Print
E-mail
Share
digg
Newsvine
Facebook
Stumble
Technorati
reddit
Fark
twitterLETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Disrespect of Bush wasn’t warranted
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.
The Las Vegas Sun’s election-eve editorial, “McCain’s empty campaign,” was as stale as the environment surrounding the political climate of McCain’s hopeless attempt to win the election. The time will come in which Barack Obama will be ready for the back burner also.
This will not diminish the importance of any achievements he might accomplish during the four to eight years of his presidency. It simply will be a matter of the nation needing a change in leadership. This will happen.
President Bush is the victim of the evolving need for a nation to experience different approaches to governing, more than any fault that besieged this man. History will be kinder and gentler to George W. Bush than the unappreciative nation that called for his head on a platter.
As people go, as presidents go, no one could have faced and stood up to the bitter days that confronted Bush better than he did. He did what he had to do. He learned from his mistakes, and did better the next time. He did not disgrace the Oval Office as his predecessor did.
There is a feeling of presidential pride in the White House today under Bush that did not exist under Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton knows this better than anyone.
I will support Barack Obama, even though I did not vote for him. He is my president. That is much more than I can say for the Democrats who showered nothing but disrespect and shame on the man who occupied the highest office in the land when it was not merited.
Great job, Mr. President — thanks for all that you gave to this nation!
Discussion: 47 comments so far…
Post a comment
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- Police arrest 2 more in fatal shooting of Metro officer
- Illness theory gaining ground for gambling addiction
- At CityCenter, it’s not your usual uniforms for workers
- Rebels wake up Sunday with top RPI
- Ex-ACORN official gets probation for voter registration plan
- Carl Icahn offers $156 million for Fontainebleau, outbids Penn National
- UFC 106 walk-in music: Griffin changes his tune, secures win over Ortiz
- Woman dies in house fire in western valley
- Despite economy, swank of lawmaker’s fundraisers not in recession
- Vegas-based Majestic Star Casino seeks bankruptcy
Blogs
Robin Leach's Las Vegas Celebrity Watch
Donny Osmond within reach of Dancing With the Stars victory
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Doug Hampton's 15 minutes go national: "Nightline" transcript (4 Comments)
Elsewhere
Spike TV confirms Kimbo on TUF Finale (1 Comment)
Robin Leach's Las Vegas Celebrity Watch
DWTS Finale: Top three couples perform three dances
High School Sports Scene
How Gorman saved the school district thousands
Politics: Ralston's Flash
GOP consultants Rogich, Ernaut back Democratic AG's re-election (4 Comments)
Audio: Ex-Gov. Bob List accuses Harry Reid of "abuse of power" on health care (1 Comment)
Calendar »
- 24 Tue
- 25 Wed
- 26 Thu
- 27 Fri
- 28 Sat
-
Thanks-Spinning with Z-Trip at Moon
Moon Nightclub | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Food Drive at Coyote Ugly
Coyote Ugly | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Surfer Blood with ACoSA at Beauty Bar
Beauty Bar | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Ladies night at Feelgoods
Feelgoods
-
Canned food drive at Pure
PURE | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
This was a nice letter, very generous and Sir I think your heart is in the right place. However, ANYBODY, particularly any of our past Presidents would have stood up to the bitter days of this Presidency better than Bush did. The fact that he's still in office is no testament to his talent. Bush has failed at everything he set out to do and the good people of our country finally came together and voted him out. Nobody, including Clinton has brought more disgrace and failure to the office of President than Bush. Don't cry for George Bush, he alone brought about the vast world of problems (too numerous to mention here!) which Obama now must try and resolve on our behalf. I say shame on President Bush, if widespread criticism is all he gets, then he will be getting off easy. Lousy job Mr. President, sorry for all the damage you did to this nation!
"As people go, as presidents go, no one could have faced and stood up to the bitter days that confronted Bush better than he did."?!?!?!
