Misplaced Pages

George W. Bush: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 13:49, 20 October 2005 view sourceQuinkysan (talk | contribs)113 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Revision as of 13:50, 20 October 2005 view source Whiteheat8 (talk | contribs)23 editsNo edit summaryNext edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
#REDIRECT ]
<!-- Note: try to make sure there is no vandalism on the top of the page. If there is, your edits may be inadvertently lost due to reverting past the vandal. -->
{{Infobox President | name=George Walker Bush
| nationality=american
| image name=George-W-Bush.jpeg
| order=43rd ]
| date1=], ]
| date2=]
| preceded=]
| succeeded=Incumbent
| date of birth=], ]
| place of birth=], <br>]
| dead=alive
| date of death= N/A
| place of death= N/A
| wife=]
| party=]
| vicepresident=]
}}
'''George Walker Bush''' (born ], ]) is the 43rd and current ] of the ] and a former Governor of the State of ]. A lifelong member of the ], he served in the ], and was a ] in both the ] and ], serving as managing general partner of the ] ] team.

Bush was elected 46th ] in ], and was re-elected in ]. He won the Republican nomination in the ], and was elected President in a particularly close ] with a controversial aftermath that resulted in ] intervention. Bush was elected to a second term in ].

Bush is a member of a prominent ]. His father, ], served as U.S. President for four years and as Vice President for eight, while his brother, ], is the current ]. His grandfather, ], was a ]. He also has two other younger brothers, ] and ], both businessmen. He and ] are the only sons of former Presidents to become President themselves.

==Education, military service, and early personal life==
''Main article: ]''

]

Called a stupid Texan,George Bush is a son of a bitch (of former President ]) and his bitch ] (nee Pierce), George Walker Bush was born in a zoo ] but was raised there too ] and ] with his younger brothers ], ], and ] and his sister ].

After graduating from the ] in June 1964, Bush attended mental hospital at], where he graduated with a ] in ] in 1968. As a senior, Bush was selected for the secret ] society. May 1968, he joined the ]. He was promoted to ] on the November 1970 recommendation of his commander ] ]. He served as an ] pilot until 1972.

In 1973, he obtained permission to end his six-year service obligation six months early, and left to attend ], from which he received his ] in 1975. Two years later, he married ], a democrat librarian originally from ]. They have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, born in 1981. George W. Bush is the only U.S. President in history to be the father of twins.

]

Bush's military service record has been a point of controversy, especially during the ]. His critics have alleged that Bush skipped over a waiting list to receive a National Guard slot, did not report for required duty from 1972 to 1973, and was suspended from flying after missing a required physical examination and drug test. These issues were first publicized during the 2004 Presidential campaign by the group ]. Bush supporters point out that all documentary evidence regarding Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, including pay records and an honorable discharge, indicate Bush served honorably. See ] for details.

On ], ], near his family's summer home in ], police arrested Bush for ]. He pleaded guilty, was fined $150, and had his driving 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 and "irresponsible youth" and admitted to drinking "too much" in those years. He says he gave up drinking for good shortly after waking up hungover after his 40th birthday celebration: "I quit drinking in 1986 and haven't had a drop since then." He ascribed the change partly to a 1985 meeting with Reverend ].

Bush has said that he did not use illegal drugs at any time since 1974.
He has denied the allegation made by J.H. Hatfield in the book '''Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President''' (1999) that family influence was used to expunge the record of an arrest for ] possession in 1972, but has refused to discuss whether he used drugs before 1974. Hatfield, a convicted felon (solicitation of capital murder), was unable to provide any evidence for his accusation and his publisher, St. Martin's Press, suspended publication and recalled his book because of this unsupported accusation about George Bush.

In taped recordings of a conversation with an old friend, author ], Bush said: "I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried." When Wead reminded Bush that the latter had publicly denied using cocaine, Bush replied, "I haven't denied anything." Wead later admitted he had illegally recorded Bush without his permission.


'''See also ]'''

== Religious beliefs and practices ==
After meeting with evangelist ] in 1985, Bush became more involved in religion. During this period he left the family's ] to join his wife's ]. This decision reflects Bush's conversion experience during these years, prompting him to move towards a faith community that embraced a more conservative religious belief system.

Currently Bush holds private daily morning Bible study periods and sponsors the Thursday lunch Bible study meetings at the White House. He advocates conservative Christian religious values, but avoids directly discussing the particulars of his faith

In 2005, the BBC released a documentary called ''Israel and the Arabs: Elusive Peace'' alleging that President Bush, during a meeting with Palestinian leader ], stated that God told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq as well as to establish a Palestinian state. Both the White House and Abbas deny that Bush ever made such a statement.
Other Palestinian ministers later reported that they believed Bush's statements were "not literal."

==Professional life==

===Business===
Bush began his oil industry career in 1979 when he established ], an oil and gas exploration company he financed with his education trust fund surplus and money from other investors. In 1984, Bush sold the company, hurt in the wake of the ] and renamed Bush Exploration Co., to ], another Texas oil and gas exploration firm. Under the terms of the sale, Bush became CEO (Chief Executive Officer). Spectrum 7 lost revenue and was merged into ] Corporation in 1986, with Bush becoming a director of Harken.

After working on his father's successful ], Bush learned from fellow Yale alumnus ], that family friend, ], wanted to sell the ] ] franchise. In April 1989, Bush assembled a group of investors from his father's close friends, including fellow fraternity brother ]; the group bought an 86% share of the Rangers for $75,000,000 (USD). Bush received a 2% share by investing $606,302, of which $500,000 was a bank loan. Against the advice of his counsel, Bush repaid the loan by selling $848,000 worth of stock in Harken Energy. Harken Energy reported significant financial losses within a year of this sale, triggering ]. On March 27, 1992 the ] concluded that Bush had a "preexisting plan" to sell, that Bush had a "relatively limited role in Harken management", and that insider trading did not occur.

As managing general partner of the Rangers, Bush assisted the team's media relations and the construction of a new stadium. His public role generated valuable goodwill and name recognition throughout Texas.

