George W. Bush

George W. Bush
43rd President of the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2001
Vice President	Dick Cheney
Preceded by	Bill Clinton
Personal details
Born	July 6, 1946 New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Laura Welch Bush

George Walker Bush (born July 6 1946, New Haven, Connecticut), is the 43^rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. He is currently in his second term as president, which runs until January 20, 2009.

He is the son of the 41^st president, Texan George H.W. Bush, born in Milton, Massachusetts; brother of the current governor of Florida, Jeb Bush; and grandson of a former U.S. Senator, Prescott Bush. He is only the second president to be the son of a former United States president; the first was John Quincy Adams.

A member of the Republican Party, Bush was elected the 46th governor of Texas in 1994, then re-elected in 1998. He won the nomination of the Republican Party for the 2000 presidential race and ultimately defeated Democratic Vice President Al Gore in a close, disputed election which ended in a Supreme Court decision; Bush v. Gore. In 2004, Bush was elected to a second presidential term, defeating John Kerry, the junior Democratic Senator from Massachusetts.

Life before presidency

File:Bush daughers.gif

George and Laura Bush with their daughters Jenna and Barbara, 1990.

Main article: [[:Early life of George W. Bush and Professional life of George W. Bush]]

Bush is the oldest son of former President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush (née Pierce), born in New Haven, Connecticut. Bush’s family has been in the country since the colonial period, and he is a descendant of the Fairbanks family. His family moved to Texas when he was two years of age. He was raised in Midland, and Houston, Texas with his siblings Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Another younger sister, Robin, died in 1953 at age three from leukemia.

Following family tradition, he attended prep school in New England, at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He also followed in his father’s footsteps and was accepted to Yale University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1968. As a senior, Bush was a member of the secretive Skull and Bones society, as was his father. By his own characterization, Bush was an average student. In May 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, he entered the Texas Air National Guard. He trained in the guard for two years where he learned to fly the F-102. He served as an F-102 pilot until 1972.

In 1974, he obtained permission to end his six-year service obligation six months early in order to attend Harvard Business School, where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1975; he is the first U.S. president to hold an MBA. After graduation, Bush returned to Texas to enter the oil business. Two years later, he married Laura Welch, a school librarian originally from Midland, Texas. Their twin daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush were born in 1981. Bush is the only U.S. president to father twins.

Early in his professional life, Bush ran, or was a partner in a number of oil companies, including Arbusto Energy, Spectrum 7, and the Harken Energy Corporation. Bush started his political career assisting his father’s failed 1964 and 1970 campaigns for the U.S. Senate. He then served as political director for an Alabama senate campaign. In 1978, Bush ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives. After working on his father’s winning 1988 presidential campaign, Bush purchased a share in the Texas Rangers baseball franchise, in April 1989, where he served as managing general partner of the Rangers for five years. He was active in the team’s media relations and in securing the construction of a new stadium, which opened in 1994 as The Ballpark in Arlington. Bush’s prominent role with the Rangers gave him valuable goodwill and recognition throughout Texas.

Among his family, he acquired the nickname “W” (for his middle initial; later Dubya, a literal spelling of a colloquial pronunciation of the letter), which later became a common public nickname, used both affectionately and pejoratively.

National Guard service

Main article: George W. Bush military service

Lt. George W. Bush in his National Guard uniform.

Bush joined the Air National Guard in May, 1968 and was sent to Georgia for training. There, he began a total of 80 weeks of training, including six weeks of basic training, 53 weeks of flight training, and 21 weeks of fighter-interceptor training.

After training, he was assigned to duty in Houston, flying Convair F-102s out of Ellington Air Force Base. As he did, he accumulated points toward his National Guard service requirements. At the time, guardsmen were required to accumulate a minimum of 50 points to meet their yearly obligation, where a full day of training is worth two points. From May 1968 to May 1969, Bush accumulated 253 points, from 1969-1970, he accumulated 340, 137 from 1970-1971, 112 from 1971-1972, and 56 from 1972-1973 though he did not fly during that period.

Despite reports on the contrary, Bush received commendable evaluations from his squadron commander, Colonel Jerry Killian. Killian said Bush was “an exceptionally fine young officer and pilot” who “performed in an outstanding manner.”

Bush was later honorably discharged in 1974, having fully completed his required time in service obligations. However, critics have claimed that he used a considerable amount of drugs during this time, including cocaine, speculating that Bush left the Guard to avoid mandatory drug testing.

Bush’s military service record has been a frequent subject of media reports, especially during the 2004 presidential election. During the 2004 presidential campaign, various left-leaning groups such as Texans for Truth called adverse attention to Bush’s military service history. Additionally, specific and harsh criticisms on this topic were made by such notable Democrats as then Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe. Also, news anchor Dan Rather was involved in a scandal when it was discovered that a story developed by CBS News and reported on-air by Rather used forged documents in an attempt to discredit Bush’s military service (see Memogate). It is assumed that these allegations were a result of Bush’s attacks on John Kerry’s military service to the United States during his campaign at the same time (paid from Bush’s considerable oil industry assets), to attempt to secure Bush’s position for re-election. His 1976 DUI in Maine was more difficult to overlook, although he has stated to have not consumed alcohol since then, and no reliable source has been able to disprove this.

In 1972, four years into his six-year guard commitment, he was asked to work for the campaign of Bush family friend Winton Blount, who was running for the U.S. Senate in Alabama. In May Bush requested a transfer to an Alabama Air National Guard unit with no planes and minimal duties. Bush’s immediate superiors approved the transfer, but higher-up officials would not approve. The matter was delayed for months. In August Bush missed his annual flight physical and was grounded. Some have speculated that he was worried about failing a drug test (for cocaine)—the Pentagon had instituted random screening in April. In September he was ordered to report to a different unit of the Alabama guard, the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in Montgomery. Media organizations had little success finding evidence that Bush ever trained with this unit, although comprehensive investigations never took place.

Alcohol use and allegations of drug use

Main article: George W. Bush substance abuse controversy

On September 4, 1976, near his family’s summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, police arrested Bush for driving under the influence of alcohol, having been drinking with former Australian world number one tennis player John Newcombe and his former advisor Raphael Rosenast. He pled guilty, was fined $150, and had his driver's license suspended for 30 days within Maine. News of the arrest was published five days before the 2000 presidential election. Bush has described his days before his religious conversion in his 40s as his “nomadic” period of “irresponsible youth” and admitted to drinking “too much” in those years. He says he changed to a sober lifestyle shortly after waking up with a hangover after his 40th birthday celebration in July 1986, attributing the change partly to a “seed” planted by Reverend Billy Graham in 1985.

