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G. W. Bush

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George W. Bush
George W. Bush
Order: 43rd President
Term of Office: January 20, 2001-present
Predecessor: Bill Clinton
Date of Birth: Saturday, July 6, 1946
Place of Birth: New Haven, Connecticut
First Lady: Laura Bush
Profession: Businessman
Political Party: Republican
Vice President: Dick Cheney


George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. His four-year term as President began on January 20, 2001. He is currently seeking a second term. (see George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004).

Before assuming the presidency, Bush was a businessman and served as Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. He is the son of former President George Herbert Walker Bush and the brother of Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Personal life, service, and education

George W. Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut to parents George and Barbara Bush, and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He has four younger siblings: Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. A younger sister, Robin, died of leukemia in 1953 at the age of three.

File:Bush daughers.gif
George W. Bush and Laura Bush with their daughters Jenna and Barbara, 1990

Like his father, Bush was educated at Phillips Academy (Andover) (September 1961-June 1964) and Yale University (September 1964-May 1968). While at Yale he joined Delta Kappa Epsilon (where he was president from October 1965 until graduation), and the Skull and Bones society. He played baseball during his freshman year and rugby during his junior and senior years. He received a bachelor's degree in history in 1968.

After graduating from Yale, Bush enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard on May 27, 1968 during the Vietnam War, with a commitment to serve until May 26, 1974. He served as an F-102 pilot until 1973 and was twice promoted during his service, first to second lieutenant and then to first lieutenant. In November 1970, Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian, the commander of the Texas Air National Guard, recommended that Bush be promoted to first Lieutenant, calling him "a dynamic outstanding young officer" who stood out as "a top notch fighter interceptor pilot." He said that "Lt. Bush's skills far exceed his contemporaries," and that "he is a natural leader whom his contemporaries look to for leadership. Lt. Bush is also a good follower with outstanding disciplinary traits and an impeccable military bearing."

File:Pres GW Bush in uniform.jpg
George W. Bush in his national guardsman uniform.

In September 1973 he received permission to end his six-year commitment six months early in order to attend Harvard University. He transferred to inactive reserve status shortly before being honorably discharged on October 1, 1973.

However, political opponents of the Bush administration began to raise questions about his service record in 2000, particularly as to whether he fulfilled his obligations. See George W. Bush military service controversy for details.

Bush entered Harvard Business School in 1973. He was awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1975, making him the first U.S. president to hold an MBA degree.

Bush married Laura Welch in 1977. In 1986, at age 40, he became a born-again Christian, converting from Episcopalian Christianity to his wife's denomination, Methodism. They have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna Bush, born in 1981.

Bush is the second person to become U.S. president whose father was also president; Bush's father, George H. W. Bush, was the 41st President of the United States. See also Bush political family.

On Labor Day weekend, September 4, 1976, Bush was pulled over by police near his family's Kennebunkport summer home in Maine. He was arrested and fined $150 and temporary suspension driving privileges in the state for driving under the influence of alcohol. News of the arrest was released five days before the 2000 presidential election by the Kennebunkport police department.

Bush has described his days before his religious conversion as his "nomadic" period and "irresponsible youth". Bush admitted to drinking "too much" in those years. He gave up drinking for good shortly after his 40th birthday celebration. A number of reasons were cited for the change including a 1985 meeting with Rev. Billy Graham. CNN reported during the 2000 campaign that Bush said "I quit drinking in 1986 and haven't had a drop since then." [1] [2] [3]

Bush has addressed the issue of his alleged cocaine abuse on several occasions. The 2000 campaign initially refused to answer any questions on the issue as a matter of principle. However, as a candidate for federal employment, Bush had to sign a form which asked if he had taken drugs in the previous seven years. He voluntarily informed the press that his answer was "no". A reporter asked if he could have signed the same form when his father was president i.e. when the forms asked for a 15-year history. Bush replied "Uh, let's see here… Yes, I could have." Another reporter asked if he had ever taken cocaine, to which Bush refused to supply an answer.

Bush is sometimes referred to as Dubya (which is an old Texan variation of "Double U"), a play on his middle initial "W".

Business and political career

In 1978, Bush ran for the U.S. House of Representatives but lost to State Sen. Kent Hance, a Democrat.

File:Texasgovbush.jpg
George W. Bush's portrait as Governor of Texas (1995-2000).

Bush began his career in the oil industry in 1979 when he established Arbusto Energy, an oil and gas exploration company he formed in 1977 with money given to him by Ossama Bin Ladin's older brother Saleem Bin Ladin. The oil crisis of 1979 hurt Arbusto and, after a name change to Bush Exploration Co., Bush sold the company in 1984 to Spectrum 7, another Texas oil and gas exploration firm. Under the terms of the sale, Bush became CEO of Spectrum 7. History was repeated as the oil crisis of 1985-1986 bankrupted Spectrum 7. Spectrum 7 was subsequently saved by a buyout from Harken Energy Corp in 1986 with Bush becoming a director of Harken.

Bush was accused of using insider knowledge when selling stock while serving on the board of directors of Harken Energy Corp. in 1990. After his sale of the stock, Harken reported a US$23.2 million quarterly loss. An SEC investigation in 1992 found that Bush "did not engage in illegal insider trading". However the SEC noted that this "must in no way be construed as indicating that the party has been exonerated or that no action may ultimately result." Critics of Bush allege that the investigation was influenced by the fact that Bush's father was President of the United States, although no action was taken during Bill Clinton's presidency either. As President, Bush has refused to authorize the SEC to release its full report on the investigation.

After working on his father's successful 1988 presidential campaign, he assembled a group of partners from his father's close friends and in 1989 purchased the Texas Rangers, an Arlington-based Major League Baseball franchise. (Bush later appointed one of these partners, Tom Schieffer to the post of Ambassador to Australia.)

Critics expressed concern about the propriety of the purchase. Stated concerns include political influence in the acquisition of the team and stadium as well as the land for the new ballpark. [4] There was also criticism regarding the eventual sale to a family friend, who some time later donated money to the Bush campaign in 2000. When the team was sold in 1998, Bush personally earned US$14.9 million (in total, the sale earned US$170 million)." [5]

He served as managing general partner of the Rangers until he was elected Governor of Texas on November 8, 1994 over incumbent Democrat Ann Richards. He went on to become, in 1998, the first Texas governor to be elected for two consecutive four-year terms. His tenure in office featured a positive reputation for bipartisan leadership. Among issues attracting national and international attention during his terms was Texas' use of the death penalty, a policy seen in most American constituencies. He signed the death warrants of 152 criminals, including that of Karla Faye Tucker.

In Bush's 2000 presidential election campaign, he campaigned on, among other issues, allowing religious charities to compete on an equal basis for participation in federally funded programs, reducing taxes, promoting the use of school vouchers, supporting oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and restructuring of the U.S. military. In foreign policy, he stated he was against using the U.S. armed forces in "nation building" attempts abroad, and gave the impression he would send troops overseas only in response to a direct threat against the United States.

File:Gore Debate.jpg
Bush listens as Democratic opponent Al Gore states a point during a debate.

Bush became President on January 20, 2001 as the winner of one of the closest general elections in U.S. history, defeating Democratic Vice President Al Gore in 30 of 50 states for a narrow victory by five electoral votes. Gore won a plurality of the nationwide popular vote by approximately 540,000 votes out of 105 million, a margin of barely one-half of one percent. This was the third consecutive presidential election in which no candidate received a majority of the popular vote. It was the first presidential election since the 1888 election in which a candidate lost the popular vote while winning the electoral college vote. The electoral college outcome could have been altered by a difference of only a few hundred (537/2) popular votes in Florida.

The Florida vote, which favored Bush by a tiny margin in the initial count, was heavily contested after concerns were raised about flaws and irregularities in the voting process, and became the subject of a series of contentious court cases. After a U.S. Supreme Court decision in mid-December favoring Bush, Gore conceded the election. The election results are still disputed by many, though no longer contested in any legal venue. See U.S. presidential election, 2000.

Presidency

Foreign policy and security

Main article: [[:Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration]]
George W. Bush flanked by wife Laura Bush, Marta Sahagún Fox, and Mexican Pres. Vicente Fox

During his campaign, Bush's foreign policy platform included support of a stronger economic and political relationship with Latin America, especially Mexico, and a reduction in involvement in "nation-building" and other small-scale military engagements.

Bush's decision to impose a tariff on imported steel, and to withdraw from global initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol has been argued as evidence that he and his administration have a policy of acting unilaterally in international affairs.

On December 14, 2001, Bush scrapped the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a bedrock of U.S.-Soviet nuclear stability during the Cold War-era, arguing it was no longer relevant.

During his first presidential visit to Europe in June 2001, Bush came under criticism from European leaders for his rejection of the Kyoto treaty, which is aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions that may contribute to global warming.

In July of 2002, Bush cut off all funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Bush claimed that the UNFPA supported forced abortions and sterilizations in China.

The Bush presidency has also been marked by diplomatic tensions with the People's Republic of China and North Korea.

Bush's foreign policy is influenced by the right-wing think tank Project for the New American Century, many of whose members have prominent positions in the Bush administration.

Domestic policy

Main article: [[:Domestic policy of the George W. Bush administration]]
President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac during the G-8 sessions, July 21, 2001.

President Bush has endorsed an amendment to the United States Constitution that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, which would ban same-sex marriage, but leaves open the possibility of civil unions.

Bush has tended to be opposed to forms of affirmative action, but expressed appreciation for the Supreme Court's ruling upholding selecting college applicants for purposes of diversity.

Although President Bush did meet with the National Urban League, he is the first sitting President not to meet with the NAACP, a longstanding civil rights group, since Herbert Hoover.

President Bush has implemented three controversial tax cuts during his term in office. (pdf) Of the US$2.4 trillion budgeted for 2005, about US$450 billion are planned to be spent on defense.

Bush supports free trade policies and legislation but has resorted to protectionist policies on occasion, such as the tariffs on imported steel imposed by the White House in March 2002. Since the U.S. has violated many international trade laws during Bush's term, the WTO has authorized sanctions against the U.S. [6] [7]

Bush advocates the partial privatization of Social Security wherein an individual would be free to invest a portion of his Social Security taxes in personal retirement accounts.

George W. Bush speaks to firefighters on November 4, 2003, as California Governor-Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gov. Gray Davis listen.

Bush signed the Medicare Act of 2003, which added prescription drug coverage to Medicare, subsidized companies that sell these drugs, and prohibited the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies.

In January of 2003, Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, which targets supporting early learning, measures student performance, gives options over failing schools, and ensures more resources for schools. Critics say schools were not given the resources to help meet new standards. Some state governments are refusing to implement provisions of the act as long as they are not adequately funded. [8]

Scientists have repeatedly criticized the Bush administration for reducing funding for scientific research, setting restrictions on stem cell research, ignoring scientific consensus on critical issues such as global warming, and hampering cooperation with foreign scientists by employing deterring immigration and visa practices. In February 2004, over 5,000 scientists (including 48 Nobel Prize winners) signed a statment "opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice". They felt that "the Bush administration has ignored unbiased scientific advice in the policy-making that is so important for our collective welfare". [9] [10][11]

Mr. Bush's environmental record has been largely criticized by environmentalists, who charge that his policies cater to industry demands to weaken environmental protections.

Cabinet

File:20010409-6.jpg
Bush meets with his Cabinet. (2001)
OFFICE NAME TERM
President George W. Bush 2001—
Vice President Dick Cheney 2001—
State Colin Powell 2001—
Defense Donald Rumsfeld 2001—
Treasury Paul O'Neill 2001–2003
John W. Snow 2003—
Justice John Ashcroft 2001—
Interior Gale Norton 2001—
Commerce Donald Evans 2001—
Labor Elaine Chao 2001—
Agriculture Ann Veneman 2001—
HHS Tommy Thompson 2001—
Education Rod Paige 2001—
HUD Mel Martinez 2001–2003
Alphonso Jackson 2004—
Transportation Norman Mineta 2001—
Energy Spencer Abraham 2001—
Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi 2001—
Homeland Security Tom Ridge 2003—


Other advisors and officials

Among the more criticized appointments have been John Negroponte, Elliott Abrams, Otto Reich, and John Poindexter for their roles in the Iran Contra Scandal and for allegedly covering up human rights abuses in Central and South America. Additionally, some appointments have been accused of being nepotism, including: Michael Powell (son of Secretary of State Colin Powell) as FCC Chairman, 28-year-old J. Strom Thurmond Jr (Sen. Strom Thurmond's son) as South Carolina's U.S. Attorney, Eugene Scalia (Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's son) as Solicitor for the Labor Department, Janet Rehnquist (Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist's daughter) as Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (later fired for firearms charges and inappropriate job terminations), and Elizabeth Cheney (Vice Pres. Dick Cheney's daughter) to the newly-created position Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near-East Affairs.

George W. Bush's cabinet is listed by Guinness World Records (2004) as the wealthiest cabinet in U.S. presidential history. [12]

Legislation

Partial list:

[13]

Public perception and assessments

Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, Bush briefly enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85 percent — a common occurrence during periods of national crisis. Bush maintained these extraordinary ratings (the highest approval ratings of any president since such regular polls began in 1938) for some months following the attack, though they gradually dropped to lower levels.

During the 2002 midterm congressional elections, Bush had the highest approval rating of any president during a mid-term election since Dwight Eisenhower, and subsequently the Republican Party retook control of the U.S. Senate and added to their majority in the House of Representatives. These results marked an unusual deviation from the historic trend of the President's party losing congressional seats in the midterm elections, and was just the third time since the Civil War that the party in control of the White House gained seats in both houses of Congress in a midterm election (others were 1902 and 1934). One explanation for this historic event is that Bush's wartime popularity carried over to other Republicans in races for legislative office. Another is that the singularly close election of Bush in 2000 complicates expectations based on general historic trends.

In 2003, Bush's approval ratings continued their slow descent from the 2001 highs, with 13 major polls agreeing on a remarkably stable and consistent 1.7% per month decline for his entire presidency with the exceptions of only three significant increases: immediately after 9/11, during the Iraq War, and the capture of Saddam Hussein. By late 2003, his approval numbers were in the low to middle 50s. Nevertheless, his numbers were still solid for the third year of a Presidency, when the President's opponents typically begin their campaigns in earnest. Most polls tied the decline to growing concern over the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and the economy's slow recovery from the 2001 recession. Late during the Democratic primary, most major polls showed Bush losing to the various Democratic challengers by a narrow margin. Polls of May 2004 showed anywhere from a 53 percent approval rating [14] to a 46 percent approval rating. [15] Composite time-series graphs of Bush's approval ratings from January 2001 to May 2004 are available at [16] [17], an analysis of G. W. Bush's popularity over time is available at [18].

George W. Bush has been the subject of both high praise and stringent criticism, and has been called by some the "love him or hate him" president. The latter has focused on the clouded election of the President, on his policies (not least his abandonment of the Kyoto Treaty ratification, and particularly as regards his actions towards Iraq); the former on other policies, such as the economy, homeland security, and especially his leadership after the September 11 attacks.

One of the most controversial domestic critics of Bush and his administration has been Michael Moore, a liberal American author and filmmaker who stated that his intention in making his documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 was to help prevent Bush's reelection. Conservative radio talk-show hosts, such as Sean Hannity and Michael Savage, have praised Bush in their respective books for policies such as his controversial tax cuts and handling of homeland security.

Outside the United States

Bush's popularity outside the U.S. is significantly lower, especially when compared to his Democratic challenger, John Kerry. In many parts of the world, Bush is very unpopular, with many holding a dislike of his personality and foreign policy. Anti-Americanism world-wide has increased during Bush's term, especially after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was perceived as unilateral by many.

A February 2004 Associated Press/Ipsos survey found that a majority of people in France, Italy, Germany, Mexico, and Spain have an unfavorable view of Bush and his policy on foreign affairs, though significant minorities continue to report favorable views. [19] Even in Canada and the United Kingdom, where Anglo-American cooperation traditionally reigns, anti-Bush sentiment is high. [20] [21]

Bush's unfavorability ratings are particularly high in Islamic countries — Morocco and Jordan are 90 percent and 96 percent, respectively. [22] Among the non-U.S. nations polled in a worldwide study, Bush's popularity was highest in Israel, where 62 percent reported favorable views. [23]

A July and August 2004 survey by the University of Maryland and GlobeScan, Inc. of 34,330 people in 35 nations found that, in 30 out of 35 countries polled, a majority or plurality would prefer to see Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry win in the 2004 election. Kerry was strongly preferred by traditional European allies like Norway (74% for Kerry to 7% for Bush), Germany (74% to 10%), France (64% to 5%), the Netherlands (63% to 6%), Italy (58% to 14%), Spain (45% to 7%), and the United Kingdom (47% to 16%). The only countries where President Bush was preferred by a majority were the Philippines, Nigeria, and Poland. India and Thailand were divided. [24]

Further reading

  • George W. Bush, A Charge to Keep, (1999) ISBN 0688174418
  • George W. Bush, We Will Prevail, (2003) ISBN 0826415520
  • Ronald Kessler, A Matter Of Character: Inside The White House Of George W. Bush, Penguin, USA, August, 2004, hardcover, 320 pages, ISBN 1595230009
  • David Frum, The Right Man, (2003) ISBN 0375509038 ISBN 0812966953
  • Robert Bryce, Cronies: Oil, The Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate, PublicAffairs, ISBN 1586481886
  • Bob Woodward, Bush At War, (2002) ISBN 0743244613
  • Bob Woodward, Plan of Attack, (2004) ISBN 074325547X
  • K. Auletta (January 19, 2004). Fortress Bush: How the White House Keeps the Press Under Control, The New Yorker, LXXIX, 53.
  • Bill Sammon, Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House, (2002) ISBN 0895261499
  • B. Minutaglio, First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty (1999) ISBN 0609808672
  • Stephen Mansfield, The Faith of George W. Bush, (2003) ISBN 1585423092
  • M. Ivins and L. Dubose, Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush (2000) ISBN 0375503994
  • Ian Williams, Deserter: George Bush's War on Military Families, Veterans, and His Past ISBN 1560256273
  • E. Mitchell, W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty (2000) ISBN 0786866306
  • H. Gillman, The Votes That Counted: How the Court Decided the 2000 Presidential Election (2001) ISBN 0226294080
  • J. H. Hatfield, Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President (1999) ISBN 1887128840
  • Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer & Brendan Nyhan, All the Presidents Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the Truth (2004) ISBN 0743262514
  • Craig Unger, House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties ISBN 074325337X
  • Bill Sammon, Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush Haters (2004) ISBN 0060723831

Transcripts

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Information sites

Preceded by:
Bill Clinton 		President of the United States
2001— 		Succeeded by:
Incumbent
Preceded by:
Ann Richards 		Governor of Texas
1995–2000 		Succeeded by:
Rick Perry
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