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| {{Infobox President | |||
| | name=George Walker Bush | |||
| | image=George-W-Bush.jpeg | |||
| | order=43rd ] | |||
| | term_start=], ] | |||
| | vicepresident=] | |||
| | predecessor=] | |||
| | birth_date=], ] | |||
| | birth_place=], ], ] | |||
| | party=] | |||
| | spouse=] | |||
| }} | |||
| '''George Walker Bush''' (born ], ]) is the 43rd and current ] of the ]. | |||
| Bush, a member of the ], was elected 46th ] in ] and was re-elected in ]. From there, he moved on to win the nomination of the Republican Party for the ] and ultimately defeated ] ] ] in a particularly close and controversial <ref> - Tom Carver, ], ], ] </ref> general election. In ], Bush was ], defeating Democratic ] ]. This term will expire on ], ]. | |||
| Bush's presidency has been defined by the ongoing ] including the ] following the ]. In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States and a ] took military action in ], overthrowing and capturing Iraqi President ]. The war proved controversial both domestically and internationally. In response to the September 11th attacks, Bush and the ] created the ] and increased the powers of law enforcement agencies with the passage of the ]. | |||
| Bush has also signed into law large tax cuts and a ] prescription drug plan. He has appointed two justices to the ], including a new ]. Bush's terms of office coincided with Republican control of the United States Congress, giving him greater control over policy formulation than presidents dealing with an opposition-controlled Congress. While continuing American policy of support for ], President Bush became the first U.S. President to also endorse the creation of a ] state. His promise of $15 billion (over 5 years) to Africa for AIDS relief was funded by Congress. In late 2005 and 2006, Bush led the world community in opposition to ]'s announced intention to develop ] technology. | |||
| Bush is a member and leader of a prominent ]: his father, ], served as U.S. President for four years and as Vice President for eight, his brother ] is the current ], and his grandfather, ], was a Republican United States Senator from Connecticut. Among his family, he acquired the ] "'''W'''" (for his middle initial; later '''Dubya''', a literal spelling of a colloquial pronunciation of the letter), which has become a common public nickname, used both affectionately and pejoratively. He is the second son of a former United States president to become president himself. | |||
| Prior to his political career, he was an ] in the ] and served as the managing general partner/owner of the ] ] team. | |||
| ==Bush before his presidency== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main articles|] and ]}} | |||
| Queer | |||
| ==Important people in Bush's life and career== | |||
| nobheads | |||
| ==Religious beliefs and practices== | |||
| A 1985 meeting with ] ] ultimately led Bush to give up ] and devote himself to a more serious practice of ]. <ref> - Alan Cooperman, '']'', ], ] </ref> During this period, he left the Bush family's ] faith to join his wife's ]. | |||
| Bush attends services at St. John's Episcopal Church <ref> (Episcopal)</ref> 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. <ref></ref> | |||
| In the televised Republican presidential debate held in ], ] on ] ], all of the participating candidates were asked: ''"What political ] or thinker do you most identify with and why?"'' Unlike the other candidates, who cited former presidents and other political figures, Bush responded "], because he changed my heart." His decision to name a religious figure generated some criticism - even among religious conservatives such as ] <ref> of ] on ] with hosts ] and ], ], ]</ref> and ]. | |||
| During his Presidency, Bush has also hosted celebrations at the ] for non-Christian holidays such as ] <ref></ref>. He also took a stand to retain the White House's main "Christmas Tree." | |||
| Bush's overt Christian faith is believed to have aided his election, as ]s overwhelmingly voted for him in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. | |||
| ==Presidential campaigns== | |||
| ===2000 campaign=== | |||
| {{main|U.S. presidential election, 2000}} | |||
| Advisors convinced George W. Bush that 2000 would be 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 "]", a term coined by ] professor ], and his ] promised to "restore honor and dignity to the White House." Bush proposed lowering taxes in response to a projected surplus, supported participation of ] ] in federally funded programs, and promoted ], ] in the ], a balanced ], and structural changes to the ]. 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. | |||
| ] | |||
| Bush lost the ] to ] ] of ], but rebounded to capture 9 of 13 ] states, effectively clinching the nomination. Bush then chose ], a former ] and ] for Bush's father, as his ] in ] of 2000. | |||