I think many Presidents would have stood up to the situations faced by President Bush without resorting to torture and the elimination of habeas corpus. I think any number of Presidents would have looked at the office of Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and found someone better than the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association to fill it. I think any number of Presidents would not have adopted preemption as the official policy of the United States. The list goes on and on.
George W. Bush's performance as President (as opposed to George W. Bush the person) deserves the scorn that history will properly dump on it. The President is a fine man, to be sure, but he was simply not a competent President. Hopefully he'll have the good grace to lie low for the next two months.
In the history of the United States there never will be a more hated president than George W. Bush. In his tenure he has brought the reputation and prestige of the U.S. to its lowest point ever throughout the world.
Along with Jimmy Carter, President George W. Bush will stand side by side as two of the most incompetent, bungling presidents in our history.They have both earned the scorn and disdain of the people of this nation that will stand for decades.
"He did not disgrace the Oval Office as his predecessor did."
I respectfully disagree. Put in the kindest terms I can find, I believe Bush made a mockery of the Constitution, and I am a stunned witness to the rampant degradation of the checks and balances upon which our country was founded, and by which our Democracy has survived to this point.
As you look around you and wonder about the underlying rage in your liberal brothers and sisters, please understand that it is not because we are bad or evil people. Even though your side likes to say that about us. And, we do not hate Bush!
We are angry because we feel you have supported someone who has literally ignored one half of the country, and in fact belittled and disdained us, for the last eight years. Lest you forget, we are the unpatriotic ones. Remember us?
Whatever Mr. Bush may be at home, to many of us he has been a horrendous president. Not only in his performance and his apparent disdain for the Constitution (Geneva Convention, etc...), but also in his willingness to lie. Repeatedly. To all of us and to the entire world.
However history may judge President Bush, of even more interest to me is how Karma will judge Mr. Bush.
If Bush had shown ANYONE an ounce of respect, he would have received in return.
But you get what you give.
I'm so tired of the cognitive dissonance that is pouring out of the right wing, especially since Tuesday night.
vsestini ..... Carter was not a good or effective president. But I wouldn't quite put him in the same category as GWB if for no other reason than Carter is one of the greatest humanitarians to grace the planet.
Do you think the same can EVER be said for GWB?
"President Bush elimination of habeas corpus"
Bush never eliminated habeas corpus.
Habeas corpus has never been extended to non-citizens not held on US soil. The Supreme Court opened a panadorm box by ruling otherwise.
The only President that eliminated habeas corpus rights to citizens is President Linclon.
The only President that eliminated habeas corups rights to non-citizens held on US soil was President Roosvelt.
Bush was following what every other President has followed and that is no habeas corpus rights for non-citizens held on non-US soil.
Now, the crazy whining liberal left has greatly weaken the USA's ability to defend the safety and life of its citizens.
GWB has lied to the American public, ordered the torture of innocent people, shredded the constitution and involved us in a war without end.
Please advise us all of his achievements, I would love to hear about them.
You've got to be kidding. This guy's whole mantra was making the rich richer- the way rich way richer - on the backs of average Americans.
Don't you people have anything better to do? How about volunteering at a homeless shelter this Christmas?
@mikegino
How about volunteering all year round? Homelessness and need know no seasons-especially in the past 8 years under the Bush II administration and especially here in Las Vegas.
Many of us quietly volunteer year round to genuinely make a difference in our communities and neighborhoods and not out of some misguided need to inflate our egos or assuage our guilt once a year. It never ceases to amaze me how pious and ignorant people usually have 3 fingers pointing back at themselves when trying to disparage others.
"...the crazy whining liberal left has greatly weaken the USA's ability to defend the safety and life of its citizens."
Hogwash nance! It's when you spew total B.S. opinion as fact that you lose me. Completely!
Please please please, for the love of God, stop taking Rush Limbaugh at face value. He's an entertainer, not an expert. He opines, he does not report.
Mikegino "How about volunteering at a homeless shelter this Christmas?"
