HAHAHAHAHA! How will Laura explain all the clipped out places in today's WP?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101475.html

He's Only Fifth Worst

By Michael Lind
Sunday, December 3, 2006; Page B05

It's unfair to claim that George W. Bush is the worst president of all time. He's merely the fifth worst. In the White House Hall of Shame, Bush comes behind four other Oval Officers whose policies were even more disastrous: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Richard M. Nixon and James Madison.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101509.html

He's The Worst Ever

By Eric Foner
Sunday, December 3, 2006; Page B01

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Bush has taken this disdain for law even further. He has sought to strip people accused of crimes of rights that date as far back as the Magna Carta in Anglo-American jurisprudence: trial by impartial jury, access to lawyers and knowledge of evidence against them. In dozens of statements when signing legislation, he has asserted the right to ignore the parts of laws with which he disagrees. His administration has adopted policies regarding the treatment of prisoners of war that have disgraced the nation and alienated virtually the entire world. Usually, during wartime, the Supreme Court has refrained from passing judgment on presidential actions related to national defense. The court's unprecedented rebukes of Bush's policies on detainees indicate how far the administration
has strayed from the rule of law.

skip

Historians are loath to predict the future. It is impossible to say with certainty how Bush will be ranked in, say, 2050. But somehow, in his first six years in office he has managed to combine the lapses of leadership, misguided policies and abuse of power of his failed predecessors. I think there is no alternative but to rank him as the worst president in U.S. history.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101511.html

MOVE OVER, HOOVER
Move Over, Hoover

By Douglas Brinkley
Sunday, December 3, 2006; Page B01

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So Bush's legacy hinges on Iraq, which is an unmitigated disaster. Instead of being forgiven, like Polk and McKinley, for his phony pretext for war (WMD and al-Qaeda operatives in Baghdad), he stands to be lambasted by future scholars. What once were his two best sound bites -- "Wanted dead or alive" and "Mission accomplished" -- will be used like billy clubs to shatter his legacy every time it gets a revisionist lift. The left will keep battering him for warmongering while the right will remember its outrage that he didn't send enough battalions to Iraq.

There isn't much that Bush can do now to salvage his reputation. His presidential library will someday be built around two accomplishments: that after 9/11, the U.S. homeland wasn't again attacked by terrorists (knock on wood) and that he won two presidential elections, allowing him to appoint conservatives to key judicial posts. I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of widespread corruption. This will help him from being portrayed as a true villain.

This last point is crucial. Though Bush may be viewed as a laughingstock, he won't have the zero-integrity factors that have kept Nixon and Harding at the bottom in the presidential sweepstakes. Oddly, the president whom Bush most reminds me of is Herbert Hoover, whose name is synonymous with failure to respond to the Great Depression. When the stock market collapsed, Hoover, for ideological reasons, did too little. When 9/11 happened, Bush did too much, attacking the wrong country at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. He has joined Hoover as a case study on how not to be president.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101506.html

At Least He's Not Nixon

By David Greenberg
Sunday, December 3, 2006; Page B01

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Bush has two years left in his presidency and we don't know what they'll hold. They may be as dismal as the first six. Future investigations may bear out many people's worst fears about this administration's violations of civil liberties. And it's conceivable that the consequences of the invasion of Iraq may prove more destructive than those of Nixon's stubborn continuation of the Vietnam War. Should those things happen, Bush will be able to lay a claim to the mantle of U.S. history's worst president. For now, though, I'm sticking with Dick.

[reprehensor]

1. Wow. WAPO is a company paper, too. n/t

[jobycom]

An honest investigation would remove Brinkley's "honest man" label

Brinkley's a fool or a liar himself to claim Bush is an honest man, or that his administration has been corruption free. It's been investigation free. From Bush's alliance with Enron before the election--an aliance that resulted in Enron manipulating energy supplies in California to create an energy crisis so Bush could have a campaign issue against Gore--to his sweetheart deals for Cheney, to his leaks of Plame's covert identity, to his continuous lying on every issue... Bush is the most dishonest president we've ever had. If he's missed a single opportunity for corruption, it's only because he was too stupid to see it, or because he was so busy with some other corrupt action that he couldn't take advantage of it.

Harding wasn't so much dishonest as just a bad leader. Nixon was dishonest, but largely in a defensive way. Bush is dishonest to his very core, and lies and cheats out of pure contempt for the American people. The only president as corrupt as Bush has been is still too much of a media creation/darling to get labeled as such. Reagan. Maybe one day this nation will allow history rather than propaganda to be taught in our schools, and if that ever happens, Reagan and Bush will be near or at the very bottom.

[Cha]

40. doug brinkley has been

carrying bush water for 6 years. I'm not surprised he's still trying to sell the simian.