].]]
===Political Career===
Bush started his political career assisting his father's 1964 and 1970 campaigns for the U.S Senate. After a ] transfer in 1972, he served as political director for an ] senate campaign. In 1978, Bush ran for the ] but lost to a ], Democrat ] (now Republican). ] endorsed Bush's opponent in the Republican ].

In 1994, Bush took a leave of absence from the Rangers to run for ] against the popular ], Democrat ]. On ], ], he defeated Richards, 53% to 46%. As Governor, Bush forged a legislative alliance with powerful Texas Lt. Governor ], a longtime Democrat. In 1998 Bush went on to win re-election in a ] with nearly 69% of the vote, becoming the first Texas governor to be elected for two consecutive four-year terms. During Bush's governorship, he undertook significant legislative changes in criminal justice, ] law, and school financing. Bush took a hard line on capital punishment and received much criticism from advocates wanting to abolish the ]. Under Bush, Texas' incarceration rate was 1014 inmates per 100,000 state population in 1999, the second highest in the nation, owing mainly to strict enforcement of drug laws. In September 1999, Bush signed the ]. Bush's transformative agenda and family pedigree now provided an opportunity to advance his political career to the national level.

==Presidential campaigns==

===2000 campaign===

In ], he declared himself to be a ]. He ] on, among other issues, allowing religious charities to participate in federally funded programs, cutting taxes, promoting the use of ], supporting oil drilling in the ], maintaining a balanced ], and restructuring the ]. On ], Bush stated that he was against using the U.S. armed forces in ] attempts abroad.

]

After defeating ] ] in the Republican primary, Bush faced Democratic candidate ] ]. Bush won 271 ] to Gore's 266, carrying 30 of the 50 states. Neither candidate received a majority of the roughly 105,000,000 votes cast, with Bush receiving 47.9% and Gore 48.4%, a ] of about 540,000 for Gore. Notable third-party candidates included ] candidate ] (2,695,696 votes/2.7%), ] candidate ], (449,895/0.4%), and ] candidate ] (386,024 votes/0.4%).

The ] was the first since ] ] election to produce a winner that did not receive the most votes. It was the first since ] was elected in ] in which the ] affected the decision. The Florida vote count, which favored Bush in preliminary tallies, was contested over allegations of irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. Al Gore, who had conceded the election in a phone call to Bush, rescinded that concession a few hours later.

A series of court cases ensued over the legality of county-specific and statewide recounts. After machine and manual recounts in four counties, and with Bush still prevailing, the ] ordered a statewide manual recount of all counties. The ], upon appeal from the Bush campaign ('']''), overturned the decision and halted all recounts. Justices ] and ] have been criticized for not recusing themselves from a case involving the son of the President who appointed them. After the ruling, Gore reinstated his concession. Months later the statewide manual recount of all counties was completed by a group of newspapers and it was determined that Al Gore had indeed lost in Florida.

In the final official count, Bush won Florida by 537 votes (2,912,790 for Bush to 2,912,253 for Gore) , earning the 25 electoral votes and the presidency. Bush was inaugurated ], ].

'''See also ]'''

===2004 campaign===

]

In the ] Bush carried 31 of 50 states and 286 Electoral College votes to defeat Senator ]. A record voter turnout, split 50.7% for Bush, 48.3% for Kerry, gave both men more votes than any previous presidential candidate. Congress debated potential election irregularities. Notable third-party candidates included ] candidate ] (463,653 votes/0.4%), ] candidate ] (397,265 votes/0.32%), ] candidate ] (144,498 votes/0.1%), and ] candidate ] (119,859 votes/0.1%).

Bush was inaugurated for his second term on ], ]. The oath was administered by ], ]. Bush's inaugural speech centered mainly on a theme of spreading ] and ] around the world. Bush stated in his second inaugural address on January 20, 2005:

<blockquote>"From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our ] advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?" </blockquote>

'''See also ]'''

==Important People in Bush's Life and Career==

Bush is considered a devoutly family man, very close to his wife Laura, his father ] and mother ]. He is also close to his sister ] and brother ]. Loyalty to family is an important cornerstone of Bush's attitude to his family relationships, and despite some differences in policy and attitudes, and basically independent of each other, Bush and his brother ] have worked closely to help each other's political career.

In his career, Bush values loyalty as the greatest asset, and has developed a close band of advisors deeply loyal to him. In his second term, he has elevated them from personal political jobs to top government positions.

Some of the closest and most trusted advisors to Bush in affairs of policy and politics are women. ], the ] was Bush's close confidant in the first term as ], and a Bush loyalist. ] was Bush's chief domestic policy advisor from his days as Governor of Texas, and now runs the ]. And ] was one of Bush's most trusted political advisors, playing important roles in all his campaigns from 1994 to 2004. She was briefly White House counsel, and now is ] for ] - responsible for the specific mission of improving America's image in the world, and particularly with Muslim countries. ] was legal counsel and a close loyalist to Bush in Texas, and has now been nominated to the ].

] has played perhaps the greatest influence on Bush's life and career. Ever since meeting in 1972, Rove built Bush's political campaign machine when he decided to run for Texas's governorship in 1994, and was his closest political advisor. When elected President in 2001, Bush asked Rove to give up his direct mail business and join him full-time in Washington. Officially designated White House political advisor, Rove designed the political strategy to enact Bush's legislative agenda, and guide the political strategy on important national issues of both the White House and the Republican Party, in view to the 2004 re-election campaign. After winning re-election, Bush called Rove ''The Architect'' of his campaign, and Rove now serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, for domestic policy and national security. Rove is also responsible for the elevation of Bush loyalist Republicans like ], Bush's campaign manager and now Chairman of the ].

] was the Governor's legal counsel in Texas, and later Attorney General. He joined Bush in 2001 in Washington, and in 2005, was appointed ], the first ] ever to run the ].

]'s exit as Secretary of State in 2004, is widely attributed to his lacking a personal rapport with the President and not merging his political image and fortunes with those of the President.

