Laura Bush Honored for her Work in Africa to Beat Malaria!

Amazingly, George W. Bush did more for Africa while he was president, than any other U.S. president to date, and yet one would never know it. In 2006, he held a White House Malaria Summit and announced the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), which has led efforts in 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to end malaria deaths. I found this description by Tim Goeglein of Bush particularly telling:

In my present role with Focus on the Family, I had to be up in South Africa earlier this year. Everywhere I went, whether for business meetings or ministry meetings, I was amazed at how highly regarded George W. Bush is in Africa. That’s a direct result of his compassionate conservatism and his historic work battling AIDS and malaria there. The President’s PEPFAR initiative against AIDS, and his anti-malarial program, stand among his most significant foreign policy achievements, and yet they’re little known or appreciated now, at least in the United States. I hope they will be recognized over time.

The great thing about this "Africa Story" is that it became a family affair. Laura Bush and the Bush daughters also took it on as a cause while in the White House, and the whole family continues to help the people of Africa.

Laura Bush was honored last night for her efforts to beat malaria. I have fallen in love with Africa since my missions trip this summer, so I find the Bush family's efforts very inspirational. Kudos to Laura Bush!

Related Links:
--Analysis: How George W Bush became an African hero
--First Lady Laura Bush Discusses Her Family’s Dedication to Ending Malaria
--President's Malaria Initiative
--Malaria No More

A Conversation with President George W. Bush in Kansas City!!

The best word to describe last night's event is that it was AMAZING!! Rainy Day Books sponsored an interview with President George W. Bush at Unity Temple on the Plaza about his memoirs, Decision Points. Tickets for the event sold out last Monday, and the extra autographed copies sold out last Tuesday. Unity Temple was filled to capacity with over 1200 people. My friends and I arrived at 4:00 and were in the doors by 5:00. So, I missed the lame protesters, according to news media outlets, there were 18 of them.

As I was listening to Bush talk, and taking notes, I was struck by how he was even more real, down to earth, likable, charming and funny in person. He also exuded confidence, but was not arrogant, and the way he described his faith was inspiring! It was a very memorable experience. It is hard to imagine why anyone would hate him.

Below is a summary of my notes and observations of the event:

He was interviewed by Vivien Jennings, Founder & President of Rainy Day Books. He started off with some self-deprecating humor, by saying that most people didn't think he could read a book, let alone write one. He also said that Laura and Jenna had been invited by Rainy Day Books first, and now he finally got invited.

Jennings asked him what question would he liked to have been asked, that had not been asked so far. He joked that it would be, "Why did you trade Sammy Sosa?" He then went on to say, "Why did you spend tax money to help the people of Africa?" His answer was:

1) The enemy can only recruit when it has hopeless people
2) It is in the moral interests of a nation. He quoted the old adage, of whom much is given, much is required.

He talked about how important it is to have genuine friends. Harry Truman said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." According to Bush, a friend in Washington is one that you had, before, you came to Washington.

He gave a passionate monologue on how life is full of risks. He took a big risk to run for president. He risked either being called "a pathetic candidate" or if he got elected, "a pathetic president." Yet, he didn't want to be sitting in a corner as an old man drooling, saying he could've been a great president, but he never ran. He got huge applause after this, as he did after many of his lines.

He described himself as a "half-glass full guy" and someone who has a passion for history. As someone who would describe myself exactly the same way, it was music to my ears. He said it was fascinating to be making history and reading it, at the same time.

He talked about a time that he bragged about how Laura was the greatest first lady ever, and then realized he was mentioning this in front of his mother. That would be a unique problem no one has had to deal with, since John Quincy Adams. He also mentioned Laura being the first, first lady to give the Radio Address, where she spoke to the women of Afghanistan. I would have to imagine that meant something to quite a few women in Afghanistan, who had virtually no rights before the war.

He mentioned that he was upset with Jenna and her husband, because there are no grandchildren yet. She says she is young, but Bush says he isn't. There was another nice round of applause after this too.

He defended his pick of Dick Cheney as Vice-President. He said he wanted someone who was capable of becoming president and who had Washington and Foreign policy experience. He also didn't want someone who wanted to be his successor. I remember when I first heard that Cheney was his pick for VP, I was like who is Dick Cheney? Yet, I couldn't have been happier with Cheney as VP. I'm with Bush in that I think he was the perfect choice.

One thing Bush didn't understand was the endless, childish name calling, and he refused to engage in it. Many of us wished he would've defended himself more against those attacks, but he didn't want to lower the office of the presidency. He reminded us of the names that Lincoln was called. I remember being struck by that when I visited the Lincoln Museum. He was called a tyrant, a hick and a stupid baboon and yet, today he is regarded by most as our greatest president.

When asked about his faith, I was struck by how genuine and humble Bush was as he responded. He said prayer is key and success in your Christian walk is accepting your place with the risen Lord by surrendering, which is a continual process. The White House was joyous because of his relationship with the Lord. One of his favorite verses is Matthew 7:5-"...first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." He said its a good verse for all politicians.

Yet, he was quick to reiterate that what makes the United States great is the fact that we have freedom of religion. The contrast is that we face an enemy that kills you, if you don't believe in the right religion.

As I mentioned, it was so much more amazing to see him in person than on TV. I came away with even more admiration for him.

The media was only allowed to stay for a short amount of time. Below are links to their short coverage:
--KSHB
--Fox 4
--KC Star
--KMBC

George W. Bush talks to Oprah and O'Reilly!

To see the rest of the interview with Oprah, go here!

