Ben Stein: Bush Is Not All Bad

Iraq Is A Mess, But There Is A Lot Of Good In the U.S.

(CBS)  Sunday Morning commentator Ben Stein says that the war in Iraq may be a mess, but President Bush has presided over some very positive things.

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After the State Of The Union speech a few days ago, a muttering chorus of media critics told us endlessly that Bush was irrelevant, a loser, out of touch, even pitiful. NPR actually had Merle Haggard, the Okie from Muskogee, claim that the state of the nation had never been worse. And suddenly it hit me. The media is staging a coup against Mr. Bush, just the way they did against LBJ and Nixon and tried to do against Reagan. They cannot impeach Bush because only Congress can do that. But the media is doing what it can to basically oust Mr. Bush while still leaving him lifting weights in the White House. Look, Merle Haggard is a great singer. But he knows nothing of what's up in America right now.

The truth is that we are in a huge economic boom. We are coming off a mammoth real estate explosion that put the most Americans in history in their own homes. We have totally full employment. After decades of stagnation, real wages are rising. The nation is wealthier than it has ever been (although this is very unevenly distributed). Most important of all, there has not been one major or even minor successful terrorist incident against the U.S. homeland in over five years. Bush may not have done it by himself, but he had something to do with it.

True, we are mired in a war without end, costing us far too many great young and old Americans and too many limbs and wrecked families and vastly too much money. But we all know we're getting out soon.

It was a huge mistake, but I'd like to see a President who did not make immense mistakes. What about Vietnam? What about Korea?

True, the rich often get away with murder in the executive suite. Bush is partly to blame, but all politicians cater to the rich. What America's high degree thieves suck out of the system is nauseating and I fight it constantly, but that's life.

Let's be honest. Let's admit that Bush has presided over a lot of success in addition to some serious failures.

But no one elected the media to anything. In the TV studios and newsrooms, there is a lynch mob at work. Let's see it for what it is. Mr. Bush is the only President we have, and, with all his faults, I trust him a lot more than I trust the unelected princes and princesses of the newsroom.

[boomdog14]

Clap your hands, Ben Stein! Clap your hands and Tinkerbell will come save us!

[eyedr2]

I found your editorial very refreshing. Thank You!

[macbeanair]

Thanks Mr. Stein,

I think most Americans agree with you. I know President Bush hasn't done everything right, but, as you said, What president has. The "unelected" media has had a lot to do with the dragging on of the war in Iraq by trying to make news instead of reporting it.

Thanks again,
Don Jeffries

[lynnbery]

THANK YOU for your positive comments about President Bush! I'm irrate at the relentless bashing the media are doing of our Commander in Chief. Thank you Ben Stein for your more positive comments about the Bush presidency. If so many supposed poll respondents are against President Bush, could it possibly be because the media are so one-sided in their reports and commentaries???

[motamanx]

Ben:

Your "trust" of Bush is misplaced. Did you forget to mention squandering the surplus in favor of the already rich? Didn't you also neglect to mention 600,000 dead and maimed Iraqis, in an illegal war he lied about to wage? Ignoring global warming? Stem-cell research? In fact, there is nothing at all Bush has done that is any good. Maybe he did clear some brush on his ranch.

I used to trust you, but now...

[grqeen]

I usually like you Ben Stein, but thats just stupid. First you are part of "The Media". Second what do you want "The Media" to say. I think they are echoing the sentiments of the people, you screwed up the Iraq war, there by causing us major problems in the future. You are no longer relevant. Lastly blaming "The Media" is a little lowest common denominator isn't it??

[miamcmillan]

Thank you! The media must take a hard look at itself and start providing news rather than a one sided opinion. Every President, including our last, has done both good and not so good things. Its life. Let's present both sides.

[limmell]

God Bless YOu Ben Stein!
I never thought anyone from the media would have the guts to call out the liberal media like you have. Will you be black listed now? Thank you for articulating what so many americans clearly see...it is as if they have consulted marketing firms to form an anti-Bush campaign! They have lost all objectivity. Isn't the media suppose to report just the facts? Hollywood and the media live in this liberal bubble, oh well, the smart people of this country will just elect another Rep. President and the media will claim cheatting AGAIN, except of course if a Democrate wins, then of course it will be a clean win.

