George W. Bush: Promises, Promises

The Pledges The President Made Three Years Ago Now Seem Easier Made Than Kept

(CBS)  Written by CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller

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It was three years ago tonight that Pres. Bush accepted his party's nomination for a second term. He did so in a speech rife with promises.

More than any other address he has given since, including his Inaugural nearly 5 months later, that speech to the 2004 Republican National Convention laid out his plans for his second term.

But three years after the fact, an examination of that speech shows that Pres. Bush has been unable to deliver on most of his pledges. That’s not to say he didn’t try. But he didn’t prove to be a closer.

Take Social Security:

“We must strengthen Social Security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes in a personal account -a nest egg you can call your own, and government can never take away,” he told GOP delegates that night in Madison Square Garden.


He waged an aggressive campaign for his plan to let American workers contribute some of their Social Security taxes into a private retirement account that he expected would give a better rate of return than the government-run plan.

During the first six months of his second term he gave 38 speeches in 29 states on behalf of his Social Security plan. But to no avail.

He acknowledged that Social Security is regarded as the third rail of American politics. And he was definitely shocked by the depth of resistance to the changes he advocated, even among members of his own party.

Before the year was out, he had given up on his plan.

He didn’t try as hard on another of his convention pledges.

“In a new term, I will lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code,” Mr. Bush had pledged. He called the tax code “a drag on the economy” and “a complicated mess.”

He started out trying to be faithful to that promise. Even before his second term began, he appointed a bipartisan panel to study the code and recommend changes to make it more simple and fair.

The panel delivered its recommendations on November 1, 2005. But they’ve been gathering dust at the Treasury Department ever since. Mr. Bush never acted on them and almost never mentions the subject of overhauling the tax code.

In his convention speech, he promised to create jobs by encouraging investment, restraining federal spending, reducing regulation and making his tax cuts permanent.

Just last week, Mr. Bush boasted that since August of ’03, 8.3-million new jobs have been added to the nation’s payrolls. Democratic critics argue that he fails to deduct the number of jobs lost, which would diminish Mr. Bush’s claim.

And despite the volatility on Wall Street, there’s no question that investments are booming.

As for federal spending, the size of the annual federal deficit has been coming down since reaching a high of $413-Billion in 2004. The Administration forecasts a deficit this year of $205-Billion. The forecast from the Congressional Budget Office is lower still at $158-Billion.

But the size of the National Debt has soared. It now stands at $8.9-Trillion dollars - numerically in excess of the debt ceiling authorized by law. On the day Mr. Bush took office, it was $5.7-Trillion. That’s a 57% increase on Mr. Bush’s watch. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is already calling on Congress to hike the debt ceiling as soon as possible for the fifth time in six years.

[sgtrds]

Sure..your limp wristed attempt to recover from the truth is a waste of time. Your kind never rises to anything honorable, all you are is a backstabbing cheat that gossips about people who cant defend themselves. People like you are well known out in the real world. Your the sniveling crybaby without the courage to stand up for what is right. We know you.

Posted by pwrslm at 08:05 AM : Sep 04, 2007

"Limp wristed"? "Cheat"? "Gossip"?

Oh my god! I''ve been cut to the quick by your obviously superior wordsmanship! How shall I ever face the world know that the all knowing and all wise pwrslm has such a low opinion of me? How can I face my wife, my children and my friends without hanging my head in abject shame?

LOLOLOLOLOL!! You''re such a TOOL!

[kansas1946]

Hey, Mark, guess what? Bush created one of the most conservative Supreme Courts the US has ever seen, and it will only get better as the remaining liberal skunks get old and retire.
*********************
Bush is gone in a little over a year. Just who exactly is going to appoint these conservative judges when anyone retires?