| On ] ] (Election Day), television networks initially called the state of ] for his opponent, ] ], 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 ] and Gore had 48.4%, the ] were less clear. The ] vote count, which favored Bush in preliminary tallies, was contested over allegations of irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. Allegations included confusing ballots, defective voting machines, faulty ]s 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 ], the Florida Supreme Court ruled that every county with a large number of undervotes would perform a hand recount. On ], in the '']'' 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 ] 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 reasonable counting methods would have given the victory to Bush in four cases and Gore in four others <ref> - '']'', ], ] </ref> <ref> - ], ]</ref>. 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) <ref> - ], report on ], ] elections </ref> earning the needed 25 electoral votes and the presidency. Bush was inaugurated ] ]. | |||
| Not since the ] had a winner failed to receive a plurality of the ]. It was the first since the ] in which the ] affected the decision. | |||
| ===2004 campaign=== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|2004 Presidential Election}} | |||
| In the ], Bush was able to win re-election against ], the ] candidate and Senator from ]. Despite the fact that Kerry was a decorated naval officer in the ], polls showed that Bush had convinced the people he and his administration would be better able to protect the nation from another terrorist attack. Bush carried 31 of 50 states for 286 ] 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 ] carried 19 states and the ], earning him 251 Electoral College votes (59,028,111 votes/48.3%). A ], pledged to Kerry, voted for Democratic Vice Presidential running mate, ], giving him one ] vote. No other candidate won College votes. Notable third-party candidates included Independent ] (463,653 votes / 0.4%), and Libertarian ] (397,265 votes/0.3%). Congress debated potential election irregularities, including allegations of ] in ] and electronic voting machine fraud. An official challenge to the Ohio election was rejected by a landslide vote of 1-74 by the ] and 31-267 in the ]. | |||
| Bush was ] for his second term on ] ]. The ] was administered by ] ]. Bush's inaugural address centered mainly on a theme of spreading ] and ] around the world. | |||
| ==Presidency== | |||
| {{main articles|] and ]}} | |||
| ===First term=== | |||
| His most controversial appointment was ] as Attorney General. Democrats vigorously opposed Ashcroft, citing ] positions on issues, such as ] and ], though he was eventually confirmed. On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counselling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. <ref> - ] memorandum, from Bush to "administrator of the United States Agency for International Development", ], ]</ref> Days later, he announced his commitment to channelling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations that critics feared would dissolve the traditional ]. <ref> - Thomas E. Buckley, '']'', ], ] </ref> <ref> - ], ], ], ] </ref> | |||
| Republicans lost control of the ] in June, when ]'s ] quit the Republican party to become an ], but not before five Senate Democrats crossed party lines to approve Bush's $1.35 billion tax cut. Less than three months later, however, the administration released budget projections that showed the projected ] decreasing to nothing over the years to come. | |||
| ===Second term=== | |||
| President Bush's second term has been characterized by misfortune both political and natural. Following his fifth ], the President pushed for ] reform, a measure which was initially supported by the President's party but was unable to pass the congress after bipartisan opposition arose. Ramifications of special prosecutor ]'s investigation into the ] leak case caused loss of public faith in the ] , and preempted the resignation of high level White House staff. The federal response to ] and question of cronyism in August 2005 proved to be difficult for the president. ]'s resignation and the death of Chief Justice ] allowed for the nomination and appointment of two new justices. President Bush initially nominated ] to replace Justice O'Connor, but on the death of Justice Rehnquist asked the Senate to confirm Roberts as Chief Justice. ] was the president's second choice to fill the vacancy of Justice O'Connor, but after the withdrawal of Miers nomination decided upon ], who was successfully appointed to the ]. Currently a debate on the legality of President Bush's domestic surveillance program has led to public debate on the limits of ] and some fractions within his own party. | |||
| ===Political ideology=== | |||
| ] ], ] President George W. Bush, and ]i Prime Minister ] after reading a statement to the press during the closing moments of the Red Sea Summit in ], ], on ] ]]] | |||
| During the 2000 election campaign Bush started to use the phrase ] to describe his beliefs. Some conservatives have questioned Bush's commitment to traditional conservative ideals because of his willingness to incur large ]s 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 ] he outlined his vision of ] and plan for democracy promotion. <ref> - released by the ], September 2002</ref> | |||
