Sometimes, It Just Takes Your Breath Away

President Bush, in the days after 9/11, called upon his nation to fight terrorism by going shopping. Now, after all these years, he reveals that he, too, has sacrificed for the war:

“I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”

In 2005, Free Republic asked breathlessly:

President Bush is riding high and has secured at the very least his place in history as a great President. The only question remaining is will he leap ahead of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Reagan in his remaining three years in office.

I'm thinking the answer is pretty safely "no".

Comments

[Adam]

I think President Bush WILL be more kindly looked upon later in history. I think the idea of his being elevated to the Pantheon is extremely unlikely, but with time comes a little more perspective - and it will at least be obvious that he is not the "worst president in U.S. history" or the scariest, etc. The hyperbole that's attached itself to him will slide off.

And I think you're being unkindly misleading concerning the above quote. President Bush is not saying that he has "sacrificed", is not putting it on level with that mother's sacrifice; he is saying that as commander-in-chief, it is important for him not to project a certain image, and he is right. You don't want to see a photo of your commander playing golf while you're at war. You understand that he is not fasting on bread and water for you and abstaining from all mirth - you wouldn't even expect it - but carefree images do give the wrong signal.

[Squidley]

W will be looked upon more kindly by history than by current liberals who call him "Bu$Hitler," etc. However, he's still going to be somewhere among the worst--above Carter but below Hoover.