[inventagod]

I am seeing ORANGE over the disregard Bu$hCo and CONgress have displayed over the will of the voters.
There WILL be a bloodbath in CONgress in 2008, no matter WHAT Diebold does for their favorite RepugliCONs...Guaranteed!
There is an internet call for a General Strike on 9/11. Please do what you can on that date.
For more info:
http://www.strike911.org/

[pwrslm]

The Real Reason We''''re In Iraq:
Posted by j4401

%u201CThe first rationale presented for the war was to destroy Iraq%u2019s weapons of mass destruction.%u201D This familiar Democratic claim is itself probably the biggest lie of the Iraq War, rather than anything the president or his administration has said. In fact, the first %u2013 and last %u2013 rationale presented for the war by the Bush administration in every formal government statement about the war was not the destruction of WMDs but the removal of Saddam Hussein, or regime change.



This regime change was necessary because Saddam was an international outlaw. He had violated the 1991 Gulf War truce and all the arms control agreements it embodied, including UN resolutions 687 and 689, and the 15 subsequent UN resolutions designed to enforce them. The last of these, UN Security Council Resolution 1441, was itself a war ultimatum to Saddam giving him %u201Cone final opportunity%u201D to disarm %u2013 or else. The ultimatum expired on December 7, 2002, and America went to war three months later.



Contrary to everything that Al Gore and other Democrats have said for the last four years, Saddam%u2019s violation of the arms control agreements that made up the Gulf War truce %u2013 and not the alleged existence of Iraqi WMDs %u2013 was the legal, moral and actual basis for sending American troops to Iraq.

[pwrslm]

Then I guess we can count on you to shut up about Clinton & Obama & Edwards & Pelosi until they show up to defend themselves.

Get your head out of the sand.
Posted by realpatriot1

If you consider the source, someone who is constantly spreading gossip and political rhetoric, who is prone to attack people personally behind thier backs when they are not able to defend themselves, I really dont thing your slandering me has any meaning. If you infer that my head is in the sand, then thats only because I refuse to accomodate your lies and misinformation.

[j4401]

The Real Reason We''re In Iraq:

An influential group of conservatives convinced President George W. Bush that it was in America''s best interests to conquer Iraq as a first step toward dominating the oil-producing nations in the Middle East. There was no "exit plan" because we never intended to exit. The plan was, and is, to build military bases in Iraq and stay there forever. Our leaders see Iraq as a place to make money. So Bush & Co. have set up their friends to cash in on the rebuilding of Iraq.

[yamuttya]

While this discussion is interesting there are really just a few words that sum it all up......

the worst,.......ever !

Next topic ?

[ov442]

its all because the way GWB goes about his plans is terrible, corrupt and bears little benefit for the people he says it will.

Its all for the rich. Wall street would have had a windfall 10 times the oil industry if they had gone with his plans.

[abbe91]

"Bush has not accomplished ALL of his goals/promises, because the USA is not a monarchy or a military dictatorship. The US President does not control everything."

That''s what veto and signing statements are for.
Queen George wants all of his goals accomplished (not the ones made public, of course) and you pointed out the way to do it.

[abbe91]

"...the man that had to deal with 9-11 for us.
Posted by pwrslm at 08:00 AM : Sep 04, 2007"

God knows how deep he had to deal with it. Fortunately he had Marvin to help him.

[abbe91]

Why didn''t he drive a truck in a KBR convoy to show how safe this is ?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-na-convoy3sep03,0,2378116.story?track=mostviewed-storylevel

[realpatriot1]

pwrslm,

Then I guess we can count on you to shut up about Clinton & Obama & Edwards & Pelosi until they show up to defend themselves.

Get your head out of the sand.

[pwrslm]

As far as I''''m concerned, your whining about Bush not being here to defend himself is the most "limp-wristed" thing I''''ve read on this site
Posted by realpatriot1

your right

Its a point of honor that real men understand.

Its pretty obvious that you dont.

[realpatriot1]

pwrslm,

As far as I''m concerned, your whining about Bush not being here to defend himself is the most "limp-wristed" thing I''ve read on this site. Why does Bush need to be here to defend himself when he has loyal foot soldiers like you to defend everything he does no matter how unprincioled it is. You seem to be under the illusion that Bush is a conservative.