I love that Bush chose to use his book as a time to defend all the decisions he made. I'm also glad that while he seems to take most criticism in stride, he admits that being called a racist was beyond the pale. So many people seem so willing to play the "race card" and I find it disgusting.

As Bush says, this shows how awful the political discourse has gotten that if you don't agree with someone you think its okay to say some of the most hurtful and evil things.

Politik Ditto has the video of Kanye West apologizing to Bush over his hurtful comments about him regarding race. As GG says, it might be more impressive had it come much earlier.

Bush often didn't defend himself while President (when many of us wish he would've) and he hasn't criticized the current President (when many of us wish he would). Yet, he is a better man for it, and the chasm between him and Obama is deep. Since, Obama hasn't stopped blaming Bush for all the country's ills.


To see the rest of the interview with O'Reilly, go here!

George W. Bush talks to Rush, Hannity and Lauer about his book, "Decision Points"!

For more of the Hannity interview, go here!

Democracy is a beautiful thing!~~George W. Bush's response to last Tuesday's election results

I love this man!!! What an awesome response in the above quote. I am thoroughly enjoying all of the interviews Bush is doing for his book, Decision Points. It reminds me how much I miss having a real man in the White House.

I am hoping he comes to KC on his book tour. I am looking forward to getting my copy of Decision Points soon.


For more of the Lauer interview, go here!

Who Doesn't Miss George W. Bush??

I'm listening to Mary Beth Brown's book, Hand of Providence on CD right now. It is about Ronald Reagan's faith.


Brown does a wonderful job, and at the beginning of the book she plays several of the eulogies that were given at Reagan's funeral. I was struck by how moving George W. Bush's words were in his speech. Below are some excerpts from that eulogy:

The qualities all of us have seen in Ronald Reagan were first spotted 70 and 80 years ago. As the lifeguard in Lowell Park, he was the protector, keeping an eye out for trouble.

As a sports announcer on the radio, he was the friendly voice that made you see the game as he did.

As an actor he was the handsome all-American good guy, which in his case required knowing his lines and being himself.

Along the way certain convictions were formed and fixed in we should strive to know and do the will of God. He believed that the gentleman always does the kindest thing. He believed that people were basically good and had the right to be free. He believed that bigotry and prejudice were the worst things a person could be guilty of. He believed in the golden rule and in the power of prayer. He believed that America was not just a place in the world, but the hope of the world.

And he believed in taking a break now and then, because, as we said, there's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.

Ronald Reagan spent decades in the film industry and in politics, fields known on occasion to change a man. But not this man. From Dixon to Des Moines to Hollywood to Sacramento to Washington, D.C., all who met him remembered the same sincere, honest, upright fellow.

Ronald Reagan's deepest beliefs never had much to do with fashion or convenience. His convictions were always politely stated, affably argued, and as firm and straight as the columns of this cathedral.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The clarity and intensity of Ronald Reagan's convictions led to speaking engagements around the country, and a new following he did not seek or expect.

He often began his speeches by saying, "I'm going to talk about controversial things." And then he spoke of communist rulers as slave masters, of a government in Washington that had far overstepped its proper limits, of a time for choosing that was drawing near.

In the space of a few years, he took ideas and principles that were mainly found in journals and books and turned them into a broad, hopeful movement ready to govern.

As soon as Ronald Reagan became California's governor, observers saw a star in the west, tanned, well-tailored, in command and on his way. In the 1960s his friend Bill Buckley wrote, "Reagan is indisputably a part of America and he may become a part of American history."

Ronald Reagan's moment arrived in 1980. He came out ahead of some very good men, including one from Plains and one from Houston. What followed was one of the decisive decades of the century as the convictions that shaped the president began to shape the times.

He came to office with great hopes for America. And more than hopes. Like the president he had revered and once saw in person, Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan matched an optimistic temperament with bold, persistent action.

President Reagan was optimistic about the great promise of economic reform, and he acted to restore the rewards and spirit of enterprise. He was optimistic that a strong America could advance the peace, and he acted to build the strength that mission required.

He was optimistic that liberty would thrive wherever it was planted, and he acted to defend liberty wherever it was threatened.

And Ronald Reagan believed in the power of truth in the conduct of world affairs. When he saw evil camped across the horizon he called that evil by its name.

There were no doubters in the prisons and gulags, where dissidents spread the news, tapping to each other in code what the American president had dared to say. There were no doubters in the shipyards and churches and secret labor meetings where brave men and women began to hear the creaking and rumbling of a collapsing empire. And there were no doubters among those who swung hammers at the hated wall that the first and hardest blow had been struck by President Ronald Reagan.

The ideology he opposed throughout his political life insisted that history was moved by impersonal tides and unalterable fates. Ronald Reagan believed instead in the courage and triumph of free men and we believe it all the more because we saw that courage in him.

As he showed what a president should be, he also showed us what a man should be.

Ronald Reagan carried himself, even in the most powerful office, with the decency and attention to small kindnesses that also define a good life.

He was a courtly, gentle and considerate man, never known to slight or embarrass others.

Many people across the country cherish letters he wrote in his own hand to family members on important occasions, to old friends dealing with sickness and loss, to strangers with questions about his days in Hollywood.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See, our 40th president wore his title lightly, and it fit like a white Stetson.

In the end, through his belief in our country and his love for our country, he became an enduring symbol of our country.

We think of the steady stride, that tilt of the head and snap of the salute, the big screen smile, and the glint in his Irish eyes when a story came to mind.