Bush has stated that he has not used any illegal drugs since 1974. In 1998, while being unwittingly tape recorded by a now former friend, Bush explained his refusal to answer questions about whether he had used marijuana at some time in his past. “I wouldn’t answer the marijuana questions,” Bush said. “You know why? Because I don’t want some little kid doing what I tried.” When reminded that he had publicly denied using cocaine, Bush replied, “I haven’t denied anything.”

In February 2004, Eric Boehlert in Salon magazine claimed that Bush’s cessation of flying in April, 1972 and his subsequent refusal to take a physical exam came at the same time the Air Force announced its Medical Service Drug Abuse Testing Program, which was officially launched April 21. Boehlert said “according to Maj. Jeff Washburn, the chief of the National Guard’s substance abuse program, a random drug-testing program was born out of that regulation and administered to guardsmen such as Bush. The random tests were unrelated to the scheduled annual physical exams, such as the one that Bush failed to take in 1972, a failure that resulted in his grounding.” Boehlert remarks that the drug testing took years to implement, but “as of April 1972, Air National guardsmen knew random drug testing was going to be implemented.”

1978 Congressional candidacy in Texas

In 1978, Bush faced off against Democrat Kent Hance in Texas’ 19th Congressional District. The 19th represented Midland and much of West Texas. Bush stressed his energy credentials and conservative values in the campaign. Hance was also a conservative, opposing gun control and excessive regulation. Bush made a series of gaffes that would ultimately lead to his defeat. While campaigning in a rural part of the 19th, he said, “Today is the first time I’ve been on a real farm.” Kent Hance also successfully portrayed Bush as out of touch with rural Texans. A Hance radio ad highlighted the differences in the two candidates’ educations:

“In 1961, when Kent Hance graduated from Dimmitt High School in the 19th congressional district, his opponent George W. Bush was attending Andover Academy in Massachusetts. In 1965, when Kent Hance graduated from Texas Tech, his opponent was at Yale University. And while Kent Hance graduated from University of Texas Law School, his opponent — get this, folks — was attending Harvard.”

Bush went door to door and was an effective fundraiser, but lost by a slim 53-47 margin. Hance later became a Republican, and donated money to Bush’s campaign for Governor of Texas in 1993 .

Governor of Texas

In 1993, Bush and his brother Jeb Bush both decided to run for governor in Texas and Florida, respectively. Although his brother was unsuccessful, George Bush ended up defeating popular incumbent Ann Richards on 1994-11-08, to become Governor of Texas. That same year, he and his partners sold the Texas Rangers with the governor realizing a profit of nearly $15 million. In 1998 Bush went on to win re-election in a landslide victory with nearly 69% of the vote, becoming the first Texas governor to be elected for two consecutive four-year terms (before 1975, the gubernatorial term of office was two years). During Bush’s governorship, he undertook significant legislative changes in criminal justice, tort law, and school financing.

Political views and personal beliefs

Political philosophy

During the 2000 election campaign Bush started to use the phrase compassionate conservatism to describe his beliefs. Some conservatives have questioned Bush’s commitment to traditional conservative ideals because of his willingness to incur large budget deficits by permitting substantial spending increases. Democrats and liberals have claimed that the prefixing of the word “conservative” with the adjective “compassionate” was less a new ideology and more a way of making conservatism seem palatable to independent and swing voters. In his 2005 inaugural address he outlined his vision of foreign policy and plan for democracy promotion.

Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, President Bush, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after reading a statement to the press during the closing moments of the Red Sea Summit in Aqaba, Jordan, on June 4 2003

An important element of Bush’s presidency is its emphasis on the importance of executive powers and privileges. According to Bush and his supporters, the War on Terrorism requires a very strong executive with the ability to take various kinds of otherwise illegal covert actions against terrorists. For example, Bush repeatedly argued that the limits imposed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act over-restrict its ability to monitor terrorists electronically, and has pushed for statutory exemptions to those restrictions, including certain parts of the USA PATRIOT Act. The Bush administration threatened to veto two defense bills that included amendments by Senator John McCain that would limit the ability of the executive to authorize cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; Bush and his supporters argued that harsh treatment of detainees believed to be terrorists can be necessary to obtain information that would prevent terrorist attacks. Administration lawyers like John Yoo have argued that the president has inherent authority to wage war as he sees fit, regardless of laws and treaties that may restrict that power. In the U.S. Court of Appeals case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, John Roberts, later to be selected by Bush as Chief Justice of the United States, joined the opinion that Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions did not apply to people detained in the War on Terrorism, thus authorizing secret military tribunals for suspected terrorists if Bush chose to use them. The administration has classified previously public information about the executive and written executive orders to block Freedom of Information Act requests and to keep old documents classified beyond their normal expiration date. Bush has claimed the right to indefinitely suspend habeas corpus without the approval of Congress in the Yaser Hamdi and Jose Padilla cases, and he has used more signing statements to challenge the enforcement of laws than any previous president.

Bush’s critics argue that executive power that is not reviewable risks abuse for political purposes, undermines civil liberties and that they are anti-democratic, immoral, and likely to cause resentment, as in the world’s response to prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. Bush’s supporters respond that broad powers in the War on Terrorism are necessary to prevent major attacks against the United States and that the president has not abused these powers.

Religious beliefs

A 1985 meeting with evangelist Billy Graham ultimately led Bush to devote himself to a more serious practice of Christianity , giving up alcohol, and beginning a pivotal phase in his life and career. During this period, he left the Bush family’s Episcopalian faith to join his wife’s United Methodist Church.

Bush attends services at St. John’s Episcopal Church on a semi-regular basis. This is apparently a matter of convenience for chief executives, as the church is situated immediately across from the White House, off Lafayette Square. Every president since Madison has attended services there.

