Sec. Spellings defends Bush:"Nobody says, 'Thank goodness no planes have crashed into any buildings"

[sabra]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-05-bushloyalists_N.htm


Bush's long-time aides predict history will judge him favorably




<snip>

"History will show that President Bush was successful in protecting the homeland," says Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, the only member of his original Cabinet who remains there.

"You never get credit for things that didn't happen," says Spellings, who was political director of Bush's first campaign for Texas governor in 1994 and started in the administration as the White House domestic policy adviser.

"Nobody says, 'Thank goodness no planes have crashed into any buildings lately.' "

...

"I think he did exactly the right thing, but we weren't prepared as a nation for what war is," says Treasury Department chief of staff Jim Wilkinson, who over the past eight years has worked at the National Security Council, the State Department and the U.S. Central Command.

"War is not easy," Chao says. "War is difficult. War takes its toll in many, many ways. It's a reflection of President Bush's determination and courage that he's willing to bear the cost to ensure that our country remains safe."

:crazy:

[maxsolomon]

1. in my mind, 9/11 was "lately".

so: FAIL. the iraq war "took its toll" by pushing our economy over a cliff.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. That's all they've got. Guess that puts Bush on equal footing with Clinton. And you know those

same people would never admit that Clinton 'kept American safe' from 1993 until January of 2001.

[Winterblues]

3. Nobody says thank goodness America wasn't nuked while Clinton was President either..

How many American GIs died under Clinton compared to Bush*? Someone should ask that question. Also how many Americans in general were killed under Bush* compared to Clinton? I believe there is no comparison on either question...

[izquierdista]

4. Lowering the bar

Republican criteria for presidential greatness:

1) No blow jobs in Offal Office -- check
2) No planes flying into buildings -- check (alright, alright, but the first one is a gimme, so 2001 doesn't count)
3) Didn't shoot friend in the face -- check
4) Whatever taxes and regulation there are, cut them -- check

[spanone]

5. 911 happened on 'their watch' NO ONE ELSES...and they had warning..so enough of that shit

[gratuitous]

6. Is ANYONE not in the Bush administration saying any of this?

Consider the sources of all this historical whitewash. I surely do wish the stenographers at USA Today and other media outlets would do that. Instead, they uncritically pass along the nonsense being peddled by people trying to cover their own asses and make themselves look like less of a failure without comment or analysis.

[4_TN_TITANS]

7. Of course Chao & Spellings can't recall any accomplishments

involving Labor or Education. Not to mention all the other infrastructure damage the Chimp has done.

[snooper2]

8. People always say Chimpy was banging Condi...

I always think he had something for Elaine Chao myself :rofl:


She is the ONLY one left ya know ;-)

[Jennicut]

9. Where was he ON sept 11th? Stupid try.

[pinto]

10. The loyalists are following the (failed) script, I see.

The legacy thing - current events or history or facts be damned.

[SoCalDem]

11. Should New Jersey send a thank you note to Germany

thanking them for not sending any exploding gasbags for 7 decades?

[Morning Dew]

12. LOL - nt

[Beausoleil]

13. Thank goodness

the Germans haven't bombed Pearl Harbor lately!

[Johonny]

14. he's willing to bear the cost ?

Cost? He has constantly made sure no one in his circle will pay one dime extra to keep America "safe". At the same time his family has amazingly had no members joined the armed forces for this "war" we must fight. The only cost to him seem to be that Americans think his craptacular presidency sucked as bad as it did. Hey no one credited Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I or Clinton for not having planes hit building either, go figure. It's almost like Americans assume that not totally sucking is part of the job.

[Solly Mack]

15. Garbage speaking about trash

[Contrary1]

16. And you can thank George Bush that two planes did crash into buildings on 9/11/01. n/t