'A $482bn deficit would represent about 3% of the total output of the US economy, which is well below some of the deficits seen in the 1980s and 1990s in percentage terms.' Record deficit for next president

'By the measure that matters most, the Bush administration can point to its record in fighting terrorism as a success. There have been no terrorist attacks in America since September 11, 2001. No rival wants to be accused of breaking this streak.' The Battle for a Country's Soul

The best of Bush's Presidency has been this summer, a time when he has largely stayed out of the news!

Is the GWOT being lost?

'Al Qaeda is gaining in strength from its refuge in Pakistan and is steadily improving its ability to recruit, train and position operatives capable of carrying out attacks inside the United States, the director of national intelligence told a Senate panel on Tuesday.'
Intelligence chief cites Qaeda threat to U.S.

And, with the obvious impotence of NATO in the face of events in Georgia, have Bush & Co snatched defeat from the jaws of Reagan's supposed Cold War victory?


Still, at least Bush hasn't indulged in John "We are all Georgians" McCain's empty bombast.

And, on the positive side...
What Rumsfeld Got Right

'Those who controlled the levers of economic and financial policy neglected their greatest responsibility, which was to ensure an orderly financial market and prevent exactly the sort of collapse that we are now seeing. This was a policy failure of massive proportions, not a natural disaster.' The Financial Meltdown Continues

Of course presidents don't really have much control over the economy - although they certainly look to take the credit when things are going well. I guess we have to scratch "kept the economy ticking over OK" from Bush's list of achievements.

Bush's pick of Henry Paulson as Treasury Secretary is looking better all the time. His response in the face of crisis last week was exceptional.

I don't suppose we have mentioned the stark differences in the responses to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike versus Hurricane Katrina three years ago?

President Bush has asked Congress for the authority to spend as much as $700 billion to purchase troubled mortgage assets and contain the financial crisis.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, lawmakers and their aides are expected to work through the weekend in an effort to craft a bill swiftly. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill said they expect the bill to go before a vote within days. According to the a CNN report Bush said: "The risk of doing nothing far outweighs the risk of the package,"
Where will they borrow that money from? China? Columbia?

quote:

Originally posted by Mozart:

Where will they borrow that money from? China? Columbia?

Columbia? Why, are they that desperate? Things must be worse than we thought !

Henry Paulson does seem to be an interesting guy. Still, Bush can't get credit for fighting the fire when he was one of those who thought it was OK to play with matches.

Where does the list of "good things Bush has done" stand at the moment?

- Hasn't seen a terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11

- Learned his lesson on hurricane response (although New Orleans is still struggling; where's the "quick, we need to spend a trillion today" response for that poor old city)?

- Several 'good housekeeping' kind of initiatives that any president would carry out

- Anything else?

quote:

Originally posted by newnickname:

- Anything else?

Absolutely! I understand he is planning to uphold the Constitution by relinquishing his position in January

Yes, I guess that's patriotic of him.

'His position on immigration was admirable and courageous; he was right about the Dubai Ports deal and about free trade in general. He spoke well, in the abstract, about the importance of freedom. He is an impeccable classicist when it comes to baseball.' Bush's Last Days: The Lamest Duck

'Mr Bush’s refusal to cut and run two years ago was indeed a good call, one history may judge to have stopped Iraq’s descent into an ever-blacker hell of sectarian killing and ethnic cleansing. But a prodigious quantity of killing and cleansing had taken place already, and no reader of our briefing this week (see article) could in conscience declare “victory” in a place the American invasion and subsequent civil war ended up laying waste. Iraq remains violent and fractious and its political institutions are weak. It has the potential at any moment to unravel all over again.

And yet to predict that Iraq is therefore destined to collapse into new chaos, or split into Shia, Sunni and Kurdish fragments, or become a satellite of its Persian neighbour, is too pessimistic. Though possible, none of these outcomes is inevitable.' www.economist.com

quote:

Originally posted by newnickname:
Bush on His Legacy: I 'Liberated' Iraqis

The really sad part is when he says that he arrived with 'values' and they never changed.Translate 'values' as 'fixed ideas' and you have his presidency and this president, methinks.

One positive Bush legacy likely to be overlooked is his significant increase in aid to Africa.