After all, that was his most important decision he had to make while being president.\n*\nA far cry from what Bush has had to deal with.
122394
Monicanudo...rubusto sized.  Thanks, I'm here all week...try the tuna salad.
250628
Based on poll numbers, no.\n\nBut that's irrelevant. He's doing the job we NEED him to do.
53389
Riot,\nToday we can debate this issue with the aspect of both hindsight and foresight. When Mr. Truman made his decision, he did so knowing only what the possible outcome could be. His view was to save American lives, and I believe he made the only choice he could. Consider, had that event not took place, and the US invaded mainland Japan, the suspected killed in action count was to exceed one million US soldiers. If your father, or grandfather were among those causalities, you would not be here to ask this question. My heart goes out for the Japanese that lost their lives in this event, but thankful that we as a species have not found it within ourselves to use this weapon again!
487694
At no point during his presidency did George Bush wear a crown. He was not, nor is he autonomous. The decisions regarding Iraq are not his alone. He had backing, remember? Many democrats were among those backers initially.
105542
It's been all over the news over the last few days, as Hurricane Katrina was approaching he was told if it hit New Orleans that the levees would not hold up but he was on vacation at his ranch in Crawford and refused to be disturbed therefore he chose to ignore a very critical problem and even after the levees broke and the government refused to respond he did nothing again ignoring the problem I don't think we have ever had another president who took so many vacations and chose to ignore what happens in our country while he's on those vacations. Just look at his smile when we are in trouble, is that reality?
247170
Bush is concerned about the American people...in terms of what they think of him. Of course, since he has no chance in hell of re-election (amendment limiting the number of terms a president can serve to two), he might as well get real and stop trying to bs us with his sucky speeches and vague promises. Pretty much, I think he is trying to finish out this term without getting assassinated - that seems to be his goal. Also, he must perform well because all the eyes of the world are on him.
130481
That should be a decision up to his family.\n\nNot the world.
68148
He never wanted the job.  He simply wanted to show the country that we didn't only have to choose Democrat or Republican nominees and ideologies.  He also had a plan that would have balanced the budget along with ways to fix a number of other problems.  He had these plans written down in black and white and explained them well.  This is why he would have won if he hadn't jumped out.  However, he jumped out because he didn't want the job.  The reason he got back in was because he got frustrated that even still, neither republican nor democrat were moving past the politics to actually try and fix things.  He thought he could make our country a better place and felt then that it was his duty to try.  Our country could have been in a much better place than it is in today.
495403
YES!!!  I agree with you that it should be a priority, but it wont happen--it would've happened already.  If we let him stay after the Florida debacle and the Ohio debacle, they arent going to remove the administration any time soon.  Doesnt matter who gets elected.  I agree that it could restore confidence around the world, but they already hate us and our arrogance, I dont think much will change that.  Will never happen.
366158
Not when the choice was Bush or Kerry. I mean, come on, Kerry as president. That gives me the willies.
516844
Most people agree that the Bush administration was unwilling to seem as though they were changing their minds about the war in Iraq so close to the election, but that the decision was probably made a long time ago for Rumsfeld to leave. If you'll remember, there was talk several weeks ago that Bush was looking into the idea that perhaps the path that we were taking in Iraq wasn't the right one, but almost as quickly, Bush went right back to "stay the course". It appears they did not want to seem weak or appear to be "flip-flopping", to use their phrasing. But in reality, they've finally figured out that the war isn't working and the majority of the people in the US know it.
1397
he's made choices people don't neccesarrily agree with.  He's passed laws and made moves and stuff that weren't in the best interests of American people.  Spending $400 billion on iraq, giving tax breaks to rich people, choking on pretzels, not acting fast in the wake of Katrina, just to name a few.  i really don't know how he won a second term.
380091
If he is truly the great leader that a lot of republicans apparently think he is, he learn to be bipartisan.  He's not the first president to have to work with a congress controlled by another party and this isn't the first such situation to happen during a war.  He can learn a few things from his daddy in that regard.
