NYT Editorial On Bush’s First 100 Days Lauded His ‘Honor And Dignity’ And His ‘Sound Foreign-Policy Team’
NYT Editorial On Bush’s First 100 Days Lauded His ‘Honor And Dignity’ And His ‘Sound Foreign-Policy Team’
Today marks 100 days since President Obama assumed office. While he has offered some refreshing and badly-needed departures from the Bush administration, it is still much too early to render a judgment on his presidency. As evidence of this fact, consider the New York Times’s assessment of the first 100 days of the Bush presidency.
On April 29, 2001 — eight years ago today — the New York Times wrote an editorial titled “Mr. Bush’s Beginning,” which assessed that “Mr. Bush has kept his promise to bring ‘honor and dignity’ back to the White House.” By contrast, today’s NYT editorial on Obama’s 100 days rightly notes Bush pursued a host of “outlaw policies” during his presidency which require “a full investigation.”
In 2001, the NYT was particularly gleeful about Bush’s foreign policy approach and his “sunny self-confidence”:
As for international relations, Mr. Bush passed his first major test through a combination of caution, luck and a commendable ability to take good advice from a sound foreign-policy team. In his unscripted public performances, Mr. Bush has seemed clumsy and amateurish by the standards of the four presidents mentioned above. But his sunny self-confidence, even his penchant for bankers’ hours and long weekends, seems to sit well with many Americans. It is a relief, they seem to be saying, to have a president who is not so tiring and omnipresent as Mr. Clinton.
Today, the Times acknowledges the “list of failed policies and urgent threats bequeathed to [Obama] by former President George W. Bush.” The Times’ contrasting op-eds are a reminder that there’s indeed a long way yet to go and still much to be accomplished.
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Bush’s first 100 days were riding on the coat tails of Clinton. We see what happened once he got going and 9/11 hit…
April 29th, 2009 at 10:10 amIt is a relief, they seem to be saying, to have a president who is not so tiring and omnipresent as Mr. Clinton.
Well we have seen how well the CEO President worked out. Perhaps next time they will think things through.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:13 amClinton left a clean house, and Bush could just move in.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:14 amBush left an extraordinary mess. Obama is still sorting through all the garbage.
As for international relations, Mr. Bush passed his first major test through a combination of caution, luck and a commendable ability to take good advice from a sound foreign-policy team.
Sadly for thousands of Americans, he failed his first real test by lacking caution and not taking advice from the intelligence community.
In his unscripted public performances, Mr. Bush has seemed clumsy and amateurish by the standards of the four presidents mentioned above.
And nothing changed in the subsequent years.
But his sunny self-confidence, even his penchant for bankers’ hours and long weekends, seems to sit well with many Americans.
Sit well with many Americans? It was no secret in 2001 that many Americans were pissed that Bush was lazy and felt entitled to more vacation in a year than most Americans received during his entire presidency.
It is a relief, they seem to be saying, to have a president who is not so tiring and omnipresent as Mr. Clinton.
Yes, because it’s so annoying to actually have a president do the job he was elected to do.
Thank you, Mr. Obama, for actually restoring honor, dignity and competence to the White House.
PEACE
April 29th, 2009 at 10:27 amBut his sunny self-confidence, even his penchant for bankers’ hours and long weekends, seems to sit well with many Americans. It is a relief, they seem to be saying, to have a president who is not so tiring and omnipresent as Mr. Clinton.
Translation:
April 29th, 2009 at 10:30 amIn my professional opinion many Americans are just fine with the lazy arrogant idiot that has been installed as their leader.
Also remember the NY Times’ role, primarily via Judith Miller as a White House propaganda tool for the fraudulent case for invading Iraq and subsequent search for nonexistent WMD. This paper did not simply miss on the first 100 days of Bush.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:30 amI can hear Lintball and Slanthead now — “the NYT is a liberal rag” criticizing Dumbya – totally ignoring the support they gave Bush during his term and helping to make the case for the war in Iraq.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:34 amThe Times used to be a respectable paper, because of their editorials in recent years, they have lost credibility on both the right and the left. They don’t seem to know who they are any more.
