I know my support for Bush is derided by numerous small minded extremists on the left and right. But that puts me right where I want to be when it comes to getting any nod of respect. Those egomaniacs who have a network TV grasp of what it takes to wield power in this nation regularly display a level of ignorance that is not a testament to their brain power but to how far our education system has rotted out. Sorry for the negative start to this, but years of baseless Bush bashing has left a sour taste with me.

President Bush has been, by any objective measurement, a huge success. From his first small test with China capturing one of our spy plains to his Herculean challenge from fanatical Islamo Fascism, President Bush has been a success. No success is perfect, and the double-digit IQ geniuses who point to irrelevant imperfections in our endeavors, so they ignore or deny the larger results, really don’t diminish the results. They simply diminish themselves.

For example, Iraq was never going to be won easily or perfectly. That fact it was ‘won’ prior to Bush leaving office is example of how tenacity and determination wins out over laziness and weak spines. Perfection is a myth, today’s democratic Iraq is not a myth.

On the most recent anniversary of 9-11 I began the long ‘good-bye’ to this great man. Today, on President Bush’s last full day in office, we complete the ceremony. Since my last post the nation has renewed itself again. While a lot of wannabes rejoice the fact that the man who made them look small and confused is finally not going to be able to prove them wrong again from the White House, his core supporters in the center wish him well and give him thanks for all he did. Those of us not blinded by the extremist fringes see the end of a great administration.

Many people are out reminding the world of President Bush’s accomplishments, since those small strange creatures in the liberal news media are loath to acknowledge all the times Bush was right and they were wrong. I especially liked these observations:

In the avalanche of abuse and ridicule that we are witnessing in the media assessments of President Bush’s legacy, there are factors that need to be borne in mind if we are to come to a judgment that is not warped by the kind of partisan hysteria that has characterised this issue on both sides of the Atlantic.

Emphasis Mine. Right here we see a key and important victory of George Bush. In the battle between President Bush and the news media, the news media is the one bruised, beaten and on the verge of collapse. So many ‘news’ organizations sacrificed their reputations on the alters of their liberal partisan egos that their companies are bankrupt. The only thing of value – their objectivity required to produce information (their product) – is gone. In terms of fiducial responsibility to their shareholders and employees, these fanatics committed political suicide in trying to take down President Bush. Today the liberal news media no longer speaks with unquestioned authority. Today we are amazed when these wannabes can get a story half accurate with no major mistakes.

But I digress, back to my point:

At the time of 9/11, which will forever rightly be regarded as the defining moment of the presidency, history will look in vain for anyone predicting that the Americans murdered that day would be the very last ones to die at the hands of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists in the US from that day to this.

The decisions taken by Mr Bush in the immediate aftermath of that ghastly moment will be pored over by historians for the rest of our lifetimes. One thing they will doubtless conclude is that the measures he took to lock down America’s borders, scrutinise travellers to and from the United States, eavesdrop upon terrorist suspects, work closely with international intelligence agencies and take the war to the enemy has foiled dozens, perhaps scores of would-be murderous attacks on America.

It has become crystal clear President Bush refuses to toot his own horn. In a world of self absorbed politicos who seem to find little of interests outside their own grandeur, President Bush has been a refreshing anomaly. Something Obama better deal with soon if he doesn’t want to turn into a caricature. When compared to Bush Obama looks a bit bloated, especially when you consider what Bush was able to do.

President Bush was noteworthy for being honest and blunt about the challenges facing us. No magic wands, no ridiculous promises, no smoke and mirrors. Sadly for Obama, America assumes that these things exist. Sounds like too much TV to me, along with hyped expectations in a campaign that worried more about winning, than what could be done if they won. When Obama comes up human, he will be rejected for all these hyped and false promises. He needs to prepare now for being human, or else he will be seen as a failure. President Bush never tried to be superhuman.

Read the entire article I linked above, it is very insightful. It stresses the crowning achievement of the President Bush’s two terms in office since 9-11. And that has been the changing of hearts and minds in a region of the world not only foreign to us, but brain-washed into believing all their ills are the fault of America. To say we faced an uphill battle is a gross understatement.

