The Bush Presidency in Four Words

by Bennet Kelley

A recent Pew Research Center poll found that the one word Americans used most to describe President Bush was "incompetent". While no compliment, the word fails to convey the condemnation warranted by the last eight years.

There are several words that are more apt, such as "betrayal". Consider the administration's handling of the California "energy crisis". Two months into the administration and at the height of "crisis", the administration learned that the soaring prices were caused by market manipulation -- a potential setback for Vice President Cheney's energy task force whose recommendations would include California-style electricity deregulation. Forced to choose between mitigating what would ultimately be a $45 billion loss to Californians or serving Enron and other cronies, Cheney chose to serve the cronies and ordered that this information be sealed. Even worse is that the administration continued to blame the "crisis" on California's environmental regulations.

The administration would make the same choice time and time again as government became something for cronies to feed on and not something provided for the benefit of the people. This simply is a recipe for failure as we saw with Iraq, Katrina and the current financial crisis.

President Bush weakened or abandoned industry regulations while opening the government trough for corporate looting; doubling the amount spent on government contracts to $412 billion and tripling the amount spent on no-bid or limited competition contracts. This resulted in over $1 trillion in contracts marked by significant fraud, waste or abuse not to mention the $8.8 billion in cash that simply disappeared in Iraq. The most infamous looter, Halliburton received over $130 billion in contracts under Bush and overcharged the government $100 million for a single day's work.

This was merely the appetizer, as Bush abandoned "a strong tradition of wartime fiscal sacrifice" and pushed through $2.6 billion in tax cuts (which one Republican insider said was the "least defensible" economic policy he had ever seen). This giveaway has yielded little return on its investment and for most taxpayers any benefit was offset by higher state taxes and tuition, higher employee heath insurance premiums and gas costs not to mention their share of both the increase in the federal debt (which for a family of four would be $64,000) or the $2 trillion in retirement savings lost in the stock market crash.

Bush also betrayed his oath of office to uphold the Constitution. The conservative Cato Institute characterizes Bush's record as "overwhelmingly one of contempt for Constitutional limitations," as Americans were subjected to indefinite detention and wiretaps while the White House assumed imperial powers through signing statements that the President could disregard acts of Congress.

Just as significant, however, was Bush's betrayal of the public trust and subversion of the democratic process by consistently concealing information and misleading or outright lying to the American people. This was especially true with Iraq where one study identified 935 pre-war false statements made to gain support for an unnecessary war that diverted resources from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and seriously damaged our global standing.

Another appropriate word is "catastrophe". The total costs of the Bush tax cuts, the Iraq War, the financial bailouts and contracting fraud and abuse are approximately $7.9 trillion - which is twice the cost of World War II in current dollars. To put this in context, according to 3trillion.org, this money instead could have been used to fully fund the social security trust fund, repair our critical infrastructure, implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, provide universal health care and internet access and procure five stealth bombers while giving a private jet to every Governor and member of Congress . . . and still have more than half the sum left. That is where we could have been had Bush not been selected as President.

This sum does not account for the nearly 35,000 soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq or deaths that might have been prevented had Bush responded to warnings on 9/11 and Katrina. It also does not account for the additional 4,000 premature deaths each year due to lack of health insurance; the administration's contribution to the 70,000 annual deaths due to air pollution; or the workers, consumers and children killed or injured due to lax workplace, food and toy safety regulation.

The final word is "nightmare" . How else can you describe the descent to Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, the loss of civil liberties, the abandonment of a major American city and a nation on the brink of a depression? The first President that Dick Cheney served took office assuring the nation that "our long national nightmare is over". The same statement would be just as fitting and welcome on January 20th as the incompetent, betrayal, catastrophe and nightmare that was the Bush administration finally comes to a close.

How about "fucked up, fucked up"?

That works for me.

That's the way Dickens would've worded it.

She is sadly misinformed. We all need to step up and make sure there is no success at their attempts to rewrite history.

traitor

treason

criminal

mafia

despot

dictator

imperial

royalty

sociopath

Nuremburg

Hitler

Goering

Goebbels

Amin

Facist

amoral

psychotic

Fun Game. I could do this for hours!

-90% Jimmy

not enough. It seems to me that something must be done. Can we manufacture a new and improved "Guillotine" ? If not, the old design will suffice.

Damn good question!

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

You know, I thought the internets are about the only thing that provided any form of checks and balance and transparency to what our government is really up to.