In the televised Republican presidential debate held in Des Moines, Iowa on December 13 1999, all of the participating candidates were asked: “What political philosopher or thinker do you most identify with and why?” Unlike the other candidates, who cited former presidents and other political figures, Bush responded “Christ, because he changed my heart.” His decision to name a religious figure generated some criticism from neoconservatives such as Alan Keyes and Bill Kristol.

During his Presidency, Bush has also hosted celebrations at the White House for non-Christian holidays such as Ramadan . He also took a stand to retain the White House’s main “Christmas Tree.”

Bush’s appeal to religious values is believed to have aided his election, as those who said they “attend church weekly” gave him 56% of their vote in 2000 and 63% of their vote in 2004.

Presidential campaigns

2000 campaign

Main article: U.S. presidential election, 2000

For Bush, 2000 seemed the right time to run for president. He had more than enough money, and the Republicans lacked any single strong candidate. Before Bush had even committed to the race, he was the clear favorite in the polls, and contributions abounded from political donors. Bush declared himself a “compassionate conservative”, a term coined by University of Texas professor Marvin Olasky, and his political campaign promised to “restore honor and dignity to the White House.” Bush proposed lowering taxes in response to a projected surplus, supported participation of religious charities in federally funded programs, and promoted education vouchers, oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a balanced budget, and structural changes to the United States armed forces. Bush’s foreign policy campaign platform supported a stronger economic and political relationship with Latin America, especially Mexico, and reduced involvement in “nation-building” and other minor military engagements indirectly related to U.S. interests.

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Al Gore greets President-elect Bush at the White House in late December of 2000.

Bush lost the New Hampshire primary to Senator John McCain of Arizona, but rebounded to capture 9 of 13 Super Tuesday states, effectively clinching the nomination. Bush then chose Dick Cheney, a former U.S. Representative and Secretary of Defense for Bush’s father, as his running mate in July of 2000.

On November 7 2000 (Election Day), television networks initially called the state of Florida for his opponent, Vice President Al Gore, then withdrew that projection and later called the state for Bush along with the entire election, and finally declared that it was too close to call. Sometime after the networks reported that Bush had won Florida, Gore conceded the election and then rescinded that concession less than one hour later. Though Bush had 47.9% of the popular vote and Gore had 48.4%, the electoral votes were less clear.

The Florida vote count, which favored Bush in preliminary tallies, was contested over allegations of irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. Allegations included confusing ballots, hanging chads, defective voting machines, faulty absentee ballots from the military, and the illegal barring of some voters. Because of Florida state law, a state-wide machine recount was triggered and completed. Although it narrowed the gap, the recount still left Bush in the lead. Eventually, four counties in Florida which had large numbers of presidential undervotes began a manual hand recount of ballots. A legal battle ensued between the Bush and Gore campaigns over these recounts. On December 8, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that every county with a large number of undervotes would perform a hand recount. On December 9, in the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case, the Court stopped the statewide hand recount and upheld the machine recount due to time constraints. The machine recount showed that Bush had won the Florida vote, giving him 271 electoral votes to Gore’s 266; Bush carried 30 of the 50 states. Several months later, a group of newspapers commissioned a study of what would have happened had the hand recount continued. The researchers conducting the study concluded that, under the standard for assessing ballots in use during the actual count, Bush still would have won. However, other possible counting methods would have given the victory to Bush in four cases and Gore in four others. However, most of the methods that would have given victory to Gore relied on counting overvotes — which is against election law, as it takes a ballot with two votes on it and assigns it arbitrarily to one candidate. . Since the Supreme Court did not allow the recount to continue, no one knows what standard might have been prescribed by it, or by a lower court at its direction, had the recount been reinstated. In the final official count, Bush had won Florida by only 537 votes (2,912,790 for Bush to 2,912,253 for Gore to 97,488 for Nader) earning the needed 25 electoral votes and the presidency. Bush was inaugurated January 20 2001.

Not since the 1888 election had a winner failed to receive a plurality of the popular vote. It was the first since the 1876 election in which the Supreme Court affected the decision.

2004 campaign

George W. Bush speaks at a campaign rally in 2004.

Main article: 2004 Presidential Election

The 2004 vote was fraudulent.

In the 2004 election, Bush was able to win re-election against John Kerry, the Democratic candidate and Senator from Massachusetts. Despite Kerry’s Navy swift boat service in Vietnam, polls showed that Bush had convinced the voters he and his administration would be better able to protect the nation from another terrorist attack. Bush carried 31 of 50 states for 286 Electoral College votes and collected the most popular votes ever (62,040,610 votes/50.7%), thanks to the highest voter turnout since 1968. This was the first time since 1988 that a president had received a popular majority. However, Bush’s victory margin, in terms of absolute number of popular votes, was the smallest of any sitting president since Harry S. Truman in 1948 and, percentage-wise, the closest popular margin of victory ever for a sitting president.

Senator John Kerry carried 19 states and the District of Columbia, earning him 251 Electoral College votes (59,028,111 votes/48.3%). A faithless elector, pledged to Kerry, voted for Democratic vice presidential running mate, John Edwards, giving him one Electoral College vote. No other candidate won College votes. Notable third-party candidates included Independent Ralph Nader (463,653 votes / 0.4%), and Libertarian Michael Badnarik (397,265 votes/0.3%). Congress debated potential election irregularities, including allegations of voting irregularities in Ohio and electronic voting machine fraud. A Congressional challenge to the Ohio election was rejected by a vote of 1-74 by the Senate and 31-267 in the House.

Bush was inaugurated for his second term on January 20 2005. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Bush’s inaugural address centered mainly on a theme of spreading freedom and democracy around the world.

Presidency

First term

Main article: George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States

His most controversial appointment was John Ashcroft as Attorney General. Democrats vigorously opposed Ashcroft, citing socially conservative positions on issues, such as abortion and capital punishment, though he was eventually confirmed. On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counseling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. Days later, he announced his commitment to channeling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations that critics feared would dissolve the traditional separation of church and state.

Republicans lost control of the Senate in June, when Vermont’s James Jeffords quit the Republican party to become an independent, but not before five Senate Democrats crossed party lines to approve Bush’s $1.35 trillion tax cut. Less than three months later, however, the administration released budget projections that showed the projected budget surplus decreasing to nothing over the years to come.

