Jenna and Barbara Bush Are Plenty Ready for Dad to Move Back to Texas

• I actually agree with most of what Bacon writes, but this part bothers me: "And he almost never, ever got any credit for the good things that he did, because the media and the left hated his guts from Day One of his presidency. " First, exactly what good things did he do? Secondly, and most importantly, the part about the left hating his guts from Day One is just plain wrong. I consider myself to be on the left, but I thought W was a good governor. And even though I supported Gore, I thought W would do a good job in the White House, with the same backslapping, reaching-across-the-aisle style that he utilized effectively in Austin. Instead, he did the exact opposite, and I'll never understand why. And not just that, how quickly do we forget how high W's approval ratings were initially, and especially in the wake of 9/11? Saying that the media and the left "hated his guts from Day One" is the kind of wild hyperbole that Bacon accuses others of.

• It doesn't need to be complicated in assessing George W. Bush as President of the United States. On January 20th of 2001 and 2005 he swore to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Article II, Section 3 of that document gave him the affirmative duty to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed". At minimum, President Bush has admitted to violating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 in his publicly acknowledged "Terrorist Surveillance Program" and 18 U.S.C. 113C which makes it a felony to conspire to commit torture, to wit: (a) Offense.� Whoever outside the United States commits or attempts to commit torture shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results to any person from conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life. (b) Jurisdiction.� There is jurisdiction over the activity prohibited in subsection (a) if� (1) the alleged offender is a national of the United States; or (2) the alleged offender is present in the United States, irrespective of the nationality of the victim or alleged offender. (c) Conspiracy.� A person who conspires to commit an offense under this section shall be subject to the same penalties (other than the penalty of death) as the penalties prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy. The grounds have long existed for George W. Bush's impeachment and removal from office if only the Democrats in Congress hadn't always persisted in Charlie Brown-fashion in cooperating with and enabling Republicans in the vain hope that members of the GOP would stop attacking them. As a result, part of the damage caused by the current president falls on the supine Democratic caucus.

• George Bush hates black people and I hate good music.

• bush is not only the worst president/dictator of all time, he is a murderer. we know the war in iraq was a farce. yet over one million people have died as a result. WHY? because of one man folks. that man is moving to dallas. think about this. one million people DEAD! and because some think he is a man of god, they are going to be buildings in dallas in tribute to him. this country will never, ever, recover from the damage this man has done.

• I'm sorry but Bush was an awful President. He over-reacted to 9/11. It would have been badass if he had orchestrated the largest manhunt in history. Rather, he allowed Bin Laden and most of the Taliban leadership to fly out of the Khyber pass into Pakistan. Bush was incurious and failed to seek out problems, hotspots, whatever. The legalism over how to request FEMA aid is asinine. He sat through the oil bubble, Enron, the housing bubble, profligate spending. Do you want to blame those ludicrous budgets on the Dems? I am no fan of the Democrats either, their dissent was feeble if not enabling. But, it is in no way acceptable to dismiss complaints against Bush by attacking the Dems. Those Bush supporters lament not being able to have a rational discussion on the merits of the Administration but have offered no rebuttal or defense of any logical merit. More examples of Bush chaos, look at Somalia and Eritrea where we encouraged, supplied, and gave intel to Ethiopia to invade that area. Bush or David Frum's speech calling Iran part of the Axis of evil set back real reforms that were moving forward in that country. Iran worked with us in invading Afghanistan, and truly kept large arms out of Iraq despite whining by the Admin. Bush's co-option of the Justice dept. has hurt us badly here. They received just their first convictions related to terrorism with the Holy Land Trial, which has yet to weather the appeals process. Someone ironically referred to the evils of Nixon's spying when the Bush admin. moved this to new lows. Keep in mind that we have more intercepted transmissions than we can track. There is a substantial backlog yet we literally record every electronic call and transmission. I freely admit that the Democrats offered only token resistance. What troubles me is that the whole debate was a diversion. They were debating Echelon a Bush 1/Clinton program where all international calls were recorded. Bush officially changed that to simply all calls. Do you defenders want to debate some more? The attrocious deficit spending, the rabid inflation that we will inherit in the next 2-10 yrs. Bush anticipated nothing, and reacted clumsily throwing treasure at problems like a guilt-ridden parent. Bush is hard to defend, he was fiscally irresponsible, bloated the size and role and intrusion of Gov't, at the same time undercut the gate keepers and regulators from doing their jobs, firing or outing those who dared dissent. They insulated themselves in a beltway elite of neo-cons, war contractors, financial swindlers and CEOs, ignoring the most conspicuous harbingers of danger. Bush even managed to make Saddam Hussein pitiable with the meat-fisted way they handled his arrest, trial and execution. I would love a logical discussion/argument about the Bush Administration, but no one here has offered one. How anyone can defend Bush is beyond me, but I'd sure like rebut that assertion. Bush's mismanagement has brought this country to it's knees, squandering the future of this nation for some machievellian machinations that backfired and has utterly discredited the "conservative" gov't model in most voters minds. As a Libertarian/Progressive that worries me and all fair-minded informed citizens.

