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Shiites, now wielding power in Iraq's so called "democracy" are consolidating their gains. There is some evidence that Shiite death squads, carrying out reprisal killings against Sunnis, have tacit government support. The Iraqi army, long ago disbanded is still largely unemployed. The weapons of mass destruction are still MIA. Unfortunately, this war will most likely be passed on to the next president. There is a strong chance that any Bush legacy will center around the Iraq war and occupation.

Domestic "accomplishments" are at best enigmatic. The bi partisan No Child Left Behind Act was LEFT underfunded by the administration. School children are overdosing on standardized tests. The act was patterned after a Texas law that turned out to be fraudulently supported with doctored statistics regarding drop out rates. The Prescription Medicare Reform and it's famous "donut hole" billing provision generated more confusion than good. The President, who basically beat John Kerry by a field goal for re election, over estimated the "political capital" he had earned. Many Bush supporters and advisers declared his victory a mandate. This is a ridiculous assertion not grounded in political reality. The cornerstone of an ambitious second term agenda was social security reform. Congress killed this. Right now, President Bush is truly a lame duck. His policies most likely cost Republicans control of Congress. Emboldened Democrats are challenging him on an array of issues, turning up the heat of oversight and have thrown away the rubber stamp.

Martin Luther King suggested that men be "judged by the content of their character". This good Christian man has run an administration dogged by controversy and scandal. From paying tax dollars for propaganda to vengefully revealing Joseph Wilson's CIA agent wife's identity and, ultimately, misleading Americans about the Iraqi threat, their conduct has been very disappointing. Attorney General Gonzalez is under the gun for lying about the political firings of a handful of US Attorneys. Even President Bush's most rabid supporters must be more than frustrated about his administration's conduct. Bush's personal involvement in these matters hasn't been proven. Yet, isn't he ultimately responsible for the malfeasance here? Maybe this president could use the sign on another leader, Harry Truman's desk famously declaring that "the buck stops here".

Learn more about this author, Gary Sacco.
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