==Presidency of the United States==
{{main2|George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States|George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States}}

===Foreign policy and security===
] Prime Minister ] and former ] Commission President ] at ] near ], Sweden on ], ].]]
{{main|Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration}}

During his first presidential visit to ] in June 2001, European leaders criticized Bush for his rejection of the ]. In 2002, Bush rejected the ] as harmful to ] 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, ] ratified the treaty, meeting the quota of nations required to enforce it without ratification by the United States.

Bush's ] campaign platform supported a stronger economic and political relationship with ], especially ], and reduced involvement in "]" and other minor military engagements indirectly related to U.S. interests. However, after the ], the State Department focused primarily on the ].

On ], ], the United States, with international support, launched a war against the ] ] regime, charged with harboring ]. Subsequent nation-building efforts with the ] and Afghan president ] have had mixed results; bin Laden (]) is still at large. See ]. ] were held on ], ]. International observers called the elections "fairly democratic" at the "overall majority" of polling centers, despite 15 of the 18 presidential candidates threatening withdrawal over allegations of flawed registration and validation.

] in ], ], ]: "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."]]

In the week following the attacks on the twin towers in Manhattan in September 2001, President Bush made a brief but celebrated speech near the site of the collapsed buildings while surrounded by site workers. ] reported, "As he stood on a pile of rubble in Manhattan, some people in the crowd shouted they couldn't hear him." In reply, Bush stated that the attackers would soon be "hearing from all of us".

On ], ], Bush withdrew from the 1972 ] to promote a new ] system, arguing the treaty's ] benefits were no longer relevant. The American Physical Society criticized this policy change, citing doubts about the system's effectiveness. Bush has also increased spending on military ].

In July of 2002, Bush cut off U.S. funding to the ] (UNFPA). Bush claimed that the UNFPA supported forced ]s and ]s in the ].

====Iraq====

The 1998 ] set U.S. policy to support removal of ] from power in ]. After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration promoted urgent action, citing that Hussein was a threat to U.S. interests, destabilized the ], inflamed the ], financed ] and had ]. Critics offered Iraqi ] resources as an additional motive.

A controversy has also arisen over evidence of Iraq's armaments presented during the buildup to war. Conflicting intelligence reports noted that Saddam's regime had tried to acquire ] and the U.S. argued that it had not properly accounted for ] and ] material that it was known to possess, potential ] (WMD) in violation of ]. There is debate between supporters and opponents of the war about whether the U.S. had any evidence that Iraq possessed WMD and whether they had any evidence of ties between Iraq and ]. However, on ], ], the U.S. ] Final Report concluded that, "ISG has not found evidence that Saddam Husayn (sic) possessed WMD stocks in 2003, but the available evidence from its investigation&#8212;including detainee interviews and document exploitation&#8212;leaves open the possibility that some weapons existed in Iraq although not of a militarily significant capability."

{{see2|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda}}

Bush contended that Saddam might deliver WMD to ] such as Al-Qaeda. Beginning in 2002 and escalating in spring 2003, Bush pressed the ] to act on its ] mandates to Iraq, precipitating a ]. He began by pushing for UN weapons inspections in Iraq, which the UN instituted under ]. ] and ] led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. There were occasional lapses in cooperation and limits on inspections set by the Iraqi government, leading to intense debate over the efficacy of inspections. Four days before the commencement of full-scale hostilities, the United States advised U.N. weapons inspectors to leave Iraq, and they departed the country. After Saddam's capture, interrogators asked him, "If you had no weapons of mass destruction then why not let the U.N. inspectors into your facilities?" Saddam replied, "We didn&#8217;t want them to go into the presidential areas and intrude on our privacy.". To date, no WMDs have been uncovered in Iraq.

Within the Bush administration, ] ], urged that the United States not go to war without clear UN approval. The administration examined the possibility of seeking an additional ] resolution to authorize the use of military force pursuant to of the ], but abandoned the idea in the face of opposition from the majority of Security Council members and the public threat of a veto from ] (cf. ]). Instead, the United States assembled a group of about forty nations, including the ], ], ], and ], which Bush called the "]".

] ], who has declared he shares a close political relationship with the ] known as the "Special Relationship" was asked by several parts of the media and anti-war protesters in Britain to apologize for backing his friend Bush just prior to the ], he declined, saying "I can't say sorry, I have nothing to be sorry about, I believe I did the right thing".

The coalition commenced military hostilities towards Iraq on ], ], citing many Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq
, the current and past lack of Iraqi cooperation with those resolutions, Saddam's intermittent refusal to co-operate with UN weapons inspectors, Saddam's alleged attempt to ] former president ] in ], and Saddam's violation of the 1991 ] agreement. The coalition argued that these resolutions authorized the ]. Other world leaders, such as ] ], disagreed and called the war illegal. The primary stated goal of the war was to stop Iraq from deploying and developing WMD by removing Saddam from power. '''See ] for full coverage.'''

] off the coast of ], where he delivers his controversial ] speech to declare victory and the end of major combat operations in Iraq, ], ].]]

].]]

The coalition was highly successful against the conventional Iraqi ], and soon defeated the recognized Iraqi military. After the declared end of major combat operations on ], ], however, an ] caused substantially more problems than U.S. leaders had originally anticipated. A ] ] review found no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, although the report did conclude that Hussein's government was actively attempting to acquire ] that would allow Iraq to produce WMD's as soon as U.N. sanctions were lifted. The report also concluded that Saddam's missiles had a range greater than that allowed by the UN sanctions. The report found "no collaborative relationship" between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda. Bush has defended his decision, arguing that "The world is safer today." Other disputed issues have included questions about the ] of pre-war intelligence reports, ] of the ], relationship to the ], effect on the United States' relationship with European powers and on the role and function of the United Nations, debate over nation building, and the impact on nearby countries such as ], ], ], and ].