Second term

Main article: George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States

Bush’s second term has been characterized by misfortune both politically and naturally. Following his fifth State of the Union, the president pushed for Social Security reform, a measure which was initially supported by the president’s party but was unable to pass the congress after bipartisan opposition arose. During a visit to the Republic of Georgia on May 10, 2005 there was an attempt to assassinate Bush by Vladimir Arutinian, whose live grenade failed to detonate after hitting a girl and landing in the large crowd 19 metres from the podium where he was delivering a speech. Ramifications of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation into the Valerie Plame leak case caused loss of public faith in the Office of the President , and preempted the resignation of high level White House staff. The federal response to Hurricane Katrina and question of cronyism in August 2005 proved to be difficult for the president. Sandra Day O'Connor’s resignation and the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist allowed for the nomination and appointment of two new justices. President Bush initially nominated John Roberts to replace Justice O’Connor, but on the death of Justice Rehnquist asked the Senate to confirm Roberts as Chief Justice. Harriet Miers was the president’s second choice to fill the vacancy of Justice O’Connor, but after the withdrawal of Miers nomination decided upon Samuel Alito, who was successfully appointed to the Supreme Court. Currently a debate on the legality of President Bush’s domestic surveillance program has led to public debate on the limits of executive privilege and some factions within his own party.

Administration

Main article: George W. Bush administration

OFFICE	NAME	TERM
President	George W. Bush	2001-
Vice President	Richard B. Cheney	2001-
State	Colin Powell	2001-2005
	Condoleezza Rice	2005-
Treasury	Paul O'Neill	2001-2003
	John W. Snow	2003-
Defense	Donald Rumsfeld	2001-
Justice	John Ashcroft	2001-2005
	Alberto Gonzales	2005-
Interior	Gale Norton	2001-2006
Agriculture	Ann Veneman	2001-2005
	Mike Johanns	2005-
Commerce	Donald Evans	2001-2005
	Carlos Gutierrez	2005-
Labor	Elaine Chao	2001-
HHS	Tommy Thompson	2001-2005
	Michael O. Leavitt	2005-
Education	Rod Paige	2001-2005
	Margaret Spellings	2005-
HUD	Mel Martinez	2001-2004
	Alphonso Jackson	2004-
Transportation	Norman Mineta	2001-
Energy	Spencer Abraham	2001-2005
	Samuel W. Bodman	2005-
Veterans Affairs	Anthony Principi	2001-2005
	Jim Nicholson	2005-
Homeland Security	Tom Ridge	2003-2005
	Michael Chertoff	2005-

Bush places a high value on personal loyalty and, as a result, his administration has high message discipline. Critics allege that Bush is willing to overlook mistakes and that he has also surrounded himself with “yes men”.

Bush’s presidency has been characterized by a vigorous defense of executive privilege. Some commentators have claimed that deference to executive privilege was one of the principal considerations Bush’s administration considered when he proposed his three nominations for the Supreme Court, and appointed John R. Bolton to the United Nations.

Bush has performed many of his presidential duties from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, dubbed “the Western White House.” As of August 2, 2000, Bush had visited the ranch 49 times during his time as president, accruing 319 days away from the White House and nearly reaching Reagan’s eight-year record of 335 days in 5.5 years. The administration has supported this policy as helping the president get a different perspective from Beltway thinking and that he is still working (the administration noted that Bush’s longest visit to Crawford, in August 2005, included only one week of actual respite in the five-week visit.)

Foreign policy

Main article: Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration

His foreign policy includes such events as the plans to create a missile defense system and rejection of the Kyoto Protocol. Days after taking office, Bush stated “I am going to go forward with… plans for a missile defense system.” To accomplish this deployment, Bush announced on May 1 2001 his desire to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and deploy a missile defense system with the ability to shield against a limited attack by a rogue state. The American Physical Society criticized this policy change, citing doubts about the system’s effectiveness. Bush argued this was justified as the treaty’s Cold War benefits were no longer relevant. The official notification of withdrawal from the treaty was announced on December 13 2001, citing the need to protect against terrorism. While there is past precedent for a president to cancel a treaty, most past cases have involved Congressional authorization. Terrorism was Bush’s main topic at the 2002 NATO Summit in Prague, calling for restructuring the organization from a Cold War focus and prepare it for new threats. During his first presidential visit to Europe in June 2001, European leaders criticized Bush for rejecting of the Kyoto Protocol. In 2002, Bush rejected the treaty as harmful to economic growth in the United States, stating: “My approach recognizes that economic growth is the solution, not the problem.” The administration also disputed the scientific basis of the treaty. In November 2004, Russia ratified the treaty, meeting the quota of nations required to enforce it without ratification by the United States.

President George W. Bush, Mexico’s President Vicente Fox and Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper stand in front of the Chichen Itza archaeological ruins Thursday, March 30, 2006.

While continuing American policy of support for Israel, he also endorsed the creation of a democratic Palestinian state.

International leaders also criticized Bush for withdrawing support for the International Criminal Court soon after he assumed the presidency. The administration voiced concern that the court could conceivably co-opt the authority of the United States’ judicial system. This action provoked outrage among some human rights’ groups, as the previous administration had pledged U.S. support of the ICC. The Bush administration’s position led to Congress’ ratification of the American Servicemembers' Protection Act, a law intended to insulate U.S. nationals from potential indictment by the ICC.

Probably his most significant foreign policy action was, however, the launch of the War on Terrorism. However, there is some question as to whether the stepped-up policing and surveillance constitutes an actual war in the legal sense, and if so, the extent to which such action requires the war powers of the unitary executive.

Commentators such as the previous administration’s last Secretary of State Madeleine Albright have been quite critical of Bush’s foreign policy.

Terrorism

President Bush addresses rescue workers at Ground Zero in New York, September 14, 2001: “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”

On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were carried out by a terrorist organization known as al-Qaeda, which is led by Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden had issued a fatwa against the United States in 1996 and another in 1998. Approximately 3000 people died as a result of these attacks, most of them civilians, in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Further information: [[:September 11, 2001 attacks]]

Afghanistan

In response to these attacks, on October 7 2001, the United States, with international support, launched a war against the Afghan Taliban regime that was harboring bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. The regime was quickly defeated by Northern Alliance rebels with the assistance of U.S. air support. Subsequent nation-building efforts with the United Nations and Afghan president Hamid Karzai have had generally positive results for a nation that is divided among many ethnic factions. Since the removal of the Taliban, U.S. and allied forces have been combating remaining Taliban insurgents and destroying Al-Qaeda infrastructure, with the effect of significantly reducing the Taliban threat to the new Afghan government. However, bin Laden has thus far eluded capture. Democratic elections were held on October 9 2004. International observers called the elections “fairly democratic” at the “overall majority” of polling centers, but 15 of the 18 presidential candidates nevertheless threatened to withdraw, alleging flawed registration and validation .

