Couples staying together because of poor economy

[bk1983]

President Bush, who has long brushed aside questions about his legacy, is opening up a bit during his final weeks in office.

At the White House on Monday, Bush called his HIV/AIDS program "one of the most important initiatives of my administration" and praised it as a resounding success.


And in a separate TV interview, the president was unusually blunt in identifying shortcomings during his tenure -- saying that his "biggest regret" was getting the intelligence wrong in Iraq and conceding that he was not ready to be a wartime president when he first took office.
"I think I was unprepared for war," Bush told ABC News. "In other words, I didn't campaign and say: 'Please vote for me. I'll be able to handle an attack.' In other words, I didn't anticipate war. Presidents -- one of the things about the modern presidency is that the unexpected will happen."The self-criticism is notable for a president who has long resisted looking back at his time in the White House.


In the interview with ABC's Charles Gibson, Bush said he wished "the intelligence had been different" on Iraq but declined to speculate on whether he still would have decided to go to war. "That is a do-over that I can't do," he said.

Bush tells ABC News: 'I was unprepared for war' - Los Angeles Times

[YOUTUBE]mclcpTA0s7o[/YOUTUBE]

 

[editec]

Well...you don't go to War with the President you want, you go to war with the president you have.

 

[KMAN]

I'm not sure anyone is prepared for war... Especially Obama... You can't vote present on going to war...

 

[Lycurgus]

I'm not surprised to hear Bush admit this.

Bush had two lines of thought he could have pursued. That of his hwaks or that of his father and Powell. Mainly his father. Had 9/11 not taken place, I think he would have been more inclined to listen to his fathers direction.

When Powell stood before the UN and presented what he believed and what Bush believed to be correct and vital intelligence the door was open to go either way. Given the over all uncertainty of how much Iraq may have been involved with terror in general (not 9/11) and a possible resurgence of a weapons program, he listened to his hawks. In fact, at that point, even Powell was convinced that enough had been uncovered to support the more direct and harsh approach. The only one still advising him to not take that course was his father, the one who Bush should have listened to, the one man who truly had the best overall understanding and who truly had his son's best interest at heart.

From there other mistakes made the situation worse. The execution of this war frankly was really very poor until of late. Even with our forces in Afghanistan, had Bush made better execution choices, we could have and should have been able to control and stabilize the country much better than we have, thus saving many innocent lives.

Though I sided with 41's approach on how to take Saddam out, I understood why Bush chose to take the course he did. However, I have never been able to understand the early execution failures which really changed the entire outcome of it. He lost my support right then and that was very early on, in fact in the first week of ground movement, because he was placing politics ahead of American lives.

Just my personal feelings on the deal.

 

[WillowTree]

I'm not sure anyone is prepared for war... Especially Obama... You can't vote present on going to war...

obamalama can,,

 

[strollingbones]

suddenly the man with no regrets is remorseful...i dont buy it.

 

[editec]

Consider the possibility that Bush II was unprepared to for EVERY TASK that the office of POTUS demands.

What DID he get right, anyway?

 

[Ravi]

Consider the possibility that Bush II was unprepared to for EVERY TASK that the office of POTUS demands.

What DID he get right, anyway?

A program for the homeless that saves taxpayer money. It gives the homeless homes with the expectation that having a place to live permanently will improve their lives. In my area at least, the program has worked pretty well and our homeless population is greatly reduced (of course with the economy this could all change). Instead of shuttling the homeless between the streets, the jails and the shelters...paying for an apartment is cheaper.

Off the top of my head that's all I could think of that Bush got right.

 

[del]

A program for the homeless that saves taxpayer money. It gives the homeless homes with the expectation that having a place to live permanently will improve their lives. In my area at least, the program has worked pretty well and our homeless population is greatly reduced (of course with the economy this could all change). Instead of shuttling the homeless between the streets, the jails and the shelters...paying for an apartment is cheaper.

Off the top of my head that's all I could think of that Bush got right.

he always did a heckuva job giving a turkey amnesty on Thanksgiving, too.

 

[Sunni Man]

Bush did a Great job at...............Ah..............A good job of................Ah................Let me get back with you on this!!

 

[sealybobo]

I'm not sure anyone is prepared for war... Especially Obama... You can't vote present on going to war...

Here is George playing the lovable idiot. I don't buy it. He/Dick Chaney/Rummy lied us into this war on purpose.

But as long as people buy this premise that he's a simpleton, they won't realize the man should be on trial for war crimes.

