Opinion |

Bush’s fading credibility

Bring on the $500 trillion deficit

By Michael Rocque

Posted on Monday, March 29th, 2004, 12:00 am

In an election year, trust, integrity and honesty are all key components to a presidential victory. All of these things President George W. Bush has lost not only in the eyes of many in the United States, but perhaps more importantly across the world. Revelation after revelation has led to the largest credibility gap for a president since Richard M. Nixon left the Oval Office in shame. Yet Nixon entered the White House in a highly hostile and tumultuous situation, which makes the president’s about-face all the more remarkable.

When Bush was inaugurated, America was enjoying heightened economic prosperity, and approval in the worldwide community at its peak. After the terrible attacks of Sept. 11, Bush’s approval polls were off the charts. Since then, his administration has gone on a rampage that has damaged domestic and international interests simultaneously.

At home, the economic boom quickly diminished, and the issue of how to spend the surplus was answered in full by President Bush, who has led us into the largest federal deficit in history. On top of that, he wishes to spend more and to increase the deficit to an unheard of $500 trillion. Almost three million jobs have been lost since he took office, and he continues to do nothing but mislead the people to alleviate the pressure so many unfortunate Americans are feeling. President Bush recently released his annual economic report. To give the false impression that manufacturing jobs were on the rise, the report included fast food positions under that section. The lies and cover-ups do not stop there. U.S. efforts in Iraq have raised more questions about this administration’s credibility at home and abroad. Many believe that President Bush had every intention of invading Iraq from the beginning, and Sept. 11 proved the justification he was looking for. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil admitted that Bush had been planning an invasion of Iraq in 2001.

Statements that Iraq never had weapons of mass destruction from former weapons inspector, David Kay, continue to erode the president’s imagery. Allies who had only half-heartedly accepted this excuse began to question his motives. Recently, the new government of Spain led by Prime Minister Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, in a declaration which was not “giving in to terrorists” but reacting to public pressure, announced its opposition to the US-led occupation. The war is unpopular in America, and increasingly so overseas. President Bush’s actions have worsened international relations and resulted in a worldwide hatred of America at a previously unseen level.

The latest official to tarnish President Bush and his administration is Richard Clarke, who in a book released Monday, said that he, as a counterterrorist expert, had repeatedly warned the White House of the al-Qaida threat prior to Sept. 11, and it had failed to do anything. Clarke said Condoleezza Rice, the National Security Advisor, acted as though she had never heard of the term before, and ignored his requests for an urgent meeting to discuss the terrorist group.

All of these accusations have been denied in a round-about way by the current presidential administration. It is increasingly difficult, however, to believe that so many high standing officials so intimately involved with the government could be lying. It seems more likely that these brave men and women are doing justice to the truth and allowing the United States and the world a closer look at one of the most corrupt and deficient governments this country has ever known.

Michael Rocque is a junior sociology major.