[debrahky]

We don't need to Press or anybody else to interpret Bush or the current state of events. Technology is a great thing and we are able to get all sorts of points of views and data.

Bush is that bad, Ben. I'm a Republican, but even I am able to acknowledge he has been the worst thing for this country and the global community. You seem guilty of practicing the same behavior you accuse the Press of committing. Twisting the truth for some self-serving purpose.

Please CBS.....give us somebody with credibility and fairness. Or is the Press assisting Stein's views?

[debrahky]

We don't need to Press or anybody else to interpret Bush or the current state of events. Technology is a great thing and we are able to get all sorts of points of views and data.

Bush is that bad, Ben. I'm a Republican, but even I am able to acknowledge he has been the worst thing for this country and the global community. You seem guilty of practicing the same behavior you accuse the Press of committing. Twisting the truth for some self-serving purpose.

Please CBS.....give us somebody with credibility and fairness. Or is the Press assisting Stein's views?

[cbsjpc]

Among other things, Ben Stein was a speech-writer for Richard Nixon, and we see how well that turned out. And, as a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning and other media, he is a member of the media. So, where does he get off attacking the media? In my opinion -- and I'm not alone -- Nixon was the worst president we've ever had - but Bush may well trump him.
Ben, wake up and smell the coffee - Bush is stubborn, arrogant, misguided, and woefully ill-prepared to lead the free world. He should be impeached.

[wingspan3]

Ben Stein says the economy is great and real wages purchase more. That's a lie. The premise folks like Stein have a right to chemically bomb a country who never fired a bullet at us and have no navy, no air force or aerial defenses is simply murder. Bush let the army go with their weapons which we sold them and they now use to kill our troops because Republicans are dumber than a truckload of cantolopes. Of course the dead aren't wealthy American Jews like Stein, they're poor dead Arabs being eaten by dogs in the Baghdad streets so One Nation Under God can control Iraq's oil. The deal is being brokered by Maliki this week but the Sunni devils, residents, who hate our child bombing guts, will die before Big Oil and our delusional oil boy from Crawford can fetch it up for Halliburton, Chevron-Texaco, Shell and the boys from the super duper secret Energy Task Force meeting where they planned the invasion and privatization of Iraq's oil. We murder innocents for oil and all the rich little Steins and racist, xenophobic Americans can't put One Nation Under God back together again. Happy Bombing Murderers! Ben be bombin for Jesus?

[taffy1957]

Thank you, Ben. I, like many others, are tired of the relentless 'Bush Bashing' by the media. I was glad to have him as our President September 11th, and I am glad to have him as our President now. It is my sincere hope the media will take note of your comments and perhaps understand there are Americans who do not like their negative campaigns trying to sway the public with the power of their airtime. I would like an unbiased actual NEWS report instead. Dragnet comes to mind, "Just the facts, ma'am." Thank you again Ben!

[buck5x5]

I agree with Ben Stein. I believe the media is there to sell news HOWEVER they can and it does not matter who gets trampled in the process. There are a lot of people who beleive they (media) can do no wrong because the media says they can't. It's a business and a big business.

[cnorem]

Mr. Stein you are just as dillusional as this administration. The only true comment you made is that the wealth is one sided. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That has never been so evident before in our country as it is today. I don't believe the media is trying to influence us in our thinking. Give me more credit than that. I am capable of being able to sort out the news for myself and don't need help, specially from you. You say every President has made mistakes. Maybe so, but did that mistake cost 3100 lives and counting? Did their mistakes change thousands of lives forever both of the soldiers and their families? Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney both need to be impeached for lieing and war crimes. I would rather take my chances with Nancy Pelosi at the helm. People like you are part of the problem, take off the rose colored glasses and see this administration for what it is, war mongers. GET REAL!!!!

[remus5]

I think Ben stated what is clear to anyone who is paying attention to what is going on around them and not what the big media is telling them is going on. Especially the safety and the financial success compared to any other country.

[i89trooper]

the media has tried to crusify the president after two years in iraq why can't all support the man's decisions thanks for standing up to the media

[K7229]

Since when do Stein's personal views become the view of a broadcast company. I was appalled that CBS would be engaged in image cleanup work on the Sunday Morning News program. Find a BLOG for this stuff. I'm voting with my channel selector next week Sunday.

