Thoughts for Tomorrow

"In his excellent biography of Abraham Lincoln, David Herbert Donald recalls a meeting he had with John F. Kennedy in February 1962, in which the young president complained about the way scholars ranked his predecessors. 'No one has a right to grade a president -- not even poor James Buchanan -- who has not sat in his chair, examined the mail and information that came across his desk, and learned why he made his decisions,' Kennedy said." - Philip Klein, Learning from the Bush Legacy

Tomorrow evening, I will sit down in my living room, along with millions of other viewers across America, to tune into President George Bush's final public address to our nation. In recent weeks, I've been hearing and reading a lot about the legacy of President Bush's administration and his 7 years in office... in particular, I have been struck by the manner in which the Bush Legacy is presented by his critics. I hear many "Bush-haters" speaking of his "failures" as they talk in terms of "his costly and unnecessary war" and his alleged "civil liberties violations" to name but a few...these are the rememberances that the Bush administration leaves them.

Yet for me, one of the PERHAPS few, proud remaining Bush supporters and defenders, I believe that President Bush deserves much credit for keeping America safe from terrorists who would seek to attack us again if given the opportunity, just as they did on September 11. America has not suffered a terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11, largely due to Bush's administration and policies. President Bush has regarded the attacks of 9/11 as part of a broader, more complex war rather than some simple criminal matter to be prosecuted in the courtrooms. Let me say it again, under President Bush's watch, no terrorist attacks in 7 years on American soil. THAT is the legacy of the George Bush Presidency, whether his critics like it or not, whether his critics want to believe it or not. THAT is the legacy. THAT is the legacy that I will remember and cherish - that for 7 years, my family, my friends and way of life in America were kept safe.

So, tomorrow evening, I will tune into watch the legacy of President Bush draw to a close. I will watch with respect and appreciation for his efforts and policies in keeping our country safe these past 7 years. I know his critics will not watch with the same appreciation and respect and will ridicule him as they have always done right up to the very end. (Some might even throw a shoe at him). And, that is just fine because I believe that time, future events and history will bear out that President Bush truly was a remarkable president and that his greatest contribution to our country was protecting and defending us and our way of life.

In the words of Philip Klein, I will simply close tonight's blog post with this final thought: "Much like Harry Truman was maligned during his time only to be vindicated later for his early leadership during the Cold War, in this view, Bush will be remembered as the president who set the stage for the long struggle against Islamic extremism, and who toppled tyrants in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Well said, and God bless President George Bush.