If the internets were "really that good" then we would have all used it as a tool to overthrow these traitors. We are so not going anywhere near close to that. We will continue to get all we deserve, therefore!

And what we are getting is a government fucked up enough to drown in the bathtub.

Unfortunately, it now seems that all the poor and much of the middle class will also be drowning in that same bathtub.

-90% Jimmy

which is one word that stands for five words. In any case, I agree with you completely. :thumbsup:

It's unlikely that the US will wake up from this catastrophe in my lifetime (I'm 52).

joking aside....

Those 4 words say plenty!!

All Fucked Up

Kinda like "Name that Tune" but for the worst pResidential administration ever.

Totally Fucked Up!!!!!

if you're rich!!

I wish he had been less competent at funneling money to his base - the haves & the have-mores - from the rest of us. And at trashing the country. He has squandered just about every asset the U.S. had when he was appointed.

I'm stil :mad:

overwhelmingly for Obama this time (at least those earning over $200k a year).

Four words to describe that SOB for right now;

43rd Best President Ever.

Then after January 20th, it'll become

44th Best President Ever.

or "absolutely pathetic"!!!

but too many accepted the shithead.

Traitor to the Constitution.

And we know what is done to traitors.

Elections Fraud-Coup, Fiscal Fraud , Treason, Murder, Unlawful war, Torture,
Searching homes w/o warrant = breaking and entering,
Illegal detentions.
Politicising Judicial Dept. Arrest and railroading of Don Seigelman,
Appointing Liberty and Regents U 'lawyers' to the courts with the specific reason to destroy the Constitutional rule of law and instead installing theocracy, Erasing emails, hiding evidence.
I m sure that isnt all but all I have time and patience for.

Wait... that's 2 words. "America's Cancerous, Traitorous Enemy."

Oswego "Tried, Convicted, Sentenced, Hanged" Atheist

Should.
Never.
Have.
Happened.

Those four do it for me.

"Incompetent" supposes that he did not know what he was doing.

He was not Incompetent- he knew exactly what he was doing.

If there was any justice he would be sent to the Hauge and tried for war crimes and if found guilty, hung until dead.

I don't believe in the death penalty. I believe in Justice.

Not to mention: Dangerously Incompetent Failure

missed him before he got in it.

Court (SCOTUS)
Ordered
Usurping (To seize another's place, authority, or possession wrongfully. )
Presidential
'
Seat (the office or authority of a king, bishop, etc.)

And superb!

Thank you...

divorce. After looking all over the net for it in vain I found it on a disc I gave my sister years before! The morph is not my work and wish I could tell you who did it but all I can say is that they did a great job that is for sure!

to stage a coup from Paraguay. With the trillions of dollars they've robbed from the people, they must be planning to build up their own militia. Has anyone wondered about why they have built this huge landing field in Paraguay, big enough for military transports?

Because he was everything that they dream of made flesh. The fact that he failed proves the failure of the whole ideology to succeed.

HOLD THE SCUMMY BUNCH ACCOUNTABLE NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES< STARTING NOW!

And let's not forget the infamous statement, 'The adults are now in charge.'

