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Election day and the 35 days that followed is over. George W. Bush has now been inaugurated. Some love him, some want to give him a chance and a few still consider him to be eligimate. But overall, his administration will be judged not by how he was elected, but by what he does in office.
We will soon find out how "W." does. One can only hope it will be a breath of fresh air. He can free us from the bad taste left behind by a predecessor who was plagued by allegations of illegal conduct in prior business affairs as well as numerous instances of personal indiscretion.
Former President Bill Clinton's lying and obstruction of Justice in the Paula Jones civil case resulted in his impeachment, the suspension of his law license for five years and millions of dollars in legal fees and fines. The American people knew their previous president was corrupt, but they gave him high approval ratings for his handling of an economy that grew as a result of his agreement with Republican congressional leadership on tax issues and a foreign policy that was marked by a successful war victory and gallant, although failed attempts at peace in Israel and Northern Ireland.
Clinton's legacy received its final smear when the incoming Bush administration found the White House offices vandalized. The destruction of phone lines and office furniture combined with the leaving of obscene materials in printers and on voice mails left many Americans wondering "what kind of people were running our country for the last eight years?"
George W. Bush, being a man of class, requested that his people not make an issue of the vandalism. He asked everyone to leave Bill Clinton alone and let him go off and enjoy his life. But the information was leaked out. As much as Bush supporters loved their president, the leak showed some couldn't put aside the ill feelings toward his predecessor.
The president wants us to put the past behind us and focus on the future. So, what are his plans? What will he be like? We can already see the new president is strong on education. He also offers new ideas on the tax structure, social security and medicare.
He believes that as free citizens, good people can agree to disagree on the issue of abortion, but he stands on a pro-life position. He hopes that eventually more people will embrace the respect for life.
George W. Bush respects the two party system. He has held out his hand across the aisle and met with Democratic opponents to build consensus on how to implement his programs. Leading by showing respect and leading by example is going to be his tactic. You won't see strong arm and slick Clintonian political strategies. Rather, you will see a man who will lay his cards on the table and ask everyone to participate in how they should be played. | |||||