[louis913]

Ben Stein does not get it. Bush has presided over the squander of our treasure, our integrity, and our civil rights. What pray tell would Mr. Stein have the press report on? What has Bush done or what could he do that would make Iraq, secret renditions,and unsupervised spying on the public seem acceptable? It will take decades for what Bush has squandered to be restored. I am aware that Mr. Stein places great store in treasure but it is not treasure that is precious.

[debloo]

THANKYOU Ben!!! So refreshing to hear someone metion that our President has done something good for our country. I really get sick of all the bad mouthing of our President. And yes Iraq is a mess. But, all those who voted for this war should take credit also. President Bush did not do this alone. And how many times has war ended so quickly? After all we still have military in Germany and Korea. No we are not fighting a war in those countries any longer but it took years for them to stop.
Thanks again Ben!

[ysumom]

As usual it's blame the media for showing President Bush's failures during his term. We haven't forgotten, Mission Accomplished, nor Osama Bin Laden "dead or alive" nor the facts that he was willing to sign over our ports to Dubai!
Yet Mr. Stein is looking at this administration through rose colored glasses. Booming housing market, try a large number of foreclosures. And let us not forget it took arm twisting to get him to agree to the 9/11 commission,and his failure to act on securing our country. Nor the misleading information on Iraq, and his ignoring the military asking for more troops, and also ignoring the Iraq Study Groups findings. Lastly the media isn't ganging up on our President, they are just finally waking up to what has happened during their six year nap, and actually have started reporting the facts as they actually happened.

[troybaby8]

I thank you for not following the "trend." However, there are two sides to your story as well, journalists and the American people.
First, it seems that too many Americans are uneducated and simply repeat propaganda as a mocking bird would do. We research cars we intend to purchase more thoroughly than we research whom to vote into public office. Our political system should hold more respect from us as a nation. Whether the person or party of our choice is in office, it is our NATION and should be treated with pride. We teach our children to disagree with respect and should do so ourselves.
Secondly,since when has the media had the right to present only one side of any story. Their jobs are to inform, not to manipulate. I am truley sorry for the lack of pride our media shows to the great men and women who are in our armend forces. They need the country to support them in a war that they may or may not agree with, but was not their decision. Their moral can fall greatly when some of the U.S. media makes a mockery of all that they risk their lives to do.
Your commentary was a breath of fresh air and I challenge more journalists to try to be less biast.

[parkbench706]

Thank you Ben Stein. The media puts a negative spin on everything and brings the morale of the whole country down. I appreciate your candor and willingness to say what so many Americans believe. How can we get the media to see how biased they are? I don't believe any of the polls that come out because I believe that the media has manipulated the results to say what they want. They only poll in certain areas thereby getting the results they want. In my opinion the media has lost their credibility and refuses to cover any news objectively and without interjecting their own bias.
Thank you again Ben Stein!!!!

[hbciv]

Win Ben Stein's self-serving words: If ever you had any credibility, it was overrun by your gratuitous shot at the media this morning. Were you as critical of the media when the majority of mainstream practitioners were cheerleading this president as he LIED us into this catastrophe of a war? How ironic also that the forum you got today was presented by one of the bastions of the media, CBS. If the media are finally getting after Bush, it's only because thay are beginning to catch up with an expanding sense of disillusionment amongst the consumers of media offerings in our country, let alone the world. I wonder what it would take for you to get real, a tall order because you yourself are obviously a media creation.

[brandog6]

Ben, What a breath of fresh air! I'm sick of the Bush Bashing press and the sheep (especially the ones calling for impeachment for war crimes, and conspiricy with our corporations on this site) constantly pounding on this president and this country. Why do you think the illegals are trying to get into this country you dummies! At least they're not afraid to work to get ahead unlike alot of the couch potatoes saying life's unfair and where's my share. Can't wait for these winers to pass on. Ben, you are number one, and cudos to CBS for airing him!!

[wmc-ent]

Thank you Mr. Stein for the courage to correctly indict some of your fellow journalists who love to present a negative slant on everything possible. It will be somewhat amusing to see the Bush haters rationalize your facts away.

