Everyone Who Dislikes/Likes George W. Bush, Tell Us Why In Your Own Words

So, what about Iraq?

In the wake of 9/11, the American public demanded a response on our part. Everybody went along with striking the al Qaeda training bases in Afghanistan and eliminating the Taliban which supported them. I had no probem with that.

I'll give George a GO on Afghanistan, although was offset somewhat when we tried to use proxies to take out Bin Laden. Instead Osama and his people were able to bribe our proxies into letting him slip away to Pakistan. George gets a NO GO in my book for that bonehead play.

Regarding Iraq, I really think Bush wanted to send a stronger message, establish a bigger regional presence and make an example of Saddam Hussain and Iraq. For the invasion and military conquest, I'd give him a GO.

For totally disbanding the Iraqi Army and excluding the Baathists, I give him a NO GO. Big mistake. He threw thousands of men into unemployment and they took up arms against us.

I saw a news piece yesterday about a town on the Syrian border where the Baathists fought us at every turn for three years. Finally, the CIA and the Pentagon cut a deal with the local Baath Party leader. Guess who's running the town now, with our blessing and with arms and ammo we're giving them? Yep.

George gets a huge NO GO for the entire occupation.

I'm reluctant to assign a GO or NO GO to George for the entire Iraq strategy. We simply don't know all the facts and we won't know them for 20 to 30 years when most everything gets declassified.

I've often cited the example of LBJ's Tonkin Gulf ploy as an example of a president keeping something classified for 30 years. The vote for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in the Senate was 98 - 2.

Wayne Morse (D. Oregon) and Ernest Gruening (D. Alaska) voted no. They knew the real deal, but couldn't reveal it. J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI would have thrown them in jail for violating national security classifications.