We think of a man advancing in years with the sweetness and sincerity of a scout saying the pledge. We think of that grave expression that sometimes came over his face, the seriousness of a man angered by injustice and frightened by nothing.

We know, as he always said, that America's best days are ahead of us. But with Ronald Reagan's passing, some very fine days are behind us. And that is worth our tears.

Americans saw death approach Ronald Reagan twice in a moment of violence and then in the years of departing light. He met both with courage and grace. In these trials, he showed how a man so enchanted by life can be at peace with life's end.

And where does that strength come from? Where is that courage learned? It is the faith of a boy who read the Bible with his mom. It is the faith of a man lying in an operating room who prayed for the one who shot him before he prayed for himself. It is the faith of a man with a fearful illness who waited on the Lord to call him home.

Now death has done all that death can do, and as Ronald Wilson Reagan goes his way, we are left with the joyful hope he shared.

In his last years he saw through a glass darkly. Now he sees his savior face to face.

And we look for that fine day when we will see him again, all weariness gone, clear of mind, strong and sure and smiling again, and the sorrow of this parting gone forever.

May God bless Ronald Reagan and the country he loved.

Yet, its not just me that misses Bush. The military misses him too! As is seen in the pictures above (a friend of a friend was actually there and took them), when he made a surprise visit to the USO in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport last month.

And, in bizarro news, there are apparently LIBERALS WHO MISS BUSH!! Plus, Joe Biden is giving Bush some credit for the war on terror. There must be something in the water.

I Miss George W. Bush!!

President Bush gives his Facebook Inaugural Address!! He is working on his memoirs which will come out on November 9th. He is also working on the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Honoring Freedom--Defending President Bush's Legacy!

Jeffrey Scott Shapiro interned for Bill Clinton, voted for Al Gore and served on Senator John F. Kerry’s legal team during the 2004 election. Yet, today he is defending President Bush. He has started a group entitled, Honor Freedom. Honor Freedom's goal is to:

...to correct the historical record about President Bush and the Bush foreign policy doctrine

Honor Freedom's Mission is to:

1. UNITE BUSH SUPPORTERS by building a national network of chapters in all 50 states.

2. CORRECT THE HISTORICAL RECORD by dispelling fallacies about President Bush.

3. TEACH AMERICA the truth about the Bush foreign policy doctrine.

Shapiro wrote an article entitled, America Betrayed President Bush. I couldn't agree with Shapiro more. Here is an excerpt:

As Obama continues to make decisions that mirror the Bush doctrine, it is becoming apparent that the former president was not ignorant or irrational in his foreign policy decisions despite the harsh criticism and disloyalty he endured. He was in fact, ahead of his time, a visionary who understood politics and warfare in the modern age of terrorism.

That is why Obama is now following his lead.

It should be obvious now, even to Obama’s most passionate supporters that shielding the free world requires more than mere words like “hope” and “change.” Bush’s detractors should be embarrassed having arrogantly thought they could do it better, and those Republicans who abandoned Bush when he needed them most should take a moment to reflect on their fortitude or lack thereof.

Americans who chastised President Bush for removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq should apologize and show him the same respect they are now showing President Obama as he neutralizes the Taliban in Afghanistan.

George W. Bush seemed to have an almost mystical understanding of what the American people needed when we needed it most. He reminded all of us of why we should be proud to be Americans at a time when there was a whisper that we brought the Sept. 11 attacks upon ourselves for promoting democracy abroad.

President Bush deserves our respect, not our betrayal.

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I have continued to be a loyal supporter and defender of Bush, despite how fickle even many fellow Republicans have been towards him. I am extremely thank-ful for Shapiro's efforts. As Breitbart says, "George W. Bush is history's president". I firmly believe that history will be much kinder to him than many are today.

Make sure to check out the Honor Freedom website. If you are on Facebook, join the Facebook group.

Other related articles:
~BREITBART: An Election Day Note: Thanks, President Bush
~'Blame Bush' Strategy Wears Thin as Obama Enters Second Year

Why I Love George W. Bush--Part I

"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."--Sir Winston Churchill

During Bush's 8 years as President he has endured much criticism. What has bothered me the most is the heat he has taken from conservatives. For some reason, many seem to have forgotten all of the good that Bush has done. And if I were to be critical of Bush for one thing, it would be that he didn't do a good job of defending himself against his critics and many of their unfair attacks.


All of this came to a head during the Immigration debacle. During that time the Anchoress did two excellent posts that expressed exactly how I and others felt. Here is an excerpt from the first post:

"That made me wonder a little - has President Bush lost his bearings, or have we? Is it President Bush who has broken faith with “his base” or have they?

When I read my friend’s line, I thought of a line from Pride and Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennett says in new appreciation of Mr. Darcy, “In essentials, I believe, he is very much what he ever was.”

Perhaps I am a dim bulb, but President Bush has never surprised me, and that is probably why I have never felt let down or “betrayed” by him. He is, in essentials, precisely who he has ever been. He did not surprise me when he managed, in August of 2001, to find a morally workable solution in the matter of Embryonic Stem Cells. He did not surprise me when, a month later, he stood on a pile of rubble and lifted a broken city from its knees. When my NYFD friends told me of the enormous consolation and strength he brought to his meetings with grieving families, I was not surprised. When the World Series opened in New York City and the President was invited to throw the first pitch, there was no surprise in his throwing (while wearing body armor) a perfect strike.