Real conservatives have consistent principles, like the Reagan officials who want Bush inpeached.
Real conservatives would honor subpoenas and defend their case. Real conservatives would honor prior bipartison aggreements to match tax cuts with spending cuts of equal value. Real conservatives wouldn''t have to prove their manhood with "Mission Accomplished" and "Bring it On". Real conservatives wouldn''t look to Dubai to administer port security or allow troops to go into battle without sufficient personnel or equipment.

I may not be a conservative but I know the real thing when I see it. If you''re looking for a limp wrist you need not look any further than the White House.

When are you republicans going to realize that this buffoon is destroying your party and is a lame duck. You don''t have to defend him when everyone knows he''s a failure. But if you want to *** your party''s recovery from his leadership, far be it from me to get in the way.

Most Democrats are moving away from the Clintons; even if she is the front runner, most Dems don''t want her but haven''t coalesced behind one challenger.

[pwrslm]

The problem the pwrslm has
Posted by SgtRDS

Sure..your limp wristed attempt to recover from the truth is a waste of time. Your kind never rises to anything honorable, all you are is a backstabbing cheat that gossips about people who cant defend themselves. People like you are well known out in the real world. Your the sniveling crybaby without the courage to stand up for what is right. We know you.

[pwrslm]

This is a cheap shot, similar to many the DNC has taken at Bush. Its interesting to note than CBS fails to provide any balance in its reporting, just as many of the posters here refuse to respect the Office of the President because of personnal hatred of the man that had to deal with 9-11 for us. In reality, given the cards he was played, he has done a great service to America.

[sharncedar]

The problem with this assumption is that it doesn''''t take into account that Bush is mentally ill
Posted by SgtRDS at 01:16 AM : Sep 04, 2007

I spent my labor day getting thrown off of a beach that is apparently owned and controlled by the rich. So I would contend that Bush is not so much insane as an exact member of his class, a large class of Americans, who are the self-proclaimed entitled. Before I was removed from their beach, I spent time with these people, and they are all very much like Bush, with an arrogant and completely self-centered outlook on life. They believe they are better than other people, naturally, and their purpose in life is to lead a self-absorbed lifestyle at the expense of everyone else. They don''t see the people they are hurting, they don''t acknowlege the destruction they are causing our country. "Have another fancy sandwich, Brian, isn''t the beach nice today, *** where are those Latino servants with my sandwiches ... don''t these Latinos make better servants than the blacks? They are so friendly. What lovely weather, this is a really nice beach."

Bush would fit right in. He is completely ignorant, and they are completely ignorant, and until they are broken in pieces we will never be free.

[luvny-2009]

S_Temper do you think just we Americans know Bush is a MORON. You need to take your blinders off, Bush is hands down the worse president we have ever had and he will go down in history as such. He has caused more hate and violence, he right up there with the worst of them!

[yamuttya]

yamuttya, aren''''t you a Canadian? Why are you attacking US politiciansPosted by S_Temper at 02:08 AM : Sep 04, 2007
+ report abuse

Yes you know Im Canadian !
(but like most Nazis, you seem to think the world should cater only to, or care about your viewpoints.
Posted by brianbwb at 02:34 AM : Sep 04, 2007)
but as BWB points out your bona fides are in question.
Do you really expect the rest of the world to watch American psychos like you re-elect Amrican psychos like Bush and stand mute ?
Are you completely nuts ?
You republican morons are ruining the planet ?
" Nuff Said ?

[brianbwb-2009]

"brianbwb, eat me. I don''''t take your comments seriously. You are WAY out in left field.
Posted by S_Temper"

You obviously have me mistaken for a Republican, I don''t swing that way.

My comments are mine, You are no one about whom I care whether or not you take them seriously, but like most Nazis, you seem to think the world should cater only to, or care about your viewpoints.