Ian C. Friedman: The W Years ... In His Own Words
The words of a president distill the meaning and consequence of their times. They frame our collective understanding of important events and serve as enduring reminders of the impression left by the chief executive’s years in office.
Like his predecessors, President George W. Bush’s administration will also be recalled by its words. They are words that reflect the trajectory of a presidency born in controversy, forged in catastrophe, and ultimately stymied by a protracted war in Iraq, a failed response to a natural disaster, and a severe economic crisis.
“I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” – September 14, 2001
By his own admission, President Bush is not renowned for his eloquence. But three days after the 9/11 attacks, he stood atop the rubble at Ground Zero in New York City and extemporaneously told an audience of firefighters, the nation, and the world these inspiring words with clarity and sincerity.
Just over three weeks later—with the overwhelming support of Americans and allies throughout the world—the United States attacked Afghanistan in order to destroy the Al-Qaeda terrorist network that carried out the treachery of 9/11, capture its leader Osama Bin Laden, and remove the Taliban regime that had provided them with aid and safe harbor.
“States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil…” – January 29, 2002
These most consequential words of the George W, Bush presidency were spoken in the first post-9/11 State of the Union Address. The powerful use of “axis” connoted the destructive intentions of World War II’s Axis Powers and became stronger in meaning when placed in the context of how Iraq, Iran, and North Korea were seeking or possessing weapons of mass destruction.
The words met their intended purpose of paving the first stone on the path to the Iraq War, which began less than fourteen months later.
“Mission Accomplished” – Banner aboard USS Abraham Lincoln; May 1, 2003
In President Bush’s farewell press conference on Monday, he identified these words as a “mistake” of his administration. The giant banner provided the backdrop as Bush arrived on the carrier in full gear after participating in two flybys in the co-pilot's seat of a Navy fighter jet and it was also prominently set for all coverage of Bush’s speech that followed, in which he celebrated the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime and announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq.
When American casualties continued to accumulate—eventually surpassing the total suffered before the mission was supposedly accomplished—Bush’s dramatic photo op came to be perceived among many as foolish bravado; a two-word, tragically ironic summary of a leader who did not understand the role securing the peace has in actually winning a war.
“Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” – September 2, 2005
President Bush could not fairly be blamed for a natural disaster as severe as Hurricane Katrina, but he was eviscerated by critics who felt that the federal response to the widespread devastation caused by the hurricane was negligent and incompetent. Personifying this incompetence was Michael “Brownie” Brown, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), whose hapless attempts to manage or even discuss the crisis as it was occurring shocked those who viewed the chaos and despair in New Orleans.
With these words, Bush publicly backed his besieged FEMA director (who resigned less than two weeks later) and simultaneously provided ammunition to those who felt the president was callous and out of touch. In a outcome no president would welcome, this quote has become something of a national punch-line, as “heck of a job” is now a common sarcastic description of a task very poorly done.
“I’m the decider.” – April 18, 2006
This quote—a favorite among Bush detractors for its awkward, insistent tone—was issued by Bush in defense of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who was coming under a barrage of criticism from political and military leaders for his prosecution of the Iraq War. As president, Bush remained “the decider”, but he had never been more unpopular. Within a week, Bush’s favorable ratings dropped to a then personal low of just 33%. Except for a brief period in mid-2006, they would never again rise above 40%.
As for Rumsfeld? Bush decided to replace him less than a day after the Republicans were throttled in the midterm elections.
Asked recently about the legacy of his years in office, President Bush answered, “History will look back and determine. History will be the judge.” And when history judges President George W. Bush, it will have no greater guide than his own words.