And now, the Great Big Immigration Imbroglio of ‘06 has turned “the base” quite vicious. President Bush is no longer simply a moron or an idiot to his base, he is a bad man. He is a bad American. He is a bad president. Everything he does now, is wrong. As yesterday’s WSJ pointed out, Bush is closer to the deified Ronald Reagan on this issue than anyone on the right wants to admit. And they’d never do to Reagan what they are doing to Bush.

How you receive a good has a lot to do with whether any more “good” comes your way. The Conservatives got a “good” in 2000 and 2004; they’re receiving it very badly, indeed. I think the throwing-under-the-bus-of-George-W-Bush by “the base” is one of the most shameful things I have ever witnessed in all my years of watching politics, from both sides of the political spectrum. How do you receive a good?

President Bush has never surprised me. He is, in essentials, the man he ever was. It does not surprise me that he is a Christian man living a creed before he is a President, that he is a President before he is a Conservative. It seems to me precisely the right order of things.

You don’t have to agree with everything President Bush does; I don’t. But he deserves a lot better than he’s getting from his own side. He deserves, dare I say it, a spirit of compromise and workability, as opposed to the hard-line demand for a “perfect” solution (one which will never pass congress) to a problem no one else in government has even dared to even address.

You “base” have received a great good. You’ve forgotten it. Continue to do so at your - at all our - great peril."

In her 2nd post she had an extensive list of the many things that Bush had done right. I and others posted the list and I highlighted all of the things that especially rang true. I post the list once again as a reminder to all of us of what Bush has accomplished in his 8 years. I dare say that this is much more than what would've been accomplished by any other Republican that was running this time around.

--Did he protect us from the reach & province of the International Criminal Court? Yes.
--Did he keep us from the Kyoto mess that is currently tying up Europe? Yes.
--Did he create a workable alternative to Kyoto that other countries have embraced? Yes. Bet you didn’t know that!
--Have US Carbon Emissions decreased on his watch, without Kyoto? Yes.
--Did he submit a comprehensive energy plan that got killed by a weak congress? Yes.
--Did he cut taxes? Twice? Yes. And yes.
--Did he try to get the cuts made permanent? Yes. Congress dropped that ball.
--Did he stop government funding of EMBRYONIC stem cell research? Yes.
--Has he kept the promises he made as he held a dead cop’s shield before the Joint Houses? Yes.
--Did he go after the Taliban and AlQaeda in Afghanistan barely a month after 9/11? Yes.
--Has he been unflagging in his efforts to subdue terrorism, worldwide? Yes.
--Has be been the consistent voice for human liberty around the globe? Yes.
--After some serious missteps, is the surge working? Yes.
--Has he been a staunch friend to Israel, the only stable democracy in a frantic region? Yes.
--Did he end the farce of world-wide Arafat admiration? Yes
--Did he remove Saddam Hussein, whose state supported terrorists, from power? Yes.
--Did he invade Iraq at a time when the whole world believed Saddam had and “would use” WMD? Yes.
--Did he bring a much-maligned coalition with him? Yes. Some are still there.
--Did he liberate 50,000 people in keeping with the ideals of the 1998 Iraqi Liberation Act? Yes.
--Has he inspired the Iraqi people to finally believe enough in freedom to fight AlQaeda with us? YES!
--Has he figured out that a free and engaged Middle East makes America safer? Yes.
--Has he kept you safe since 9/11? So safe that you’ve almost forgotten to fear? Yes.
--Did he remove “the wall” between the CIA and the FBI? Yes.
--Did he go to the UN before invading Iraq? Yes.
--Did he tell the UN that the US would never ask permission to defend herself? Yes.
--Did he inspire Libya to surrender it’s WMD without firing a shot? Yes.
--Did he appoint excellent SCOTUS and Federal Judges to the bench? Yes.
--Did he implement the NSA terrorist eavesdropping program? Yes.
--Did he immediately move to freeze assets and make terror funding more difficult? Yes.
--Did he reform Medicare? Yes.
--Did he reform Social Security to give you more power over your money? He tried. See Congress.
--Does he say what he means and mean what he says? Yes.
--Did he try to address immigration, when the houses in his party? Yes.
--Does he support the second amendment? Yes.
--Does he support school vouchers and school choice? Yes.
--Did he sign the ban on Partial Birth Abortion? Yes. It went to court, but he signed it.
--Did he reverse Clinton’s intent to kill Reagan’s pro-life Mexico policy? Yes.
--Did he support the Defense of Marriage Act? Yes. That used to be vitally important to you.
--Did he expand the roles of faith-based organizations in social programs? Yes.
--Did he prosecute the white-collar criminals like Ken Lay who ran riot through the ‘90’s? Yes.
--Has he handled himself with enormous courage, dignity and grace in the face of world/media/hate?
--Is he a man with a creed before he’s anything else? Yes.
--Did he establish Health Savings accounts? Yes.
--Did he have the Border Patrol installing monitoring devices along the borders? Yes.
--Has he made mistakes? Yes. Some undeniable beauts.
--Has he been an imperfect president? Yes.
--Has he spent too much? Probably.
--Has he given you most of what you’ve wanted? Actually, looking at the list…yes!
--Has he dared to disagree with anyone to keep his principles, even you? Yes.

Previously:
More on the Immigration Debate
Freedom, Justice, Honor, Duty, Mercy & Hope
I'm Extremely Proud of My President
President Bush Addresses the Nation
You Go Bush!!!
You Go Bush #2!!
No More Partial Birth Abortions
In Defense of the War and George W. Bush--Part 1
In Defense of the War and George W. Bush--Part 2
The State of our Union is Strong

Bush Thank-a-thon Links:
President Bush's Final Address to the Nation
Remember the "W"
Bush Thankathon Continues: Bush, "The People's President."
President Bush
Bush Farewell Address-- He Liberated Millions... He Kept Us Safe

Bush Thank-a-thon Continues...

