In Defense of G.W. Bush

In Nick Welsh’s columnin the May 5 Independent it appears he is confused. He refers to “all the lies told by George W. Bush,” when it was President Clinton who under oath told lies, labeled perjury, a false swearing, so that even some members of his own party voted to impeach him and the Supreme Court of his home state suspended his license to practice law for his perjury.

Then you state with respect to Bin Laden, “Why didn’t they” (the Bush White House) “see him coming in the first place? The Clinton White House had declared him Global Enemy Number One.” My goodness, it appears in your haste you confused presidents. President Clinton twice had Bin Laden in the sights of the military and let him go. President Clinton issued Executive Order 12958 in 1995 forbidding federal agencies from exchanging intelligence. Bush issue Executive Order 13292 in 2003 reversing the prohibition in the Order 12958. Since 9/11, England, France, Spain, and Italy have been victims of terrorists but the U.S. has not—perhaps Homeland Security is working. Bush was in office less than eight months before 9/11. How long after the current guy took office was it before the current president started taking responsibility for anything? Has he yet? This president tried, and failed, to close Guantanamo, try terrorists in civilian courts in N.Y., put them in a prison he built in Illinois, convince our allies to take the terrorists. What he has done is rely on the info obtained before he took office and start another war.