Now there’s a paper that doesn’t need to be around anymore.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:42 amThat picture alone is worth a thousand words. How exhilarating — a President who actually reads newspapers! Just knowing that we have a President with a thirst for knowledge about the world beyond the end of his own nose as opposed to a man-child thrilled by a hungry caterpillar bedtime story makes me feel a whole lot better when I wake up in the morning.
Just saying . . .
April 29th, 2009 at 10:47 amWell so much for the NYTs insight and “grading system” on what constitutes a successful first 100 days. Bush had an approval rating of 43% at the time and most people who had read the reports out of Florida knew we’d been screwed bigtime. The Cinton fatigue was real enough because progressives were so disappointed in “triangulation politics” and other pandering tactics. Obama pointedly looked to Reagan and FDR as successful leaders, not “ol wilycock willie” when he ran and won. His first 100 days won’t be as important as the next 180 when health care, the environment&energy, the economy’s relative strength come into sharper focus to Joe&Mary Lunchbucket. He’ll sink or swim and we’ll find out very soon. Americans are losing their patience along with a whole bunch of other things.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:51 amWe REALLY learned to appreciate Georgie’s penchant for long weekends and banker’s hours during Katrina. Memories…
Hey, good thing NO finally got rebuilt, huh?
April 29th, 2009 at 10:51 amDid the NYT mention Cheney’s ‘honor and dignity’?
April 29th, 2009 at 11:00 amAn observation:
In Bush’s first 100 days, when asked if he “considers Russia to be an ally of the United States”, Bush’s response was “I don’t know.” My immediate reaction was “He’s gonna get us in a war before he leaves office.” The fact he picked a Russian-speaking Professor of Russian studies… Condi Rice… to be his National Security adviser should have told everyone he thought the biggest threat we faced was the long gone Soviet Union, not al Qaeda.
It was at that point I knew they man had ZERO diplomatic skill and would alienate the United States from the rest of the world before he left office.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:03 amWalter Trohan, ‘Nixon Standing Taller After His First 100 Days’, Report from Washington, Chicago Tribune (4/30/1969):
*”Washington Correspondent Emeritus”
April 29th, 2009 at 11:08 amBush’s “sunny self-confidence” was more like a cover up for the rampant ignorance in his sadistic mind. I always felt like he was laughing at us – like haha you fools.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:20 amPresident Obama will hold a prime-time press conference tonight at 8 pm.
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Which will be broadcast on all the major networks except Fox, plus all the cable news channels (presumably including Fox News).
The Fox Network will be showing “Lie to Me” — giving those who don’t want to listen to the president something they will feel more comfortable with. Seems appropriate.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:54 amkrazeeinjun Says
April 29th, 2009 at 10:47 am
That picture alone is worth a thousand words. How exhilarating — a President who actually reads newspapers!
____________________________________________________________
And in that picture, it looks like President Obama is reading the op-ed section (one of the graphics looks like a political cartoon), which means he’s not afraid to read what others think of him.
Such a contrast with our last president — the guy whose own staff was literally afraid to give him anything resembling bad news. Bush was surrounded by sycophants, only spoke to crowds who had signed loyalty oaths, and generally kept in a bubble to be shielded from the reality that he was unpopular.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:59 amPlease do not forget that among the many good things Obama has accomplished in his first 100 days there is also some very troubling evidence that he supports the legal rational for the Imperial presidency and has alarmed many progressives !
April 29th, 2009 at 12:43 pmArguing against habeas corpus ,
enlarging the legal rational for state secrecy in regards to torture , rendition and domestic spying ,
employing signing statements ,
not reinstating posse comitatus
and some very troubling appointees
make this a bitter sweet victory to date .
STAY VIGILANT
Obama: Bond with Israel ‘unshakable’
The US bond with Israel is “as unshakable as ever” as both nations pursue peace, US President Barack Obama said on Israel’s 61st birthday.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710816467&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
April 29th, 2009 at 2:04 pmSo for years the New York Times has sucked? Pshaw! Next you’ll malign the Laffer Curve as a sham, or assert that the Bush Administration lied the country into war!
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