--Shane from Cajun Tiger weighs in with his post

--Wordsmith has several excellent posts at his blog and at Flopping Aces.


Wordsmith's comprehensive post on how much Bush cares for the men, women and children in Africa is amazing. Bush has an 80% approval rating in Africa where he has done more than any other U.S. President to help the people there. Although, he is seldom given credit for it. In fact, while liberals constantly whine about he we are viewed globally, there are many countries who will miss our 43rd President.

--Rivka details what Bush did for her family and their small business with his tax cuts.

(Rush and Rumsfeld--two of my favorite men)

--Mike has some great pictures from the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony. He details some of the closing moments of the Bush White House.

Mike is also going to host a Live Chat tonight after the President's Farewell address.

--You can always count on the Anchoress to have a post Thanking our President. She also links to this great article by Andrew Roberts entitled, History will show that George W Bush was right. Roberts concludes the article with this paragraph:

Iraq has been a victory for the US-led coalition, a fact that the Bush-haters will have to deal with when perspective finally – perhaps years from now – lends objectivity to this fine man's record.

Honoring Bush Round-Up!

The above video is part 2 of Sean Hannity's exclusive interview with the President. He got to spend time with him in the Oval Office, which is a rare privilege.

I loved hearing Bush talk about how you don't compromise your principles to be popular, and that is something Bush never did. It is an admirable quality demonstrated by Lincoln and Truman, both of whom were criticized while in office but were praised by future generations. I also love how Bush is a great student of history. I too, love studying the presidents and reading and learning about history.

Many are joining the Bush Thank-a-thon, here are some of the highlights:

~~On Tuesday, Mike did an excellent, comprehensive post with a bunch of tributes and memories from other bloggers' posts.

~~Then, Mike called Bush the Comforter in Chief in this post. He details Bush's compassion for grieving families who have lost loved ones.

~~In Mike's post for today, he talks about how Bush has saved countless lives through foiled terror attacks. Liberals have blamed Bush for anything and everything, but they never mention how there have been no terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11. Many would argue that the credit for that goes to President George W. Bush.

~~Gayle (who is from Texas) wrote a post welcoming Bush back home to his Crawford Ranch.

~~Rivka does another post where she details Fred Barnes' list of Bush's achievements also, and then adds 5 more of her own.

~~Donald has done 2 posts so far, the first entitled, George W. Bush: Moral Clarity Against Evil. In it, he links to and quotes the exit opinions of Ari Fleischer and others about Bush. I've always loved Ari Fleischer, so its not a surprise that I loved what he had to say:

I’ll miss President Bush’s moral clarity. The president’s critics hated his willingness to label things right or wrong, and the press used to bang me around for it, but history will show how right he was.

Shortly after 9/11, the president gave a speech in which he talked about the fight between good and evil, and that good would win. Afterward, I told him I thought he was being simplistic: “There are a lot of shades of gray in this war. I think it’s more nuanced.”

He looked at me and said, “If this isn’t good versus evil, what is?”

Then he reminded me that when Ronald Reagan went to Berlin, he called on Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” — not to put a gate in it or to remove some bricks. Mr. Reagan said to tear it all down.

Mr. Bush saw the presidency as the place to call the American people to big challenges — in morally clear terms. As his spokesman, I knew that many people would be uncomfortable with how easily he made such moral judgments. I also knew that many Americans welcomed his tough, direct and unambiguous moral clarity.

I’ll miss that direct talk. In the age of terrorism, the one thing we have to fear more than anything is moral relativism.

When Israel was attacked during the Bush years, the president always stated that Israel had a right to defend itself. After 9/11, he never referred to Israel’s counterattacks as a “cycle of violence.” He understood that when a democracy strikes back against terrorists, it’s not a “cycle.” It’s self-defense.

We haven’t been attacked since 9/11, Libya no longer has nuclear weapons, Syria was stopped from acquiring them, Saddam Hussein is gone, and Iraq is on its way to being a nation that fights terrorism — all on President Bush’s watch. His job approval may now be low, but he should leave office with his head held high. I hope his successors recognize the strength that moral clarity can provide.

Donald's 2nd post is entitled, President Bush to Leave With Dignity and Grace.

~~Ken did a Sunday Commentary Thanking the President, here is an excerpt:

It has been comforting to me to know that each night that I lay down on my pillow that because of the principled dedication of President Bush and the sacrifice and equal dedication of the troops that he led as Commander in Chief protected this Nation from harm and that while he and the heroes he led and served were on watch nothing or no one would again attack us.

Yet I also knew that this relentless enemy continued to seek opportunity too attack America and kill Americans. But President Bush stood fast and with our troops on the front line both he and they said, "not on my watch," and This Nation is better for it. And because of that sincere dedication we owe both President Bush and our troops a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.

Their love for this country and respect for their Commander in Chief has defended our freedom and strengthened the cause of liberty both here and abroad. And while our troops deserve praise for their sacrifice and tremendous accomplishments in defense of our Nation, President Bush deserves like praise in his ability to stand firm when others would have fallen. To hold fast when others would have let go and to continue to fight when his detractors and opposition said to surrender.

His belief in freedom and it being a gift to mankind from God drove him to stand when political opposition and polls would have caused a less principled man to yield to save his popularity. He understood that to lead one does not necessarily remain popular and chose rather to sacrifice that popularity in order to make the decisions and actions needed to protect this Nation.

