It's Time to Demand an Apology from George W. Bush

Mr. President,

When grown ups make a mistake, wrong someone, cause harm -- they apologize. It's the quickest way to settle the issue and get on with life. It demonstrates strength and character. Humility and honor.

You've caused quite a bit of harm, Mr. President. We're still waiting for an apology.

Look at what you've done to our country. You've run up trillions in debt on our nation's credit cards. You've made the rich richer on the backs of the middle class, and waged a dead end war that hasn't made us safer. You've dragged our reputation through the mud with your childish, arrogant foreign policy -- turning us from the moral leader of the world into the most despised, climate-ignoring, torture-condoning nation on earth. You've played on our faith and our fears to polarize us into shades of red and blue -- a "divide and conquer" strategy that paid big political dividends, but left us weaker as a nation.

Today, the Dow closed below 10,000 for the first time in years. Our homes are worth less than what we paid for them. We're losing our jobs. We can't get loans to buy cars or pay for college. We can't afford groceries or doctor's visits for our kids (the same kids who'll be paying for this mess when they have kids). In eight short but seemingly endless years, you've taken this country from prosperity to ruin in every imaginable way.

If you'd done this in another country, or another era, the White House might've been stormed by an angry mob, and you paraded off to the gallows or the guillotine. But you're lucky, Mr. President. You were elected (in 2004, anyway) in an age of civility, and in a nation of laws. But that won't save you from the harsh judgment of future Americans. As the years drag on and the facts come to light -- as members of your administration seek to save their own reputations by publishing tell-alls, your presidency will be seen as increasingly corrupt and ineffectual, and your place in the septic tank of history will be sealed.

However, Mr. President, you still have a chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of the living.

All you have to do is say you're sorry.

I'm not one to deify Ronald Reagan, but at least he was man enough to apologize when he made mistakes. Reagan apologized for ignoring the AIDS epidemic; for the Iran-Contra scandal. He even apologized to his wife for getting shot. Your old man apologized for breaking his famous "no new taxes" pledge, and Bill Clinton was criticized for being too apologetic during his time in office.

I hope you don't mind, Mr. President -- but since I know you possess neither humility nor honor, I've taken the liberty (no pun intended) of writing some apologies on your behalf. A book of letters to the people, places, groups, and things I feel you've wronged the most. People like Gen. Colin Powell, Scott McClellan, and your father. Places like Iraq, The Louisiana Superdome, and Crawford, TX. Groups like Women, Children, African-Americans, Southerners, and the United States Armed Forces. Things like the English Language, the Economy, and the color orange.

I've also started a petition where others can lend their voice to demanding your sincere and direct apology to the American people.

You see, Mr. President, I love America. No, not like you do. Not in that bullshit "look at the magnetic yellow ribbon on my SUV!" way. I mean really love it. Love it enough to fight back when I see its greatness diminished by a fear-mongering, bumbling, pandering, partisan, elitist, disengaged, disingenuous, unduly arrogant, unchristian, morally bankrupt chief executive. Diminished by a man who acts as if he's anointed by God, despite the fact that he's really nothing more than a mediocre member of a mediocre family of crooks, frauds, drunks, serial adulterers, and Nazi sympathizers.

I know, I know. Hating on you is so...2005. But this isn't about hate, Mr. President. I couldn't possibly vilify or embarrass you any more than you've vilified and embarrassed yourself. This is about healing. About encouraging you -- for once in your life -- to do the noble thing, so that we as a nation can cast you aside and start cleaning up your messes.

Who knows? If you apologize enough, maybe President Obama will even consider pardoning you.

We'll be waiting.

-- Seth

Seth Grahame-Smith is the author of Pardon My President and the founder of HomelandApology.org

Comments

[Smallerie]

Bravo! I couldn't have written it better in my wildest dreams. You are such a fantastic writer. I'm gonna look to see if you have any books out. If you don't, you should.

[gabbinjane]

When are you Lefties going to learn??? The President (comes from the word "preside") doesn't pass legislation. Congress does!! And in the two years that the Dems have controlled, how many bills did they pass to fend off this crisis that "everybody" knew was coming - except Frank and Dodd, of course? None - nicht - nada - zero - nil - zip!! After Obama wrote his "letter" (wonder if it might have been post-dated?), did he sponsor legislation addressing the "lack of oversight"? Did he warn the American people publicly? Did anyone do something?? Whoops - McCain did co-sponsor a regulation bill, but it never got out of committee. Nope - Dodd, followed by Obama, just kept taking their "campaign contributions" from Fanny Mae/Freddie Mac. Business as usual. Now THAT'S leadership we can rely on!

[bluehoosia]

Here's the problem with asking for or expecting an apology from, and I don't like to generalize, but in this case one has to, Republicans. Most people see giving an apology for a wrong one has committed as a sign of strength, then there are Republicans. Apologies are seen as a sign of weakness, kind of like how they portray diplomacy. That kind of stuff is for women & queers, not tough, macho Republicans, no matter what their gender. There is also the problem that no matter how bad they screw up, the evidence with their fingerprints all over it, they will not admit they are wrong. Because apparently they believe they never are wrong. Didn't they ask Bush what the biggest mistake he ever made was, & gee whiz, he just couldn't come up with anything. Which is odd, because I learned way back in Sunday school that the only one who doesn't make mistakes, is God. So that's really interesting coming from such a devout Christian as Bush. He's not sorry & he can't wait for his presidentin' to be over with. He's left our country in ruins "Mission Accomplished."

[NedFlanders19]

Gee, and if that doesn't work, you can always go for the gusto and take him off your Christmas card list.

A sociopath does not see people as people, they are pawns to used, things to be controlled to get their way.

The funny thing is that before the 2000 election, it was simple, Bush had taken every business he had ever run and he ruined each business, only to be bailed out by friends of the family. Then with full knowledge of all this, people voted in a way that allowed Bush to steal the election. Now, we see what happens when a C student and disgraceful business man got control of an economy that was flowing. Its like giving a ferrari to a son who has wrecked the previous nine cars given to him and telling him to have fun. How would it be any different with the entire country?

His friends have made $$$ and he gets away with murder, all the while giving the country the finger and smirking "Come and get me losers; ha-ha you can't touch me because I'm the real teflon Don."

This once great country is a shell of its former self , regular people are getting screwed again, and no apology will suffice.

[OmegaZ]

Bush needs to apologize to the country. The voters that put him in office need to apologize to the WORLD. Jail time is appropriate. Hanging? Well, since Texas is so death-penalty happy, maybe we could send him to the gallows down there. But the truth is that Bush, Cheney, and all their cronies will be taking the first flight out of the country when their time is up. I hear they're going to Abu Dabi. Too bad we can't sent them to Abu Ghraib.

[frustratedinohio]

You're too nice, kid.

First of all, I want everyone whoever voted for Bush to have to apologize to the other half of the voting population. If you were paying attention at all you would have seen what this guy was all about . Yes, even in 2000.

Secondly, Bush is a criminal and he should be dragged out of office and jailed, prosecuted for war crimes and treason and punished. Since the slight possibility that this could actually happen exists, he won't be apologizing any time soon. That would be admitting to the crime.

[davism97]

Let's hope our nations most enlightened lawyers take Vincent Bugliosi's advice and prosecute the war criminals that make up the Bush administration for murder. That would be partial justice. An apology just isn't going to cut it Seth.

[mgloraine]

Bull. No apologies - jail time and seizure of all personal property.

He won't say he's sorry because he's not. We have to make him sorry. A hundred years and a million dollars for every person tortured, maimed, or killed in Iraq since he started his war. The same for Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, Addington, Yoo, all of the criminal collaborators. None of them should ever see natural sunlight or go anywhere without shackles again.

[JimR]

I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Sundialsvc4]

Apology? From a high-criminal? What are you smoking?

This country is no longer a democracy: it is a fascist state. (Why? Because we said so.) By exercising unconstitutional powers, the President has granted them to himself. (Why? Because we said so.) Judges have already proclaimed it; in time, the Supreme Court will affirm it. (Why? Because they work for us.)

Therefore, bow down and pay homage to your King, and to the Lords who serve at his command, that he will not become angry with your impertinence and declare you to be an enemy of the state. (Why? Because he said so.)

Am I being, like, "cynical" here? Absolutely not. I read history, and precisely this same thing has happened before. For various reasons and at various times, nations rise to positions of international prominence. Then, again for various reasons, they fall. When they do this, there's a certain "dying process."

The "cause of death" is The Enemy Within.

The first stage of a country's "death" is an intense power-grab by one segment of the formerly-balanced government, supported by the other two. Then, the "grabber" becomes a despot and "rules by the sword" for a period of time until you-know what happens. Death follows.

The USA will go down in history as one of the shortest-lived of these nations: it appeared, blossomed, grew fat from conquest and world-war, and then flamed out in less than a mere 300 years.

[MICHB]

There is only one thing W can do to at least bow down with a little respect.

ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA.
This is his last chance to at least show that he cares about America's future more than his fathers's wishes.

[Billie]

Remember "The Decider" doing his little dance outside the White House? When was that, only a few months ago?I don't think he cares about us, only cares that he has protection for himself in his bubble world. He's probably not even working. Just sitting it out, waiting to leave it all behind. It'll probably also be nauseating to find out who is on his pardon list as he soft shoes out the door.

[apduncan1]

He is laughing his head off!!!

[Snow97]

Apologize for sending hundreds of thousands of young lives into a war on half-truths and outright lies? Apologize for squalid medical care and nonexistent benefits when these soldiers returned?

Apologize for leaving Americans to sicken and die in the flooded streets of New Orleans?

Apologize for looking the other way while Big Oil companies rewrote our energy policies, Republican corporate supporters flouted our environmental guidelines, and private contractors raked in the profits from his aforementioned war?

Apologize for slandering the performance of civil servants at the Justice Department because they wouldn't twist their power to serve the Republican leadership and its moneyed friends?

Apologize for commuting the sentence of a man who perjured, obstructed justice, and helped to out a covert CIA agent because her husband didn't support your position on Iraq?

Apologize for making the Country of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and Kennedy look buffoonish with, among many other things, frat-boy posturing and open-mouthed chewing at international conferences?

Gee, I don't think an apology is gonna' cut it.

[Billie]

Oh this list is long! Another apology that won't be forthcoming: for exploiting/twisting the name and philosophy of Jesus (whether you believe or not) to gain power, wage war and crush the poor

[Snow97]

You said it!

Compassionate Conservatism, indeed.

Ask the parents of children without access to medical care exactly how compassionate this administration was.

[legoh]

Seth, I'm a fan!!!

Just don't hold your breath waiting ...

[Samalabear]

Exactly!

[Lulliloo]

Do you remember during the 9/11 senate hearings a reporter repeatedly asked Bush to name one mistake he ever made? GWB screwed up his eyebrows, put on his dunce cap and during the repeated questioning he never admitted to having made a single mistake.

You may forgive him in your heart. But the laws of the land should not forgive him. They should prosecute GWB, Cheney, Rumsfeld for whatever war crimes can stick concerning Iraq, treason I hope will stick for it does in spirit, and the yet to be identified financial parasites that have robbed America blind.
Some rob with a gun, some rob with a pen, some rob with the tongue, Mr. Bush.