Op-Ed: Get ready to wait for the midterm results: “I don’t think that is going to be the end of the story for them,” said a former top Bush administration official who helped draft the Patriot Act, a law that authorizes extraordinary measures like a no-fly zone over Libya.
Bin Laden Dies, The Right Will Never Be the Same
By DANIEL KURTZ, Commentary Contributor Published October 5, 2011
A few years ago, I tried to answer the question that often went through my mind when I was driving around the country: Will the United States be a better, stronger, more unified country when George W. Bush leaves office?
I had a very simple answer.
“Nope,” I’d answer.
When you’re President Bush, you’re all things to all people. If your policy in one part of the world hurts someone in some way but you claim it’s to protect the United States, then you are more likely to be viewed as a villain of the week. That is why I have always believed it will be Bush’s legacy to be remembered as one of the worst presidents of the 20th century. You can’t tell me Bush was not prepared to make the world a safer place. The fact that he left office at least two wars and that he took the fight to the terrorists in a way no other president has done is a tribute to his foresight, courage and political skill.
Then, two events occurred that set the stage for what should be the most contentious and polarizing election in U.S. history. First, the U.S. invaded Iraq. This act was the culmination of Bush’s belief that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the United States. In his book “War with the Waziristanis,” Bush wrote: “If Saddam Hussein wants to get rid of Saddam, I am perfectly willing to let him do it. The United States has no vital interest in getting rid of Saddam. The United States has a vital interest in removing him.”
Iraq was a new and
