The Bush Nightmare is Over

It seems like not too long ago I read a quote from George H.W. Bush regarding dynastic politics and the fate of his sons. In some piece I read, Bush 41 was prompted by the image of the Kennedys to say, 'Wait'll I turn these boys out." That quote always stuck in my mind.

"Wait'll I turn these boys out." And I am sure that Bush Sr. never dreamed it would all play out the way it did. I never thought Bush Sr. should be President. as the former head of the CIA. I thought the first Bush was too practiced in keeping secrets, and powerful ones, to make for a truly honorable Chief Executive. The President must be capable of utilizing the CIA's information like rubbing alcohol. The information cleans the wound but does not actually heal it, That's the job of statesmanship, not covert actions, black ops and lies that lead to war. CIA directors should never be Presidents.

I was equally glad to see Governor Bill Richardson fail in his bid for the Democratic nomination. Energy Secretaries should never be President, as they have also spent chunks of their political careers lying to the American people about nuclear waste and the folly of nuclear power in our country.

Both Bush Sr. and Richardson are viewed as decent honorable men. Liked and respected by their colleagues. Admired and loved by their friends. And so let it be with Bush. Just let him go.

The Bush nightmare is over. How well Obama succeeds, or does not succeed, in the coming term, we can rest assured that on a spiritual level, the worst is over for this country, at least for now. Bush and Cheney are finished.

The Bushes are a dynasty, but I am not sure of what kind. History will tell. They are an uncompromising, hard-headed, entitled and arrogant bunch. Let's say good-bye to George W. Let's wish his wife and family well. Let's not wish him any ill. He's gone. But let us have no more Bushes in the White House. Ever.

PS: Panetta sounds good at CIA. A man with a soul at the desk of William Casey and Richard Helms.

Comments

[razzles]

Alec, the nightmare isnt over YET. I wish every Bush ill. I wish someone would throw a shoe at Karl Rove for saying that he was proud of GW. And I wish that Cheney would have received some karma -wheelchair bound like that - does anyone remember the Achille Lauro?

[sugarbaby gal]

The nightmare isnt over yet.
I wish them all ill - every Bush who has ever held office. I wish that shoethrower would have hit him squarely in the head. Karl rove is full of it when he says how "proud" he is of Bush - can someone please throw a shoe at him? Cheney should have met with the same fate as that poor wheelchair victim on the Achille Lauro - because he had lots to do with that event.

[starrseed]

I know I am pretty late on this but I heard today that bush was booed at the inaguration. I have to say that I think that was really uncool. I feel that as a leader of this country he deserves some measure of respect at such an event. I lost two family members in 9/11 and I had a third spend more than a year fighting in Iraq, so I definetlyy have strong feelings about what should or should not have been done in that situation, as well as how much higher I feel Bin Laden should have been ranked in our reasons for engaging war.

It's more than ok to have strong negative feelings about our leader - after all, it is those kinds of freedoms that make so many people want to live here. But I feel that taking it to that level of disrespect in such a public forum is just bad juju.

[runswithscissors]

He wouldn't listen to detractors while in office. Didn't read any press that showed him in a negative light. He forced protesters to stay in "free speech zones" that were out of his (and media's) view. When else were the people supposed to tell him that he was the worst thing that ever happened to this country? I was hoping to see tens of thousands of shoes flying his way.

[FOOLS Politicians LIEtoU]

Runswithscissors, It is exactly that kind of attitude that will always pull this country apart. It will be returned to Obama (even if he is good) in spades because what has been spewed from the the other side for so long.

For an Obama groupee you sure don't listen to what he says. He wants to end this kind of hatred and division in this country. People like you are the problem. Until the people like yourself change - we as American's can expect NO CHANGE.

Keep it up Runswithscissors to help make Obama a failure.
It starts with you - As Obama has profoundly preached over and over.

Do you listen to him or are you just on the
bandwagon because you think you are trendy?