For this dedication he has been condemned because he refused to yield. His love for this country and his belief in its greatness were far more important than good poll numbers or the praise of the media. History will vindicate him for this dedication and this Nation remains free and strong because of that same dedication.

While the politically correct look forward to January 20 when President Bush will peacefully transfer to his successor the Presidency in one of the greatest traditions of our Republic, this conservative and millions like me will miss him when he leaves office. President Bush deserves our thanks for what he has done and his many accomplishments. He deserves our respect for his principled steadfastness in the face of undue opposition.

Thank you Mr. President for keeping us safe. Thank you Mr. President for putting our country first. Thank you Mr. President for standing true and strong. Thank you Mr. President for your leadership and dedication. Thank you Mr. President for being who you are and for being the right man at the right time for our Nation. Thank you Mr. President !

Ken also posted the video of Bush at Ground Zero after 9/11.

Continue to send me your links if you want to participate. Towards the end of the week I plan on doing some comprehensive posts of my own. I'm also going to scan my autographed picture of the president and I, even though it didn't turn out as good as I would've liked ;-).

Bush's Achievements!

He deserves better. His presidency was far more successful than not. And there's an aspect of his decision-making that merits special recognition: his courage. Time and time again, Bush did what other presidents, even Ronald Reagan, would not have done and for which he was vilified and abused. That--defiantly doing the right thing--is what distinguished his presidency.~~Fred Barnes

The above video is part 1 of Sean Hannity's interview with President Bush. Sean jokes that after Bush's exit, he may not be back at the White House for awhile.

Fred Barnes has written a column stipulating that Bush hasn't gotten credit for all the things he's done right (understatement of the year). He takes the time to list at least 10 of Bush's great achievements. Below is the list, but take the time to read the whole column:

1) His decision in 2001 to jettison the Kyoto global warming treaty so loved by Al Gore, the environmental lobby, elite opinion, and Europeans.

2) Second, enhanced interrogation of terrorists. Along with use of secret prisons and wireless eavesdropping, this saved American lives.

3) Bush's third achievement was the rebuilding of presidential authority, badly degraded in the era of Vietnam, Watergate, and Bill Clinton.

4) Achievement number four was Bush's unswerving support for Israel. Reagan was once deemed Israel's best friend in the White House. Now Bush can claim the title.

5) His fifth success was No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the education reform bill cosponsored by America's most prominent liberal Democratic senator Edward Kennedy.

6) Sixth, Bush declared in his second inaugural address in 2005 that American foreign policy (at least his) would henceforth focus on promoting democracy around the world.

7) The seventh achievement is the Medicare prescription drug benefit, enacted in 2003. It's not only wildly popular; it has cost less than expected by triggering competition among drug companies.

8) Then there were John Roberts and Sam Alito. In putting them on the Supreme Court and naming Roberts chief justice, Bush achieved what had eluded Richard Nixon, Reagan, and his own father. Roberts and Alito made the Court indisputably more conservative. And the good news is Roberts, 53, and Alito, 58, should be justices for decades to come.

9) Bush's ninth achievement has been widely ignored. He strengthened relations with east Asian democracies (Japan, South Korea, Australia) without causing a rift with China.

10) Finally, a no-brainer: the surge. Bush prompted nearly unanimous disapproval in January 2007 when he announced he was sending more troops to Iraq and adopting a new counterinsurgency strategy.

Barnes' conclusion:

How does Bush rank as a president? We won't know until he's judged from the perspective of two or three decades. Hindsight forced a sharp upgrading of the presidencies of Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Given his achievements, it may have the same effect for Bush.

Bush Thank-a-Thon Participants:
Thank-You President Bush--For Keeping Us Safe!~~The Pink Flamingo
Bush Thankathon Begins~~Mike's America

Mike's Concluding Paragraph:

I firmly believe that history will be kind to President Bush. I recall that at the end of the Reagan presidency it was widely reported in the "news" media of the time that his presidency hadn't been a great success. That was the verdict of so-called scholars and pundits. But the appreciation of the American people for Reagan's efforts has only grown with time. The same will be true for the legacy of President Bush. As the media generated hysteria over insignificant events like the shoe thrower, or Abu Ghraib or the phony stories about domestic spying fade, the real legacy of an America that is safer, stronger and with Iraq as an ally will emerge.

Bush Thankathon and More...

1) Mike of Mike's America and I will be hosting a Bush Thankathon next week and we want to invite and encourage many to join in! I first found Mike's blog when he spent a week remembering Reagan with posts and linking to others. I plan on this being similar.

Here is how Mike is describing what we'll be doing:

If you would like to join in, then prepare a post to kick off the week beginning Monday January 12th and concluding on Jan. 19, the day before the Obama crowning.

I plan to excerpt and link back to stories posted on participating blogs as we jointly celebrate the Bush presidency and give thanks that our nation has been spared another direct attack these past 8 years.

Spread the word and send us your links!

2) Make sure to check-out my post below on Sarah Palin taking on the Media!

--The following links are from Gateway Pundit, he is the ultimate conservative blogger with a take on every event that happens in the news!

3) Hamas Stooge Jimmy Carter Endorses Gaza's "Defensive" Tunnels A former President of the U.S., a friend to dictators and terrorists, what a legacy!

4) Disgusting!... Buchanan Accuses Israel of 'Blitzkrieg' & 'Concentration Camps' I lost respect for Buchanan a long time ago. Some woman described him as her favorite conservative the other day when calling into Hannity's show, I don't see how thats possible.