 

[editec]

Here is George playing the lovable idiot. I don't buy it. He/Dick Chaney/Rummy lied us into this war on purpose.

But as long as people buy this premise that he's a simpleton, they won't realize the man should be on trial for war crimes.

Given that we are forced to choose between those folks being totally incompetent, or completely criminal, the final conclusion this society and government are going to be forced to accept is that they were just idiots.

It's very improbable that they are idiots, of course, but even less likely is they are EVER going to be held accountable for their crimes.

This is the game they like to play, you know?

Nobody knew that the economy was going into the crapper, either, remember?

Yet, strangely, all the people who did not know, could not see, absolutely did not believe that the American people were in trouble, were ALSO the same people who most benefitted from the "mistakes" that they made.

Look at the banking bailout as a perfect example of that.

Amazing coincidences like that happen ALL THE TIME, you know?

It is merely a coincidence that the people in charge benefit from the mistaken policies they make which also coincidently are making them rich at the American people's expense.

They were just too dumb to see that they were getting rich while we were getting poorer.

Boy are THEY dumb, eh?

 

[Silence]

I'm not sure anyone is prepared for war... Especially Obama... You can't vote present on going to war...

It amazes me that some of you can't just focus on the topic at hand. Bush is the one who said he was unprepared for war, not Obama. and the whole voting present line is so freakin stupid, especially if you have any knowledge whatsoever of how the IL state legislature works, which obviously you don't.

I admire Bush for admitting that he made mistakes. I wish he'd have admitted it sooner. But better late than never.

 

[Silence]

Consider the possibility that Bush II was unprepared to for EVERY TASK that the office of POTUS demands.

What DID he get right, anyway?

AIDS funding. He's done more than any POTUS to date and for that he should be commended!

 

[jillian]

AIDS funding. He's done more than any POTUS to date and for that he should be commended!

Except he linked funding to abstinence only education.

 

[Silence]

Except he linked funding to abstinence only education.

in Africa? really?

 

[Sunni Man]

AIDS funding. He's done more than any POTUS to date and for that he should be commended!

He gave most of the AIDS funding to the "innocent" victims of this terrible plague in other countries.

And not to the "self inflicted" AIDS spreading homos in this country.

For that Bush should be commended

 

[Silence]

He gave most of the AIDS funding to the "innocent" victims of this terrible plague in other countries.

And not to the "self inflicted" AIDS spreading homos in this country.

For that Bush should be commended

man, you're a piece of shit

 

[sealybobo]

Given that we are forced to choose between those folks being totally incompetent, or completely criminal, the final conclusion this society and government are going to be forced to accept is that they were just idiots.

It's very improbable that they are idiots, of course, but even less likely is they are EVER going to be held accountable for their crimes.

This is the game they like to play, you know?

Nobody knew that the economy was going into the crapper, either, remember?

Yet, strangely, all the people who did not know, could not see, absolutely did not believe that the American people were in trouble, were ALSO the same people who most benefitted from the "mistakes" that they made.

Look at the banking bailout as a perfect example of that.

Amazing coincidences like that happen ALL THE TIME, you know?

It is merely a coincidence that the people in charge benefit from the mistaken policies they make which also coincidently are making them rich at the American people's expense.

They were just too dumb to see that they were getting rich while we were getting poorer.

Boy are THEY dumb, eh?

And the balls of Bush to get on tv and say the banks need $700 bill, no questions asked, NOW!

And somehow they were able to get 75% of the Democrats to sign the bailout and only 25% of the GOP signed it. And they claim to be dumb? They are genius!! Mad Genius'.

Or somehow this economy is Clinton's/Obama's/Freddy/Fannies fault?

I learned over the years that Republicans can argue anything. Global warming? Doesn't exist.

Or how about, "it was Gore that tried to steal Florida".

 

[user_name_guest]

And the balls of Bush to get on tv and say the banks need $700 bill, no questions asked, NOW!

And somehow they were able to get 75% of the Democrats to sign the bailout and only 25% of the GOP signed it. And they claim to be dumb? They are genius!! Mad Genius'.

Or somehow this economy is Clinton's/Obama's/Freddy/Fannies fault?

I learned over the years that Republicans can argue anything. Global warming? Doesn't exist.

Or how about, "it was Gore that tried to steal Florida".

Democrats/Bush/Republicans have something in common, they have no problem spending our money. That's why they want our health care. And the ones who support health care--> should take a look at public education. You want quality or quantity?