That is a great idea mike. I'm impressed. Pick one and we will meet there. It'll give us a chance to talk politics in person while doing some good will.
Mr. Nance,
The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of what is and what is not Constitutional. You admit in your own post that the Supreme Court ruled against the Bush administration regarding their holding of prisoners at Guantanamo without charge. So you contradicted yourself; apparently the people being held at Guantanamo DO have habeas corpus rights.
I did not contradict myself.
No president, until the recent Supreme Court ordered Bush to, has ever extended habeas corpus rights to non-US citizens held on non-US soil.
You falsely stated that he eliminated habeas corpus rights. Bush was following habeas corpus law in the exact as fashion as the the other 42 US Presidents have done.
The Supreme Court has now expended habeas corpus rights to non-Us citizen held on non-US soil.
It is a crazy decision that puts us all at risk. I am sure that you are very happy that non-citizens held on non-US soil can now petition the US courts.
There are only two presidents (there could be more) that I know of that issued excutive orders residing habeas corpus. Linclon stripped US citizens living in some Northern states of habeas corpus. Lincoln had Northern governors, senators and, press held in northern jails and they could not petition the courts.
President Roosvelt order to strip away the habeas corpus rights of 7 man that landed and were captured on US soil to sabotage US industry. Several of the men were held US citizenship. All the men were held on US soil in a US jail. Roosvelt's execute order explicitly said they did not have habeas corpus rights. The 7 men were declared enemy combantants (not POWs) and eventually executed as a result of a findings by a Special Military Tribunal. They were not tried in a US court or a US military court.
Disrespect Bush, or you serious! He belongs in jail! Our moral standing in the world opinion has been severely damaged. He lied us into a war that has cost us over 4000 life's and made his friend's billions and our military has been weakened and stretched to the point of near collapse and would be hard pressed to respond to any other emerging dangers. Tell me how the right can say liberals have weakened our security? Our scientists have been degraded and had their reports suppressed or twisted by incompetent political appointees to fit political ends. Incompetent political hacks have been appointed to important posts and have screwed up, costing us BILLIONS of dollars and in some cases LIFE'S. Katrina and FEMA come to mind anyone? He has made the rich richer and the poor poorer and the middle class the scape goat. Our country's economy is in the toilet and his bailout is helping his cronies not main street. And last but not least he has lied to us, and used the Constitution he was supposed to protect like toilet paper. Bush,Cheney, his administration and his political crony's and hatchet men have committed so many crimes against us it will take a generation to cleanup the mess. Only the ignorant, dim witted, uneducated, or twisted religious right wing would say Bush deserves respect. So I ask you sir, what category do you fall in.
Mr. Nance,
Prior to GW Bush taking office no other President had seen fit to take as prisoners non-combatant non-citizens on foreign soil and keep them in isolation with no access to courts. The Supreme Court never ruled either in favor or against this practice because no case of this sort had ever been brought before them.
So President Bush was not doing what 42 other Presidents had done. No other President had ever tried this. Even the Nazis were given speedy, fair trials after the Second World War.
In direct conflict with your point, the Supreme Court ruled in Johnson v. Eisentrager in 1950 that non-citizens combatants held by the US on foreign soil did not have habeas corpus access to US courts.
The recent Supreme Court ruling overturned that ruling.
Also, this practice goes way back. During the Mexican-American War (1846-48), Mexican guerrilla fighters and civilians supporting them were attested and tried by US military in Mexico. None were given habeas corpus access to US courts.
As for......"Even the Nazis were given speedy, fair trials after the Second World War."
Your statement also proves my point. None of Nazis were given habeas corpus access rights to US courts. Some were held by the US but were held on non-US soil. Some even tried to files writs of habeas corpus but all were denied.
