Promise Lost

Six years ago today I watched President Bush take the oath of office and I remember the pride I felt that day and the hope for the future after we finally got rid of Clinton. Two years from today another president will take the oath. That president's last name won't be Bush, but hopefully it won't be Clinton either.

It almost seems that the tremendous promise that I felt six years ago has all been lost. I see a president who is severely weakened by the war and will be hamstrung by a Dem controlled congress. The spirit of bipartisanship which seemed evident in the "new tone" that Bush promised on that day long ago has completely evaporated. The political atmosphere in Washington is as poisonous as its ever been.

The president has done some great things, especially in the area of taxes, but has been a disappointment when it comes to federal spending. The education bill, signing McCain-Feingold, the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill, etc. have all been disasters and are setting us up for future fiscal and tax nightmares.

His response to 9/11 was superb and taking the fight to Afghanistan and cleaning out the Taliban was the right decision. Iraq, not so much. Although I supported it at the time, with the benefit of hindsight I think most Americans would agree that it's a war that didn't really need to be fought, and has now left us in a situation that will be difficult if not impossible from which to extricate ourselves. We haven't been attacked in our homeland since 9/11, and for that we should all be grateful, but that simple fact has been completely drowned out by the problems overseas.

The immense political capital that the president accumulated following 9/11 (and which was used so skillfully during the 2002 midterm elections) is long gone and instead of being a powerful presence on the campaign trail as he was in '02, he was clearly a drawback in '06. If things continue as is, in '08 Air Force One won't be allowed to land in any state with a Republican in a close election.

Is there any hope for the final two years of his presidency? At this point, I'm not sure. His legacy and any hope for salvaging these last two years depends almost entirely on Iraq. If by some miracle we can stabilize the situation over there and get our people out, Bush might escape the complete ruination of his record. If not, what could have been a great presidency will be struggling to beat out Lyndon Johnson in the eyes of historians.

It's a shame. It really is.