In March 2006, Bush called on the Afghan government to prevent the execution of Abdul Rahman, who faced the death penalty for having converted to Christianity .

Further information: [[:U.S. invasion of Afghanistan]]

Iraq

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration also promoted urgent action in Iraq, stating that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and that in the post 9-11 world it was too dangerous to allow unstable regimes to possess weapons that could “potentially fall into the hands of terrorists.” Saddam, for his part, claimed to have destroyed all the chemical and biological weapons he had before 1991. The precise extent of Saddam’s actual possession of weapons soon became a topic of great debate. While many western governments assumed that Saddam did indeed possess such weapons, the theory that Saddam had in fact destroyed his WMD capability as he claimed was supported by individuals such as former weapons inspector Scott Ritter and the UN’s chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, the latter after the invasion had already concluded. Bush also argued that Saddam was a threat to U.S. security, destabilized the Middle East, inflamed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and financed terrorists. CIA reports asserted that Saddam Hussein had tried to acquire nuclear material, had not properly accounted for Iraqi biological weapons and chemical weapons material in violation of U.N. sanctions, and that some Iraqi missiles had a range greater than allowed by the UN sanctions. It had been, since 1998, U.S. policy for the president to support efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power by a law (the Iraq Liberation Act) passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and later signed by Bill Clinton.

File:20030501-15 d050103-2-664v.jpg

President Bush, with NFO Lt. Ryan Philips, in the flight suit he wore for his televised arrival and speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003.

Asserting that Saddam Hussein was both a potential terrorist threat and an obstacle to peace, Bush urged the United Nations to enforce Iraqi disarmament mandates, precipitating a diplomatic crisis. On November 13 2002, under UN Security Council Resolution 1441, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. Lapses in Iraqi cooperation triggered intense debate over the efficacy of inspections. UN inspection teams departed Iraq upon U.S. advisement given four days prior to full-scale hostilities.

Secretary of State Colin Powell urged his colleagues in the Bush administration to avoid a war without clear UN approval. The Bush administration initially sought a UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of military force pursuant to Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. However, upon facing vigorous opposition from several nations (primarily France and Germany), the Bush administration dropped the bid for UN approval and began to prepare for war. The war effort was joined by more than 20 other nations (especially the United Kingdom) who were designated the “coalition of the willing”.

President George W. Bush addresses sailors and the nation from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of San Diego, California, where he delivers his speech to declare the end of major combat operations in Iraq, May 1 2003.

Further information: [[:The UN Security Council and the Iraq war]]

Military hostilities commenced on March 20 2003 to pre-empt Iraqi WMD deployment and remove Saddam from power. Because of its controversial nature within the international community, Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan and other world leaders questioned the war’s legality. Bush declared, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended” , under a “Mission Accomplished” banner on May 1 2003. U.S. deployment and casualties have continued through early 2006 despite the capture of Saddam, because of ongoing Iraqi insurgencies.

On September 30 2004, the U.S. Iraq Survey Group Final Report concluded, “ISG has not found evidence that Saddam Husayn (sic) possessed WMD stocks in 2003, but the available evidence from its investigation — including detainee interviews and document exploitation — leaves open the possibility that some weapons existed in Iraq although not of a militarily significant capability.” The 9/11 Commission report concluded that Saddam’s government was actively attempting to acquire technology that would allow Iraq to produce WMD as soon as U.N. sanctions were lifted. The Commission found no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed stockpiles of WMD. In addition, the 9/11 commission found that there were contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda in 1996. They also found “no collaborative relationship” emerged in regards to the attacks on 9/11. On December 14, 2005, while discussing the WMD issue, Bush stated that “It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong.” Documents seized in Iraq known as the Operation Iraqi Freedom documents are in the process of being released to the public. Some supporters of Bush speculate that the documents might contain evidence that Saddam Hussein had an operational relationship with al-Qaeda.

However, after the invasion, al-Qaeda has used the war to great effect in its campaign. It is speculated that it is the organization which launched a coordinated string of attacks in Madrid, Spain. Three days later, a new Spanish government was elected which soon thereafter withdrew all Spanish forces from Iraq. Osama Bin Laden also openly announced that al-Qaeda will attack any country which supports the war in Iraq.

Further information: [[:Iraq and weapons of mass destruction, 2003 invasion of Iraq and Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda]]

Immigration

Bush proposed an immigration bill that would have greatly expanded the use of guest worker visas. His proposal would match employers with foreign workers for a period up to six years; however, workers would not be eligible for permanent residency (“green cards”) or citizenship. The bill is opposed by some Democratic Senators, including Barbara Boxer and Edward M. Kennedy, as well as by conservative House members like Tom Tancredo.

Bush has also publicly stated he would like to tighten security at the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes speeding up the deportation process, building more jail cells to hold illegal immigrants, and installing more equipment and immigration officers at the border. He does agree with “increasing the number of annual green cards that can lead to citizenship” but does not support giving amnesty to those who are already in the country illegally, saying that it would only serve as incentive for increased illegal immigration.

HIV / AIDS

In the State of the Union message in January, 2003, Bush outlined a five-year strategy for global emergency AIDS relief, the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. Bush requested $15 billion for this effort, and Congress supported the president’s proposal. The emergency relief effort is led by U.S. Ambassador Randall L. Tobias, the Global AIDS Coordinator at the Department of State. $9 billion is allocated for new programs in AIDS relief for 15 countries most affected by HIV/AIDS. Another $5 billion will go to continuing support of AIDS relief in 100 countries where the U.S. already has bilateral programs established. An additional $1 billion will go to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Almost one quarter of the $15 billion has gone to religious groups that tend to emphasize abstinence over condom use. This budget represents more money contributed to fight AIDS globally than all other donor countries combined. His promise of $15 billion (over 5 years) to Africa for AIDS relief has been funded by Congress.