[diane in sf]

58. Reagan and Bush

I wonder which administration will end up with the most indictments? Reagan is ahead for now, but with some Democratic congressional oversight little Georgie might just end up with the highest total.

[Felinity]

2. Kool-Aid, anyone? .....................K&R

"I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of widespread corruption. This will help him from being portrayed as a true villain."

Our holy leader:



although . . .



(Edit to see if file will be numbered this time.)

[badgerpup]

29. ....

"I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of widespread corruption. This will help him from being portrayed as a true villain."
:wow: :wtf:

What the HELL has this guy been smoking?!

[FredStembottom]

32. Probably just the last desperate yelp of a shamed supporter.

n/t

[xxqqqzme]

62. darth cheney's corruption alone is

enough to put this mis-administration on the charts w/ a bullet.

Wonder what brinkley's definition of corruption is?

[Ferretherder]

3. I like! I like! However,...

...when you see shit like this,...

....'I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of widespread corruption. This will help him from being portrayed as a true villain.'

...I, myself, just HAVE to say 'what the fuck?'....I mean REALLY, WHAT THE FUCK????

THIS, my friends, is the face of denial that is present in the last of the bushlickingbozoelite out there. UN-FUCKIN'-BUHLEEVABUL!

[EST]

4. Brinkley is incredibly naive or attempting to whitewash

history. Someone should point out to him that if a man stands behind a podium and lies to the reporters, the country and the world, it kinda means he's dishonest.

I am not sure this man should be teaching anything given the peculiar bent of his notion of dishonesty.


edit to add:he's a shitty writer, too.

"void?"

[SoCalDem]

33. Sorry.. He's THE worst..Why?

because he had/has advantages that the other four could only dream of.

The "information superhighway" of today allows for INSTANTANEOUS live action information to reach a president (should he be smart enough to utilize it).

This president had advantages growing up that none of those other 4 had, and even had a FATHER still living who had BEEN president.

There's NO EXCUSE for the shit he's pulled..

He's the WORST!!!

[pretzel4gore]

5. well done, washpost....

frikkin crooks-poor bush never got a minute's constructive criticism from the pig's media -10 million people protested the illegal murder assault on defenseless iraq, yet the washtonpost led the pigmedia cheering section for the crime and in playing down/ignoring the popular sentiments. lying fukking liars. now they blame bush (who only there at their behest in 1st goddam place)
if anyone deserves the death penalty for cold blooded treason, it's the pigmen who ran the corporate liar newmedia-the washington post and nytimes more then the rest, cuz they had the power and trusted credentials)
the washpost basically has been a cia front co. since ww2....it has warred on the american people -junyer bush was just the latest conjob; his failure as president might not have been the washpost intent, but they are as guilty of the consequence as he is...
http://www.chicagomediawatch.org/01_3_graham.shtml

[bklyncowgirl]

6. No problem. Unless it was in the sports section George won't see it.

He doesn't read the papers.

[Heywood J]

52. I think he's more a Washington Times man.

Got to keep abreast of the latest orders and edicts from his "spiritual leader".

[Generic Brad]

57. There is no way he reads any newspaper

He is a disintersted boor. Reading would take him away from his precious excercising. He is no danger of having the Washington Post pop his ever shrinking presidential bubble.

[diane in sf]

59. I doubt he actually can read

[annabanana]

7. " largely void of widespread corruption "??

I don't think that little mitigation will stand once the money gets a little Congressional follow-up.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Crap, it itsn't true already.

Abramoff, Gannon, election thefts, Halliburton, Enron...my fingers get tired at the prospect of having to type the list.

[NeoConsSuck]

51. I'll help ya!

I'll add Valerie Plame and Colin Bowel's testimony at the UN.

[Marr]

22. Ha! No kidding!

That apple is rotten to the core. They just haven't had any oversight.

How could anyone say that the administration that gave us Cheney's secret 2001 Energy Commision, complete with maps of Iraq, is "largely devoid of corruption"?

They *are* corruption. Most corrupt group we've ever had in the White House.

[Hissyspit]

53. An absurd, embarassing declaration Brinkley has made for posterity.

What a dunce. Obviously he has not been paying attention.

[malaise]

8. Is Brinkley mad?

I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of widespread corruption.

When has an honest man led a country into an invasion based on lies? When does an honest man allow his Vice President's business to reap the benefits of this invasion? When has an honest man hired people for positions in Iraq based on party affiliation? When has an honest man lied about the number of dead people in Iraq?

Bush is a fugging dishonest war criminal.

Add.

[aquart]

11. He's from TULANE! How can he give Bush a pass on honesty?

Does an honest man put political cronies in jobs requiring actual skills?

[Mountainman]

9. Nixon was a real horses ass but at least he accomplished some good.

Bush is not a hero after 9/11. He just happened to be in the White House at the time. And I am not so sure he didn't have some roll in making it happen or let it happen. He has no real accomplishments that someone can say has improved the lives of people in any way. I take that back, he helped Cheney become a billionaire.

[spooky3]

10. I'm with you.

I don't see how Nixon was worse than *. He was far more moderate, and as you say, accomplished some good.

[NewJeffCT]

15. Bush improved the life of the CEOs of mega global corporations

The "have mores" part of Bush's base.

Didn't Nixon start the EPA and OSHA? Bush was basically forced to start the Homeland Security Dept... and, that has gone smashingly so far.

I thought I read somewhere that Nixon even supported universal health care.

[Lisa]

55. and Nixon didn't blather about looking into people's souls

At the same time, he seems to have been a more astute judge of character than * -- he pegged Dubya's mom Bar as "a woman who knows how to hate", and he saw right away how arrogant Rummy was.

[enid602]

12. " largely void of widespread corruption "??

With shrink-wrapped stacks of hundred dollar bills (called 'cash packs') arriving almost daily in Baghdad via helicopter for distribution to loyal cronies there. How much more corrupt can you get?

[NewJeffCT]

16. Hopefully, that will change the next 2 years

Reagan had more people indicted than all other 20th century presidents combined... but, that was primarily due to him having to deal with a Democratic Congress. Bush has been like Reagan, only with no Dems in control until now.

[wicket]

14. Oh my lord

:spray:

[Toots]

17. Well Bush* may be the worst but it's "Clinton's Fault"

Poor little bushie* was just a victim of circumstance. He had to play the awful hand dealt him by Clinton.....Anyone doubt this is what we will hear?

[Ilsa]

18. Best thread title this year! nt

[Lisa]

56. I love it!

I can just picture * peering through the holes.

[radfringe]

19. actually she doesn't have to explain

bush doesn't read the papers - he just gets "highlights" during a butt-kissing briefing..

it usually goes like this:

bush: What's going on?

butt-kisser(BK): Well, sir, Iraq is---

bush: I didn't ask ya that. I asked what's going on?

bk: Nothing sir, everything is fine. The people adore you. The world adores you. and - uh, we did make one minor change. We've put up new wall paper and drapes in your office. The ones you like with all the smiley faces?

bush: You're doing a heckavajob!

[Straight Shooter]

20. Brinkley: "the U.S. homeland wasn't again attacked by terrorists (knock on wood)"

Anthrax, anyone?

One more time, Brinkley, we would not have been attacked if Little Boots and his gang had not been asleep at the wheel in the months leading up to September 11, 2001, or if Little Boots had even had a clue how to lead and delegate.

[Zorra]

21. Bu*h won't have zero integrity factors? Has Brinkley been on crack

for 6 years?

Bu*h lied a nation into a war, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. Half the country does not think Bu*h has spoken one true word in his entire life.

Bu*h's integrity factor is less than zero.

[dddem]

24. Funny, but I don't necessarily disagree with the statement.

This jerk is so arrogant, I think he really believes that he's justified in whatever he does. If he lies, it's because he HAS to (for the good of the country). I think he really believes (can you say delusional) that he owes no explanation of his actions to the American people. In his own twisted way, I think he honestly thinks he has integrity, because he's true to himself, and he's true to the cause (right or wrong).
Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not defending the actions of this dope, but I think he's able to sleep at night because in w's world, all is well. Unfortunately, the rest of us live in the real world, one that was created by these monsters, and we will suffer the fallout of w's maniacal decisions.
God bless us all.

[1monster]

23. I wasn't there for James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and James Madison

(James Madison! The man who virtually wrote our Constitution, in the bottom four?!?! :shrug:)

But I was there for Richard Nixon.

He did some really bad stuff, including expanding the Vietnam war into Laos and Cambodia. The expansion into Cambodia did lead to the horrors under Pol Pot. And then there was Watergate. And he did bring into government some of the very same people who are making life miserable for the whole world today including VP Cheney.

BUT he was not the one who started our involvment in Vietnam. And although he widened and intensified that war greatly, he was not the one who first intensified our involment in it.

He did normalize relations with China, he did do many things that made the conservatives cringe in order to keep inflation from spiraling completely out of control and to keep the middle class the middle class.

By the Republican standards of today, Nixon would be considered left of center...

Nixon was a complicated and brilliant man with a serious character flaw...

By contrast, on another thread, someone asked what good Bush has done for this country. The consensus was signing the Do Not Call list.