• One things for sure (Jenna more than Barbara) they are definately probably the only thing George W. accomplished that is easy on the eyes. Supposedly Jenna, despite the drinking and partying is pretty smart. (Too bad she is married because if I wasn't married i'd definately "hit that") As for Barbara, no wonder she's still single...she didn't get the blonde hair and looks that Jenna did, although still quite attractive, she just isn't as desirable, again...however if I wasn't married....I definately "hit that too!!!"............... I doubt either are virgins........I've heard they are both quite the party animals.... There's that sister fantasy again....hmmm... I hope W stays at 10141 Daria lane and stays out of the limelight for a while.

• The Hard Left. Staying classy as always. Go get a hobby, guys. It's not healthy to go through life with so much irrational hatred.

• The Universe says: Can you name a more world wide hated person than George W. Bush that is still living? Ummm...well...I'll take the bait... Donald Rumsfeld comes swiftly to mind... But then again...Osama Bin Blow Things UP ranks higher I suppose... and what about that Cheney character... Oh wait...this just in...Barney Frank...you know his "lover" was heavily involved in the Freddie/Fannie debacle...ashame that no one was speaking for an equal voice / representation over that...but you know...that's how we are...if it had been a husband / wife traditional relationship...it would have been a MAJOR to do... Just my view...but thanks for reading...

• I agree with MushMouth. Anyone who followed the Obama campaign knows that book still holds up. Good point.

• @Billy Barnacle- Pick up a copy of a book by Eric Hoffer called "The True Believer : Thoughts On The Nature Of Mass Movements". He was a social psychologist, wrote it back in the 50's and it still holds up.

• Ten the problem is that Bush isn't just a horrible pResident, he is responsible for the death of over one million people. How do you rationally discuss that? How do you justify that? Why should we? One has to deserve respect. He will be scorned forever and hopefully if we abide by the law, his years will be spent in prison.

• You know, For the Record, I should at least read your posts....... but, why?

• "I have a serious question that maybe someone can answer without a snipe. Why do individuals take complaints against Bush so personal? " Because the complaints rarely take the form of anything remotely rational and leave no room for logical discussion. I know it's "just a blog" but comments like the two above serve absolutely no purpose in furthering discussion. The so-called complaints are more often just name-calling or spouting of ridiculous claims. I won't argue that there's nothing to complain about regarding the current admnistration, far from it, but there are people here on both sides that can actually argue their opinion rationally and thoughtfully as opposed to just shouting, "Bush is a doodie-head."

• There is a reason the world got so excited when that journalist threw his boots at him. Can you figure out that reason? Because the man is a criminal, a murderer, and the scum of the fucking earth. Now delude yourself with your blah blah blah bullshit. You ain't fooling anyone but yourself. BTW, those daughters are idiots too, just like that fat bigoted grandmother of theirs. Rest assured that anytime his name is mentioned, if will be followed by post like this.

• I wonder if the defenders of Bush on this blog are some of the same folks still driving around with the big ole "W" on their car window. You know - the "I was stupid - I'm still stupid - I'm proud of being stupid" crowd that refuse to admit what a colossal mistake they made by supporting the clown. Thankfully, they are in the minority and there are fewer and fewer of them all the time. OMG now the idiot and his ignorant offspring are on the way back - and they think he will receive a big Texas welcome. No doubt he will from the crowd mentioned above - wonder how the other 90% will welcome him?

• .......let me see........is it For the Record or Lake "wanna Be" wooder? Pathetic.

• I have a serious question that maybe someone can answer without a snipe. Why do individuals take complaints against Bush so personal?

• <i>....allow a new generation to try and repair the damage done by Bush.</i> To try what?

• It must be tough for some of you to now be in the minority. Bush lovers are rare and hard to find. Almost extinct. Most exist within a few miles of us. My advice would be to stay strong, stand tall in your flawed belief system and allow a new generation to try and repair the damage done by Bush. It might be helpful that you help us clean up some of the carnage left behind by the men that you put all your faith in.

• So much for a thought-provoking discussion. Look, Toots, I don't have a dog in the fight you've picked with Bacon and others, but I do know that it's indeed you have picked the fight and continue to do so childishly, profanely, and without regard to the points he makes (and he makes them well). I've seen him ignore you many more times than I've seen you go out of your way, illogically and unprovoked, to pick at him. Do you know him in "real" life outside this forum? Did his dingo eat your baby? Really, speaking objectively, get a grip. It's spookily irrational, the kind of thing that got Yahoo discussion boards shut down completely. Enjoy your weekends, folks. I'm off in search of the elusive wild agave.

