My 10-year-old son asked me: "What is the worst thing the old Bush did?"

[thereismore]

I said he was a genius by comparison with his son, but he was just a caretaker of Reagan's policies. A colorless, insignificant President.

What do you think was the worst thing he did as POTUS/VP?

Also, if you know a brief and clear description of the Iran Contra scandal I'd appreciate it.

[mdmc]

1. Selling arms to fund drug dealers

[IdaBriggs]

4. Arms to drug dealers is a top one -- continuing the "Reagan" policies

is another. FOUR LOST YEARS for infertility research, which leads directly to stem cell research, which leads to cures for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, etc. And then there are the cuts to cancer research.

The list is long. I hate Republicans.

:banghead:

[thereismore]

13. I got it: selling arms to Iran, then giving the cash to terrorists in SA.

How's that?

[Doctor_J]

2. As president, was just a vapid loser

who blamed everyone else for his disasters. Before that, during Reagan and Nixon....

[0007]

3. Bailing out of his aircraft unnecessarily while under fire

that resulted in the deaths of his two buddies.

[elehhhhna]

5. Fathering the Asshat. DING DING I WIN!

[bottomofthehill]

6. WE HAVE A WINNER

DING DING DING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE HAVE A WINNER

[JHB]

7. You mean in office?

'Cause given his kids, I think his #1 Worst Thing was: his job as a father.

Keep in mind, he wasn't just a "caretaker of Reagan's policies": As both a former RNC head and former CIA director, he had a lot of the knowledge and connections needed to put Reagan's policies into effect.

Then there's the politicization of the CIA (at least the analysis branch, Operations was always political). It was under his tenure that the professional analysts started giving way to the political hacks.

Robert Parry has reams of things at Consortiumnews.com.

Try this one, for starters:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/1990s/c122898a.html

In other words, George W.'s foreign policy would likely be an extension of his father's. So, the lingering suspicions about President Bush's involvement in a variety of illegal acts are reasonable issues to weigh when considering George W. Bush's candidacy for the Republican nomination. These mysteries include:

--Bush's connection to the Letelier assassination and to other Latin American human rights catastrophes, such as the launching of the Argentine Dirty War in 1976, also on Bush's CIA watch.

--Bush's precise role in the now-corroborated accounts of Republican secret contacts with Iranian radicals holding 52 U.S. hostages in 1980, while President Carter was trying to negotiate their release.

--Bush's knowledge about his Cuban-American allies and their participation in cocaine trafficking under the umbrella of President Reagan's Nicaraguan contra war in the 1980s.

--Bush's participation in supplying secret military assistance to the armies of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, including supplies and technology through Pinochet’s Chile.

--Bush's close financial relationship with Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a major conservative political funder but also a controversial religious-business figure who favors the subjugation of the American people and who has close ties to figures from Asian and South American organized crime.

None of these issues was settled during Bush's one-term presidency. By the late 1980s, national news outlets were unwilling to take on these types of tough investigations and accepted the guidance of Bush's well-connected advisors that most of these stories were unfounded.

After leaving office in 1993, Bush also blocked closure about his responsibility for the Iran-contra scandal. He stiffed Iran-contra special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh, who believed he had Bush's assurances to undergo a final interview in 1993 but was denied access to the ex-president.

Much more at link.

[Kota]

8. Worst thing was fathering a son.

[Stargleamer]

9. Appointing Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. . .

was one of the worst things he did. That dope has vowed to stay on the Court too for many years to come.

[NoPasaran]

10. Probably the worst thing he did as President

Was encouraging rebellions in Iraq at the end of Gulf War I and then not supporting them, which allowed Saddam Hussein to crush them and continue his tyrannical rule for another decade.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. He was just trying to emulate Eisenhower

[NoPasaran]

14. Are you referring to Hungary 1956?

Or is there something else you have in mind?

[DavidDvorkin]

25. Yes, that's what I'm referring to

[thereismore]

12. Good point. nt

[Radio_Guy]

15. Started the Gulf War

We had no business in there to start with. If we hadn't have been there before we wouldn't be there now.

[Quakerfriend]

16. He paved the way for GE foods- without any significant testing or

real regulation.

These frankenfoods are going to prove to be one of the greatest ecological disasters the world has ever seen- not to mention the damage it will do to human life. They have succeeded in covering up the problems with these foods and in pushing GE seeds on the rest of the world.

Only time will tell the rest of this story.

[TrogL]

17. Bred

[MadMaddie]

18. Just say No to Drugs campaign....

What a waste of Tax payer dollars....

And a continuence of Reagans failed acknowledgement of Aids and the eventual impact on the US and the world populations.

[paul_fromatlanta]

27. I think of that as more Nancy Reagan than George Bush

Have you heard the pro drugs edited version of the Ron and Nancy "just say no" fireside chat? Its hilarious.

[Totally Committed]

19. The worst thing he ever did was

to make it possible for Barbara conceive GWB in the first place. Everything else pales in comparison... in office and out.

TC

[enid602]

20. 'the old Bush'

He served with distinction in WWII. He is intelligent. He approved the largest tax increase in history; not because he believed in higher taxes, but to keep the dollar afloat. He dismantled much of the military. He sacrificed his chances for reelection by doing what was right, rather than what is politically expedient. Unfortunately, history will only remember him as the one who fathered the president who ruined our country.

[closeupready]

21. Signing Israel loan guarantees while refusing to extend unempl. benefits

within a week of each other! This illustrated perfectly the fact that he spent more time acting as president of the world rather than attending to issues domestically.

[Nimrod2005]

22. Got drunk and fucked Barbara one day causing EVIL to be born?

[Rocknrule]

23. Not pull out in time

[Justpat]

24. He had children. n/t

[paul_fromatlanta]

26. The best thing he did -

Was give us the best Doonesbury of all time.

During the 1980 primaries George Bush has called Reagan's plan "Voodoo economics"

Then he accepted Reagan's offer to be VP.

The Doonesbury cartoon had reporters yelling at Bush "How long does it take you to turn your back on everything you ever stood for?"

Bush responds "About 24 hours, the paperwork is enormous."

:)

[Lostnote06]

28. Just today I was imformed

.......of a picture that has surfaced on the web showing Bush in Dallas on "The Day".......I have not seen this pic nor heard of anyone else seeing it at this point......I have great suspicions involving his knowledge of JFKs death......

[paul_fromatlanta]

30. in 1963 I don't think he was even local Republican chairman yet...

I'm pretty sure he was still an oil man.

[Lostnote06]

31. if I recall correctly

....the troop ships for transporting into the Bay of Pigs were named Zapata, Houston, and the Barbara.....I could be wrong

[paul_fromatlanta]

33. We've got to check that out.... that would be fascinating if true.

[kath]

36. he was already CIA in 1963

[omega minimo]

29. Noone remembers GulfWar affects on media, TVprogramming, news, censorship?

:wow:

[JohnWxy]

32. fathered the "W"

[shance]

34. Most of what is being enacted now is George HW, not his son.

It seems he's the true man behind the curtain, certainly more than his son.

[Rosemary2205]

35. If I might be so bold

I would like to put forth my theory that the Bush boys all grew up to be twisted little twits because of dear Mom. That woman can SCARE every thought right out of your head just by walking into the room.

[BlueIris]

37. Raping all of those little boys.

And before anyone wants to ask me for a link, don't bother.