Talk:George Walker Bush

What an awful article.. you guys quote commentaries and opinion pieces in THE BIO of a US president? Thats absurd.

Man... the more I look at this article, the worse it gets. This has to be the most biased, one-sided, twisted, dumb-ass article on the internet. This is just awful. Shouldn't an encyclopedia attempt to be non-partisan? Or does the "disinfo" in "SourceWatch" stand for Disinformation?

A reminder from the article guidelines... "Since the SourceWatch's purpose is to expose manipulation of information and opinions about controversial issues, it is important to provide references to reports that document, as authoritatively as possible, the accuracy and fairness of your facts and analysis. Please try to keep rhetoric to a minimum, avoid speculation, and focus on providing verifiable facts."

This article is almost entirely opinion from op-ed pieces... hardly "avoiding speculation"... the majority of this article is not exposing manipulation of information - it's just repeating them.

It would be nice to reorganize the article, perhaps to a format which started with the official fluff, and then exposed the details behind each of those claims, line by line, one at a time, like he would have never been accepted to Yale if his dad hadn't been there, and how they best they could do for him was to give him a 'C'; and how his dad's cronies bailed him out of everything he stumbled through.

with suitable extensions to cover things like the way he stole land for his Rangers by illegal use of eminent domain while Governor.

Perhaps you'd prefer the Bush regime and Georgeland articles which attend more fully to the facts of his current life than to his background?

Actually, I'd prefer something nonpartisan. I've heard the claim that Bush couldn't have gotten into Yale without his family before, but have yet to see an ounce of proof. I've also yet to see anyone comment on how he got into Harvard, if he was too stupid to get into Yale. We should stick to FACTS and VERIFIABLE information - not partisan rants.

The Supreme Court Reverses its own Idealogy and Appoints Bush
Had the supreme court decided the outcome of the election, Gore would have been president. I can fully document the foregoing statement. I can fully document the foregoing statement. I can fully document this statement.

The question is not how but what will be done to prevent a fair election. ANY voting system must have unalterable audit trails. Forbidding audit trails has only fraud as motive. There is a backstop to even the most bulletproof voting process humans can design. An Incumbent Can't lose an election that was not held.

Some "Force Majure " or other reason to not have a presidential election may wake the somnolent masses.Sadly too late

More important is to ask who would gain from any event cancelling the electoral  procedure ? If it's doubtful to win a fair election then stopping it works too.

The Loser as usual in most political warfare will be the public trust. --- Relocating material from an article that cites no source for its claim. The rest of the article cites numerous anonymous sources. he book cited is speculative.--Bob Burton 22:30, 25 Jan 2005 (EST) --

Late July 2004 - Bush off the rails, and allegedly onto antidepressants

According to a July 29, 2004 article in Capitol Hill Blue, "Bush's erratic behavior and sharp mood swings led White House physician Col. Richard J. Tubb to put the President on powerful anti-depressant drugs after he stormed off stage rather than answer reporters' questions about his relationship with indicted Enron executive Kenneth J. Lay, but White House insiders say the strong, prescription medications seem to increase Bush's sullen behavior towards those around him." 

The article depicts a paranoid President, and an increasingly worried Republican machine. It quotes "a top Republican political advisor" as saying: "Yes, there are concerns... The George W. Bush we see today is not the same, gregarious, back-slapping President of old. He's moody, distrustful and withdrawn." 

The news conference walkout happened on July 8, 2004. that

Removed link to just plain strange site of Brazil for Bush, which has basically nothing to do with anything. If someone feels that it should go back in say something...


 * Bush as Governor giving the camera the one-finger salute

It is amusing, but it appears that the video immediately above has been digitally manipulated. If you will, freeze the frame on the one-finger salute: the length of middle finger is disproportionately long in comparison to his other fingers, his hand, or his head.

The movie showing the President wiping his glasses on green dress--while the woman appears somewhat oblivious, provides no context. For all we know, the preceding frames might help explain what appears, out of context, kind of laughable. The billboard following the cut seemed a bit... harsh, to me at least.

I'm not ranting and I enjoyed my visit. Still, I do have a high regard for the office and I choose to provide the elected President with the benefit of the doubt even if he has not earned my highest respect.