Oh, I don't know .................	Tangerine LaBamba	Jan-01-09 12:23 PM	#1
Ever So Fucked Up	martymar64	Jan-01-09 12:24 PM	#3
First word four times works for me (nt)	Posteritatis	Jan-01-09 12:25 PM	#4
Miserable Complete Utter Failure does it for me.	NRaleighLiberal	Jan-01-09 12:23 PM	#2
But Laura said "My husband is not a failure."	Enthusiast	Jan-02-09 07:10 AM	#41
Laura is heavily medicated.	BonnieJW	Jan-02-09 01:05 PM	#54
more succinct words	90-percent	Jan-01-09 12:27 PM	#5
But calling them names is	Enthusiast	Jan-02-09 07:12 AM	#42
Something must be done	90-percent	Jan-02-09 10:09 AM	#46
F.U.B.R. nt	Kahuna	Jan-01-09 12:27 PM	#6
or FUBAR	anotheryellowdog	Jan-01-09 12:50 PM	#12
But definitely not SNAFU, since what the Chimpster's done is far from normal...n/t	ms liberty	Jan-01-09 06:48 PM	#33
But, but he kept us safe, didn't he?	Submariner	Jan-01-09 12:32 PM	#7
embarassment, greedy, oil-soaked, nincompoop	bambino	Jan-01-09 12:33 PM	#8
The Daily Show had a perfect word for Iraq. Fits for his entire presidency:	YOY	Jan-01-09 12:38 PM	#9
Nigthmares end, however	TOJ	Jan-01-09 12:38 PM	#10
I am not quite sure if the font is big enough	MadMaddie	Jan-01-09 12:47 PM	#11
Uh, I can name it in 3 words:	abbeyco	Jan-01-09 12:57 PM	#13
The Bush Prseidency in Three Words!!!	norepubsin08	Jan-01-09 01:03 PM	#14
The four most important "Over in twenty Days". n/t	hughee99	Jan-01-09 01:08 PM	#15
Best (p)Resident ever	stilpist	Jan-01-09 01:13 PM	#16
bushco wasn't so good for the rich either--no safe place left to invest. They voted	diane in sf	Jan-01-09 06:14 PM	#31
43rd Best President Ever	47of74	Jan-02-09 11:50 AM	#47
Time	PoiBoy	Jan-01-09 01:13 PM	#17
you forgot "pathetic"	scarface2004	Jan-01-09 01:16 PM	#18
unacceptable is my word	pansypoo53219	Jan-01-09 01:33 PM	#19
Four Words...	empire we are	Jan-01-09 01:36 PM	#20
"motherfucking fuckity fuck fuck"	unblock	Jan-01-09 01:56 PM	#21
COULD YOU USE A LARGER FONT PLEASE? I CAN'T READ IT!	unblock	Jan-01-09 01:57 PM	#22
.	progressoid	Jan-01-09 04:01 PM	#28
SHIT, there that's just one and it accurately wraps up 8 yrs.	pattmarty	Jan-01-09 02:05 PM	#23
Some more descriptive words.	HillbillyBob	Jan-01-09 02:24 PM	#24
"America's Enemy"	OswegoAtheist	Jan-01-09 02:34 PM	#25
My own four words for the Bush *Residency....	pipi_k	Jan-01-09 03:49 PM	#26
'hijacked by neoconservative traitors'. n/t	laststeamtrain	Jan-01-09 03:54 PM	#27
Total Waste of a Human Incarnation	FloridaJudy	Jan-01-09 05:02 PM	#29
Government by sociopathic racketeers, my four word description	diane in sf	Jan-01-09 06:11 PM	#30
we got fucked hard......... n/t	biermeister	Jan-01-09 06:16 PM	#32
Incompetent is Almost a Compliment	dolphinsong285	Jan-01-09 06:52 PM	#34
"Maddening, Immovable, Depressing, OVER!!" nt	WyoHiker	Jan-01-09 07:43 PM	#35
Illegal, criminal, treasonous, traitor.	skyounkin	Jan-01-09 08:23 PM	#36
'Piece of unelected filth' sums it up for me.	Jim Sagle	Jan-01-09 08:27 PM	#37
Stolen	windoe	Jan-01-09 08:45 PM	#38
Apocalyptic	DeeDeeNY	Jan-01-09 11:18 PM	#39
I knew it was all over the day they pelted simpleton's car with eggs. Too bad they	lonestarnot	Jan-02-09 05:56 AM	#40
My new favorite word: Guillotine. nt	Enthusiast	Jan-02-09 07:15 AM	#43
Aux Barricades!	vssmith	Jan-02-09 07:22 AM	#44
I think "clusterfuck of gigantic proportions" covers it	RubyDuby in GA	Jan-02-09 08:18 AM	#45
Fail	TrogL	Jan-02-09 11:52 AM	#48
Our Once-Great Nation	Jester Messiah	Jan-02-09 12:03 PM	#49
Coup's	sce56	Jan-02-09 12:04 PM	#50
Your metamorphosing pics are scary!	CaliforniaPeggy	Jan-02-09 02:24 PM	#56
I would love to take credit for it but I found it back in 03 and lost my copy for a few years due to	sce56	Jan-02-09 09:24 PM	#59
The Worst President Ever	Juan_de_la_Dem	Jan-02-09 12:17 PM	#51
I think Bush/Cheney is going	disndat	Jan-02-09 12:23 PM	#52
how about "a perfect conservative" ?	ginnyinWI	Jan-02-09 12:31 PM	#53
Fascist, Corrupt, Liar and Weasel	Fire1	Jan-02-09 01:50 PM	#55
AMERICAN TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE FROM BEGINNING TO END	judesedit	Jan-02-09 05:40 PM	#57
Miserable failure by any benchmark	oceanman	Jan-02-09 06:10 PM	#58

The Bush Presidency in Four Words

The Bush Presidency in Four Words

by Bennet Kelley

NO KIDDING!