Bush shows no sign of being in any way complicated (My way or the highway) or of brilliance. He does show many signs of many character flaws and personality disorders and perhaps even psychosis.....

Sorry, Nixon is higher on the list of good presidents than Bush can ever hope to be.

[Raster]

25. "...largely void of widespread corruption."??? Widespread corruption thy very name is bush*

The bush* administration IS BUILT ON-AND OF-LIES AND CORRUPTION.

[rainbow4321]

26. Seeing as how he only reads the comic section...

She won't have to pull those clippers out quite yet...

[progressoid]

27. I think you're under the mistaken impression that George reads.

[tblue37]

28. This part is BS:

Brinkley: "I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of widespread corruption. This will help him from being portrayed as a true villain."

His adminsitration and the Republican Congress that was in bed with it are guilty of the worst kleptocracy ever.

[Octafish]

30. W stands for WORST

George Walker Bush has done more to destroy the Constitution and endanger the United States than the NAZIs and Commies combined.

[peekaloo]

31. So believing your own lies makes you an honest man?

bee-ewl-shit!

He's a bigger DICK than Nixon.

[truedelphi]

34. Remember he'ssurrounded by people like Rumsfeld who

thinks that if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth

[Usrename]

35. I'm afraid history will not compare him with other Presidents..

he will be compared to other despots instead.

[elehhhhna]

36. ROFL

k&r

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

37. He's much worse than Nixon. Best he could be is 4th worst

I lived through Nixon and as bad as he was, he wasn't the guy that started the Vietnam war.

[dchill]

38. "...an honest man..."

I used to somewhat respect Douglas Brinkley. I now cast him on the trash heap of historians.

[Cha]

39. Nah, bush is still

first in My Book. And he's got two more fucking years to go.

Has anyone seen the wonderful pins that stores are selling(in my small town, too)?



And on the internet! http://www.bushslastday.com/

[jgraz]

41. It depends on the meaning of "worst"

If you mean worst outcome for the country, then Buchanan and Johnson have a shot at #1. But if you mean just flat-out horrible at the job of being POTUS, then Bush is the clear winner.

Buchanan and Johnson may have performed poorly but they also started with bad situations. No one has turned more gold to shit than our own GW Bush.

[barbtries]

42. he outworsts

even every worst. he is the worst of the worst. the worstest worse worser and worstiest too

[jgraz]

44. nice

[EstimatedProphet]

43. Bush makes Nixon look like our greatest president ever!

The contempt for the Consitution that Nixon showed was infinitisimal in comparison to Bush's continual demolition of our rights. And Bush actually brags about what he's done!

[jgraz]

45. I started missing Tricky Dick during the Reagan years

Yeah, he was a warmongering criminal, but dude was to the left of Clinton on many issues.

[EstimatedProphet]

46. It just shows how far politics has been dragged toward the evil side

[Raine]

47. It's insulting to Nixon

to even mention them in the same breath. Bush makes Nixon a genius, I'm not kidding. Nixon no matter what had intelligence something chimp is totally lacking. Bush lied and put us into an unwinnable war and the truth is Nixon inherited the war he botched up, he didn't start it!

[The Count]

48. Not only a genius but a poster boy for ethics, sanity

At least Nixon was a human being. An evil one, to be sure, but he had thoughts, feelings doubts - and occasionally even concerns about others. Also, he was actually elected.

[Pacifist Patriot]

49. I have to know.

Why is James Madison on that list?

Oh, and I can't even see a contest.

[Autonomy]

50. I like Lind's article, and I see where's he's coming from, but

I think he's underestimating the degree of destruction Bush hath wrought. There were limitations on the destruction wrought by all those others, whereas the destruction Bush has unleashed potentially knows no bounds. That Bush is completely without redeeming quality is the icing on the cake.

[aein]

54. There's no way he's better than Nixon. Nixon, at least, resigned.

[Arkana]

60. What. The. FUCK?!?!?! MADISON?!

How the fuck can they even place him anywhere near Bush's level? The man was one of the architects of the document that made our country what it is today! He's one of the Founding Fathers! For chrissakes, Bush wipes his ass with the Constitution on a daily basis--how can you put him anywhere NEAR Madison?

[Art_from_Ark]

61. Madison didn't "win" his war

That seems to be one of the most heavily weighted criteria for determining "greatness".

Next they'll be saying that $hrub comes in just behind Jefferson :banghead:

[Zynx]

63. 1812 was almost the end of the United States as an independent nation

Fortunately, Great Britain had a sense of humor and only really cared about France.

Declaring war on them was one of the worst decisions in US political history.

[LynnTheDem]

64. "I also believe that he is an honest man and that his administration has been largely void of

widespread corruption."

ROTFLMAO!!!