5) Coulter-Lauer Brawl On Today Show (Video) If you are a Matt Lauer fan, this is painful to watch. He tries to get Ann to admit that NBC isn't that bad and that come on, they weren't really going to ban her. She doesn't do much to set him at ease, and you can see him getting more and more uncomfortable.

Jim from Gateway Pundit said it best in his concluding paragraph:

"You've just got to love how liberals tell you- We have to come together now... America voted for change... America wants a different tone... We need to pull together... After they've ripped on President Bush, the military, and conservatives nonstop for the past 8 years.
Like we didn't notice.
Disgusting."

6) Blame For the Financial Meltdown Heaped On Democrats Karl Rove sets the record straight.

I Adore President George W. Bush!

"Others have said they would personally be happy to pay higher taxes. I welcome their enthusiasm, and I am pleased to report that the IRS accepts both checks and money orders."

"We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America."--President George W. Bush, January 28, 2008

Bush came out shining and strong last night with his last State of the Union Address! I was so proud of him. I have to say that I have never felt so strongly about what a wonderful president he has been. IMHO, no matter who wins the Republican nomination or who wins the presidency this fall, it will be a lesser man that takes office next year.

When you just look at how he words things. He talks about how we "trust Americans with their own money". I still remember Bill Clinton saying that the American people couldn't be trusted to spend their own money wisely, yikes!!

Not only is he great economically, coming up with tax cuts to help stimulate the economy and give people back their own money, but look at Iraq. It was pretty ironic to see the camera pan to some of the people who a year ago were screaming for us to cut and run in Iraq and now look how well the surge has gone. If it weren't for Bush refusing to give into the naysayers we might not be having some of the successes we are having today.

Here is the wonderful way that he concluded his address:

"The strength -- the secret of our strength, the miracle of America, is that our greatness lies not in our government, but in the spirit and determination of our people. (Applause.) When the Federal Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787, our nation was bound by the Articles of Confederation, which began with the words, "We the undersigned delegates." When Governor Morris was asked to draft a preamble to our new Constitution, he offered an important revision and opened with words that changed the course of our nation and the history of the world: "We the people."

By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on Earth and a beacon of hope for millions. And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the state of our Union will remain strong. (Applause.)

So tonight, with confidence in freedom's power, and trust in the people, let us set forth to do their business. God bless America."

Why Bush Isn't a Lame Duck President!

There has been much talk about Bush being a lame duck President. Liberals have been screaming it forever, especially because of the War in Iraq and conservatives have been yelling it because of immigration. I would argue that especially as of late Bush has been showing quite a bit of strength and muscle and is anything but a lame duck.

1) The President & GOP's victory in defeating the disastrous expansion of SCHIP.

2) Bush's speeches on the necessity of a Missile Defense System. Iran is a serious threat and Bush is well aware of that and taking the necessary preventive steps.

3) The Continued Progress in the War in Iraq.

4) Bush Warns Cuba!

5) Judge Southwick is confirmed by the Senate!

Going Out on a Limb--Why Bush Will Be a Winner!!

"Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish others." Mark Twain

Support for Bush is non-existent among liberals and weak among many Conservatives. I've had to endure "so-called" Conservative blogs that have Ron Paul videos on them comparing Bush to Hitler, the Townhall cartoon page being full of Conservative cartoonists making fun of Bush and numerous abandonments of Bush over immigration. As I've taken all of this in I've been stubborn in my support for Bush. I may not agree with him on all the issues but he has done too many awesome things during his Presidency to deserve the treatment that he now receives.

Through all of this the list of names I have been called is endless. I have been called a whore, an idiot and gotten a death wish all for my support of Bush. I realize its a very unpopular view to take right now, that doesn't make it any less right. So when I stumbled upon Bill Kristol's latest column in the Washington Post, entitled, Why Bush Will Be a Winner, it was nice to see someone else seeing the bigger picture. My take has always been that history will view George W. Bush much more favorably than the polls do now and that is exactly what Kristol points out. Here are his 3 main points that he spends the whole article backing up:

"First, no second terrorist attack on U.S. soil -- not something we could have taken for granted. Second, a strong economy -- also something that wasn't inevitable.

And third, and most important, a war in Iraq that has been very difficult, but where -- despite some confusion engendered by an almost meaningless "benchmark" report last week -- we now seem to be on course to a successful outcome."

An excerpt on the economy:

"After the bursting of the dot-com bubble, followed by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, we've had more than five years of steady growth, low unemployment and a stock market recovery. Did this just happen? No. Bush pushed through the tax cuts of 2001 and especially 2003 by arguing that they would produce growth. His opponents predicted dire consequences. But the president was overwhelmingly right. Even the budget deficit, the most universally criticized consequence of the tax cuts, is coming down and is lower than it was when the 2003 supply-side tax cuts were passed."

The Supreme Court Justices:

"Meanwhile, 2005-06 saw the confirmation of two Supreme Court nominees, John G. Roberts Jr. and Samuel A. Alito Jr. Your judgment of these two appointments will depend on your general view of the courts and the Constitution. But even if you're a judicial progressive, you have to admit that Roberts and Alito are impressive judges (well, you don't have to admit it -- but deep down, you know it). And if you're a conservative constitutionalist, putting Roberts and Alito on the court constitutes a huge accomplishment."

Terrorism:

"What about terrorism? Apart from Iraq, there has been less of it, here and abroad, than many experts predicted on Sept. 12, 2001. So Bush and Vice President Cheney probably are doing some important things right. The war in Afghanistan has gone reasonably well."