America suffered attack after attack from Islamo Fascists under Bill Clinton. Each anemic and powerless response to those attacks engendered more outrageous ideas and more deadly attacks. By the time Clinton was leaving office in 2001 (an anniversary we are repeating today) Bin Laden was in the final stages of his 9-11 plans on America.

The key players were already here in the US, maybe unbeknownst to Clinton’s security team. The out of date laws that disallowed the NSA from passing tips to the FBI on who in the US might be part of these plans where in full blinder mode. I firmly believe the post 9-11 analysis of the NSA intercepts, and the information they were forced to conceal from the rest of the government, have shown we had the 9-11 high jackers on wire taps back to their controllers in Yemen well before the attack happened. And I am confident those intercepts where under both Presidents Bush and Clinton. We know the CIA tracked many of the pilots to the US under Clinton’s watch. I am certain that if one wants to point fingers, there may have been more information known to the Clinton administration than they admit publicly.

A noteworthy victory for Bush was the changes he put into the FISA statutes that tore down the walls between anti-terrorism and law enforcement. President Bush was recently vindicated on these actions, and as many point out, the proof is in the fact we have not been attacked again since 9-11. While the left railed against mythical conspiracies, Bush stood firm and quietly did what any sane person would do. Now, when a tip comes in there are possible terrorists here in the US communicating with terrorists leaders in Pakistan – they get investigated. Thank you President Bush!

As I said, since 9-11 Bush had to face an enemy that was popular, growing more popular, and growing more deadly. On 9-12-01 Bin Laden and al Qaeda had ascended to the pinnacle of the Muslim world. On that day al Qaeda was the future of Islam and there appeared to be no way to stop that. They had won the lottery. They had done something even Nazi Germany could not do – they attacked us with extreme force and success on our homeland. They nearly crippled our economy and we mourned for months, as the fires under the World Trade Center burned.

But from those ashes a leader emerged. From those dark days a man decided to use his precious time for something few politicians dare do any more. President Bush decided to use all his will and energies to change the world. Seven years later, anyone with an ounce of objectivity can see the results. There are two fledgling democracies now growing where there once was horrific evil and plotting. In Afghanistan the Taliban have been removed from power and now cower in two isolated provinces inside the FATA region of Pakistan. They are not dominating Islam, they are simply trying to not go extinct.

In Iraq we have seen al Qaeda throw everything it has at us, only to come out of the entire event the enemy of the Iraqi Muslim Street. So horrific were their atrocities against fellow Muslims they went from being the future of Islam to becoming the sworn enemy of Islam. al Qaeda, along with their cousin organizations like the Mahdi Army, are now reviled on the Muslim Street. In Iraq al Qaeda destroyed itself within the Muslim Community. In Iraq the tide began to turn. It washed out from Anbar Province and swept across borders. It was the turning point that has yet to subside.

And that is the key testament to George W Bush’s efforts. That is his legacy which no amount of Orwellian history twisting can change. The left fought Bush and sided on doom and gloom. They claimed what was done could not be done, primarily because (as Obama so artfully showed) they did not have the insight or imagination to solve the problem. The only ones surprised with the turn around in Iraq were those clueless in the first place as to how to create a turn around. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. And years of polling prove out the success of George Bush:

Opinions about Osama bin Laden have followed a similar trend. For instance, only three years ago, about six-in-ten (61%) Jordanian Muslims voiced at least some confidence in the al Qaeda leader; today, just 19% express a positive view. In 2003, 20% of Lebanese Muslims and 15% of Turkish Muslims had positive views of bin Laden. Today, seven years after the September 11 attacks, bin Laden’s ratings have plummeted to the low single digits in both countries (Turkey 3%, Lebanon 2%). 

As the chart shows the tactics of al Qaeda, Hamas and other violence driven Islamo Fascist movements is falling out of favor. In fact, the more war-torn the region the more dramatic the drop off. We are not done yet, but compared to the Clinton years, where al Qaeda was ascending, the Bush years have been completely the opposite. The signature success for George Bush is turning this dangerous and sick thinking around. It is no longer vogue to support violent extremists – even Hollywood is starting to wake up to that fact.