Trade

Bush’s imposition of a tariff on imported steel and on Canadian softwood lumber was controversial in light of his advocacy of free market policies in other areas, and attracted criticism both from his fellow conservatives and from nations affected. The steel tariff was later rescinded under pressure from the World Trade Organization, although the lumber dispute is ongoing.

Development assistance

The U.S. State Department and Agency for International Development (USAID) published a strategic plan for the 2004–2009 period. The principal aims are established in President Bush’s National Security Strategy: diplomacy, development and defense. President Bush’s new policy would increase assistance by 50% for countries that take responsibility for their own development “by ruling justly, investing wisely in their people, and encouraging economic freedom.” Development assistance must also be aligned with U.S. foreign policy which means the USAID would support those “countries that are committed to democratic governance, open economies, and wise investment in their people’s education, health, and potential.”

Domestic policy

Main article: Domestic policy of George W. Bush

Economy and taxes

During his first term, Bush sought and obtained Congressional approval for three major tax cuts in 2001, 2002, and 2003. These cuts reduced taxes for almost every taxpayer, including reducing the lowest tax bracket, increasing the child tax credit, and eliminating the so-called “marriage penalty”. However, cuts were distributed disproportionately to higher income taxpayers (through a decrease in marginal rates) and complexity was increased with new categories of income taxed at different rates and new deductions and credits. At the same time, the number of individuals subject to the alternative minimum tax increased since the AMT remained unchanged.

Federal spending in constant dollars increased under Bush by 26% in his first four and one-half years. The tax cuts, a recession, and significant increases in military and domestic outlays all contributed to record budget deficits during the Bush administration.

Inflation under Bush has remained near historic lows at about 2–3% per year, where it has been since the 1990s.

Private employment (seasonally adjusted) originally decreased under Bush from 111,680,000 in December 2000 to 108,250,000 in mid-2003. The economy then added private jobs for 25 consecutive months from (July 2003 to August 2005), and the private employment seasonally adjusted numbers increased as of June 2005 when it reached 111,828,000. Considering population growth, that still represents a 4.6% decrease in employment since Bush took office.

In January 2006, the government reported that first-time jobless claims fell to their lowest level in more than five years to 291,000, a sign that the national labor market continues to shake off the effects of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

Under Bush, the seasonally adjusted Unemployment Rate based on the Household Survey started at 4.7% in January 2001, peaked at 6.2% in June 2003, and retreated to 4.8% in February 2006.

Most recently, in the first quarter of 2006, the economy under Bush grew at a 4.8% pace, the best showing since the third quarter of 2003 when annualized growth was 7.2%.

Health, medicine, and Social Security

Bush signed the Medicare Act of 2003, which added prescription drug coverage to Medicare (United States), subsidized pharmaceutical corporations, and prohibited the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies. Bush said the law, estimated to cost US$400 billion over the first 10 years, would give the elderly “better choices and more control over their health care” . Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003, having declared his aim to “promote a culture of life” . The law has not yet been enforced, having been ruled unconstitutional by three District Courts. It is pending Supreme Court review. According to statistician Glen Stassen, an ethics professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, abortion has risen in the U.S. during Bush’s presidency, reversing a decade-long trend. .

Bush called for major changes in Social Security, identifying the system’s projected insolvency as a priority early in his second term. President Bush emphasized his proposal for personalized accounts would allow individual workers to invest a portion of their Social Security Tax (FICA) into secured investments. The main advantage of personal accounts within Social Security is that it permits workers to own the money they save against the cost of retirement such that cannot be taken away from them by fiat or political whim. The rationale for such accounts is that individuals would theoretically seek better value for their “own” money than if costs were covered by employer-funded insurance or by federal programs. Additionally, consumer choice would use the market to drive efficiencies in the behaviors of providers.

Bush opposes any new embryonic stem cell research, and has limited federal funding for research to studies that use embryonic stem cell lines that were in existence on August 9, 2001 (the day of the announcement). There was a controversy as to implication of the restriction. Initially Bush and his supporters claimed around 70 lines existed on that day. The number of viable lines has since been determined to be around 20. In January of 2005 it was determined that all embryonic stem cell lines approved for use in research were contaminated by mouse virus particles derived from the substrates on which the cells were cultured and were consequently probably unusable in therapies for human patients. Adult stem cell funding has not been restricted, and is supported by President Bush as an alternate means of research.

Education

In January 2002, Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, with Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy as chief sponsor, which aims to close the achievement gap, measures student performance, provides options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and targets more federal funding to low-income schools. Critics say schools were not given the resources to help meet new standards, although their argument is based on the premise that authorization levels are spending promises instead of spending caps.

Energy and the environment

Bush’s environmental record has been attacked by most environmentalists, who charge that his policies cater to industry demands to weaken environmental protections.

Bush signed the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002, authorizing the federal government to begin cleaning up pollution and contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes, as well as the Brownfields Legislation in 2002, accelerating the cleanup of abandoned industrial or brownfield sites.

In December 2003, Bush signed legislation implementing key provisions of his Healthy Forests Initiative; environmental groups have charged that the plan is simply a giveaway to timber companies. Another subject of controversy is Bush’s Clear Skies Initiative, which seeks to reduce air pollution through expansion of emissions trading.

Partially due to gas price hikes, Bush proposed tapping the oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Bush has opposed the Kyoto Protocol which was designed to reduce man-made contributions to global warming, saying it would harm the U.S. economy. In 1997, the U.S. Senate voted with full bipartisan support (95-0) on a resolution (Byrd-Hagel) recommending that the U.S. not become a signatory The United States has signed the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, a pact that allows signatory countries to set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions individually, but with no enforcement mechanism. In January 2006, six former EPA directors, five of them Republican, warned of the consequence of continued inaction on global warming.

Science

On December 19 2002, Bush signed into law H. R. 4664, far-reaching legislation to put the National Science Foundation on a track to double its budget over five years and to create new mathematics and science education initiatives at both the pre-college and undergraduate level.

