When you look at three of the last four second-term presidents at this time in their sixth years, Eisenhower was at 64% approval rating, Reagan at 63.5%, and Clinton at 57%. Only Nixon was lower, at 27.5%, and that was only six months before he resigned in disgrace.
It is short-sighted and foolish for the opposition to crow over this. The situation is much too serious. What has surfaced across America (with the exception of only the most ideologically deaf dumb and blind people among his supporters) is that one word, and one word alone describes the problem of the Bush administration. INCOMPETENCE!
When the nation has been governed by an administration clearly incompetent, there is, and can be, no reason for anyone to gloat.
The torture scandals, the Plame-Wilson scandal, hurricane Katrina, failed Social Security reform, the disastrous Medicare prescription drug program, illegal spying on American citizens, the Halliburton war profiteering scandal, an ever-widening Iraqi civil war, widespread suppression of science, a botched port security deal, continuous appointment of unqualified political hacks/personal friends to important posts---it goes on seemingly without end.
Tellingly, the people sounding the alarm in recent weeks over this administration's incompetence are not the opposition; but rather the Republicans, the Conservatives themselves.
Look at some comments from people who have been part of this president's loyal base:
" When Bush threatened to veto congress's threat to dump the Dubai Ports World deal to manage six American ports (without Bush even knowing about it), Senator Trent Lott, R. Miss, said, "O.K. big boy, I'll just vote to override your veto."
" Bush supporter and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said, "It's"an emblem of an administration that just isn't serious about the competent executions of government as it should be."
" Conservative Rod Dreher wrote in the National Review, "This is a scandal, a real scandal. How is it possible that four years after 9-11, the president treats a federal agency vital to homeland security as a patronage prize? ...Would Conservatives stand for any of this, even for one second, if a Democrat were president?"
" Bruce Bartlett, former Reagan aide and previous Bush supporter, recently called this administration, "Unconscionable, irresponsible, vindictive, and inept." Bartlett also argued that Richard Nixon" "is the model for everything Bush is doing."
" Conservative blogger and TV personality Andrew Sullivan called Bush "reckless" and a "socialist," and accused him of betraying, --almost every principle Conservatism has ever stood for." Sullivan proclaimed, "He is not a responsible human being, he is a phenomenally reckless human being"There is a level of recklessness involved that is beyond any ideology."
Folks, those scathing comments are from Conservatives. I didn't make 'em up. I shall spare you any quotes from people who have not been on Mr. Bush's side.
How did we get here, and what can we do to get the country back on track? I wish I had an answer.
These people have squandered our resources in a fashion that, besides being considered reckless, could also be called immoral. Our debt is simply staggering, to the tune of $100,000 dollars being spent per minute on an unwinnable and unnecessary war.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