Beyond that, I would hope that an organization with such an austere title as the "Center for Media & Democracy"--in red letters, no less would ensure that the content that they provide would be accurate and not a misrepresentation. And a project called Source Watch sounds accurate enough to me. I watched only two videos. Perhaps I first raised a question when I watched a video that suggested that it is grounds for dismissal if the President cleans his glasses. Albeit, on a woman's dress while she is wearing it. Then I saw the longest middle finger that I have ever seen in my life, freeze-framed. How many knuckles does that thing have?

I heard that they have pictures of babies with bat wings--they can fly! on the National Enquirer site. So, I have to run now. Great stuff that you guys have here too. I wish you had a direct link.

---

I looked at the Bush on fingered video and agree that it looks like it was manipulated so have removed the link off the main page. --Bob Burton 00:09, 7 Jan 2006 (EST)

About the Bush finger video, I watched it and it certainly looks real enough to me, but then I'm no expert. It would seem to fit in with other such incidents exhibited by the Bush people though (e.g. the public use of the F-word and other expletives now and then). Here are some articles by Capitol Hill Blue which discuss these. this one has a still frame of the video in question, and. Note the site belongs to Doug Thompson. There's disagreement as to the veracity of the site (of course).

This article was reverted to last edit due to the fact that books do NOT go out of date! Artificial Intelligence 06:17, 20 Jan 2006 (EST)

Relocated the following as it is unsourced: Artificial Intelligence 06:22, 13 Apr 2006 (EDT)


 * In 1982, Philip Uzielli worked out a deal with George W. to purchase a 10 percent stake in Arbusto for $1 million. The entire company was valued at less than $400,000.
 * In February 1984, George W. agreed to a merger of Bush Energy (formerly Arbusto) with an oil exploration company called Spectrum 7 in which William DeWitt Jr. and Mercer Reynolds III would each control 20.1 percent and George W. would own 16.3 percent. George W. was named chairman and CEO of Spectrum 7, which brought him an annual salary of $75,000. [Harper's Magazine, February 2000.] ...<-- need better source info'''
 * "In a six-month period in 1986, Spectrum 7 lost $400,000 and owed more than $3 million with no hope of paying those debts off."
 * In September 1986, a New York lawyer, Alan Quasha, owner of Harken Energy Corporation, "agreed to acquire Spectrum 7 in a deal that handed over one share of publicly traded stock for five shares of Spectrum 7, which at the time were practically worthless." [WP, July 30, 1999.] "After the acquisition, George W. was named to the Harken board of directors. He was given $600,000 worth of Harken stock options and landed a job as a consultant that paid him $120,000 a year."

Sister died at a very young age as a small child

unsourced opinion
Moving unsourced opinion from the opening of the Bush article here. Diane Farsetta 11:13, 18 August 2008 (EDT)
 * The pledge was fulfilled. In fact, what occurred was very much the opposite of what was pledged because the pledge was made impossible by a Democrat party policy of opposing and slandering Bush at every opportunity. ... by what evidence indicates to be a sound beating by George Bush. Like 2000 before, the Democrat party attempted to sew the seeds of distrust by claiming Bush 'stole' the election. In both 2000 and 2004 all responsible analysts confirmed that the accusations of stolen elections were false. In 2006 the Democrats gained control of the Congress putting to rest the clear agit-prop that the election process was rigged.

Pulled this out for lack of coherence.
"A detailed timeline of events notes that on December 13, 2000, the President-elect pledged in his acceptance speech "to deliver reconciliation and unity to a divided nation.""

It appears this was added for the misleading purpose of suggesting Bush was not a uniter. This suggestion would require a full understanding of the political atmosphere and the massive barage of anti-Bush devotees who have lied, slandered and deceived the American public. The most forceful detractors of George Bush has been the Democrat party and those who align with them, so to blame Bush for dividing the nation would be speculative at best. (Mulhollanddose)

Unsubstantiated and Irrelevant material
Bush: "We're kicking ass" in Iraq

Bush: success equals "comfortable" level of violence in Iraq While addressing the war on terror in his May 2, 2007, speech to the Associated General Contractors of America at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., Bush said:


 * "Success is not, no violence. There are parts of our own country that have got a certain level of violence to it. But success is a level of violence where the people feel comfortable about living their daily lives. And that’s what we’re trying to achieve." (Emphasis added.)

Bush: "I'm the commander guy" In the same May 2, 2007, speech, Bush said:


 * "By the way, in the report it said, it is -- the government may have to put in more troops to be able to get to that position. And that's what we do. We put in more troops to get to a position where we can be in some other place. The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear -- I'm the commander guy ." (Emphasis added.)