[mikebisutti]

This is the last time I watch CBS Sunday Morning. If you're going to have wingnut Ben Stein speak his opinionated neocon babble without any rebuttal, then I'm done with you. There should be no room for political opinion in your news magazine format unless both or all main views have a shot at making their case. Stein should be canned.

[ronarndt]

Mr. Stein- Thanks for reporting what was called during the fairness era in TV broadcasting "The opposing point of View". I am amazed that your editors allowed you to present a view which is in such disagreement to the CBS anti-Bush-regardless-of what-he-does policy. I work in an area in the Federal government where I often see, as the old comedy line goes, "What reeeeealy happened". There are enough informed individuals in the American public that will not fall for the party line used by the major news networks to discredit the President. Keep up the good work.

[oxfordms662]

Ben Stein is a liar. He worked for a man that is easily in the top 3--if not number one--WORST presidents we've ever had and still has his nose up the rear of Nixon and the Republican establishment. Is he on the White House payroll? To say the media displays a bias against Bush is about the equivalent of accusing a "liberal media" of bias because they portray Al Capone as a bad man. Contrary to what you brainwashed, conservative liberal haters think, when someone tells the truth--the real truth, not Fox's version--and it's not what you want to hear, it doesn't make it biased. CBS should set up a live debate with Mr. Stein and Al Franken... Stein will get destroyed.

[jimh25]

Dear Ben,

[crestdad]

From Iowa; Ben, 5 years without terrorism is due to the effort in Afghanistan, not Iraq. (And the American Peoples effort and loss of freedoms) Housing isn't booming. The boom was between 95-03 and has been sliding since 03, when the Iraq fight escalated. Lets say there are alot of other mistakes in your ideas. So, if we would of
stayed in Afghanistan and "surged" there we would have Osama and not Hussien. If we would of kept our attention to Afghanistan there would be a eastern front to Iran strongly behind America. Hussien still would of hated Iran which would of played into our hands. Of course we had a strangle hold on Iraq anyway. Remember NoFly Zones, and our base in Kuwait and the economic holds? Seems to me theres alot of things missing in the mix not being brought out.

[joy71-2009]

Thank you for offering the American public a broader opinion and allowing us to be relieved from the constant negative barrage of media reporting. It leads an average citizen to believe that those who make up the media are somehow threatened by objective reporting.

[fnshughes]

Hooray for Ben Stein! And hooray for CBS for allowing a conservative point of view. I get so tired of all the liberal press that spews from most of the new media. What Ben Stein is saying is true and somehow the news media only wants to focus on the war and to continue to crucify Bush for a bad decision. It%u2019s no accident that the economy is in better shape than it%u2019s ever been. The stock market continues to soar, the jobless rate continues to decline and the nation is wealthier than it%u2019s ever been. Bush didn%u2019t declare war all by himself. Why isn%u2019t the media pounding those who voted to support the war?
It%u2019s refreshing to find a new magazine who will allow both the conservative and liberal point of view. Keep it up!

[nancapple]

Thank you Mr. Stein for giving voice to what has been an often times unspoken dilemma of this wonderful age of technology, who do we trust? The media can and should be the eyes and ears for the population. They inform, educate and alert us to important facts every day. That is when they are not putting thier own spin on or twisting these facts. Please members of the media be resposnible in your reporting and don't go the way of tabloid journalism. We know mistakes were made but more wrongs won't make things right. You have great power,please use it justly. You are great public servents but we did not elect you to run our country.

[toddjoh]

WAKE UP!!! You have no idea how life is in the "real world". My wife & I both in education have only had small wage increases over the past few years. We have mounting credit card debt. These have gone to pay for food, fuel & dr. visits for our unisured children. We don't eat out 3-4 times a week or go to movies all the time. We barely make enough to make ends meet. No big screen tv's in our house or trips to the islands.

THe middle class is shrinking. We find ourselves becoming the working poor. While rich people like yourself get all the breaks from our current administration.

Wake up and smell the coffee. Thanks be to King George and supporters like you.

[toddjoh]

WAKE UP!!! You have no idea how life is in the "real world". My wife & I both in education have only had small wage increases over the past few years. We have mounting credit card debt. These have gone to pay for food, fuel & dr. visits for our unisured children. We don't eat out 3-4 times a week or go to movies all the time. We barely make enough to make ends meet. No big screen tv's in our house or trips to the islands.

