One of George W. Bush's professors at Harvard Business School said, "He showed pathological lying habits and was in denial when challenged on his prejudices and biases. He would even deny saying something he just said 30 seconds ago."
Exploiting a weakness in the U.S. Constitution, Bush became president in 2000 despite losing the popular vote. He ignored an August 2001 Presidential Daily Brief titled: Bin Laden Determined to Strike in the U.S. Then he used that attack -- along with some trumped up evidence of WMDs -- to justify an invasion into Iraq that killed thousands of people and cost trillions.
Now as Bush goes on his self-pity tour before he (hopefully) leaves office in less than a week, bin Laden is apparently still alive and enjoying a last laugh at Bush. Bin Laden's latest video blames Bush for weakening America which permitted Israel to invade Gaza. Bin Laden is partially right -- Bush has weakened America.
Thanks to his Ownership Society mantra millions of people got subprime mortgages to buy homes they couldn't afford. And in 2004, Bush's SEC let banks borrow as much as they wanted. Now the global economy is in free fall. He's the only president in the last 66 years to preside over a decline in the stock market -- it's fallen at a 4.6% annual rate since he took over -- down a total of 37% since his inauguration. This is a particularly weak performance in comparison to Bill Clinton's 17.4% annual increase.
Bush's interview yesterday on CNN's Larry King Live says much about the Bush legacy. King asked if the U.S. will ever find the al Qaeda chief to which Bush answered: "Absolutely. He can't run forever." Pressed to answer whether U.S. forces ever came close to bin Laden, Bush said, "I really don't know."
Bush could have captured bin Laden in the December 2001 battle of Tora Bora. Bush left Bin Laden go. It now falls to President-elect Obama to clean up Bush's historic legacy.
Peter Cohan is president of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and is the author of You Can't Order Change: Lessons from Jim McNerney's Turnaround at Boeing.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-14-2009 @ 11:01AM
Nick said...
I never thought I would say this but for once I agree with Bin Laden about something! http://www.regular87.com
1-14-2009 @ 12:31PM
wayne said...
It is hard to believe that a person can write so many lies about the President and there are people out there who will believe it. I hope you are not trying to get Mr Bush to come back and save this country. President Carter started the Lier Loan Program, President C. pushed it and President Bush tried to put controlls on it but was blocked by the Dems. Check it out, that is the truth.
1-14-2009 @ 12:45PM
Zeb said...
Just looked up this Cohan and was amazed he is such a young guy, had picture and everything and even invited correspondence because he gave his email alddress, bet he's Democrat...what you wanta bet? Just read that Nick thinks Bin Laden is more truthful than our sitting President wich is sad because folks like Nick are dangerous and if Bin Laden comes out and says Osama (our new President) is worse than Bush then chances are folks like Nick will agree and make some kind of dastardly statement like he just made. Reading statements like Nick made makes you wonder if those folks that bow and face Mecca aren't winning the battle...you do know reason they hate Bush so badly is because he is Christian and not afraid to say so.
1-14-2009 @ 12:51PM
John said...
Peter Cohen is the most biased author I have ever read. Please, Mr. Cohen...move to Afghanistan! It's sounds like you'll be more happy there than in here in the US. It's easy to blame Bush for this country's woes but it was during the Clinton presidency that started this whole financial mess...starting with the repeal of the Glass-Stiegel Act that led banks to take on more risk and leverage, Greenspan's obsession to lower rates time after time spawning easy credit and Clinton forcing Fannie Mae to loosen it's lending standards for low-income consumers so that anyone (no job, no income) could easily get a mortgage they couldn't afford. Bush's policies didn't help buffer the inevitable collapse, but C'mon people, it all started under Clinton's watch.
1-14-2009 @ 12:52PM
john chauvin said...
Please keep personal politics off your blog. I look for inciteful news and analysis, not right-left partisan swipes.
You are now on my banned blog list for 10 days!
1-14-2009 @ 1:29PM
BHarrison said...
Well, unfortunately, I have to somewhat agree with the article.
The end result of Bush's presidency is what it is . . . and the end result speaks for itself.
1-14-2009 @ 1:39PM
Sheldon L said...
more to the point...
Bin Laden has ranted for Jihad against something every day for the last 20 years, not just Bush or Israel.
Ask the Saudi's, Egyptians, etc...
1-14-2009 @ 2:18PM
davewbartlett said...
you would think we live in a monarchy. such are the powers of then pen in the wrong hands. whoever this clown is, really should check some of the archives on youtube about this lending mess, and let the proper politicians own words take the deserved hits.
1-14-2009 @ 3:52PM
Nick said...
Zeb - I think you were fabricating my statement a bit, I do not believe that Bin Laden is more honest than Bush... That is simply ludicrous! I was living in Florida in in 2000 and I voted for Bush, I voted for him in the 2004 election and for McCain this past election.
I am a republican but I think the facts are clear that Bush has not led this nation in the right direction during his two terms, he is leaving the office of president in much worse condition than when he entered 8 years ago.
We are at war with a nation that did not have any involvement with the homeland attack of 9/11 they did not have WMD and their leader was much better at keeping the people groups in that region from civil war than we have been able to do since our occupation began. We have imprisoned innocent individuals in Guantanamo and not granted them legal rights....
I have been to parts of Central Asia where I have studied middle eastern culture. What we are doing in Iraq is most defiantly counterproductive, what we have done in Guantanamo might have helped us temporarily but in the long run I think we have fled our ethical standards to fallow a leader that has hurt us.
Muslims do not hate Bush because he is a "Christian", if you really believe that you need to make a point of getting to know a few. Most Muslims are very hospitable, hard working people, most have strong family values and deep ethical and moral beliefs.
The reason they hate Bush is because he has made a lot of really bad decisions. These decisions have cost you and I a few tax dollars... But to them these decisions have cost the lives of their fathers, their sons, mothers and daughters.