| 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 ] over-restrict its ability to monitor terrorists electronically, and has pushed for statutory exemptions to those restrictions, including certain parts of the ]. The Bush administration threatened to veto two defense bills that included amendments by Senator ] that would limit the ability of the executive to authorize ]; 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. <ref> - Charles Krauthammer, '']'', ], ]</ref> Administration lawyers like ] 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. <ref> - ] ]</ref> Bush's ] appointee, ], considers the executive's power to be quite broad as well; in his decision in '']'', he wrote that Common Article III of the ] 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 ]s to block ] requests and to keep old documents classified beyond their normal expiration date. <ref> - John Prados, '']'', ], ]</ref> Bush's critics argue that executive power that is not reviewable risks abuse for political purposes, undermines civil liberties <ref> - editorial, '']'', ], ] </ref> and that they are anti-democratic, immoral, and likely to cause resentment, as in the world's response to ]. <ref> - Andrew Sullivan, '']'', ], ]</ref> Bush's supporters respond that broad powers in the War on Terrorism are necessary to prevent major attacks against the United States <ref> - Mark Riebling, '']'' OpinionJournal, ], ]</ref> and that the president has not abused these powers. <ref> - Brendan Miniter, '']'' OpinionJournal, ], ]</ref> | |||
| ===Administration=== | |||
| {{main|George W. Bush administration}} | |||
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| |} | |||
| Bush places a high value on personal ] and, as a result, his administration has high ]. Critics allege that Bush is willing to overlook mistakes and that he has surrounded himself with "]". | |||
| 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 ] to the ]. | |||
| Bush has performed many of his presidential duties from his ranch in ], Texas, dubbed "the Western White House". As of ] ], 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 ] 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|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... ] system." <ref> - ] press release, ], ]</ref> To accomplish this deployment, Bush announced on ] ] his desire to withdraw from the 1972 ] and deploy a missile defense system with the ability to shield against a limited attack by a ]. <ref> - speech by Bush at ], ], ], ]</ref> The ] criticized this policy change, citing doubts about the system's effectiveness. <ref> - ], Panel on Public Affairs, ], ] </ref> Bush argued this was justified as the treaty's ] benefits were no longer relevant. The official notification of withdrawal from the treaty was announced on ] ], 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. <ref> - FindLaw, accessed ], ] </ref> | |||
| Terrorism was Bush's main topic at the ] in ], calling for restructuring the organization from a Cold War focus and prepare it for new threats. | |||
| During his first presidential visit to ] in June 2001, European leaders criticized of Bush for rejecting 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." <ref> - ] press release, ], ]</ref> | |||
| The administration also disputed the scientific basis of the treaty. <ref> - ] press release, ], ]</ref> In November 2004, ] ratified the treaty, meeting the quota of nations required to enforce it without ratification by the United States. | |||
| International leaders also criticized Bush for withdrawing support for the ] soon after he assumed the presidency. Bush made the following comment: "I wouldn't join the International Criminal Court. It's a body based in Hague where unaccountable judges and prosecution can pull our troops or diplomats for trial." | |||
| Probably his most significant foreign policy action was, however, the launch of the ]. | |||
| ====Terrorism and Afghanistan==== | |||
| ] in ], 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 ] organization known as ], which is led by ]. bin Laden had issued a ] against the ] in ]. In response to these attacks, on ] ], the United States, with international support, launched a war against the ] ] regime, charged with harboring bin Laden. The regime was quickly defeated. Subsequent nation-building efforts with the ] and Afghan president ] have had mixed results. ] were held on ] ]. Even though international observers called the elections "fairly democratic" at the "overall majority" of polling centers, 15 of the 18 presidential candidates nevertheless threatened to withdraw, alleging flawed registration and validation. <ref> - ], ], ] </ref> | |||
| {{further|]}} | |||
| ====Iraq==== | |||
| Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration also promoted urgent action in Iraq, stating that Iraqi President ] possessed ] (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 ofm 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 <ref> - ], interview by Massimo Calabresi, ], ], ] </ref> and the UN's chief weapons inspector ]. <ref> - ], ], ] </ref> Bush also argued that Saddam was a threat to U.S. security, destabilized the ], inflamed the ], and financed ]. ] reports asserted that Saddam Hussein had tried to acquire ], had not properly accounted for Iraqi ] and ] material in violation of ], 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 ]) passed by the ] and the ] and later signed by ]. <ref> - ], October 2002</ref> <ref> - ], ], ] </ref> | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Asserting that Saddam Hussein was both a potential terrorist threat and an obstacle to peace, Bush urged the ] to enforce Iraqi ] mandates, precipitating a ]. On ] ], under ], Hans Blix and ] 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. <ref> - ], ], ] </ref> | |||