In August 2003, the Bush Administration’s science policy was the subject of an inquiry by the Democratic staff of the House Government Reform Committee. The inquiry “found numerous instances where the Administration has manipulated the scientific process and distorted or suppressed scientific findings. These actions go far beyond the typical shifts in policy that occur with a change in the political party occupying the White House. Thirteen years ago, former President George H.W. Bush stated that “[n]ow more than ever, on issues ranging from climate change to AIDS research . . . government relies on the impartial perspective of science for guidance.” Today, President George W. Bush’s Administration has skewed this impartial perspective, generating unprecedented criticism from the scientific community and even from prominent Republicans who once led federal agencies.”

On January 14 2004, Bush announced a major re-direction for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Known as the Vision for Space Exploration, it calls for the completion of the International Space Station by 2010 and the retirement of the space shuttle while developing a new spacecraft called the Crew Exploration Vehicle under the title Project Constellation. The CEV would be used to return American astronauts to the Moon by 2018.

On February 18, 2004, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released a report alleging that “the current Bush administration has suppressed or distorted the scientific analyses of federal agencies to bring these results in line with administration policy.” Physics Today noted that “a strongly worded statement signed by more than 60 scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, charging the administration with manipulating and misrepresenting science for political gain” accompanied the UCS report. More than 8,000 signatures have been added to the UCS report, including 49 Nobel laureates, 63 recipients of the National Medal of Science, and 171 members of the National Academy of Sciences. President Bush’s science adviser, Dr. John Marburger, responded to the UCS petition with a 20 page rebuttal asserting that the “UCS accusations are wrong and misleading [and] the document has methodological flaws that undermine its own conclusions. . . Unfortunately, these flaws are not necessarily obvious to those who are unfamiliar with the issues.”

On August 1 2005, Bush took a stance favoring the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution in science classes, saying, “I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought, and I’m not suggesting — you’re asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes.” The U.S. Supreme Court had previously found a Louisiana law requiring the teaching of creationism in public school science classes was unconstitutional on the grounds that it violates the separation of church and state..

In his 2006 State of the Union speech, George W. Bush proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative.

On 20 April 2006, the FDA issued a brief statement that “no sound scientific studies” had demonstrated any medical value for cannabis. The statement, which contradicted government studies (including the 1999 findings of the Institute of Medicine) provoked outrage in Congress, with Democrats raising the charge of politicizing science.

Immigration

On May 15, 2006, United States President George W. Bush gave a speech on immigration reform, proposing to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the United States-Mexican border.[1]

Other issues

Bush has signed legislation supporting faith-based initiatives, and created the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to assist such organizations.

Bush opposes same-sex marriage but supports allowing states to provide civil unions. He endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment to the United States Constitution which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Bush is the first Republican president to appoint an openly gay man (Israel Hernandez, assistant secretary at the Department of Commerce) to his administration.

In regards to what is commonly called Affirmative Action, Bush does not support enforced quotas, but has asked the public and private sector to reach out to minorities. He has drawn criticism from some minority groups on his policies. In total, Bush has appointed more women and minorities to high-level positions within his administration than any other U.S. president.

Bush is a strong supporter of capital punishment. During his tenure as Governor of Texas, 152 people were executed in that state, maintaining its record as the leading state in executions. As President of the United States, he has continued in his support for capital punishment. During his presidency, there have been three federal executions (however, it is notable that all three were convicted and recommended for death sentences by jury before Bush came into office).

The Bush administration has threatened presidential veto of legislation on several occasions, usually resulting in a compromise report from conference committee. However, Bush has never yet vetoed a bill. If this continues, he will become the eighth president to serve without ever vetoing, and the first since James Garfield in 1881.

On the issue of euthanasia, Bush remains staunchly opposed to the procedure, and supported attorney general John Ashcroft’s decision to file suit against the voter-approved Oregon Death with Dignity Act, which was ultimately decided by the United States Supreme Court in favor of the Oregon law. However, as governor of Texas, Bush signed a law which gave hospitals the authority to take terminally ill patients off of life support against the wishes of their spouse or parents, if the doctors deemed it medically appropriate or if the family could no longer afford to pay for the health care costs. This became an issue in 2005, when the president signed controversial legislation forwarded and voted on by only three members of the United States Senate to intiate federal intervention in the court battle of Terri Schiavo, a comatose Florida woman who ultimately died.

Public perception and assessments

Main article: Public perception and assessments of George W. Bush

Bush has drawn both supportive praise and harsh criticism. His supporters believe he has done well with the economy and homeland security, and shown exemplary leadership after the September 11 attacks. His opponents have disagreed on those very subjects and have also criticized the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, the controversial 2000 election, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The magazine Time named Bush as its Person of the Year for 2000 and for 2004.

Bush approval rating from February 2001 to May 2006. Notable spikes in his approval rating followed the September 11 attacks, and the beginning of the 2003 Iraq conflict.

In the time of national crisis following the September 11 attacks, Bush enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85%. Since then, his approval ratings and approval of handling of domestic, economic, and foreign policy issues have steadily dropped for many reasons. Polls conducted in early 2006 showed an average of around 40% for Bush, up slightly from the following September, but still low from a president coming off of his State of the Union Address, which generally provides a boost. Of 12 polls conducted in April, 2006, the mean approval rating was 36% .

Along with the criticism on issues of foreign policy, President Bush has also taken criticism for his domestic policies, such as his administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, which many considered slow, or his involvement in the Terri Schiavo controversy, for which he was harshly criticized by both the left and right for the perceived intrusiveness by the federal government in state matters, and for allegedly exploiting an emotional drama. Bush has also been criticized for his handling of the leak of the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame from a source within his administration itself after promising to fire anyone who leaked the name, and then promising to fire such a person if they are convicted of a crime, which some considered a back-pedal. Scooter Libby has since provided sworn testimony in court that Bush authorized the Vice President’s Office to leak the name.

As of late 2005 and early 2006, considerable criticism has focused on points such as the CIA Secret Prison controversy and the NSA domestic monitoring of communications.

Approval Rating

Bush approval ratings, average of multiple polls

Bush began his presidency with approval ratings between 50 and 60%, but spiked after the 9/11 attacks to 80–90% approval for four months. As of May 21, 2006, an average of major polls compliled by RealClearPolitics indicated that Bush’s approval rating stood at 34.5%.