THe middle class is shrinking. We find ourselves becoming the working poor. While rich people like yourself get all the breaks from our current administration.

Wake up and smell the coffee. Thanks be to King George and supporters like you.

[waatspa]

Ben, I whole-heartedly agree. Please continue with more commentary like this. The people in the media need to take a look at there own contribution to the state of attitudes in this country. Do they ever look at amount of drivel they produce day in and day out and broadcast to the world with no accountability? I would be embarrassed to have a job whose sole purpose seems to be to point out the worst in EVERYTHING. What makes these people tick? I would love to know. I cast my vote to oust the current media.

[mardel64]

Hooray for Ben Stine

CBS please air his comments on the evening news and get everyone thinking. Since when does the press represent the opinion of U.S. Citizens to the rest of the world. Instead of impeaching our president they need to talk about the positive things that Ben Stine stated. I wonder if the rest of the world hears about those things, I doubt it. The public should think about the damage the press does and demand equal time for the positive things. Yes, I am a proud American
Connie

[crestdad]

I think it funny that if the media reports bad information its a liberal front, if it reports good (it does) its a conservative front. The truth is more important people. There is a large amount of bad news compared to good news these days to report (concerning the bad info on Iraq and how we got here.) Stop putting your heads in the sand, and lets make some decisions on how to do things right. (Not continuing to make the same mistakes)

[mocrunner]

I am so glad that someone finally had enough guts to step up and say this. I don't know when all the "unelected princes and princesses of the newsroom" thought they had been elected to voice their opinion thinking that I would even care.
I absolutely hate how the majority of people think, 'Oh the war isn't going how I want it to, so let's just quit, or do something else.' Are we that childish? Does anyone recall the word perseverance or dedication? Yes, sometimes it is better just to cut you losses, but I don't think I have ever heard of a war being won over night. Like President Bush said, this victory isn't going to be like the victory that our fathers and grandfathers saw because this isn't like any war that our fathers and grandfathers ever fought. I don't think that the public realizes what would happen if we were just to pack up and leave. That is the worst possible thing that we could do. War is that, war. I don't understand why there aren%u2019t more citizens that see that victory is essential for the future. I'm so glad that you pointed out that there hasn't been a large or small terrorist attack on the homeland since 9-11.
I totally agree with your comments. I wish that all the %u2018celebrities%u2019 that just take their paychecks to the bank would actually step up and make a difference with what they have been blessed with. I don't know who told them that any of us cared.
I just wanted to write you in support. I'm sure that you will get plenty in opposition.

[mocrunner]

I am so glad that someone finally had enough guts to step up and say this. I don't know when all the "unelected princes and princesses of the newsroom" thought they had been elected to voice their opinion thinking that I would even care.
I absolutely hate how the majority of people think, 'Oh the war isn't going how I want it to, so let's just quit, or do something else.' Are we that childish? Does anyone recall the word perseverance or dedication? Yes, sometimes it is better just to cut you losses, but I don't think I have ever heard of a war being won over night. Like President Bush said, this victory isn't going to be like the victory that our fathers and grandfathers saw because this isn't like any war that our fathers and grandfathers ever fought. I don't think that the public realizes what would happen if we were just to pack up and leave. That is the worst possible thing that we could do. War is that, war. I don't understand why there aren%u2019t more citizens that see that victory is essential for the future. I'm so glad that you pointed out that there hasn't been a large or small terrorist attack on the homeland since 9-11.
I totally agree with your comments. I wish that all the %u2018celebrities%u2019 that just take their paychecks to the bank would actually step up and make a difference with what they have been blessed with. I don't know who told them that any of us cared.
I just wanted to write you in support. I'm sure that you will get plenty in opposition.