| ] ] urged his colleagues in the Bush administration to avoid a war without clear UN approval. The Bush administration initially sought a ] resolution authorizing the military force pursuant to of the ] but, facing vigorous opposition from several nations, (primarily France and Germany), dropped the bid for UN approval and, with over 20 other nations (including the United Kingdom) designated the "]", prepared for war. <ref> - Steve Schifferes, ], ], ]</ref> | |||
| ] off the coast of ], ], where he delivers his controversial ] speech to declare victory and the end of major combat operations in Iraq, ] ].]] | |||
| {{further|]}} | |||
| Military hostilities commenced on ] ] to pre-empt Iraqi WMD deployment and remove Saddam from power. Because of its controversial nature within the international community, ] ] and other world leaders questioned the war's legality. Bush declared, "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended" <ref>{{press release reference|URL=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/20030501-15.html|Organization=]|Date=], ]|Title=President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended}}</ref>, under a "Mission Accomplished" banner <ref> - Dana Bash, ], ], ] </ref> on ] ]. U.S. deployment and casualties (both military and civilian) have continued through early 2006 despite the capture of Saddam, because of ongoing Iraqi ]. | |||
| On ] ], the U.S. ] 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." <ref> - ] </ref> The ] report found no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, although the report did conclude 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. <ref> - ]</ref> In addition, the 9/11 commission found that despite contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda in 1996, "no collaborative relationship" emerged in regards to the attacks on 9/11. <ref> - Walter Pincus and Dana Milbank, '']'', ], ]</ref> On | |||
| ], ], while discussing the WMD issue, Bush stated that "It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong." <ref> - '']'', ], ]</ref> | |||
| 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 ] in ], ]. Three days later, a new Spanish government was elected which soon thereafter withdrew all Spanish forces from Iraq. <ref> - ], ], ]</ref> ] also openly announced that al-Qaeda will attack any country which supports the war in Iraq. <ref>, ], ]</ref> | |||
| {{further|], ] and ]}} | |||
| ====Immigration==== | |||
| Bush proposed an ] bill that would have greatly expanded the use of ] ]. His proposal would match ] 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 some Democratic Senators, including ] and ], as well as by conservative House members like ]. | |||
| Bush has also publicly stated he would like to tighten security at the ]-] border, which includes speeding up the ], building more ] to hold ], 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, ceding that it would only serve as incentive for increased illegal immigration. <ref> - ], ], ]</ref> | |||
| ====HIV/AIDS==== | |||
| In the ] message in January, 2003, Bush outlined a five-year strategy for global emergency ] relief, the ]. Bush requested $15 billion for this effort, and Congress supported the president's proposal. The emergency relief effort is led by U.S. Ambassador ], the Global AIDS Coordinator at the ]. $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 ].Almost one quarter of the $15 billion has gone to religious groups that tend to emphasize abstinence over condom use.<ref> - Associated Press, ], ], ]</ref> This budget represents more money contributed to fight AIDS globally than all other donor countries combined. | |||
| ====Trade==== | |||
| Bush's imposition of a ] and ] 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 ], although the lumber dispute is ongoing. | |||
| ====Development assistance==== | |||
| The U.S. State Department and ] (USAID) published a strategic plan for the 2004-2009 period. The principal aims are established in President Bush's ''National Security Strategy'': ], 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 ] 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." <ref> of ], accessed ], ]</ref> | |||
| ===Domestic policy=== | |||
| {{main|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 ], ], and ]. 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 disproportionally 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 ] 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. As a percentage of ], however, the deficits are lower than those experienced during the ].{{fact}} | |||
| ] under Bush has remained near historic lows at about 2-3% per year, where it has been since the ]. | |||
| 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 fourth quarter of 2005, the economy under Bush grew at a 1.1% pace, the worst showing in more than three years. <ref> - Glenn Somerville, ], ], ]</ref> Just prior to that in the third quarter, pace of growth was 4.3%, the best showing in more than a year. | |||
| ====Health, medicine, and Social Security==== | |||
| Bush signed the ], 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 400,000,000,000 (USD) over the first 10 years, would give the elderly "better choices and more control over their health care" <ref> - ] transcript/press release, ], ]</ref>. Bush signed the ] in 2003, having declared his aim to "promote a culture of life" <ref> - Richard W. Stevenson, '']'', ], ]</ref>. The law has not yet been enforced, having been ruled unconstitutional by three District Courts. It is pending ] review. According to statistician Glen Stassen, an ethics professor at ], abortion has risen in the | |||