The decision-making process of the Bush administration was the subject of a classified British document from ], ], known as the ''']''', which became public in May 2005. In it, the British Head of the ], Sir ], reported on his visit to ] in the summer of 2002:

<blockquote>There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The ] had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.</blockquote>

<!--"Fixed around the policy" - if this is in the memo it needs to be put in context in the last sentence -->
Some critics charged that the '''Downing Street memo''' was a "smoking gun", claiming it proved that Bush already committed to attacking Iraq at a time when he publicly stated that he had not yet made up his mind on the issue. The existence of this debate, however, does not negate the opposing contextual events which preceded it; Bush denied this aspect of the Downing Street memo and re-asserted that he had not yet made up his mind to go to war at the time in question. Several political pundits claimed that the phrase "fixed around the policy" was ambiguous and did not insinuate that administration was ] the evidence, rather it simply meant the administration was "preparing&quot; the intelligence for presentation.

From June until October, 2002, there were long, protracted ]s with members of the Security Council. The U.S. finally received a unanimous vote for ]. Then, there were further negotiations to secure a second resolution culminating in Colin Powell's presentation to the U.N. in February 2003.

====Military spending====

Of the $2,400,000,000,000 (USD) ]ed for 2005, about $401,000,000,000 (USD) (roughly 16.7%) is planned to be spent on ]. Adjusted for ], this sum is the highest military budget since the late 1990s, but is roughly comparable to the average during the ].

====Political ideology====
], ] President George W. Bush, and ]i Prime Minister ] after reading statement to the press during the closing moments of the Red Sea Summit in ], ], on ], ]]]

Bush's political philosophy is decidedly ]. While he has often used the term "]" to describe his ideology. More established ("Beltway") conservatives have criticized Bush for his willingness to incur enormous ]s through tax breaks for wealthy Americans and massive spending. In his 2005 ] he outlined his new ], . Bush supporters see this policy as a necessary rejection of "]" politics and a redefinition of America's role in certain global fora. Critics of Bush see it as a withdrawal of America from ] and ].

Bush's foreign policy is heavily influenced by the neo-conservative ], ] (PNAC), as evidenced by the presence of PNAC founders ] and ] at the highest positions in his administration, and the fact that PNAC's Clinton-era position that "American policy cannot continue to be crippled by a misguided insistence on unanimity in the ]," and that the President should lead the overthrow of Saddam Hussein with or without the support of the ], was subsequently implemented, over the objections of non-PNAC members of the ].

====Management style====

Bush is famous for placing a high value on ], and the result has been an administration with peerless ]. President Bush maintains a "hands-off" style of management which he believes prevents him from being tangled by intricacies that hinder sound decision making. "I'm confident in my management style. I'm a delegator because I trust the people I've asked to join the team. I'm willing to delegate. That makes it easier to be President," he said in an interview with ] on ] in December of 2003. However, critics contend that Bush is willing to overlook mistakes made by loyal ]s, and that Bush has surrounded himself with "]".

Bush's presidency has been characterised by a vigorous defence of executive privilege, evidenced in such acts as signing ], which suspends the release of presidential papers, tight control of Congressional inquiries into White House officers such as in the ]'s interviews with ], Bush and ], and the generally high-level of coordination between the White House, Congressional Republicans and Senate Republicans in both of Bush's terms. Many commentators have claimed that deference to executive privilege was one of the principal considerations Bush's administration considered when proposing and ] and ] as candidates for the Supreme Court, and ]'s appointement to the ] .

Bush also has performed many of his presidential duties from his ranch in ]. As of ], ], Bush had visited the ranch 51 times during his time as President, accruing 325 days away from the White House and nearly reaching Reagan's eight-year record of 335 days in 5.5 years. Critics contend that he takes more vacation than any president in history, but officials respond that his longest visit to Crawford, in August 2005, included only one week of actual respite in the five-week visit.

===Domestic policy===

====Faith-based initiatives====

In early 2001, Bush worked with Republicans and social conservatives in Congress to pass ] changing the way the ] ]d, taxed and funded ] and non-profit initiatives run by ] ]. Although prior to the legislation it was possible for these organizations to receive federal assistance, the new legislation removed reporting requirements that required the organizations to separate their charitable functions from their religious functions. Bush also created the '''White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives'''.

Several organizations such as the ] have criticized Bush's faith-based initiative program, arguing that it involves government entanglement with religion and favoritism to religion in violation of the ].

====Diversity and civil rights====

{{NPOV-section}}
Bush has been criticized for encouraging alleged racial profiling of ]s and ]. Among the cited actions by the administration have been secret detentions of 2,000 people and "the targeting of individuals, primarily Muslims from certain countries, based on national origin for voluntary interviews, registration and fingerprinting, and deportation." Bush supporters counter that these actions are necessary to protect against terrorism.

Bush is opposed to the ] recognition of ]s, but supports the establishment of ]s ("I don't think we should deny people ] to a civil union, a legal arrangement" - ] ], ]). He has endorsed the ], a proposed ] to the ] that would define ] as being the union of one ] and one ]. Bush reiterated his disagreement with the ] ] that opposed civil unions, and said that the issue of civil unions should be left up to individual ]. In his ], ], State of the Union address he repeated his support for the constitutional amendment.

Bush is the first Republican president to have appointed an openly gay man to serve in his administration (Scott Evertz as director of the Office of National AIDS Policy), and the first president to see one such appointment, that of openly gay Ambassador to Romania ], receive Congressional confirmation. Bush has claimed to support the executive order issued by President Bill Clinton banning employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but ], whom Bush chose as Special Counsel in 2003, does not feel he has the legal authority to enforce the ban. During his 2000 campaign trail he met with the ], a first for a Republican Presidential candidate. The organization endorsed him in 2000 but not in 2004.

Bush obtained a statistically insignificant increase in support from ] during his presidency. Although he only got 9% of the black vote in 2000, he received nearly 12% in 2004, with the increased black vote in Ohio giving the victory to Bush over Kerry. His popularity among African-Americans dropped dramatically to only 2% following the ] disaster, according to an . Some claim Bush has opposed most forms of ]. Although Bush expressed appreciation for the ]'s ruling upholding the selection of ] applicants for purposes of ], his Administration filed briefs against it. Bush has said he opposes quotas and racial preferences, but that the private and public sector should be encouraged to reach out to minorities. Bush has met with the ] as President, but has not yet met with the ] as a group since he became president (though he did address the NAACP at its 2000 convention in Baltimore as a presidential ], and he met with outgoing NAACP President and former Congressman, ] on ], ]).