Though I suspect the love of terrorists will yet be the undoing of the UN and many liberal movements. They are so clueless to the repulsion people have to these animals. To the lefties they are just showing how brave they are by being able to be used by terrorists as propaganda props. I am sure the pay is awesome as well!

President Bush did so many other things during his tenure it will take years, and maybe decades, to understand the imprint he has left on America. He fixed a horrifically expensive gap in Medicare and Medicaid by creating a purely market based prescription drug benefit which is free to the needy and simply a good drug plan for those who can afford to pay their own medical insurance. It is, to this day, an excellent model of how to integrate social net services with private sector products to create a cost effective solution for those who pay their way while supporting those in need.

The fact the right never understood how to market this success as clear proof they have the better solutions to government is one of those enigmas of stupidity brought on by ego. The extremist right claimed if Bush had liberals buy-in on the plan then it could not be progress! I doubt it really even takes two IQ digits to think that one up (most could do that with just one).

This incredible model of fiscal conservatism while providing a needed service was pilloried by the far right, undermining their president and giving the opening to bleeding heart liberal with no real solutions. President Bush probably refers to this kind of thinking as reverse strategery. I see it as one of a number of missteps by the far right as they attempted to remain relevant in comparison. And it is these missteps that has left the right in a shambles. Anyone missing how the President’s prescription drug coup was an avenue to destroy liberal policies of government handouts without any responsibility surely is not ready for prime time. We had a market solution working, and the response was to pillory our leader. Smooth moves there.

President Bush was able to reduce taxes 3 times, most of those with a Democrat Senate in place. It is not his fault endless GOP Congresses had no fiscal restraint. Yet the far right love to blame the President for Congressional greed. Another shining example of an education system that cannot educate.

President Bush also stood firm on one subject that should be the epitome of the Right to Life movement: Embryonic Stem Cell Research. I have posted for years on the snake oil salesman lies about the potential of embryonic stem cell research, and how the US government can never authorize an industry to be built upon the creation of human beings so that they can be harvested for spare parts. One would think masses of human beings being created for spare parts would awaken humanity. But no, we are still obsessed by the decisions of a mother over her pregnancy. Which one has the potential to slaughter more human beings? Which one is the policy of a government verses a personal decision?

To me there is no comparison of which is the greater evil. A government sanctioned and funded industry to create human beings (and yes, a human embryo is a human being and this can be proven today in any court of law) just to sacrifice them for spare parts, when the science cannot produce one single therapy, just endless cancers and tumors, is the greater evil. A hard decision by a young mother pales in comparison.

President Bush’s stand against government subsidized growing and killing human beings was a start. He stood alone and shocked many. It was an amazing moment. He took on an issue out of right field, one critical to our moral standing, but one way below the public’s radar. Not anymore, now everyone is aware of the issues.

But President Bush never obtained the level of thanks and support from the right to life movement he deserved. The right to life movement has become and industry of egos. It is now more like the money changers at the temple than an act of salvation. There should have been an army rising up beside President Bush to end the legal manufacturing of humans for spare parts. But because Bush changed the focus of the right to life battle (to the more important front), too many felt he had destroyed their power base. So they pushed to hold onto power instead of rise to the real challenge. They began to undermine him and claim he was not fervent enough in the cause. Hypocrisy knows no limits it seems.

The way the far right has reacted to Bush is telling. He superseded their agendas by taking the battles to new levels. He made them look like they were standing still as he found alliances with democrats to make strides to the right. But the far right did not want strides, they wanted dominance. They demanded ‘all or nothing’, most knowing this would destroy any efforts at progress. Too many not knowing that is the oldest political trick in the book to hold onto power. We halted progress to the myth of ‘perfection’. Bush was to be undermined at all costs.

