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20 More Forgotten Bush Scandals
He Doesn't Believe in Polls
8. Even the US census was neglected under Bush. "The incompetence and lack of frugality is astounding to me," Republican Sen. Tom Coburn said of the Census Bureau's 2010 preparations.
Keep Your Friends Close—and Your Enemies Locked Outside
9. During a tour promoting Bush's plan to privatize Social Security in 2005, three attendees were turned away at the door by a volunteer dressed as a secret service agent after he spotted a “No More Blood For Oil” bumper sticker on their vehicle. The group quickly became known as the “Denver Three” and a symbol the notorious stage management of Bush rallies.
10. In order to get tickets to a 2004 election rally with Vice President Dick Cheney, attendees had to a sign a “loyalty oath” affirming that they would endorse Bush's re-election.
All-Star Appointees
11. Dr. James Holsinger Jr. nomination as surgeon general was scuttled in 2007 after it became known that he had written a paper bashing gay sex as unnatural and dangerous and presented it to the United Methodist Church as part of an effort to keep its religious restrictions on homosexuality intact.
12. The voting rights chief for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, John Tanner, argued that voter ID laws wouldn't disenfranchise elderly minority voters because “minorities don't become elderly the way white people do: They die first." He added that blacks would likely have an ID anyway because "when someone goes to a check cashing business, God help them if they don't have a photo ID."
More Iraq Scandals!
13. Bush and Cheney have been telling interviewers that they were disappointed with how slowly Iraqi society rebuilt itself, but their own rebuilding efforts weren't so hot, either. A 2007 federal oversight agency's report found seven out of eight sample projects “no longer operating as designed because of plumbing and electrical failures, lack of proper maintenance, apparent looting, and expensive equipment that lay idle.”
14. In 2004, the White House was forced to admit that some 380 tons of explosives had disappeared from an Iraqi facility the army had failed to guard properly.
The Pure Greed of Obama's Phony Health-Care Reform
Michael Moore is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and author. He directed and produced Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko. He has also written seven books, most recently, Mike’s Election Guide 2008.
Look Who's Irish!
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Edwards Sex Tape Details
Investigative journalist and syndicated columnist Diane Dimond has covered the Michael Jackson story since 1993 when she first broke the news that the King of Pop was under investigation for child molestation. She is author of the book, Be Careful Who You Love—Inside the Michael Jackson Case. She lives in New York with her husband, broadcast journalist Michael Schoen.
Making Stupak Pay
Benjamin Sarlin is Washington correspondent for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Health Care's Last Holdout
Benjamin Sarlin is Washington correspondent for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Massa Case Puts Pelosi on Trial
Benjamin Sarlin is Washington correspondent for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
PunkRockRepublican
Regarding point #4. You hit the nail right on the head. As a long time downtown Manhattan resident I will always regret that five million or so of us New Yorkers didn't get to spend the winter of 2001-2 living in a Federally operated tent city in rural Pennsylvania.
If only the Bush administration had been smart like you.
br-mac
A great way to shame criminals is to out them. Using the specific name is better than "a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said at the time." and it's shorter too!
SomeTruth4aChange
Bush/Cheney managed to suck the life blood out of this country. I guarantee you their personal portfolios grew by leaps and bounds (yes I know they "can't" manage them while in office, but they haven't been honest about anything, 100% positive they weren't in this case either), and their self talk borders on the insane. One can only be thankful we are rid of them.
spinozareader
In light of Bush's bland and insipid parting speech the other night, I think his 2000 campaign jet should've been dubbed "Disappointment," rather than "Accountability," since he professed to having plenty of the former, and none of the latter when he expounded on his legacy in that same speech.
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lckennedy
the biggest scandal is that the supreme court ruled in such a way as to put this man in office. he and dick cheney should be brought up on charges of crimes against humanity. the united states has lost more with this man that any other in the history of this country, except maybe nixon. we used to be looked up to and now we are reviled, in many cases deservedly, we keep prisoners off shore so they are not protected by our constitution, we torture people and invade countries whose politic or leaders offend us.
raider
This has been the worst administration EVER! It will be our job to not let them rewrite what has happened. Not to be haters but so it will not happen again. I'm certain that at the right time an total investigation should take place on certain abuses like in Justice, EPA, CIA, Interior and with in the VPs office and even the presidents office. These people have no shame... Hecka of a JOB dubya!
RussianHatGuy
Truth and hate are not the same.
cajola
Bush and Cheney will never accept responsibility for anything they have done wrong, they are both too arrogant and delusional.
So glad to see the back of both of them it's been a long time coming.
xbainx
Right. It's all the hate spreading that is destroying America. Not the two wars.
phoenix5
Definitely the worst, most out-of-touch, most obtuse president in modern history. It's almost as if every decision he made was based on what would be *worse* for the nation. I'm sure that was not his motivation, but that has certainly been the outcome in so many instances. The man was definitely way out of his depth. Intellectually, he seems about as deep as a puddle of water after a rain. Sad, really. Especially sad for our nation, which has been practically brought to its knees not by Al Queda or any other terrorist nation, but by the terrible decisions, horrible partisanship, and awful mismanagement/leadership of Bush/Cheney.
getalifevirginia
Bush is out of office and you have to admit that many, many, many lies were told about him by Democrats and the press. You obviously believed them. Let your "Bush Derangement Hate Syndrome" have a rest. Those of us who try to be fair are sick of hearing about it.
apostleis
These people weren't incompetent. They did to the government exactly what they intended-stop it from interfering with any business.
Katrina for example was a way to move out poor people to open up real estate development.
They don't care about the middle class or the poor.
Fatherflot
PunkRockRepublican: So your position is that the government has a right (perhaps a duty) to actively lie to its citizens regarding a public health crisis of grave proportions because telling the truth would have been, in the minds of the deciders at least, less convenient. Will you be granting this same Machiavellian/Straussian blank check to Obama? I won't, and I campaigned for him.
And anyway, what the hell kind of "punk" cheers on deadly governernment lies? That's way more Britney Spears than Minor Threat.
Janine2
There you go again, PunkRockRepublican.. you aren't too smart are you?
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