| U.S. during Bush's presidency, reversing a decade-long trend. | |||
| Bush called for major changes in ], 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 ], and has limited federal funding for research to studies that use embryonic stem cell lines that were in existence on ], ] (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 of 2002, Bush signed the ], with Democratic Senator ] as chief sponsor, which aims to close the achievement gap, measures ] performance, provides options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and targets more federal funding to low-income ]. Critics say schools were not given the resources to help meet new standards, although their argument is based on premise that authorization levels are spending promises instead of spending caps. | |||
| ====Energy and the environment==== | |||
| Bush's environmental record has been attacked by most ]s, 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 ] and contaminated sediment in the ], as well as the Brownfields Legislation in 2002, accelerating the cleanup of abandoned industrial or ] sites. | |||
| 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 ]. | |||
| Partially due to gas price hikes, Bush proposed tapping the ] reserves in the ]. | |||
| Bush has opposed the ] to reduce the effect of ], saying it would harm the U.S. economy; the protocol has more than 160 signatory nations. The United States has signed the ], 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 ] ], Bush signed into law H. R. 4664, far-reaching legislation to put the ] on a track to double its budget over five years and to create new ] and ] ] initiatives at both the pre-college and ] level. | |||
| 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. | |||
| The White House has come under criticism for downplaying reports that link human activity and greenhouse gas emissions to climate change. | |||
| On ] ], Bush took a controversial stance favoring the teaching of ] alongside ] 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." | |||
| ====Other issues==== | |||
| Bush has signed legislation supporting faith-based initiatives, and created the ] to assist such organizations. | |||
| Bush opposes same-sex marriage but supports allowing states to provide ].<ref> - United Press International, '']'', ], ]</ref> He endorsed the ] to the ] which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Bush is the first Republican President to appoint an openly ] man to his administration. | |||
| In regards to what is commonly called ], 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 ]. During his tenure as Governor of Texas, 152 people were ], maintaining its record as the leading state in ]s. As President of the United States, he has continued in his support for capital punishment, including presiding over the first federal execution in decades, that of convicted terrorist ]. | |||
| The Bush administration has threatened ] of legislation on several occasions, usually resulting in a compromise report from ]. 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 ] in ]. | |||
| ===Public perception and assessments=== | |||
| {{main|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 ] and homeland security, and shown exemplary leadership after the ] attacks. His opponents 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. | |||
| ] attacks, and the beginning of the ].]] | |||
| In the time of national crisis following the ] 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 continue to illustrate an average of around 40% for Bush, up slightly from the following September, but surprisingly low from a president coming off of his ], which generally provides a boost. <ref> - PollingReport.com, accessed ], ] </ref> | |||
| 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 ], which many considered slow, or his involvement in the ] 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 ] agent ] from a source within his administration 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 many considered a back-pedal. | |||
| As of late 2005 and early 2006, considerable criticism has focused on points such as the ] controversy and the ] of communications. | |||
| ===Calls for impeachment=== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| {{main|Movement to impeach George W. Bush}} | |||
| A poll commissioned by and performed by ], was released in January 2006 showing that a majority of United States of America citizens (52% to 43%) believe Congress should consider impeaching the president if it is shown that he wiretapped US citizens without approval from the courts. | |||
| In 2005 and 2006 there have been several calls for impeachment from Democratic party politicians ](D-MI) and ], as well as actor/activist ] <ref> - Randy Hall, ], ], ]</ref>. Also calling for Bush's impeachment is convicted ] participant and former ] official ]. | |||
| In March 2006, ] published an article by ] entitled "The Case For Impeachment: Why We Can No Longer Afford George W. Bush". The cover page reads: "IMPEACH HIM: Lewis H. Lapham on the High Crimes of George W. Bush" and the article's inside lead is titled "Is There A Case For Impeachment." Harper's Magazine featured the question of presidential impeachment on its cover before, during the Nixon presidency in 1974. | |||