An August 2005 report by the ] states that "the government fails to seriously consider race-neutral alternatives as the Constitution requires." Chairman Gerald A. Reynolds explained, "Federal agencies do not independently evaluate, conduct research, collect data, or periodically review programs to determine whether race-neutral strategies will provide an adequate alternative to race-conscious programs." Civil rights groups have expressed concern that this report is an attack on affirmative action inconsistent with ].

In his first term, Bush appointed ] as ], who became the first ] man to serve in that position. He was succeeded by ] in 2005, who became the first African-American woman to hold the post. In 2005, he appointed ] as the ], the first ] to hold that position. In total, Bush has appointed more women and minorities to high level positions within his administration than any other U.S. President.

====Economy====

During his first term Bush sought and obtained ] approval for three major ]s, which increased the standard ] ] for ] couples, eliminated the ], and reduced ]s. The cuts are currently scheduled to expire a decade after passage. Bush has asked Congress to make the tax cuts permanent. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, by 2003 these tax cuts had reduced total federal revenue, as a percentage of the ] (GDP), to the lowest level since ].

According to the ], the economy suffered from a ] that lasted from ] to ].

Federal spending in constant dollars increased under Bush by 26% in his first 4 and a half years. Non-defense spending increased 18% in that time.

The tax cuts, recession, and increases in outlays all contributed to record ]s during the Bush administration. The annual deficit reached record current-dollar levels of $374,000,000,000 in 2003 and $413,000,000,000 in 2004. National debt, the cumulative total of yearly deficits, rose from $5.7 trillion (58% of GDP) to $ (68% of GDP) under President Bush, as compared to the $2.7 trillion total debt owed when ] left office, which was of the GDP.

In an open letter to Bush in 2004, more than 100 ]s of ] and ] at U.S. business schools ascribed this "fiscal reversal" to Bush's "policy of slashing taxes - primarily for those at the upper reaches of the income distribution". Bush's supporters have countered that, primarily because of the doubling of the value of the ], "7,800,000 low and middle-income families had their entire income tax liabilities erased by the cuts."

According to the "baseline" forecast of federal revenue and spending by the ] (in its January 2005 Baseline Budget Projections, the budget deficits will decrease over the next several years. In this projection the deficit will fall to 368,000,000,000 (USD) in 2005, 261,000,000,000 (USD) in 2007, and 207,000,000,000 (USD) in 2009, with a small surplus by 2012. The CBO noted, however, that this projection "omits a significant amount of spending that will occur this year--and possibly for some time to come--for ] operations in ] and ] and for other activities related to the global ]." The projection also assumes that the Bush tax cuts "will expire as scheduled on ], ]". If, as Bush has urged, the tax cuts were to be extended, then "the budget outlook for 2015 would change from a surplus of 141,000,000,000 (USD) to a deficit of 282,000,000,000 (USD)".

] under Bush has remained at about 2-3% per year. The recession and a drop in some prices led to concern about ] from mid-2001 to late-2003. More recently, ] have caused concern about increasing inflation. So far, the economy has withstood these threats.

]

Private employment has decreased significantly under Bush according to the ]' ]. After private employment (seasonally adjusted) peaked at 111,680,000 in ], it dropped to 108,250,000 in mid-2003. The percentage drop in jobs was the largest since 1981-1983.

The economy added private jobs for 25 consecutive months (] to ]), but the private employment level remained below the pre-Bush level until ] when it reached 111,828,000. Considering population growth, that still represents a 4.6% decrease in employment since Bush took office.

]
The ] (aka Household Survey) measures the percentage of the population that is employed and unemployed. The result can be multiplied by population estimates to get total employment estimates. This survey has the advantage over the Payroll survey in that it includes self-employed. The Household Survey is less accurate in producing total numbers (since it requires population estimates) and in that it samples many fewer people (60,000 households versus 400,000 business establishments). For better or worse, the Household Survey counts multiple jobs held by one person only once, and it includes government workers, farm workers, unpaid family workers, and workers absent without pay. The Household Survey indicates that the percentage of the population employed decreased from 64.4% in ] and ] to 62.1% in ] and ] of ]. By ], it had recovered only to 62.9%. In absolute numbers, this corresponds to a drop of 1.6 million jobs but an eventual net gain of 4.7 million jobs during the Bush administration.

Under Bush, the seasonally adjusted Unemployment Rate based on the Household Survey started at 4.2% in January 2001, peaked at 6.3% in June 2003, and retreated to 4.9% in August 2005. The rate then increased back to 5.1% in September 2005.

In ], total private average weekly earnings in constant dollars as measured by the Payroll Survey dropped to their lowest level since ]. While ] and associated price increases may have played a role, real earnings had decreased for seven of the prior eight months. Through 2002-2004, earnings had been slightly higher than when Bush came into office.

The rise in ] since the recession was undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity, in part due to layoffs of underutilized workers. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and ] deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups.

While the GDP recovered from the recession early in Bush's term, ] has since worsened according to the ]. The percent of the population below the poverty level increased in each of Bush's first four years, while it decreased for each of the prior seven years to a 26-year low. Poverty was at in 2004.

====Social security====
{{main|Social Security debate (United States)}}

]) toured the nation to promote his proposal for ] personal accounts.]]

Bush called for major changes in ], identifying the issue as a priority early in his second term. From January through April of 2005, he toured the country, stopping in over 50 cities across the union with an argument that there is a "crisis", a view disputed by critics as being manufactured. Initially, Bush emphasized his proposal for partial ], which would allow individual workers to invest a portion of their Social Security Tax (FICA) into personal ] accounts. The main idea behind this privatization of Social Security is to allow workers to actually own the money they place into retirement, as with the existing social security system, a person who passes on loses all benefits they paid for, and the benefits are non-transferable, even to family members.