What kind of an IDIOT thanks Bush for screwing up this nation, probably beyond repair. Bob Jackoff you're way outta line.
nance: I want you to know I actually do appreciate your stats and historical fact checking and such. Honestly. I think the squirly point is that you like to challenge others sources when you do not agree with their facts. I'm not talking Newsmax or even Fox either.
So I wonder if you know, who was the last president to fabricate evidence in order to lead the country to war? And since much of the "evidence" came through the Pentagon via the office of a Bush appointed lawyer who "reinterpreted" intelligence data (with a preference!), much of which was already determined to be bogus, can you also tell us the last time that happened?
Lastly, on the habeas corpus thing. It's all semantics to me. I am unaware of any administration in the history of our country which has shown a clear pattern in every way of trying to systematically ignore, redefine or re-interpret peoples rights and freedoms. Especially including trying to figure out how to torture people, either legally or by redefining what is legal. Has any US president done this?
I believe it was Pakistan who who took the Guantanamo prisoners into custody and turned them over to the United States. At that time we had no idea who these people were or where they came from. It was never proven that the Binladen gang was responsible for 9-11.
"Lastly, on the habeas corpus thing. It's all semantics to me." I guess the facts thingy gets in your way.
As for Bush lying about Iraq havinb WMD, they you must also accuse Clinton of laying about IRAQ having WMD's. Clinton was saying Iraq had WMD's up to the end of his adminstration. He even used it justified an attack on Iraq.
You should be consistent and accuse both Presidents of lying. But you will not because you a partisan "I-hate-Bush" koolaid drinker.
Thanks for the lame answer nance. I mentioned a pattern of practice, you responded with a single issue. You leave out Bush's (preference-adjusted) evidence that Clinton never had, and that Clinton never invaded the country.
Enjoy your Clinton fantasies. They mean nothing and they do not address what I said.
"you a partisan "I-hate-Bush" koolaid drinker."
This stupid koolaid thing has run it's course. That's what you always say when you have no considered answer. It's an easy out for you.
Zzzzzzzz
There is not enough room to cover everything so I'll just cover the topic that has been around the longest. Bush had some of the most experienced people in US Government affairs in his cabinet and his advisor team. He is a stubborn president who did not listen to anyone once he got an idea into his head. He invaded Iraq against the advice of senior administrators and elected officials, not to mention other nations' leaders. He squandered whatever political capital he had after were attacked in 2001. And now it is up to the next president to clean up the mess.
Clinton never invaded a country?
Have you heard of Bosnia?
Bosnia did not attack us.
Congress did not authorize Clinton to invade Bosnia.
The UN did not authorized Clinton to invade Bosnia.
Guess what NATO is still there and will be there long after we leave Iraq.
We are spending tons of money in Bosnia.
There many troops stuck in Bosnia when they could be helping us in Afghanistan.
I have read all the comments and my response is simply that you needn't show respect for the man but at least show respect for the office.Also it's not "up to the next President to clean up the mess" it's up to him to lead according to the "Bill of Rights"and "The Constitution of the United States" Please express your opinions but show respect for the right of others to hold opposing views and voice them aloud
Bob Jack: Are you absolutely crazy????
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Hurricane Katrina
Record Oil Profits
Worst economic crisis in US history
George W Bush is an absolute buffoon and he has made a fool out of you!
Thanks for clarifying nance. Clearly the Bosnia and Iraq situations are utterly identical.
"show respect for the office"
The office has no Ego and requires no respect.
You keep saying that stuff that does not match the facts because you drink so much of the "I-Hate-Bush" kool-aid for so long.
You say Bush lied about WMD yet Clinton, Israel, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Japan and the British were all saying that Iraq had WMD's.
You said that Clinton did not invade a country but he did and he did it without consent from Congress or from the UN.
Yawn...drink you're own kool-aid nance. Bush and Clinton are a million miles apart. Arguing with you is like a Rhodes Scholar versus C Student. You're only chance of winning is diversion and distraction.