[richmond46]

Amen my friend....to everything. Great article.

[libertron]

I was disappointed to see Mr Baldwin put in the anti-nuclear plug there. If coal is out in the future, we really need to find some kind of reliable base load energy generation. Wind and solar will never be more than supplements and it's foolish for the enviros to scream "no" about every other source.

[freshnotbitter]

Panetta was one of the good guys in the second Cllinton administration when the ranks of same was thinning out noticeably.

He'll be great at CIA.

[talk2me]

Alec, President Bush kept us safe the last 7 years. For that I am grateful. Please don't put President Bush (41) down. He sacrified for his country brafely while just a teenager. What have you done for this country? Look at yourself before you attack others. I for one am very happy that President Bush didn't take any crap from other countries just to be popular. President Bush sent more money to Africa to fight aids than any other person in history (did you forget that?). I don't care what the other countries think. The United States has spent more money and lost more lives fighting for their freedom, yet they forget that. Germany and France would not exist today if not for American lives (including President Bush 41). Yes, there are a lot of people very happy Obama was elected president........you know who I'm talking about.

[LiteSleeper]

Why oh why are you on this website? Bush is a spectacular failure of a president. The End.

[drgrph]

You know some of us still believe in the democratic and American concept regarding the exchange of ideas. Unless I'm ill informed that HuffPo is meant solely for a gathering for those sharing only fascist principles.

Your response never indicates why you believe that W was a spectacular failure of a president while at least talk2me chose to explain why they believed there was no reason to constantly bash W and his Dad, another former President.

In the future, should I find reason to strongly disagree with the policy and/or position of our 44th President I promise to explain my comments. Based upon his lack of accomplishment and use of empty rhetoric and symbolism over substance I wholly expect that there will be ample opportunity.

[yellowdogminnesotan]

More Americans have died since 9/11 then on 9/11. It's called the Iraq war. Just because this didn't happen on American soil doesn't mean Bush was a success. They're sacrifice has not made us safer, actually it's made us less safe. We have captured or killed the man responsible for 9/11, nor can we, because we're bogged down in Iraq. Bush Jr. is a Failure.

[Beowoof]

Also, this country was attacked on the first year of the Clinton admistration, the first year of GW and who knows what and when is next(terrorists seem to take their time). The seeds of hate have been sewn so great by Bush and Cheney's mind numbing blunders in foreign affairs that Obama's adminstration must be vigilant beyond compare.

[runswithscissors]

"President Bush kept us safe the last 7 years. For that I am grateful."

Even if this were true (which it isn't), it completely ignores that little thing that happened in his first year as a direct result of his negligence.

"President Bush sent more money to Africa to fight aids than any other person in history (did you forget that?)"

With most of it coming right back to US pharmaceutical companies (Gilead being one, which meant personal profit for Rumsfeld). He doesn't care about AIDS...if he did he wouldn't have spent so much effort making sure that the word "condom" isn't allowed to be part of sex educaion classes.

"The United States has spent more money and lost more lives fighting for their freedom"

The US military has been nothing more than the muscle for American business interests for at least the last 50 years.

"Germany and France would not exist today if not for American lives"

And the US would have never existed at all if not for French assistance in the Revolution. This is the way the world works, genius...

[davism97]

If this is another one of those "we have to look forward not backward" speeches then save it Mr. Baldwin. Criminals need their day in court before we can let anything go.

[FOOLS Politicians LIEtoU]

davism97 , It is exactly that kind of attitude that will always pull this country apart. It will be returned to Obama (even if he is good) in spades because what has been spewed from the the other side for so long.

For an Obama groupee you sure don't listen to what he says. He wants to end this kind of hatred and division in this country. People like you are the problem. Until the people like yourself change - we as American's can expect NO CHANGE.

Keep it up davism97 to help make Obama a failure.
It starts with you - As Obama has profoundly preached over and over.