One criticism of this approach was that it would actually worsen the imbalance between ]s and ]s that Bush pointed to as a looming problem. In addition, many Democrats opposed changes that they felt were turning Social Security into a ] program that would be politically vulnerable. Some even claim that the point of Bush's plan is to benefit private companies, and that it would turn Social Security into just another insurance program.

====Health====

] of 2003, surrounded by senators and congressmen. (click on image for details)]]

Bush signed the ], which added prescription drug coverage to ], subsidized pharmaceutical corporations, and prohibited the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies. President Bush said the law, estimated to cost 400,000,000,000 (USD) over the first 10 years, would give the elderly "better choices and more control over their health care". Seniors can buy a Medicare-approved discount card for $30 or less to help offset the increasing costs of prescription drugs. The legislation also adds prescription drug coverage to the federal health insurance program for the elderly, starting in 2006. The bill encourages insurance companies to offer private plans to millions of older Americans who now receive health care benefits under terms fixed by the government, an idea against which several Democrats have lashed out.

Bush signed the ] in 2003, having declared his aim to "promote a ]". The law was never enforced, having been ruled unconstitutional by three District Courts. One of these rulings has been upheld by Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The federal law would have prohibited ] procedures "in which the person performing the abortion partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery". Several liberal and conservative critics alike feel that the law is merely a political gesture, as a fetus could technically be aborted inside of the womb and removed thereafter.

====Education====

In January of 2002, Bush signed the ], with ] ] as chief sponsor, which targets supporting early learning, measures ] performance, gives options over failing ]s, and ensures more resources for schools. Critics (including ] and the ]) say schools were not given the resources to help meet new standards, although the ] said in June, 2003 that in three years under the Bush administration the Education Department's overall funding would have increased by 13,200,000,000 (USD). Some ]s are refusing to implement provisions of the act as long as they are not adequately funded. In January of 2005, '']'' reported that the ] had paid $240,000 to African-American ] political ] ] "to promote the law on his nationally ] ] show and to urge other ] ]s to do the same." Williams did not disclose the payments, and has since acknowledged them but refuses to return the money.

The House Education and Workforce Committee stated, "As a result of the ], signed by President Bush on ], ], the Federal government today is spending more money on elementary and ] (K-12) ] than at any other time in the history of the United States".

====Science====

On ], ], Bush signed into law H. R. 4664, far-reaching legislation to put the ] (NSF) on a track to double its budget over five years and to create new ] and ] ] initiatives at both the pre-college and ] level.

Bush opposes, and has limited the federal funding of, embryonic ]. Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research was first approved under Clinton on ], ], but no money was to be spent until the guidelines were published. The guidelines were released under Clinton on ], ]. They allowed use of unused frozen ]s. On ], ], before any funding was granted under these guidelines, Bush announced modifications to the guidelines to allow use of only existing stem cell lines. While Bush claimed that more than 60 embryonic stem cell lines already existed from privately-funded ], scientists in 2003 said there were only 11 usable lines, and in 2005 that all lines approved for Federal funding are contaminated and unusable. Adult stem cell funding has not been restricted. Some scientists have repeatedly criticized the Bush administration for reducing funding for scientific research and setting restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

On ], ], the scientific ] group the ] released a report entitled ''']'''. Included was a statement "opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice." The report alleged that "the Bush administration has ignored unbiased scientific advice in the policy-making that is so important for our collective welfare" and "has suppressed or distorted the scientific analyses of federal agencies to bring these results in line with administration policy" to an extent that is "unprecedented." The report has been signed by over 7,000 scientists, including 49 ], 63 recipients of the ], and 154 members of the ].

On ], ], Bush announced a major re-direction for the ]. Known as the ], it calls for the completion of the ] by 2010 and the retirement of the ] while developing a new ] called the ] under the title ]. The CEV would be used to return American ] to the ] by 2018, with the objective of establishing a permanent ], and eventually sending future manned missions to ].

Although the plan was met with a largely tepid reception, the budget eventually passed with a few minor changes after the November elections. In January 2005 the White House released a new Space Transportation Policy fact sheet, which outlined the administration's space policy in broad terms and tied the development of space transport capabilities to national security requirements.

In August 2005, Bush took a controversial stance favoring the teaching of ] alongside evolution in science classes. Proponents of Intelligent Design theory include hundreds of scientists (a very small percentage of the total, an most of whom are scientists in non-related fields to evolutionary biology) who contend that organisms exhibit strong evidence of having been designed, while leaving speculation on the nature of the designer to other disciplines. Although Intelligent Design theory does not posit the existence of God, critics claim that it is a means of using the science curriculum to promote theism (see ]). Intelligent Design is also claimed by the vast majority of the scientific community to be unsuitable for science class because it will "engender needless misconceptions" about the scientific method and because it is "a philosophy" based on ideas that are "untestable from a scientific viewpoint."

====Environment====

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

Bush's environmental record has been attacked by most ]s, who charge that his policies cater to industry demands to weaken environmental protections. Environmental groups note that many Bush Administration officials, in addition to Bush and Cheney, have ties to the energy industry, ], and other groups that have fought against ]s. In December 2003, Bush signed legislation implementing key provisions of his ]; environmental groups have charged that the plan is simply a giveaway to ] companies. Another subject of controversy is Bush's ], which seeks to reduce ] through expansion of ]. Opponents say that instead of reducing air pollution, the initiative will allow ] to pollute more than they do currently.

Partially due to gas price hikes, Bush proposed tapping the ] reserves in the ], a particularly sensitive ecosystem due to its arctic location. Some claim that it is the last untouched ] left in the US, and that the majority of oil dug from the refuge will be sent to foreign countries, such as Japan, where larger profits can be made by domestic oil companies.

Bush has opposed the ] saying it would harm the U.S. economy. Bush said it is unfairly strict on the U.S. while being unduly lenient with developing countries, especially ] and ]. Bush stated, "The world's second-largest emitter of ] is China. Yet, China was entirely exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol." He has also questioned the science behind the ] phenomenon, insisting that more research be done to determine its validity. (See ].)