Bush fabricated evidence and started an illegal war, which we are still fighting today. Clinton's "war" had our troops home quickly. Bush lied and said Iraq was going to use to WMDs on us. Clinton never said any such thing.
The Taliban is doing well in Afghanistan. They're making a comeback thanks to your moron in chief. Iraq will go down in history as a massive blunder by a stupid stupid man.
Bosnia? Bosnia? Anyone remember that?
Mr. Kool-aid "I-Am-Blinded-By-Hate", here are quotes where Clinton, his national security advisor and his sec. of state. say that we sould fear Iraq's WMD's being deployed against us and our allies.
Very similar to what Bush said.
"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998.
"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998.
"For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998.
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
As for " Clinton's "war" had our troops home quickly", we are still in Bosina and will still be there long, long, long after we left Iraq.
Clinton did a bang up job. Did he not allow a large army of terrorists to build up strength in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Die he not had several opportunities to either kill or capture Bin Linden?
Did e not allow terrorists to sneak into our country and take flight lessons under his nose?
"I-Am-Blinded-By-Hate"
You forget silly boy. One of us actually works to own his shadow. The other does not.
No need to continue nance. You believe whatever you like. I'll happily take Clinton over Bush any time, and Bush will continue to receive the respect he deserves from me.
BTW, I understand Obama will undo the Stem Cell Research ban upon taking office. Executive Order. Fantastic huh? He plans to start undoing the Bush B.S. right away. I can hardly wait!
By the way nance, I've made it clear elsewhere on this site. I do not hate Bush. You can stop saying that to me any time. Kool-aid too. I never visit Kos. I find it boring to listen (read) ultra-left or ultra-right perspectives.
JohnVegas,,,,,too bad you run away so fast from the facts. You probably ran so fast that you bump into yourself.
You said -- Bush lied about WMDs but you can not face the facts that Clinton said the exact same thing to attack Iraq.
You said --- Clinton never invaded a country but he did.
You could not bear to hear that about the facts about habeas corpus.
You should stop while you are so far behind.
Zzzzzzzzzz
1998, Jim. The year on ALL of your citations is 1998. And do you remember what happened that year AFTER all those quotes were made? Well?
Bombing runs, Jim. Sites that were either determined to have been or thought to have been weapons sites were bombed & destroyed, Jim. IOW they were LONG GONE by the time Bush had to get his war on & lied to do it.
And what did "your side" do at that time in 1998? WAG THE DOG! WAG THE DOG! WAG THE DOG!
Bosnia .... can I assume you HAVE heard of "ethnic cleansing"? Yeah, that's why we "invaded". And again, what was the response from "your side"? WAG THE DOG! WAG THE DOG! WAG THE DOG!
Pakistan/Afghanistan .... let's see if you can remember the MISSILES that Clinton ordered fired at a location where bin Laden was suspected of hiding out. Missed him by less than two hours as I understand it. One more time, what was the response from "your side"? WAG THE DOG! WAG THE DOG! WAG THE DOG!
And what has the Shrub done to get bin Laden? What's that, Jim? "He's just not a priority" is IIRC how Shrub put it WRT to bin Laden.
I can't for the life of me figure out how ANYONE was supposed to stop ANYONE from taking flight lessons, but I'm all "ears" to hear how that could have been done. I assume you have all the answers, right?
Incredibly disingenuous of you, Jim.
Uh oh Patricia, you took the bait! Now you're going to endlessly fight while nance tries to re-Right history, redefine historical events, and mostly, never, ever, ever admit he is wrong.
Nato Airstrikes = U.S. Invasion
Iraq War Redo = Bosnia
Al Gore = Nothing to do with Internet
Wikipedia = Stupid
Clinton = Sexist
Bush = Messianic
jfnance = uber unpwnable
Just fyi.
Like I said, john; I've been at this a long, LONG time and I am truly (madly & deeply LOL) tired of the same old talking points being thrown out there as "facts".
And that is why whenever ANYONE claims to have received their "information" from NewsMax, I pretty much go ballistic.