Do you listen to him or are you just on the
bandwagon because you think you are trendy?

[THISTLE]

Actually it isn't quite over, it will take decades to repair the damage that Bush has caused.
And tragically in far too many cases, people will not recover. The familes who have lost their
sons and daughters in HIS illegal war in Iraq, will never recover from losing their children.
Our environment has been so damaged, that some of it, can't recover. Parts of New Orleans
will never come back. Millions who have lost their homes because of Bush's policies, and
on and on...
Bush will go down as the worse President in history, and like you I am delighted to have
him and his crowd finally gone.
President Obama is exactly the right President for these times, and all of us wish he could
wave a wand and make it all better instantly. But we know he can't, but he has already restored
the image of the United States around the world - he did that the instant he was elected.
This country is so hungry for change, and hopefully, President Obama will be one of the finest
Presidents we ever had.

[robgart]

its not over till obama says his oath of office

[alainv]

Bushco did more damage to this country then any foriegn terrorist ever could . The fact that no Bush should occupy the Whitehouse again goes without saying . The question should be " should they be in the big house ? " and if you want to answer that question , first you must ask " are we a nation of laws or not ? " . I geuss I don't understand what you're saying . Do you mean that not having another Bush in the whitehouse is punishment enough for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives ? Help me out a little here because I'm not getting it .

[PoliticalAnimal]

I'lll join you Alex. I wish George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and the entire neoCON posse they rode in well - in fact I hope their last days are well with all of the wellness they have unleashed on their fellow Americans - financial insecurity, inadequate healthcare, natural disasters without help, a home full of fermaldehyde like the trailers they gave the drowning families of New Orleans, and those they care most about sent off to die in some god-forsaken war for nothing ... oh right, I forgot we were wishing them well ... well, it's what they deserve ...

[FrankenPC]

The REALLY ironic part is the greed which fueled the NeoCON engine ultimately did so much damage that it damaged the puppet masters themselves (Mega corporations). How ironic. They ate themselves alive.

I only hope the remaining corporations realize that these "fellow" board members looking for work are only qualified to flip burgers.

[pm247]

>these "fellow" board members looking for work are only qualified to flip burgers<

That goes for the unemployed CEO's as well.

It's amazing how they get rehired after tanking a company -- because of their "leadership experience" (crooked political connections).

[jeffrey678]

There has to be an investigation to find out how the Republicans sabotaged the Government ! This needs to at least be made public. No more Katrina type incompetence tolerated .

[yellowdogminnesotan]

Alec I've always loved the fact that you've always been in the lead on the important issues. You've always warned us impending doom when everyone else was "falling in line" to avoid the label of trator such as Hillary and her vote for the Iraq war.

But I have to disagree with you and your assessment of Bill Richardson. He was not only secretary of energy, but he was also a proven diplomat with undeniable results. Something our current president sorely lacks. I think Bill would have made a great president, vice president, or secretary of state.

P.S. I still love you Alec!!!

[tenzenz]

Not necessarily wishing him ill, Tuesday afternoon cannot come soon enough for the American people. I do hope that the real facts do come to light within the next few years proving what a deplorable mess that Bush/Cheney have made of America & the world, & they have to live with the publicity of their complete
& utter failure to the American people as well as citizens of free nations around the world. I don't think it should take decades for us to investigate & publicize the facts of their destruction of the constitution. They should go down as the worst leadership in history, & it should be a piece of history sooner than later. Well, maybe I do wish him ill, I'm sorry, but I just can not forget the Ill he & Cheney have brought upon so many 100's of millions of people here & around the world. I hope that history will put them in the same category as Sadaam Hussein.

[SColbert]

I love that Alec Baldwin wins the Golden Globe for best comedic actor in a series and then still takes the time out to write something good like this. I agree with you Mr. Baldwin that Bush years are definitely over. I hope that we will not make a mistake as large as Bush and his regime again.