• Oh Robert, if wasn't for me you would have nothing to do. Oh and.......BACONASS, BACONASS.......nope, I will not say it again, he just might appear.

• Dallasman, I hadn't thought of Lincoln, and didn't consider the context, but you're right. As was suggested as a caption for the pictures of Romo, Witten, and Owens making nice after the last win, "Victory is a great deodorant." Further in the historical vein, many scholars have argued that Nixon was the most dangerous president in history. Not only did he unleash government power covertly on mere critics, toward the end of his term, there was a more immediate and unprecedented danger. Nixon apparently floated the idea of declaring martial law and/or mustering U.S. troops in defense of the White House (?), because the documented, historical result was that East Coast Army commanders suddenly and surprisingly issued strict reminders not to obey any orders that didn't come through the proper chain of command. That is, they were apparently concerned that Nixon would reach down to brigade or smaller levels, who had plenty of firepower to shut down the capital at least, without going through the Pentagon. Can you imagine some hapless colonel being harangued by his commander-in-chief to "bring your troops here now!" "Shredding the constitution", indeed.

• Oh, if only ...

• "BaconAss" *yawn* Oh Hell it's Toots again. Wilonsky, is there an "ignore" option at Unfair Park?

• So, anonymous, how long will your anger persist? As many people have commented in many fora, "If you supported Obama, why aren't you happy?" A shrink or a pal would counsel you to get over it and move on. We have an inauguration shortly, haven't you heard? And there are many, many more than three tribes in Iraq. Apparently you're referring to Shiites and Sunnis, who are grouped by sect but have many tribes within those two sects, and Kurds, who are ethnically and culturally grouped despite their many tribes. That makes three regions of the country, but again, many tribes in all three regions. (I'm just guessing that's what you meant.) That's the sort of ignorance that permeates the US State Dept (under any administration) and especially the Congress, of either persuasion. It wasn't Bush personally who went into Iraq with the intent of casting aside the tribal/sheik system in favor of precinct voting, it was all of us - you know, willfully ignorant Americans.

• Hey Toots, you forgot to sign your name to your little rant. But I recognize your scholarly, erudite style of writing... Anyway, I guess I missed the huge fight in Congress where Obama and the Democrats opposed the stupid TARP/bailout plan. The great Barney Frank probably led the opposition to the bailout, right? Oh, wait -- only a small group of <i>Republicans</i> opposed it. Never mind.

• religion of bacon says: If having poor judgement is the same as being an idiot, then Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are idiots, too. ===================================== No no no, BaconAss. We are talking about Bush. Don't try to steer the argument. Bush didn't even know that there were 3 tribes in Iraq. Look at his great ideas the last 3 months. Giving the banking industry billions thinking.....and this is a gem...that they would start lending again. Now they lower interest rates thinking the banks will too? HA!! Now thats funny. No. Bush is an idiot. He can't talk, he self admit-tingly does not read much and as we can see he can't pass on a simple thought through basic English. You are right, Bush is not evil, he is just plain stupid.

• Good points For The Record, but while you're at it, you can add Abraham Lincoln. Actually, great example. History looks back on Lincoln and says, "wow, great president." However, at the time, his steps in sending the military to oppose the seceding states, expanding the federal government, imprisoning state government opponents in Delaware and Maryland who supported secession, etc., were **questionable, if not out-right illegal or unconstitutional at the time. Of course, the war was ultimately a success for Lincoln. If the South had won, or been permitted to leave after years of struggle, history would look back on Lincoln quite differently. Either way, 660,000 Americans died b/c of the war he prosecuted against the South. A chance at ending slavery peacefully was missed, souring race relations for generations, and the South was left in ruins to the point that much of the South took decades to recover (and still hasn't in some places).

• Wait, there's more: US Presidents Grant and Harding are generally acknowledged to have presided over the most corrupt administrations in US history. The latter's new widow rushed back to the White House after his death by influenza in order to burn all his personal papers.

• While I'm not a Bush apologist, I can think of at least three presidents who started a war based on a lie: 1. James K. Polk (asked for a declaration of war against Mexico after a staged incursion into disputed territory by a token, sacrificial force of American troops) 2. William McKinley (actually, the cause of the sinking of the Maine that helped bring on the war with Spain was never firmly established, although most experts today believe it was an accidental explosion) 3. Lyndon Johnson (in another maritime focus, the "attacks" on US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin absolutely did not happen, although the resolution allowing LBJ to commit troops was called the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution".)