Video link here.

Bush the "Decider": "I'm the decision-maker" While speaking to reporters after meeting with his top military commanders on January 26, 2007, Bush said that on matters relating to the escalation of troop levels in Iraq&mdash;"I'm the decision-maker." 

See MSNBC video of Bush speaking to reporters.

See "The Decider: 'People Listen To Petraeus, Not To Me'," Think Progress, September 20, 2007.

Also see related troop surge in Iraq.

George W. Bush's War "Bob Woodward is wrong. Colin Powell is wrong. The National Intelligence Estimate is wrong. Brent Scowcroft is wrong. The retired generals are wrong. Richard Clarke is wrong. The International Atomic Energy Agency is wrong. The United Nations is wrong. Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and all the Democrats are wrong. Your common sense and all the news you read are wrong.

"George W Bush and his dog Barney are right. The last time a man listened to his dog, people got killed. This time is no different."&mdash;Taylor Marsh wrote October 8, 2006.

Bush and the tobacco industry George W. Bush, his family and many members of his administration have been friendly towards tobacco companies. Bush's chief political advisor Karl Rove carried on a dual role as a paid lobbyist for Philip Morris while also advising George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas. Ex-Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, Bush's appointment to head the Department of Health and Human Services, was also friendly to tobacco companies, having taken several trips funded substantially by tobacco companies, according to CorpWatch. After his failed reelection bid, George H.W. Bush, (G.W. Bush's father) rode in Philip Morris corporate aircraft, gave talks on behalf of PM, accepted honoraria paid by the cigarette maker and helped PM promote its Accommodation Program.

As of June 2007, President Bush has refused to sign onto the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a global treaty designed to reduce the toll of death and disease caused by tobacco worldwide. As of June 2007, 148 countries had signed the treaty.

The Lame Duck President

"The Wastrel Son" Paul Krugman wrote in a May 18, 2004, New York Times Op-Ed:


 * "He was a stock character in 19th-century fiction: the wastrel son who runs up gambling debts in the belief that his wealthy family, concerned for its prestige, will have no choice but to pay off his creditors. In the novels such characters always come to a bad end. Either they bring ruin to their families, or they eventually find themselves disowned.


 * "George Bush reminds me of those characters and not just because of his early career, in which friends of the family repeatedly bailed out his failing business ventures. Now that he sits in the White House, he's still counting on other people to settle his debts not to protect the reputation of his family, but to protect the reputation of the country."


 * "As long as political figures aren't willing to disown Mr. Bush's debt the impossible situation in which he has placed America's soldiers there isn't much they can do.


 * "So how will it all end? The cries of 'stay the course' [in Iraq] are getting fainter, while the calls for a quick exit are growing. In other words, it seems increasingly likely that the nation will end up disowning Mr. Bush and his debts.


 * "That will mean settling for an outcome in Iraq that, however we spin it, will look a lot like defeat -- and the nation's prestige will be damaged by that outcome. But lost prestige is better than ruin."

The April 13, 2004 news conference
 * "I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with an answer, but it hadn't yet."

George W. Bush and the Constitution On March 11, 2004, syndicated columnist Marianna Means wrote that "Bush loves to tinker with [the] Constitution."


 * "When President Bush called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning same-sex weddings, he warned that such a radical step was essential to 'prevent the meaning of marriage from being changed forever.'


 * "It was, he said, 'a serious matter of national concern.'


 * "What he didn't say is that his proposal is meaningless. It isn't going to happen. There is no supermajority in Congress for mauling our most fundamental governmental document to permanently discriminate against a specific group. (Constitutional amendments require approval by two-thirds of those present in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.)


 * "Bush also didn't say that this is the seventh amendment he has embraced, reflecting breathtaking contempt for the principles embodied in the work of our Founding Fathers."

George W. Bush and White House Hospitality Remember the Clinton administration "Lincoln Bedroom for sale" smear? Well, Sharon Theimer, writing March 10, 2004, for the Associated Press, said that Bush fund-raisers were among the overnight guests at both the White House and at Camp David:


 * "In all, Bush and first lady Laura Bush have invited at least 270 people to stay at the White House and at least the same number to overnight at the Camp David retreat since moving to Washington in January 2001, according to lists the White House provided The Associated Press.


 * "Some guests spent a night in the Lincoln Bedroom, historic quarters that gained new fame in the Clinton administration amid allegations that Democrats rewarded major donors like Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg and Barbra Streisand with accommodations there."