Calls for impeachment

Main article: Movement to impeach George W. Bush

In 2005 and 2006 there were calls for impeachment from Democratic party politician Representative John Conyers (D-MI). Nancy Pelosi, Democratic House minority leader, has said that “impeachment is off the table”, however, stating that she does not want to give Republicans ammunition against Democrats in the upcoming 2006 U.S. House Elections, making it highly unlikely impeachment proceedings will be pursued against the president.

Measure to censure

On March 13, 2006, Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) introduced a censure measure in the Senate to condemn President Bush. The proposed censure is a reprimand of Bush’s warrantless spying program which was authorized in secret. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid declined to support the measure, as did other Senate Democrats, including Richard Durbin and Joe Lieberman, and it was ultimately referred to a Senate Committee. This measure has met with derision from both the left and the right, with Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist — who offered to hold an immediate debate and vote — responding to the censure measure by saying that it would undermine America’s efforts to fight terror. On the March 12 episode of This Week Frist stated that, as he feels the Republican party is fighting the people who are sworn to destroy Western civilization and American families, a Senator attacking the president does not make sense.

Supreme Court nominations / appointments

Bush nominated the following individuals to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States:

• John G. Roberts, Jr.
  • Associate Justice. Nominated 2005-07-19; nomination withdrawn in order to nominate him to Chief Justice on 2005-09-05.
  • Chief Justice. Nominated 2005-09-05; confirmed by the Senate on 2005-09-29.
• Harriet E. Miers — Associate Justice. Nominated 2005-10-03; nomination withdrawn in accordance with Miers’ request on 2005-10-27.
• Samuel A. Alito — Associate Justice. Nominated 2005-10-31; confirmed by the Senate on 2006-01-31.

Major legislation signed

2001

• June 7: Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
• September 18: Authorization for Use of Military Force
• September 28: United States-Jordan Free Trade Area Implementation Act
• October 26: USA PATRIOT Act
• November 28: Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act

2002

• January 8: No Child Left Behind Act
• March 9: Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002
• March 27: Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
• May 13: Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
• July 30: Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
• October 16: Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq
• November 25: Homeland Security Act of 2002

2003

• March 11: Do-Not-Call Implementation Act
• April 30: PROTECT Act of 2003 (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act) (see also Age of consent)
• May 27: United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003
• May 28: Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
• September 3: United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
• September 3: United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
• November 5: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
• December 8: Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
• December 16: Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM)

2004

• April 1: Unborn Victims of Violence Act (Laci and Conner’s Law)

2005

• February 18: Class Action Fairness Act of 2005
• April 20: Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005
• August 2: Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
• August 8: Energy Policy Act of 2005
• August 10: Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 (SAFETEA)
• October 26: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act

2006

• March 9: USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act

See also

Further information: Category:George W. Bush

• Bush Doctrine
• Bush family
• Bush family conspiracy theory
• Bushism
• Caterair
• Christian right
• Compassionate conservatism
• DP World port security controversy
• Harken Energy Scandal
• History of the United States (1988–present)
• List of books and films about George W. Bush
• Neoconservatism
• NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
• List of nicknames used by George W. Bush
• Plame affair
• Tenth Crusade
• U.S. presidential election, 2004
• White House Communications Agency

Further reading

Academic

• Colin Campbell and Bert A. Rockman, eds. The George W. Bush Presidency: Appraisals and Prospects. Congressional Quarterly Press, 2004.
• George C. Edwards III and Philip John Davies, eds. New Challenges for the American Presidency New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 245 pp. articles from Presidential Studies Quarterly
• Fred I. Greenstein, ed. The George W. Bush Presidency: An Early Assessment Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003
• Gary L. Gregg II and Mark J. Rozell, eds. Considering the Bush Presidency Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2004. 210 pp. British perspectives
• Bryan Hilliard, Tom Lansford, and Robert P Watson, eds. George W. Bush: Evaluating the President at Midterm SUNY Press 2004
• Fred I. Greenstein; “The Contemporary Presidency: The Changing Leadership of George W. Bush A Pre- and Post-9/11 Comparison” in Presidential Studies Quarterly v 32#2 2002 pp 387+.
• Gary C. Jacobson; “The Bush Presidency and the American Electorate” Presidential Studies Quarterly v 33 #4 2003 pp 701+.

Pro-Bush

• Fred Barnes. Rebel-in-Chief: How George W. Bush Is Redefining the Conservative Movement and Transforming America (2006)
• George W. Bush. George W. Bush on God and Country: The President Speaks Out About Faith, Principle, and Patriotism (2004)
• Bob Woodward. Plan of Attack (2003) on Iraq war

Anti-Bush

• Bruce Bartlett, Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (2006), conservative attack by former aide
• Ron Suskind. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill (2004), complaints of ex Treasury Secretary
• Wilentz, Sean. The Worst President in History? (2006), article comparing Bush with previous presidents, from a historian’s perspective; first published in Rolling Stone Magazine

External links

Official

• Official White House biography
• Republican National Committee biography

Speeches

audio and transcripts

• Audio recordings of Bush’s speeches

• 2000 GOP Convention Nomination Speech (2000-08-03)
• First Inaugural Address
• Second Inaugural Address
• Remarks by the President After Two Planes Crash Into World Trade Center (2001-09-11)
• Remarks by the President Upon Arrival at Barksdale Air Force Base (2001-09-11)
• Presidential Address to the Nation (2001-09-11)
• Declaration of War on Terrorism
• Issues Military Order No. 1, Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism 2001-11-13
• Presidential Address to the Nation Announcing Operation Iraqi Freedom
• President Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended
• Presidential Address to the Nation on America’s Actions in the War on Terrorism
• Address to the UN General Assembly
• Presidential Address to the Nation on the Capture of Saddam Hussein

• 2004 GOP Convention Nomination Acceptance Speech (2004-09-02)
• Second Inaugural Address

• 2002 State of the Union Address
• 2003 State of the Union Address
• 2004 State of the Union Address
• 2005 State of the Union Address
• 2006 State of the Union Address

Other

• George W. Bush at IMDb
• Works by George W. Bush at Project Gutenberg
• George Bush, the Fiscal Conservative? by Harry Browne
• George W. Bush: military pilot Account of Air National Guard service
• Remote Viewing Timeline
• Faith Based and Community Initiatives official website
• Graphs of approval ratings [2],[3]
• Time-analysis of Bush’s popularity [4].
• Template:Nndb name
• 2000 Florida recount information from CNN
• Family tree of George W. Bush

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