====Immigration====

<!-- huh? This needs more! -->
Bush proposed an ] bill that would have greatly expanded the use of ] ]. His proposal would match ]s with ]s 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 certain Democrat Senators such as ] and ].

====Trade====

Bush's imposition of a ] and on ] softwood ] was controversial in light of his advocacy of ] ] in other areas, and attracted criticism both from his fellow ] and from nations affected. The steel tariff was later rescinded under pressure from the ]. The ] is still ongoing.

===Major appointees===

{{see|Bush administration}}

====Cabinet====


{| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="4" style="margin:3px; border:3px solid #000000;" align=";left"
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|align="left"|'''OFFICE'''||align="left"|'''NAME'''||align="left"|'''TERM'''
|-
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&mdash;
|-
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2003
|-
| || ''']''' || 2003&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' ||2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2003
|-
| || ''']''' || 2004&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2003&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005&mdash;
|}
<br clear="all">

==== Supreme Court appointments ====

Bush appointed the following Justices to the ]:

*] &ndash; Chief Justice, 2005
*] &ndash; (pending confirmation), 2005

===Major legislation signed===

;2001
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
;2002
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
;2003
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act) (see also ])
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
:*]: United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (CAN-SPAM)
;2004
:*]: ] (Laci and Conner's Law)
;2005
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ] Implementation Act
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (SAFETEA)

==Public perception and assessments==

Bush has been the subject of both popular praise and scathing criticism. His supporters believe he has done well with the ], homeland security, and shown exemplary leadership after the September 11 attacks. His detractors have disagreed on those very subjects and have also criticized the passage of the ], the ], and the ]. The magazine '']'' named Bush as its ] for 2000 and for 2004. This award is traditionally given to the person considered by the editors to be the most important newsmaker of the year. Due to Bush's colorful mistakes when speaking, detractors coined a new term, ], to describe the grammatical configuration unique to Bush. Bushisms have been widely popularized across many websites on the internet due to their humorous nature. Some of his detractors, with varying degrees of seriousness, consider him unintelligent. On the other hand, his score on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (at age 22) suggests that his ] was the mid-120's, above average.

=== Domestic ===

]
], and the beginning of the ].]]

In the time of national crisis following the ], Bush enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85%. Since then, Bush's approval ratings and approval of handling of domestic, economic, and foreign policy issues has steadily dropped. For a comprehensive look, one can see an image of polling trends over the course of Bush's presidency

During the 2002 midterm congressional elections, Bush had the highest approval rating of any president during a midterm election since ]. In an unusual deviation from the historical trend of midterm elections, the Republican Party retook control of the ] and added to their majority in the ]; typically, the President's party loses Congressional seats in the midterm elections, and 2002 marked only the third midterm election since the ] that the party in control of the White House gained seats in both houses of Congress (others were 1902 and 1934).

In 2003, Bush's approval spiked upward at the time of the ] in February. The upward trend continued through the invasion of Iraq in March. By late 2003, when presidential opponents typically begin their campaigns in earnest, his approval numbers were in the low to middle 50s. Most polls tied the decline to growing concern over the ] and a slow recovery from the 2001 recession. Polls of May 2004 showed anywhere from a 53 % approval rating to a 46 % approval rating. More recently, a poll taken by American Research Group on August 18-21, 2005 shows that 36% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president (6% below the number in July), while 58% disapprove. This figure is lower than that of any modern President in his second term, including President Nixon's approval rating of 39% during the ] scandal that eventually led to his resignation, though not lower than President ]'s nadir of 17%. A concurrent Gallup Poll performed August 28-30, 2005 showed a 45% approval and 52% disapproval rating. A ] Poll of September 6-7, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, showed a 41% approval, an all-time low in Zogby's presidential polling record for President Bush. The poll also showed President Bush's favorability ratings going below 50% for the first time as 49% saw him as favourable and 50% viewed him unfavourably. A ] poll conducted October 3-5, 2005 showed that Bush's approval rating had dropped to 37%, his lowest to date measured by CBS News.

Polls show greater support for the ] than ever seen for the ] ]. An Ipsos poll on ], ] found that by a margin of 50% to 44% Americans say that "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable by impeaching him." 72% of Democrats favored impeachment, compared to 56% of Independents and 20% of Republicans. A three-day telephone poll starting on ], ], conducted by Zogby International found that 42% of Americans would support impeachment "if it is found the President misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq.".

====Hurricane Katrina====
{{main|political effects of Hurricane Katrina}}

In the wake of ] in 2005, the floodwalls protecting ] from ] broke in the early hours of August 30, leading to widespread flooding. In the aftermath of the disaster, thousands of city residents, unable or unwilling to evacuate prior to the hurricane, became stranded with little to no relief for several days resulting in ] in some areas. Although blame was also attributed to state and local authorities, public outcry in the disaster's early hours was largely directed at the Bush administration, mainly ] and the ] alleging weak crisis management and coordination.

Exacerbating the perceptions that the Bush Administration was slow to respond to the crisis, news organizations juxtaposed live footage of the unfolding disaster in New Orleans with coverage of Bush's pre-planned ] trip to ] where he promoted his prescription drug plan for senior citizens and gave a speech to American troops at a ] outside San Diego. News footage of the Navy base event showed ] ] presenting a ] to Bush who proceeded to strum the instrument.

The Bush Administration faced accusations of slow response and mismanagement from members of Congress and other public figures. Many critics noted that the potential for disaster involving a breach of the New Orleans levees was well-documented, by both FEMA and the Louisiana State University. The Bush Administration like previous administrations failed to address the concern, and consistantly funded less than was requested by the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the levees, although this did not impact the part of the levies that failed. The criticism and poor plannings of the local government led to the resignation of FEMA director ] and a September 15, 2005, admission by Bush that mistakes had been made by his administration. Brown's weak qualifications came under scrutiny during this time and his appointment is regarded by some as a blatant case of cronyism.

=== Outside the United States ===
] and President Bush, 2001]]
] ] during the ], ], ].]]

