/ policies will earn a free point from me on their next diary, whether I agree with it or not :-)
I will start with a couple examples.
EDIT: If someone posts a large disaster, such as "Iraq", I encourage the posting of sub-disasters to that disaster as replies to that comment. I will post an example below.
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Comments :
Harriet Miers
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Not a problem.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Attempt to appoint unqualified sycophant to SC-- embarassing
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
He can nominate whomever he wants.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
and when he nominated an unqualified sycophant,
...it's an embarassment to the country.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
He can still nominate whomever he wants.
skymutt approval not required.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
He can. Still a disaster, though. Nepotism.
Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Aftermath of Katrina
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Michael Browne
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Local democrats mostly to blame.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Local assets underwater/decimated. Federal response needed.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Federal response given. Local authorities sitting on hands.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Locals had excuse to be in disarray. Fed Gov't, not so much.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
"Nobody could've anticipated the breach of the levees."
Then video surfaces with weatherman telling Bush about probable breach of levees.
Lies. That's not what he said.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Ok, how about "'I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of
the levees."
"You're doin a heckuva job, Brownie!"
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Budget Deficits
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Necessary in a time of war.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Tax cuts.
Not appropriate in a time of war.
Nitwit.
If you really believe this is the "fight of our lives," how come you're not in Iraq?
Required to bootstrap economy, boost federal revenues.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Budget deficits + tax cuts = bad economics
Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Recession + Tax Cuts = Good Economics
Recession + War = Budget Deficits
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
plus low interest rates
= record home foreclosers and worthless paper in the world financial markets.
It is the economy, stupid.
Out of control spending & pork-- Bush vetoes nothing
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Congress passes it all. They are in control.
Bush respects the "will of the people"! :)
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Bush can sign or veto. Has ultimate control. Buck stops here.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Agree or Disagree is total control? Nonsense.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
I said "ultimate control", i.e. he has the last word.
Didn't say "total control."
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
No he doesn't, Congress has final word.
They can override vetoes.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Not gonna happen
The only veto of an appropriations bill that has a decent chance in of being overriden is a veto of Congress's own funding-- getting paid has appeal across party lines :-)
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
This is Bush's fault how?
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Not his fault, but with current Congress, Bush has final word
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
But war unecessary.
"Everyone believes in the atrocities of the enemy and disbelieves in those of his own side, without ever bothering to examine the evidence." - George Orwell
Needed to insure no WMDs passed to terrorists.
UN inspectors documented that they existed. Saddam would/could not account for them all.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Listen to Scott Ritter's speech from before the war...
...and reply to the comment you promised you would, particularly the WMD intelligence section:
http://swordscrossed.org/node/1205#comment-51037
"Everyone believes in the atrocities of the enemy and disbelieves in those of his own side, without ever bothering to examine the evidence." - George Orwell
Iraq
If you really believe this is the "fight of our lives," how come you're not in Iraq?
Post-invasion looting
Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson
By Iraqis or Halliburton?
If you really believe this is the "fight of our lives," how come you're not in Iraq?
Looting by Iraqis
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Rumsfeld's dumb comments about Iraqis looting
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
What dumb comments?
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Looting by contractors
(that answer your question?)
:-)
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Lies.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Not done by Bush. Not under his control.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
No?
He was told over and over that he needed more troops before the invasion.
Not having the personnel is what led directly to the uncontrolled looting.
If you really believe this is the "fight of our lives," how come you're not in Iraq?
You're just wrong. No realistic number of troops can stop
all looting.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Don't have to stop ALL looting, do have to maintain some control
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
We're good then. Some control was maintained.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
I intended "some" to mean "a certain level of"...
a certain level of control is needed.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
So did I. A certain level of control was enforced.
Not everything was looted.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
not the certain level that would inspire confidence among Iraqis
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Dissolving the Iraqi Army
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Not unreasonable at the time.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
"who'd a thunk it?" --GoRight
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
There were plenty of people who advised against it.
Including Bremer's predecessor, many in the military and many in the State Department.
But the numbskulls in the Executive knew better than to listen to the experts, just like they knew better than the many military commanders who told them in advance that they would need many more troops to adequately police Iraq.
If you really believe this is the "fight of our lives," how come you're not in Iraq?
Who cares? Still not unreasonable under the circumstances.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Clear cut error in judgment. Dissolved army became insurgency
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Mission Accomplished
A politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man -- e e cummings
It was.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
BS
We got suckered into a rope-a-dope, and fell for it hook line and sinker.
A politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man -- e e cummings
We ousted Saddam and freed the Iraqi people.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Not securing the ammo dumps
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Didn't know where they all were. Still finding them.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
BS
link
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Can only spread forces so thin. Priority call on battlefield.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
De-Bathification
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Necessary.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Robbed Iraqi government of know-how. Gov't services crippled
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Humbug. Iraqi's decide whether to let them back in.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Decision made by CPA. Damage done.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Iraqis can vote them in if they want them back.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
moot point now: closing barn door after horse is gone
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
This is nonsense. Iraqis can have Bathists back if they want.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
People don't wait around 4 1/2 years for their old job back.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
No military analyst agrees with that in retrospect.
Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Key words = "in retrospect"
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
"Bring 'em On"
A politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man -- e e cummings
"Cakewalk"
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
"greeted as liberators"
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
"oil will pay for reconstruction"
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
"last throes"
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
al Qaeda fomenting sectarian violence caused resurgence.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
al Qaeda sabotage to blame.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Well, they shoulda thought of that before they opened their yaps
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Payment is just delayed.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
We were by some. Still are.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
not enough, apparently
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Why? Meh.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Because many of them think it's OK to attack American troops now
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Only by al Qaeda + other enemies of freedom and democracy.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Lies. Not Bush.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Bush's minions. The decider chose his minions.
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...
Lies. Who said it?
I thought it was CIA.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
Wrong. Ken Adelman, Rumsfeld assistant. Not CIA. Bush minion.
link
skymutt: wise and powerful... enlightened...