But this led to something else President Bush did in his 8 years. He destroyed the concept of fringe politics. As much as the far left thinks they won (just as the news media gleefully celebrates a Pyrrhic victory over a retiring President Bush), the fact is the fringes are frowned upon. President Obama won because the nation wanted to hear about some fantasy solutions to hard times. He won on touting moderation and centrist platitudes (where Bush has been pilloried for actually making them happen on various fronts). Apparently Ameruica wanted a nice fiction wrapped up in a made for TV media spin. After years of having to minimally sacrifice the nation wants to run back to their fictional existences where all is well.  They neglected to note Bush won many of his scars by being able to bridge the partisan gap. 

Obama’s fiction won’t last. Our problems are very tough and still growing. Obama and the Dems have very little in their arsenal, and none of their ideas will do anything but makes matters worse. And their fringe will rise up just like the far right did under Bush. It will be interesting to watch them scream “Global Warming!” as we chatter our way through the next four years of cooling (this is predicted even by experts inside the global warming camp).

But for me, I will remember a more poignant image of America. That of George Bush holding a devastated young girl after 9-11. President Bush was not lavishing us with ridiculous promises of ‘no worries!’ He was not promising an easy road. He simply promised we would get through it all and succeed. And we did.

Sadly, most of us our too petty to give the man his due for making good on his promises. If you want to see America succeed, just look back to the Bush years. We took on a world war on two fronts, we rose like a phoenix out of the ashes of 9-11, we changed the world’s view of America from a complacent easy target to an ally that can be as dangerous as it is generous.

We took steps to integrate the private market and federal programs to make our elders’ final years a lot better. We reduced the tax burden on families and businesses so they could afford to go after their vision of the American dream. And we avoided becoming the funding source for the massive industrial murder of human embryos for profits. We succeeded, and we screwed up. But in the end we came out ahead.

Are we better off 8 years later? Is al Qaeda fading as a power in the world? Is Islamo Fascism the future of Islam or the enemy if Islam? Anyone can focus on what was not done. All those zero-sum captains of incompetence can cheer their efforts to destroy even modest progress on the false promise of perfection. But I dare anyone to achieve as much in as short a time as President Bush. Kennedy, Clinton, Carter didn’t. Neither did Reaqan or Nixon.

I have a simple example of how easy it is to destroy verses create. Anyone who thinks they are hot stuff can play along. First, grab a tissue and firmly and with great force tear it up. That is destruction. People spent years perfecting the product, it takes a second to destroy. However, to show superiority requires not destruction – it requires creation. To prove to me they are superior all those who tore up the tissue now need to produce one, from scratch, of the same quality as the one they destroyed. No buying a new one.

That is the difference between true success and false success. All the naysayers have not achieved anything. President Bush has accomplished an incredible amount of tangible change. Naysayers have not produced anything. Obama has not won a thing yet, because he has not done anything of value yet. If his first act is to free the terrorists in GITMO, then that is a sign his administration will be a failure. It will be a failure because the man has no vision, no principles and no backbone. It is a sign Obama acts out of a need to be liked or supported, not out of principles. Bush was just the opposite. He infuriated people because if they were in opposition to his goals they couldn’t deter him. It drove many to madness. Which is not a sign of something wrong with Bush!

President-Elect Obama, if you want to know how to succeed, study President Bush. Study how he was able to rack up an incredible number of challenging changes to a massive bureaucracy which has powerful inherent antibodies to any change. You need to study how he did it. You have incredible clout coming into office, don’t waste it placating the fringes. Bush never did.

And to President Bush, you have my thanks and my admiration. It will take a long time for those massive egos to understand their impotence and your accomplishments. It will take a long time for the Democrats to learn that having power doesn’t mean you know how to use it. You used your time in office well. You enacted long lasting and fundamental changes to our fabric of society. You set examples that will take years to appreciate, before they begin to be used as models to make changes we can be proud of (and believe in). You kept us safe, made us feared and respected, and you kept your word. So few politicians can even come close to making similar claims.

Update: Gateway Pundit has some impressive statistics on how well American fighting forces did under President Bush. Another lesson to be learned by Democrats

Tags: 9-11, Afghanistan, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Iraq, Islamo Fascism, President Bush, Tax Cuts