A conducted by for the ] in 2004 found that "just over half in Mexico and Italy had a negative view of Mr. Bush's role. In Britain, the closest U.S. ally in the war in Iraq, and in Canada, traditionally America's closest ally, two-thirds had a negative view...Three-quarters of those in Spain and more than 80 % in France and Germany had a negative view of Mr. Bush's role in world affairs." While those in the United States were evenly divided on whether the war has increased or decreased the terror threat, by far the majority of those sampled outside the United States believe that Bush's foreign policy decisions in the ] have "increased the threat of terrorism in the world.&quot;

Muslim countries are less favorable to Bush. In these Muslim countries, Bush's unfavorability ratings are particularly high, often over 90%. Among the non-U.S. nations polled in another worldwide poll by the CBC, Bush's popularity was highest in ], where 62% reported favorable views, however in the CBC poll, Israel was the only foreign country polled that had a net favorable opinion of Bush.

A 2005 poll conducted by the ] across 22,000 people in 21 nations found that a majority of world opinion (58%) believed that George Bush's re-election would have a negative impact on their peace and security. Only 26% believed it would have a positive one. Public opinion in the Philippines and India showed strong majorities in favour of Bush. , but these were the only countries in favor.
The same poll revealed that support for the Iraq occupation had dropped to 37% in Britain. In Turkey, 72% of those polled said that George Bush's re-election made them "feel worse about Americans".

==See also==

*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*] First Lady
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]

==Media==
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 11, 2001.ogg|title=George W. Bush's speech on September 11, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 12, 2001.ogg|title=George Bush's speech on September 12, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}}
{{multi-listen end}}

==References==
*
*
* Graphs of approval ratings ,
* Time-analysis of Bush's popularity .
* Collection of Bushisms
* Cornell University article
* {{nndb name | id = 360/000022294 | name = George W. Bush}}

==Notes==
{{anb|oil_and_baseball}} The White House (2005). . Retrieved June 21, 2005. ''"Owner, oil and gas business"'' ''"Partner, Texas Rangers Baseball Team"''

==Further reading and information==

=== Pro-Bush ===

*George W. Bush, ''A Charge to Keep'', (1999) ISBN 0688174418
*George W. Bush, ''We Will Prevail'', (2003) ISBN 0826415520
*], ''The Right Man'', (2003) ISBN 0375509038 ISBN 0812966953
*], ''A Matter Of Character: Inside The White House Of George W. Bush'', (2004) ISBN 1595230009
*Stephen Mansfield, ''The Faith of George W. Bush'', (2003) ISBN 1585423092
*Richard Miniter, ''Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning the War on Terror'' (2004) ISBN 0895260522
*B. Minutaglio, ''First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty'', (1999) ISBN 0609808672
*], ''Bush Country : How Dubya Became a Great President While Driving Liberals Insane'', (2004) ISBN 0312324723
*], ''Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House'', (2002) ISBN 0895261499
*Bill Sammon, ''Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush Haters'', (2004) ISBN 0060723831
*], '']'', (2002) ISBN 0743244613
*Bob Woodward, '']'', (2004) ISBN 074325547X

=== Anti-Bush ===

*] and Mark J. Green, ''The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America'', (2004) ISBN 0670032735
*Ken Auletta (], ]). , '']'', LXXIX, 53
*James Bovard, ''The Bush Betrayal'', (2004) ISBN 140396727X
*Robert Bryce, ''Cronies: Oil, The Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate'', (2004) ISBN 1586481886
*], ''The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception'', (2003) ISBN 1400050669
*], ''Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush'', (2004) ISBN 031600023X
*], ''Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk'', (2004) ISBN 039915258X
*Justin A. Frank, ''Bush On The Couch'', (2004), Regan Books. ISBN 0060736704
*Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer & Brendan Nyhan, ''All the President's Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the Truth'', (2004) ISBN 0743262514
*], ''Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President'', (1999) ISBN 1887128840
*Jack Huberman, ''The Bush-Haters Handbook: A Guide to the Most Appalling Presidency of the Past 100 Years'', (2004) ISBN 1560255692
*] and L. Dubose, ''Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush'', (2000) ISBN 0375503994
*], ''Bushwhacked : Life in George W. Bush's America'', (2003) ISBN 0375507523
*], ''Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy'', (2004) ISBN 0060746874
*], ''Cruel and Unusual: Bush/Cheney's New World Order'', (2004) ISBN 0393059170
*], '']'' (2004) motion picture
*Webster Griffin Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin, ''George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography'' (
*], ], (2004) ISBN 074325337X
*Glenn W. Smith, ''Unfit Commander: Texans for Truth Take on George W. Bush'', (2004) ISBN 0060792450
*Paul Waldman, ''Fraud: The Strategy Behind the Bush Lies and Why the Media Didn't Tell You, (2004) ISBN 1402202520
*Ian Williams, ''Deserter: George Bush's War on Military Families, Veterans, and His Past'', (2004) ISBN 1560256273

=== Mostly neutral ===

*E. Mitchell, ''W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty'', (2000) ISBN 0786866306

==External links==
{{Sisterlinks|George W. Bush}}
===Official===

*
*

===Speeches===

*

===Transcripts===

* (August 3, 2000)
*
*
* (])
* (])
* (])
*
* November 13, 2001
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (September 2, 2004)
*
*

===Other===
*{{imdb name|id=0124133|name=George W. Bush}}
* {{gutenberg author| id=George+W.+Bush | name=George W. Bush}}

{{start box}}

{{succession box | before = ] | title = ] | years=1995–2000 | after=]}}
{{incumbent succession box|
before=]|
title=]|
start=2000 (won), 2004 (won)}}
{{incumbent succession box|
title=]|
start=2001|
before=]|
}}
{{end box}}

{{USRepPresNominees}}

{{USpresidents}}

<!--categories for career-->
]
]
]
]
]
]

<!--categories for other accomplishments-->
]
]
]
]
]
]

<!--categories for biographical trivia-->
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

<!--self-defined category-->
]


<!--interwiki language tags-->

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Revision as of 13:50, 20 October 2005

Redirect to: