With President Obama hitting his first 100 days in office today, I thought I’d list just a few of George W. Bush’s accomplishments during his first 100 days. I haven’t included Obama’s accomplishment, as for the rest of this week and probably next, there will be thousands of sites with his accomplishments, or readily available links to a list. You can start here.
Just as President Obama has put the country further in debt by what will be at least another $1 trillion during his first 100 days, Bush “out-debted” him. Bush asked for $1.6 trillion in tax cuts but Congress, feeling that was a little much to hand over to the wealthy and wealthy corporations, cut that to a mere $1.3 trillion, including $100 billion for the first year he was in office. Ultimately, none of his promises that the tax cuts would benefit the working class proved to be true. And at the time all Bush could point to as to how the tax cuts would be paid for was that it was going to create jobs — you know — trickle-down-economics. That went well, didn’t it? During Bush’s first four years 800,000 jobs were lost. And Bush left office with the worst employment growth since WWII, worse even than his eleven predecessors. But no matter. His real objective was met, and that was all that mattered. Taking care of the wealthy and wealthy corporations was his hallmark as governor of Texas and that’s what got him elected President in the first place. Senator Phil Gramm of the earlier infamous Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act introduced Bush’s tax cut bill.
Going against the Constitution for the first of his many times, Bush signed a law that provided faith-based organizations the use of government funding for social programs.
Appointed Tommy Thompson, confirmed by the Senate, as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson later turned down Torsten Wiesel, a Nobel laureate physiologist with a long list of accomplishments, for a position on the advisory panel in the National Institutes of Health because Wiesel “was too critical of Bush” according to Thompson. Instead he brought in what was described as “lightweights with no scientific credibility”. In other words, a bunch of “yes” people. This action politicized science. Thompson was also involved in the Medicare rip-off, and promoted Medicare changes that would help companies Thompson had financial stakes in.
The House Republicans resisted a John McCain campaign finance reform bill, and instead pushed through a watered down version preferred by Bush.
Appointed John Ashcroft, confirmed by the Senate, as Attorney General. Too many skeletons in his closet to list.
Bush rescinded all environmental regulations issued by Clinton in the latter’s final days. Bush reneged on a campaign promise to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, and he abandons the world-supported 1997 Kyoto Protocol environment effort.
Bush promised bipartisanship also, but — signed a bankruptcy bill that was 100% opposed by Democrats. The bill highly limited the ability of individuals to declare bankruptcy. Ushered through the aforementioned 13 digit tax cut with only one Democrat, Zell Miller of Georgia, voting for it. Repealed all workplace safety rules issued by Clinton. Richard Gephardt, House Minority Leader, declared the end to bipartisanship when the latter happened.
Wanted to do away with the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia. He wanted to build more missiles.
What could have been a great move was his education bill. However, Bush insisting on wanting to use public funds for private tuition, which would have mostly benefited the well-to-do.
Bush exerted more effort & spent more time on promoting his tax cut proposal during his first 100 days than he did on any other issue.
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