Greatly relieved that the Fed didn't raise rates today and doesn't seem inclined to. Inflation feels like the last thing to worry about now when the economy is so weak. Yes, there's more reason to worry about inflation in the years ahead--commodity shocks and big spending could bring inflation back. But inflation scaremongers have been worried about its return in a serious way since the 70s and early 80s, and those were exceptional times. Bernanke hasn't done everything right. I think he was too late to the housing crisis and too slow to cut rates initially. But when the crisis came, he was innovative to say the least. Any doubt that his appointment was the best thing George W. Bush did in office? In fact, I ask you: What was the best thing Bush did in office?
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Nov 4 2009, 4:35 pm
The Fed Gets It. And What Was the Best Thing Bush Did?
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Closely related, but much more impressive, was Bush's support of TARP. Without that the TARP legislation would have foundered and the economy really would have been in ruins.
I racked my brain for what seemed like forever (probably a few seconds, but who's counting?) and I couldn't think of a single thing. Sorry.
Parochial much? How about aid to Africa??? Duh.
Aha! I did find something: Bush can be given credit for not fucking up more than he did. After all, it could be worse, right?
Also, he did leave office. That is almost as good.
(Sorry, I didn't want to waste my brain power on someone who obviously didn't exercise theirs.)
"Bush can be given credit for not fucking up more than he did. After all, it could be worse, right?"
Not defending Bush per se, but can't you say that about almost every President?
Yes, but I had to say something nice, right?
Bush moved Daylight Savings Time up to March.
And as a Federal employee, I can now roll a percentage of my unused sick leave into my 401(k).
And he actually paid attention to human suffering in Africa.
The T-Ball field on the White House lawn.
Hands down, it was all of the services tended to the suffering in Africa. He didn't get nearly enough credit for it during his presidency. It's actually quite admirable.
The greatest thing President George W. Bush did while in office was prevent a follow-on attack after the devastation of September 11, 2001.
I realize we are a deeply partisan, and philosophically divided electorate; but can't everyone at least give the man props for this? After all, he probably sacrificed his legacy (or at least what he went into the presidency believing his legacy would be) to keep us safe for seven and a half years.
We COULD, if the agencies charged with protecting us didn't continually trumpet nonsensical, non serious, non aligned with ANY pre-existing groups, made for TV "terrorists" as equivalent to the legitimate threats that ACTUALLY exist. Donald RUMSFELD interrupted a state visit to Russia, to announce the interdiction of a plot to detonate a radiological weapon. What they HAD was Jose "Pucho" (Chubby) Padilla. Who had no way of acquiring radioactive materials, no knowledge of what to do with them IF he were able to acquire them, no co-conspirators, and no PLAN (at least none that the prosecution has ever referenced). Whew, thanks Jack Bau... er George.
Oh wait, the Sears Tower plotters, now THERE was a dangerous group of ... Guys who were trying get get a guy to buy them COOL JACKETS and SHOES. Even the more plausible, less technological groups of plotters have one thing in common, AN INFORMANT IN THE GROUP WHO ACTUALLY IS DIRECTING THE PLOT. Likewise the fort Dix guys, likewise the LaGuardia guys. Can you say stage managed?
Having learned their public relations lesson, the most recent informant driven terrorist plots actually take the dupe in the plot through to the completion of the terrorist act ("ok, when you dial this number the bomb will go off..."). The sad attempt to show the public that they really WOULD do harm. Except that absent the FBI, the pathetic moron being perp walked, would have no way of implementing anything remotely close to their crime of record.
Are there poor, stupid, loser guys who swallow the BS of islamic revolution and believe the revolution will not be televised or some other idiocy that makes them WILLING to do "something" (and why are they so often unemployed African Americans as opposed to actual dyed in the wool potentially legitimate muslims?). YES there are. Is putting a stop to THIS particular threat vector the greatest thing George Bush ever did? Let's hope not.
We can credit George Bush with keeping us "safe" when you can show that someone with the skills and sophistication of the Sept 11th plotters TRIED to execute anything on that scale.
Yes, we can give him credit for getting us into not one, but two costly wars on "terrorism". Iraq did have something to do with 911, right?
Taking action on the liquidity crisis.
It's hard to think of one that doesn't involve Bush improving a disaster that he helped create in the first place. On Wall Street Cox's financial industry voluntary self-regulation program and other pretend enforcement helped cause the problem. At least in this case Bush only enabled the liquidity crisis rather than causing it directly.
Hmmm, if Bush kept y'all safe from 9-11 style plotters for 7.5 years after 9-11, I suppose you also credit him for keeping NO safe from another Katrina?
Terrorism has been around since before Masada and will always be with us. It is a problem to be managed, just like the healthcare system and automobile safety. If a leader starts an unnecessary war and commits a trillion dollars to so-called homeland security, while not committing sufficient resources or will to prevent hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths amongst the uninsured or to increase road safety or to provide life-saving education for the poor, then that must be judged a poor return-on-investment by any form of accounting. He did not keep y'all safe. You were already safe (relative to many other countries in the world) because of a mature security infrastructure and a lack of violent tribal struggles within your borders. 9-11 happened on Bush's watch, and after that he and his friends used the event for political ends and to enrich the shareholders of Haliburton etc. He kept you manipulated, not safe. Your's is the greatest nation on earth, but when you act from your worst fears and grief in response to the acts of box-cutter wielding extremists, you transform your greatness into the petty blood-feuding of the Hatfields and McCoys. "We'll smoke 'em out!"
Oh, and the 4,000 Americans who died and the tens of thousands of Americans injured in Iraq were somehow less safe, under Bush's watch, than before Bush came to office, wouldn't you agree?
A number of things have already mentioned...
There is no greater role for a president than protecting the citizens of a nation and after 9-11 we suffered no further attacks. I don't care how you minimize it...it is a fact.
He DID give more aid to Africa than any other president in history. We don't hear about that often.
Unfortunately I think Bush may have been off to a good start when 9-11 hit and derailed his administration. I guess we will never know.
He beat John Kerry and Al Gore, who were dead set on trying to stop global warming. I got 8 more years of driving my Ford Excursion and my Escalade because of GWB!
Not invading a third country. He should have known that the WMD are right across the border from The Lone Star state.....
RE: scottx13 - "The T-Ball field on the White House lawn."
LOL, but come on, too much credit. We all know the kids should go right to Little League and learn how to hit and throw in our own front yards!
Easy - No Call List.
Indeed, he protected us from Saddam Hussein very effectively. From Al Qaida, not so much. Probably that seems like a really great accomplishment to some people. And many of them are not in psychiatric care yet.