We're almost ready to begin year seven of the Bush administration, with two more to go. Here are some of the highlights of the first six.
On Bush's inauguration day, the dollar was worth .986 Euro's - almost parity. As of today, the dollar is worth .769 Euro's. Bush says the American economy is strong. If it is, why is our currency worth 23% less after six years of Bushenomics? Deficits, entitlement overload, and a huge increase in the foreign trade deficit are the reasons. Don't even think of traveling to Europe - only people named Bush can afford it!
On Bush's first inauguration day, the price of a barrel of oil was less than $30, and gasoline was less than $1.50 per gallon. The increase in oil prices has taken an extra $100 billion each year out of America and into the pockets of foreign oil suppliers. In addition to impacting the balance of payments negatively, these dollars are strengthening many of the countries that Americans would consider to be our adversaries. I think I'm going to be sick.
In the lead-up to the 2000 elections, Bush unequivocally criticized Clinton's "nation-building" and said his administration would not get involved in it. Since March, 2003, Bush has unsuccessfully tried to nation-build in Iraq, spending more than $350 billion in the process.
President Bush said that his administration's major goals included a revamp of Social Security and the Tax Code, and a solution to the illegal immigration problem. None of these goals have come close to being achieved, and he took a public leadership role on none of them.
Of all presidents in recent history, Jimmie Carter has taken the most barbs for personal ineffectiveness and general obliviousness to the realpolitic of the world. George Bush and his cronies have already displaced Jimmie in these regards, even if the historians are not ready to make the official pronouncement. The trouble is, he has two more years to pad his reputation. O MY GOD!
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George's box score indicates that he's, at best, bush league. There are so many numbers that could be included here. Violent crime, after dropping throughout the 1990s, is back up. He's added $1.5 trillion to the national debt and in the process made interest payments on it the fastest growing item in the federal budget. Household debt has soared as well - and household savings rates actually reached zero for a couple of recent years. OMIGOD! indeed.
The only way Bush could salvage his legacy is if he found OBL, and cured AIDS and Cancer. Actually, even then the odds are still against him.
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