495169
Really??\n\nWhile I must agree with the decision, I have to admit that, in my opinion, he was one of the most skilled at giving a press conference than anyone I have ever seen.  He could think through a question and formulate an answer so quickly it would make your head spin.  Impressive, even if I did not agree with him.
602288
A strong leader does what is right, not what other people tell him. In obeying the American people's short-sighted demands for retribution and war, Bush forgot his duty as a human being to justice. As an aside, do you know why we have a House of Representatives (2-year term) separate from the Senate (6-yr term)? Do you know why Supreme Court Justices are in for life? It because the founding fathers knew that the mob cannot be trusted to think for itself; it thinks with it's gut and not with it's head. Short-term representatives work for short-term interests, which often ignore long-term interests and strategy. This gut's important enough that we have Representatives at all, but we refuse direct democracy for a reason and we need people in government to do think rationally and do what is right instead of just lashing out in pain at everything and everyone after 9/11.\n\nNo war against something as amorphous as "terror" could ever be won. I would have realized that instead of sending people to shoot other people. Instead, I would have worked to alleviate the tensions of the oppressed, both at home an abroad. I would have forced the Isrealis to make peace with Palestine; as angry as Isreal-supporters would be at me, it would be outweighed by the support I would win from Palestinians at home and abroad, and would also win the support of the entire world community, from the "bleeding-heart"-est liberals to the most insane Nazis. Iraq would never have entered the equasion, except for increased work at providing aid directly to the people of Iraq and not allowing the Iraqi government to confiscate things. I would allow democracy to develop there and elsewhere naturally, without thrusting it upon the people, by restricting US contacts and possible imperialism from developing nations. Again, North Korea wouldn't enter the equasion, since they wouldn't feel threatened with invasion.\n\nBut most of all I would have focused on home matters. I would have worked much more thouroughly on reducing American dependance on foreign gasoline by encouraging development of cleaner energy, such as fuel-cells, more efficient diesel, or whatever other promising technologies are developed. In fact, I would have put much more money into education and science in general, especially since it's not going to the military; that's the only good way to ensure American jobs today and in the future, not restricting immigration. As to immigration, I couldn't let in a flood of Mexicans/Asians/whoever, the job market wouldn't be able to sustain such a shock. However, I wouldn't even consider stopping immigration altogether; growth comes from outside if it doesn't come from within, and America is still mostly empty. Gay marriage wouldn't have been made an issue and allowed to proceed on a state-by-state basis; I wouldn't be interested in dividing the nation on the hope that my side has 0.5% more of the vote, instead letting the people choose what they want. I would, however, hope that the Supreme Court would recognize that a marriage contract in one state is legal outside of that state.\n\nI would be willing to do all this and risk assassination. Martyrs are always more powerful than the living anyway, just look at Ché Guevera; he was a bit of a weakling and a failure at leadership, but because of his death he became a symbol of revolution. It just helped that some artist made him look heroic enough to go on T-shirts. Even if I didn't die, I would probably be compared to other leaders in times of crisis who did what was right instead of listened to the crowd, like joining either World War or freeing the slaves. Nobody will remember Bush except as "That Guy Who Helped Make A Mere Sh!t-Sandstorm Into A Sh!t-Tsunami". Nobody remembers Clinton really at all, even today, except as "That Guy Who Wasn't Bush".
555494
George W. Bush has not had this country at the fore front of his  agenda . He has followed his own agenda and has had the support of his Republican congress to aid in that agenda . The country as a whole has suffered slow economic recovery , highest gas prices in our history , and  we as a Nation are disliked by other Nations due to his leadership and head strong do or die attitude . Its my way or the highway isn't working for him now and the polls are showing the nations feelings for him as a president . I would have to agree with you in saying he is right up there on top of the heap of useless presidents .
672563
I have problems With President Bush, but I believe that he has gotten some bad advice and has surrounded himself with people who don't have the nation's best interest at heart.  I voted for him simply because I didn't want Kerry to become leader of the free world.  As for my vote, who knows, it might count, it might not.  I still vote with high hopes and low expectations.