The War in Iraq:

"We are routing al-Qaeda in Iraq, we are beginning to curb the Iranian-backed sectarian Shiite militias and we are increasingly able to protect more of the Iraqi population.

If we sustain the surge for a year and continue to train Iraqi troops effectively, we can probably begin to draw down in mid- to late 2008. The fact is that military progress on the ground in Iraq in the past few months has been greater than even surge proponents like me expected, and political progress is beginning to follow. Iran is a problem, and we will have to do more to curb Tehran's meddling -- but we can. So if we keep our nerve here at home, we have a good shot at achieving a real, though messy, victory in Iraq."

The odds on the Future:

"The truly successful American presidents tend to find vindication in, and guarantee an extension of their policies through, the election of a successor from their own party. Can Bush hand the presidency off to a Republican who will (broadly) continue along the path of his post-9/11 foreign policy, nominate judges who solidify a Roberts-Alito court, make his tax cuts permanent and the like?

Sure. Even at Bush's current low point in popularity, the leading GOP presidential candidates are competitive in the polls with Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Furthermore, one great advantage of the current partisan squabbling in Washington is that while it hurts Bush, it also damages the popularity of the Democratic Congress-- where both Clinton and Obama serve. A little mutual assured destruction between the Bush administration and Congress could leave the Republican nominee, who will most likely have no affiliation with either, in decent shape.

And what happens when voters realize in November 2008 that, if they choose a Democrat for president, they'll also get a Democratic Congress and therefore liberal Supreme Court justices? Many Americans will recoil from the prospect of being governed by an unchecked triumvirate of Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. So the chances of a Republican winning the presidency in 2008 aren't bad.

What it comes down to is this: If Petraeus succeeds in Iraq, and a Republican wins in 2008, Bush will be viewed as a successful president.

I like the odds."

Kudos to Bill Kristol, for risking the vitriol he will surely receive from both the left and the right. Kudos also to 2 great bloggers that I've recently added to my blogroll who brought my attention to Kristol's column--Burkean Reflections and The Oxford Medievalist.

Also, Mike, Shane and Marie have great posts on the "Surge Report" that came out recently. And Wordsmith has an excellent post on Iraq and those who suffer from BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome).

Others blogging:
Flopping Aces

Other related columns:
Bush Will Stand the Test of Time--Donald Lambro

President Bush Fed Up With UN's Lack of Action on Darfur

"I promise this to the people of Darfur: the United States will not avert our eyes from a crisis that challenges the conscience of the world."--President George W. Bush

The genocide in Darfur is one of those issues that I care deeply about. I did a comprehensive post on it a year ago where I highlight what was going on and what could be done to stop it. As I pointed out a year ago, I was skeptical that the UN would make any real steps to actually solve the problem. They have done nothing but pass resolutions which isn't effective in curbing the violence and President Bush has had enough.

Steve Paterno, a Sudanese man living in the US, points out how Bush has cared about this issue and has done much more than past administrations to change things in the Sudan and of course, has gotten little credit for it. Here is some of what he had to say:

"When it comes to Sudan, President Bush knows it too well that he dedicated most of his efforts and time to issues affecting Sudan. There are even rumors that he has been nicknamed within the White House circles as "Sudan Desk Officer." It has been alleged that President Bush does not only passionately taken into heart the problems affecting Sudan but also developed some level of expertise on Sudan in the course of his tenure as president of the U.S."

"It was in 2002, that the U.S. under the leadership of President George W. Bush took serious initiatives to broker a peaceful settlement between the North and South Sudan. If history will record Iraq, Iran, North Korea as President Bush’s international diplomatic blunders, and then the same history will favorably record the peaceful settlement between the North and South Sudan as President Bush’s successful diplomatic legacy. President Bush enthusiastically involved in the North-South peace agreement."

Now Bush is taking things a step further and issuing tough economic sanctions. He spoke on this last Tuesday. Here is some of what he had to say:

"For too long, the people of Darfur have suffered at the hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder, and rape of innocent civilians. My administration has called these actions by their rightful name: genocide. The world has a responsibility to help put an end to it.

Last month I announced that the United States was prepared to take new steps if the government of Sudan did not allow the full deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force; if the government did not begin living up to its many commitments, that the United States would act. I made clear that the time for promises was over, and that President Bashir had to do something to end the suffering.

I held off implementing these steps because the United Nations believed that President Bashir could meet his obligations to stop the killing, and would meet his obligations to stop the killing. Unfortunately, he hasn't met those obligations. President Bashir's actions over the past few weeks follow a long pattern of promising cooperation while finding new methods for obstruction.

One day after I spoke, the military bombed a meeting of rebel commanders designed to discuss a possible peace deal with the government. In following weeks, he used his army and government-sponsored militias to attack rebels and civilians in South Darfur. He's taken no steps to disarm these militias in the year since the Darfur peace agreement was signed. Senior officials continue to oppose the deployment of the U.N. peacekeeping force.

The result is that the dire security situation on the ground in Darfur has not changed. And so today, at my instruction, the United States has taken the steps I announced in April. First, the Department of Treasury is tightening U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan. With this new effort, the United States will more aggressively enforce existing sanctions against Sudan's government."

Once again I am extremely proud of my President for standing up to evil and doing something about it. A liberal whined last week that I hadn't done any I love Bush posts lately, well consider this the latest edition ;-)!!

Others blogging:
Gateway Pundit
Politik Ditto (He named Bush his person of the week for his action on Darfur!)