I wish the entire Bush family well and am pleased that the former presidents are sharing the opening of the Bush presidential library.
But, as I wrote in my last column for The Hill calling for confirmation of all judicial nominations, it was President Bush and Karl Rove who corrupted American justice more than any president since Richard Nixon. The Bush presidency was a disastrous presidency which caused a range catastrophes including the Iraq war, the budget deficit, and the financial crash.
The trouble began when Bush was warned in an intelligence briefing about the threat of terrorists flying planes into buildings in New York and treated these warnings with contempt.
Bush did receive these warnings. He did treat them with contempt. He did not take action that was called for. The rest is history. Perhaps Republicans obsessed with Benghazi might convene hearings about this.
After the attacks on September 11, 2001 Bush used those attacks to create fear and win votes and drive America to war in Iraq. It was an unwise war. As a result, when there was opportunity to kill Osama bin Laden that opportunity was missed because of the Iraq obsession.
As a result, four things happened which continue to plague America today:
First, the unwise Iraq war, a war which should never have been fought. The big winner of the Iraq war was Iran.
Second, the war in Afghanistan was virtually won shortly after it was initiated, but that advantage was completely lost because resources were diverted away from Afghanistan to Iraq. Bush gave America an Iraq war that should never have been fought, and gave America an Afghanistan war that should have ended successfully 10 years ago.
Third, because Bush pushed massive tax cuts, which disproportionately favored the wealthy, which cost the Treasury huge revenue, while he led America to war in Iraq, which created great costs, and prolonged the Afghanistan war, which created great costs, Bush was responsible for huge deficits.
The prime reason the Clinton surplus became the Bush deficits was that Bush combined major wars with major tax cuts which created, inevitably, major deficits.
Fourth, the deregulatory fever and crony capitalism of the Bush years contributed mightily to the financial crash that continues to plague America.
Virtually all Republicans supported these gigantic and disastrous blunders stated above.
I am sad to say, too many Democrats went along with them. Sound familiar?
I wish George W. Bush, his wonderful wife Laura, his daughters and former President George H. W. Bush all the best. I believe it is perfectly appropriate for all living former presidents to join the Bush family in the opening of the Bush library. But make no mistake: the Bush presidency was a disaster.