[mocrunner]

I am so glad that someone finally had enough guts to step up and say this. I don't know when all the "unelected princes and princesses of the newsroom" thought they had been elected to voice their opinion thinking that I would even care.
I absolutely hate how the majority of people think, 'Oh the war isn't going how I want it to, so let's just quit, or do something else.' Are we that childish? Does anyone recall the word perseverance or dedication? Yes, sometimes it is better just to cut you losses, but I don't think I have ever heard of a war being won over night. Like President Bush said, this victory isn't going to be like the victory that our fathers and grandfathers saw because this isn't like any war that our fathers and grandfathers ever fought. I don't think that the public realizes what would happen if we were just to pack up and leave. That is the worst possible thing that we could do. War is that, war. I don't understand why there aren%u2019t more citizens that see that victory is essential for the future. I'm so glad that you pointed out that there hasn't been a large or small terrorist attack on the homeland since 9-11.
I totally agree with your comments. I wish that all the %u2018celebrities%u2019 that just take their paychecks to the bank would actually step up and make a difference with what they have been blessed with. I don't know who told them that any of us cared.
I just wanted to write you in support. I'm sure that you will get plenty in opposition.

[bosman21519]

Ben stein is telling the truth, low unemployment, housing boom, wages going up. mr bush has done alot more things right than he has done wrong in his two terms. although his one big mistake is the mess we have in iraq. but like mr. stein said we will be out pretty soon within two years, because the next president is goings the cater to the far left and polls and yank the troops out of iraq and leave a huge mess which is going to come back a bite us in the not so distant future. the only cure is to stay till the iraq government can take care of there own country.

[cma68]

Congratulations for having the courage to say something positive about our leader. Yes, our chosen leader is not perfect, but we need to focus on uniting our country. What happened to the country's solidarity and patriotism that was so evident after 9/11/2001? How quickly we all forget about the things that make this country great...but not perfect.

[bertyee-2009]

Gee, while don't you give Bush credit for everything good about the USA because he certainly is going down as the worse president in U.S. History.

Aren't you kind of bias since you credit Bush for the large number of Americans owning their own ome when in reality it all began after World War II with Levitown, NY.

Let's tlak about your comment about full-employment. What about all of the jobs going overseas. I think if you made the same comment to any autoworker or any software engineer you wouldn't get a a positive reaction from them. Losing your high-paying job to get a minimum wage job isn't full-employment.

Let's face it you backed a liar and a cheat and no PR job isn't going to change history. I think you are better off being remembered for your role in Ferris Bueller than being known for the guy trying bail out a sinking ship.

[lily_ayanami]

I'm glad to know that the end of the world isn't that close at hand.

[sandyzuehlke]

It is important to recognize and respect success which is what you did this morning. As you said, it cannot be all Bush success. It took many others.

[jimh25]

I watch the Sunday Morning Show most Sunday mornings and look forward to your piece. This morning however you make the statement that this Bush Presidency has some small thing to recommend it.
I must stongly disagree with you on that.
You do finally make the admission that Iraq was a mistake, and for that I give you credit.
You then go on to say that the economy is doing well.
If I hear that statement one more time, I am going to explode.
Let me give you a little background on myself. I have been a unit employee of the Maytag Corporation for 29 years. At 30 years I would have been eligible for retirement. The Maytag organization merged recently with the Whirlpool Corporation making my retirement not possible. But that is not the point of this e-mail.
You made the statement our economy is doing well but is not evenly distributed. I consider this a serious understatement. In this community in Central Iowa we have experienced the loss of several thousand jobs due to this merger. This presently is going on throughout the country. I defy you to talk to any of these people and make the statement that the economy is doing well. The economy is doing well for a select few at the expense of the majority of the middle class blue collar workers. This cannot be considered good for our country. When a man producing the goods to make this country function cannot live on the wages of one job, there is a problem.
Jim H25

[crestdad]

If being patriotic means supporting something no matter what, then that meaning has changed resently. Liberals are more than likely saying lets win this fight in another way, not lets run the flag down the tube. We fought against England because of taxes and had to retreat only to readjust and win in the end. Is it unpatriotic to question, relook, or even second guess a direction our county is going? That notion is not the direction we should take.

[waatspa]

Regarding more "bad" new to report today than good news, I wonder what life was like when people where pulling their families across the plains in wagon trains. It wasn't that long ago. There is plenty of good news to report. It's all what we chose to focus on. True leaders lead by example. Is there anyone in the media who can start to set a good example? Or are you only there to point at fault? Words are easy to write. Video is easy to edit these days (thanks to truly creative and intelligent people). Actions have consequences. How about some positive action from those in the media?