Iraq Chaos May Cloud Bush's Sept. 11 Legacy

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030902/pl_nm/sept11_bush_dc&cid=615&ncid=1480

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two years and two wars after the Sept. 11 attacks, George W. Bush's aura of invincibility has faded and his challenge may be to keep his presidency from being more associated with Americans dying in Iraq than with his dramatic pledge at Ground Zero to battle terrorism.

The suicide attacks, which killed more than 3,000 people, marked a defining moment for Bush. Images of the commander-in-chief at the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center eased public doubts about his ability to lead a nation still divided by the contested 2000 presidential election.

With his job approval ratings above 80 percent and opposition Democrats wary of challenging him on national security, Bush seemed unbeatable.

Those days are gone. His polls numbers have dropped. And despite high-profile arrests in his declared "war on terrorism," al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein remain at large and may be behind recent attacks against Americans.

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[Chico Man]

1. Yeah, the events of Sept 11 on Bush's watch: quite the legacy

I'm still completely pissed and shocked that an American President didn't prevent those attacks. To me Bush's legacy is simply the biggest failure of an American president in the history of the United States. The events of 9/11 and his handling of them simply prove this point.

Bush's poll numbers post 9/11 were not due to any "leadership" qualities of Bush. The numbers simply show what happens to the populace when an attack of that magnitude is carried out flawlessly, followed by a carefully engineered and marketed campaign of pro-Bush propaganda. This is a frightening fact.

[zanana]

3. I agree,shpongled.

When I saw those towers collapse, I thought George W. Bush was in a whole bunch of trouble. If he hadn't shown up in NYC with a bullhorn, acting like he had a bad case of testosterone poisoning, he'd be history by now.

[Robb]

2. Puffy crap

"aura of invincibility"

I must have missed that....

[JewelDigger]

4. Exactly

There's something kind of insane about saying the pResident standing in front of the ruins of one of the biggest disasters in America's history was exuding an 'aura of invincibility'. We (America) just had our a** kicked!

[Neecy]

7. no kidding

In fact, seeing him swagger in the smoking rubble with that ridiculous bullhorn just made him look like an ass. I couldn't believe then and I can't now that this scene gave him any vestige of leadership qualities or some vague "aura of invincibility". I found it appalling and repulsive that he was standing on human remains holding an Amerika pep rally.

[lindashaw]

10. Just wait until the movie of Bush and 9/11 gets released!!!

[CBHagman]

5. What (very bad word) legacy?!

Here's the countdown:

*Quagmire in Iraq

*Endless expenses connected to defense (not all of it effective) and rebuilding.

*Even our supposed allies are alienated from us.

*Rollback of the Bill of Rights in the States.

Etc, etc.

[NNN0LHI]

6. You forgot the quagmire in Afghanistan. Because that is what it is n/t

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

8. I think this pResidency could very well bring down this country

Three more troops died today because of America's new religion: greed.

[jus_the_facts]

9. his f'n legacy SHOULD entail how he was COMPLICIT on 9/11.....

.....won't hold my breath seeing how REALITY and TRUTH has already disappeared in our rapidly decaying existance....besides after his reign there won't be anyone *left behind* to remember anyway :evilfrown: