Looking Back At Bush's Op-Eds

(AP)

As part of his continuing quest to sell lawmakers and the American people on his stimulus plan, President Obama penned an op-ed for the Washington Post that ran this morning.

"...each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes," wrote the president. "And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse."

You can read the whole op-ed, in which the president calls on Americans to "act boldly to turn crisis into opportunity," here.

Hotsheet was curious just how novel it is for a president to take his case to the op-ed pages, so we turned to CBS News White House Correspondent and presidential guru Mark Knoller to find out how often Mr. Obama's predecessor did so.

It turns out President George W. Bush took to the op-ed pages at least four times, according to Knoller. The first was on August 12, 2001, when the president explained his decision on stem-cell research.

"The new technologies we create -- with their potential to cure disease and relieve suffering -- may well define our age," the then-president wrote. "But we will also be defined by the care and sense of self-restraint and responsibility with which we took up these new powers."

Mr. Bush's second published op-ed as president came on September 11, 2002, the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It appeared in multiple newspapers.

"In great tragedy, we have also seen great opportunities," he wrote. "We must have the wisdom and courage to seize these opportunities."

On November 2, 2004, Mr. Bush (along with Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry) wrote an op-ed for USA Today making his case for why he should be reelected.

"We are staying on the offense against the enemy," wrote Mr. Bush. "Our armed forces acted swiftly and courageously, deposing the Taliban in Afghanistan. We liberated millions of oppressed men, women and children. In October, the Afghan people -- including more than 3 million women -- voted in free and democratic elections for the first time in their history. And to date, three-quarters of al-Qaeda's known leaders have been captured or killed."

President Bush's final op-ed came on January 20th, 2005, the day of his second inauguration. It also appeared in USA Today and promises "a bright day coming for America."

"Freedom is on the march, and it is changing the world," Mr. Bush wrote.

[tmittelstaed]

Your seeing a historic shift here. Bush was one of the very last of the "old-guard" ivory tower Presidents - using layer after layer of "flappers" to isolate him from the common man. He might have had a better rep. if he had actually tried communicating with the common person - but it''s pretty evident that he didn''t want to.
Obama by contrast has gone out of his way to communicate directly to the people - one-on-one news interviews instead of hiding behind a podium at a press conference, interviewing on talk shows, prime time infomercials, e-mail, & his website. He isn''t afraid of criticism on an editorial page which is what you get when you write an op-ed piece, nor afraid of probing questions from an investigative journalist in a one-on-one.
I predict by the end of Obama''s terms that he will have written at least 10 times the number of op-ed pieces Bush did. Go Obama!

[robert2237]

you had to bet a weeks pay ... and you could only bet on the one (bush or obama) that actually wrote their own op-ed ... and only one of them actually did write their own ... which one would you bet on?

Posted by bobnjersey at 04:22 PM : Feb 05, 2009

Neither.

Bush!!!!! the obama didn''t write any thing he just reads to telepromter.

[robert2237]

Yeah Bush had blinders on after 9/11 and we should all be thanking him for it. If he hadn''t we would be in real problems. Hope the obama finds some blinders and goes after these people too. Our biggest threat is not the ecomony, that will come back in time, but attack from these people is going to start again with the way obama is trying to run things.

Thank you Mr. Bush at least you did what you could while you were in. I didn''t always agree with you on somethings but you did keep us safe.

[grandesign]

How can 2,000,000 blacks get into Washington, DC in 1 day in sub zero temps when 200,000 couldn''''t get out of New Orleans in 85 degree temps with four days notice?
Posted by bushman86 at 05:57 PM : Feb 05, 2009

There aren''t whites using guns to prevent them from crossing the bridge.

[punkinpie1]

Here we are trying access Obama
as a president when it has been a
little over 2weeks. When Bush had
a whole 8 years of him ***
up this country. I don''t think this
country is ready for another Bush
or anyone like him for a long time.

[punkinpie1]

Oh I see. So basically the article
is putting down Bush? I know
historians have already put Mr.
Bush down. They''ve state he had
blinders on since 9-11, I agree
with that accessment.

[bobnjersey]

[I know I sound kinda lame here. If
someone could explain what this
article is trying to state I would
appreciate it. ]
[Posted by sanvan11 at 04:29 PM : Feb 05, 2009]

it''s addressing the question of what the precedent is for a president to use an op-ed to make their case with the american electorate.

[from the article above]
Hotsheet was curious just how novel it is for a president to take his case to the op-ed pages, so we turned to CBS News White House Correspondent and presidential guru Mark Knoller to find out how often Mr. Obama''s predecessor did so.

[bobnjersey]

[Neither.]
[Posted by sMT451D at 04:25 PM : Feb 05, 2009]

so you''re not too good at reading directions are you? have you been this stupid all your life ... or is it a late onset type thing?

did you read the post about obama being the president and editor of the harvard law review ... and bush being the top onion eater in his frat?

[punkinpie1]

I know I sound kinda lame here. If
someone could explain what this
article is trying to state I would
appreciate it.

[bobnjersey]

[Obama was the president and editor of the Harvard Law Review and Bush was the rush master at TKE where he ate onions for a dollar.]
[Ycnan at 02:10 PM : Feb 05, 2009]

hey ... eatings onions is no easy task ... they''ll make you cry like a baby.