There were days during the past close to eight years that I swore these people could watch Shrub murder someone on video and they'd blame Hollyweird; THAT'S how deeply ingrained this belief system is in them.
Scary.
"IOW they were LONG GONE by the time Bush had to get his war on & lied to do it."
LOL......I guess you are either calling Clinton a liar or an idiot for on July 23, 2003 he said about Iraq: "It is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons."
Then maybe you can explain where they were and why BushCo COULD NOT FIND THEM.
Come on, Jim; you seem to have all the answers. You post as if you know everything.
WHERE WERE THEY???
And THEN you can explain why the "rationale" for the war changed from WMDs (oops ... couldn't find any) to al Qaeda/Saddam links (oops ... no there weren't) to spreading freeDUMB and DUHmocracy (can one do that when an opposing military force is kind of ruling the roost?) to the saddest one of all .... "he tried to kill my Daddy".
Come on, Jim. Serve up your wisdom & explain this.
IMHO, the data on WMD was not the same for Clinton as Bush. I think it was probably clear to Bush that the WMD may have been largely destroyed when he came to power, but that Saddam could not reveal this because of his conflicts with Iran and the potential for anther conflict with them if he allowed confirmation of the WMD destruction. Hence the standoff.
The Bush agenda in Iraq was predetermined even before he took office (the same people tried to get Clinton to do it). Therefore the need to create newer and more "concrete" evidence by using lawyers to interpret yellow cake (etc...) instead of intelligence people, and the clear and well known preference of the administration for supportive intelligence and the willingness to overlook everything else.
Never believed the yellow cake, or the poison spraying jets, or the labs on wheels, or the 9/11 connection, or any terrorist connections or anything else. I only believed that Bush and his buddies were dead set against removing Saddam at any cost. They said so. They did it. They were not objective. The were predetermined and preferential.
Now Iraq is largely destroyed and a haven for terrorists. Which, I might add, was predicted in advance as the likely outcome. AND, the oil is going to China as if the wound needed some salt.
I guess since Bush was the decider, he'll be taking all the blame for the fiasco no matter what nance thinks. I'm waiting for that. And the hell freezing over deal.
Did I read lowest approval in history today?
I still don't understand how ANYONE can buy into the Saddam/al Qaeda connection ESPECIALLY when you consider that Iraq was a SECULAR nation and al Qaeda is ALL ABOUT strict Islamic law. Never the twain shall meet.
This is what I mean by cognitive dissonance and complete disconnect from logic or reality.
Yes, Iraq is completely destroyed and BushCo's buddies are reaping windfall profits ostensibly to rebuild that which we destroyed (except the rebuilding seems to be taking a bit longer than anyone thought; imagine that). How many billions/trillions of WE THE TAXPAYER'S dollars have disappeared in the name of "rebuilding"? Can you even imagine the outcry of indignation and the calls for impeachment from the rightards if all was the same except the "leader" had a "D" after his name?
I see Jim STILL has yet to respond to direct questions I posed to him on this and another thread. What a surprise.
Patricia "I see Jim STILL has yet to respond to direct questions I posed to him on this and another thread. What a surprise."
In all these conversations, with him and others like him, I just hear Limbaugh's take. Or Hannity, Savage, O'Reilly, etc...
It gets old. I feel like I'm arguing with some right wing hate radio host all the time. I'm forced to do research to prove facts that I know are public, but that these entertainers choose to ignore so they can have an incendiary show and remain popular.
An example would be how Glen Beck (and others) are touting that global warming is a sham, based on the sole opinion of one person. One person versus tens of thousands of scientists globally? Thanks to these right-wing entertainers, we have to continually battle to prove it's even real, let alone do anything about it.
I can't believe anyone thought Glen Beck on the airwaves was a good idea.
Then again, they gave Joe "Dead Intern In My Office" Scarborough his own show. Don't know why anything surprises me after that.