 * "Bush's overnight guest roster is virtually free of celebrities - pro golfer Ben Crenshaw is the biggest name - but not of campaign supporters.


 * "Mercer Reynolds, an Ohio financier, former Bush partner in the Texas Rangers baseball team and former ambassador to Switzerland. Reynolds is leading Bush's campaign fund-raising effort. He was a guest at the White House and the Camp David retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.


 * "Brad Freeman, a venture capitalist who is leading Bush's California fund-raising effort, has raised at least $200,000 for his re-election campaign and is also a major Republican Party fund-raiser. Freeman stayed at the White House.


 * "Roland Betts, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush in 2000, was a Bush fraternity brother at Yale and a Texas Rangers partner. Betts stayed at the White House and Camp David.


 * "William DeWitt, a Bush partner in the oil business and Texas Rangers who has raised at least $200,000 for Bush's re-election effort, stayed at the White House.


 * "James Francis, who headed the Bush campaign's 2000 team of $100,000-and-up volunteer fund-raisers and was a Bush appointee in Texas when Bush was governor. Francis was a White House guest.


 * "Joseph O'Neill, an oilman and childhood friend who introduced Bush to Laura Bush and raised at least $100,000 for each of Bush's presidential campaigns, stayed at the White House.


 * "Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and New York Gov. George Pataki, who each raised at least $200,000 for Bush's re-election campaign, were White House guests.


 * "James Langdon, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush, is a Washington attorney specializing in international oil and gas transactions. Langdon, whose clients include the Russian oil company LUKOIL, is a member of Bush's foreign intelligence advisory board and served on Bush's 2000 presidential transition team on energy policy."

George W. Bush's lack of 'speed and smarts' Jonathan Alter asked in the November 22, 1999 issue of Newsweek "Is George W. Really Ready? A leader with a gentleman's C may no longer cut it in a world where speed and smarts rule."


 * ". . . Bush wouldn't have to worry so much about performance if he had a compelling life story to give him gravitas. Unfortunately for him, he's had the least eventful personal history of any major political figure in modern memory.  Until his 1994 election as governor of Texas, Dubya lived deep in his father's shadow. President Bush was an academic and athletic star at Andover and Yale, a war hero and successful oilman. George W. was an academic slacker at the same schools, a mediocre athlete, a member of the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War and an unsuccessful oilman. Before politics, he was probably best known for the nicknames he attached to people--a hipper and more sarcastic version of the Saturday Night Live character who gives everyone he meets a name while 'makin' copies.' . . ."

In Bob Woodward's book, State of Denial, he recounts a conversation that Bush reportedly had with Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. and family friend to the Bush clan. In 1999, when Bush first thought of running for president he confided to Prince Bandar, "I don’t have the foggiest idea what I think about international foreign policy."

'''It appears that not only is the of a majority of the above edit from suspect websites, but the material contained is both irrelevant and misleading. The intent clearly of the material above is to manipulate those who come to SourceWatch looking for an unbiased source for the facts. The above material is founded primarily on opinion and lacks credible sourcing.'''

George W. Bush's Style Characterization
"A conservative, authoritarian style, with public appearances in military uniform (which no previous American president has ever done while in office). Government by secrecy, propaganda and deception. Open assaults on labor unions and workers' rights. Preemptive war and militant nationalism. Contempt for international law and treaties. A carefully manufactured image of "The Leader," who's still just a "regular guy" and a "moderate." "Freedom" as the rationale for every action. Fantasy economic growth, based on unprecedented budget deficits and massive military spending." 

"Forget 'compassionate conservatism.' While you're at it, toss the 'reformer with results.' Education, taxes, welfare reform -- none of those things really matter. For George W. Bush, one issue matters: loyalty. You're with him or you're not. There's no in-between. It's a lesson that he learned from his mother, Barbara, a fiercely territorial woman who never forgets a slight, and from his father, former president George H.W. Bush. George W. has been fiercely protective of his father, and he believes part of the reason his father served only one term in the White House was the lack of loyalty among his staff members. During the elder Bush's four years as president, W. became his loyalty Doberman. It was George W. who sifted through his father's staffers, demanding that they either commit fully to their father or get the hell out. It was George W. who fired his father's White House chief of staff, John Sununu. The abrasive Sununu, George W. believed, simply didn't have his father's best interests at heart." --Robert Bryce, Austin Chronicle (Texas), March 20, 2000.