• <I>Now, you can further prove your point by naming a President that has done more damage to the USA and the world than Bush.</i> ============================================ Bill Clinton of course. He unleashed Hillary on us.

• You are very welcome Dallasman. Now, you can further prove your point by naming a President that has done more damage to the USA and the world than Bush.

• Thank you Billy Barnacle for proving my point with your statement, "Bush is either an idiot, or a very evil man." Very shrewd and all-encompassing analysis there. I stand by my original statement.

• <i>So you are admitting that "W" is on [sic] idiot?</i> Um, no. If having poor judgement is the same as being an idiot, then Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are idiots, too.

• His daughters put themselves in the crosshairs by giving a magazine interview.

• religion of bacon says: Bush has been a big disappointment, but most of it was due to poor judgement...... ============================================ So you are admitting that "W" is on idiot? I can't argue with that.

• What Dallasman said. Bush has been a big disappointment, but most of it was due to poor judgement and failing to live up to his conservative roots IMHO, not "lies" or evil nefarious schemes. And he almost never, <i>ever</i> got any credit for the good things that he did, because the media and the left hated his guts from Day One of his presidency. btw, it's interesting how people are so quick to say that "Bush created havoc in the world" as if Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda didn't have anything to do with it...

• Can you name a President who has created more havoc in the world Dallasman? Bono giving him props will not bring back the people killed in a war based on a lie, nor will it create jobs, provide housing for the homeless which is at an all time high, or change our economy. Bush is either an idiot, or a very evil man. Perhaps both. Recently he has tried to re-write history and he even failed at that. You are only fooling yourself if you think history will be kind to George W. Bush.

• Ok, ok, I get it. Most people think W. has been a big failure as president. I tend to agree that a lot of his presidency has been poor. But, I'm not naive enough to think he is the worst president ever, or that everything he did was bad. Even Bono gives him props as doing more to relieve suffering in Africa than any other president, ever. I am by no means a cheerleader for W, but I am annoyed with the blind, broad "Bush is an idiot" jibber-jabber in these comments and elsewhere. Long-term perspective people...please. Thanks.

• We all love our parents and we all love our children. I remember the interview with the Father of Jeffrey Dahmer. He loved his son.

• It's gonna be an interesting afternoon, especially since I have a 90-minute (!) conference call scheduled this afternoon. Here's some interesting trivia about presidential offspring, which I saw when I began Googling for the differences between the Bush twins. More on that later, I'm sure. "From the earliest days of the republic, American presidents have been humiliated by their wayward and self-destructive children. John Quincy Adams' son was a debt-laden alcoholic who was kicked out of Harvard and later drowned in a possible suicide. Andrew Jackson Jr. was a decadent freeloader whose mother was once shocked to discover his collection of "disgusting pictures of nature." William Henry Harrison referred to his incompetent sons as "the destruction of my hopes" (although his grandson, Benjamin, became president). "Modern presidential kids haven't fared much better. John F. Kennedy Jr. labored all his life to be taken seriously before his untimely death. Amy Carter was known as a spoiled brat and later flunked out of Brown. Reagan daughter Patti Davis took drugs and married a yoga instructor, posed nude for Playboy, and penned erotic novels with names such as Bondage."

• Really? Bert R.

• Anyone else generally creeped out by the photo? The girls are standing closest to the parent they resemble most. Poor girl looks like her dad in drag.

• <i>Bush has turned then entire world into one big Katrina.</i> Really, the entire world? China, Russia, Africa, South America, France, Saudi Arabia -- Bush has laid waste to them all? Seriously, that's some 190 proof Kos-grade hyperbole you're drinking there.

• Back to the Bubble girls ... everything is a-ok in the Bubble.

• D-E-N-I-A-L

• I didn't think the twins would remember those early years.

• It must be difficult for a child to witness a parent publicly filleted and vilified on such a regular basis. Gangy, "these girls have a lot to learn", oh really? And I suppose you could teach them? They love their father unconditionally and look forward to his exit from public office. They sound like pretty good kids to me. Dump on "W" all you want, but show a little civility/class and remove his kids from your crosshairs.

• The broads are freaking delusional, or brain dead. Yikes. Gangy mentions New Orleans, when in fact Bush has turned then entire world into one big Katrina. Can you name a more world wide hated person than George W. Bush that is still living?

• Their dad has the same ethics as he always has? I think that's true. I don't believe torture is something you decide to embrace when you're 50 something. I think the neglect and disregard he showed to the people of New Orleans is deep-seated, too. These girls either have a lot to learn, or they or good at sticking to the talking points of the Bush legacy project.

• ...bwaaahahhahahahahahahahaaahahahhahahaaha

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