| Since 1797, the House of Representatives has impeached only sixteen Federal officials. Of those, seven were also convicted by the Senate. Both impeached presidents, ] and ], were acquitted. <ref> - Borgna Brunner, ], accessed ], ]</ref> There are no hearings scheduled to consider a bill of impeachment, nor are there any known plans by the leadership of the House of Representatives to schedule such hearings. | |||
| ===Measure to censure=== | |||
| On March 13, 2006 Senator ] (D-WI) introduced a ] measure in the Senate to condemn President Bush. The proposed censure is a reprimand of Bush's ] which was authorized in secret. Feingold has said of this censure, "What the President did by consciously and intentionally violating the Constitution and laws of this country with this illegal wiretapping has to be answered. Proper accountability is a censuring of the President, saying: 'Mr. President, acknowledge that you broke the law, return to the law, return to our system of government'". Senate Minority Leader ] declined to support the measure, as did other Senate Democrats, including ] and ], and it was ultimately referred to a Senate Committee. Senate Majority Leader ], who offered to hold an immediate debate and vote, responded to the censor measure saying that it would undermine America's efforts to fight terror. | |||
| On the March 12 episode of '']'' Frist stated that, as he feels that the Republican party is fighting the people who are sworn to destroy Western Civilization and American families, thusly for a Senator to then attack the President doesn't make sense. | |||
| ===Major legislation signed=== | |||
| {{col-begin}} | |||
| {{col-2}} | |||
| ;2001 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: Authorization for Use of Military Force | |||
| :*]: United States-Jordan Free Trade Area Implementation Act | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| {{col-2}} | |||
| ;2002 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| {{col-end}} | |||
| {{col-begin}} | |||
| {{col-2}} | |||
| ;2003 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act) (see also ]) | |||
| :*]: United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | |||
| :*]: United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] (CAN-SPAM) | |||
| {{col-2}} | |||
| ;2004 | |||
| :*]: ] (Laci and Conner's Law) | |||
| ;2005 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] Implementation Act | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] (SAFETEA) | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| ;2006 | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| {{col-end}} | |||
| ===Presidential firsts=== | |||
| Bush is the first President who lost the popular vote when elected to his first term and still won reelection to a second. ] and ] were defeated in their reelection bids by their opponents from their first election (] and ], respectively). The other, ], did not seek reelection. | |||
| ===Supreme Court nominations / appointments === | |||
| Bush nominated the following individuals to sit on the ]: | |||
| *] | |||
| ** Associate Justice. Nominated ]; nomination withdrawn in order to nominate him to Chief Justice on ]. | |||
| ** Chief Justice. Nominated ]; confirmed by the Senate on ]. | |||
| *] — Associate Justice. Nominated ]; confirmed by the Senate on ]. | |||
| *] — Associate Justice. Nominated ]; nomination withdrawn in accordance with Miers' request on ]. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{see|:Category:George W. Bush}} | |||
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| ==Notes== | |||
| <div style="font-size: 85%"> | |||
| <references/> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ===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 | |||
| ===Links === | |||
| * The White House (2005). . Retrieved ]. ''"Owner, oil and gas business"'' ''"Partner, Texas Rangers Baseball Team"'' | |||
| * Account of Air National Guard service | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * Graphs of approval ratings , | |||
| * Time-analysis of Bush's popularity . | |||
| * Collection of Bushisms | |||
| * {{nndb name | id = 360/000022294 | name = George W. Bush}} | |||
| * 2000 Florida recount information from | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Sisterlinks|George W. Bush}} | |||
| ===Official=== | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ===Speeches: audio and transcripts=== | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| {{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}} | |||
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| ===Other=== | |||
| *{{imdb name|id=0124133|name=George W. Bush}} | |||
| *{{gutenberg author| id=George+W.+Bush | name=George W. Bush}} | |||
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| <!-- Metadata: see ] --> | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME=Bush, George Walker | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Bush, George, Jr.; Bush Jr. | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION=43rd ] | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH=], ] | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH=], Connecticut | |||
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Revision as of 15:19, 17 March 2006
Bush.