George W. Bush Administration Quotes

Fox News was the first major television news channel in the United States to represent a partisan political position—in this case Republican conservative. Although this was a first for TV, in American history most newspapers were openly partisan until the latter half of the 20th century. The Third Reich reference was to Nazi Germany which had extremely partisan media control of German media of the day.

Trout is one of the leading Madison Avenue experts on branding and image creation. He was hired by the State Department to help with its Public Diplomacy Crises of the George W. Bush administration during which even amongst our traditional allies public opinion turned from very pro America to strong anti American perception.

The George W. Bush administration had issued a memorandum to key Federal Agencies stating that certain types of torture were legal—a finding that was quickly repudiated after Bush and VP Cheney—who was a leading force for allowing torture of terrorism suspects—were out of office. But Bush had told the American People and the World that the United States will not torture any prisoners. The dilemma was “solved” when someone came up with this euphemism.

Under President William Clinton the United States had been very popular abroad with Clinton greeted enthusiastically in most part of the world. When President George W. Bush took office the image of America took a downward plunge to one of the lowest points in American History. Many like Hyde could not understand why the United States could not present its image better. Others claimed that Bush and his policies and practices were so unpopular that media techniques and public diplomacy could not change reality.

The George W. Bush Administration attempted to avoid compliance with American Law and the Constitution by keeping captured terrorists in a Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba, and claiming that the American law did not there prevail. The Supreme Court twice ruled that the practices of the Administration in dealing with Terrorist prisoners violated the law and the Constitution. Meanwhile world public opinion was very opposed to the Bush Administration practices with captured war combatants which had never been attempted by any other administration. Finally President Bush in June of 2007 announced that Guantanamo would be closed.

His appointment as U. N. Ambassador was very controversial as he had a long record of opposition to the United Nations. In this quotation he was alluding to the traditional diplomatic methodology of providing “carrots and stick” in foreign policy.

The planners of this particular war effort involved many ideologically correct supporters of a neo conservative agenda from the United States and the other Allies more knowledgeable diplomats and military people were kept our of the effort lest they disagree with administration ideology or policy. The result was a very badly mismanaged occupation phase of the war after a very well managed invasion effort.

Powell’s views and advice to the President regarding Iraq were diametrically opposite that of Vice President Cheney, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condy Rice. The President sadly rejected Powell’s advice. He was right, but he was also a trained professional staff man who maintains his loyalty and does not quit just because his advice is not taken. Many believe that if he had resigned in the political rather than military tradition, the nation might have been spared much of the loss and embarrassment the Iraq invasion and occupation cost us.

This was written at a time when the George W. Bush Administration was pushing tax cuts and running very large deficits to do it. Most people presumed that the rich were big supporters of the tax cuts but Bill Gates, then the richest man in America, and Buffett, the second richest, were both in favor of higher taxes.

Once Cheney became Vice President he also became very furtive, secretive legalistic, warlike, and power hungry characteristics which were unlike what he exhibited as a Congressman and as Secretary of Defense. Scowcroft had worked with and for Cheney and had been one of his biggest supporters.