Julian Zelizer: Why George W. Bush must be smiling

[brentspeak]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/13/zelizer.george.w.bush/?hpt=T2

By Julian E. Zelizer, Special to CNN
December 13, 2010 8:20 a.m. EST

snip

While Obama ran as the candidate who would fight to overturn Bush's record, a huge number of his policies remain in place.

snip

Barack Obama made his attacks on the tax cuts a pillar of his campaign in 2008 and continued to oppose extending the reductions for the wealthiest Americans. As late as September 2010, the president attacked Minority Leader John Boehner during a speech in the Republican's home state of Ohio by criticizing Republicans for supporting the "same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place: cut more taxes for millionaires and cut more rules for corporations."

But in the end, Obama reversed himself, and he did so in dramatic fashion. House Democrats were caught off guard as the negotiations excluded the Democratic Caucus. Obama justified his decision by telling his supporters that he had no choice. Now that the tax cuts have received bipartisan support from the leader of the Democratic Party, they would be doubly difficult to eliminate in two years when the debate occurs once again.

snip

A president once dismissed as a lightweight, as an accidental president, clearly left his imprint on Washington. The Democrat who replaced him, a politician who won amidst the anger and frustration with Bush, has ended up accepting many of the policies his Republican predecessor put into place.

[wakemewhenitsover]

1. One word:

:puke:

[BeFree]

2. S O B ?

Son of bush? It's beginning to look that way.

One correction re the OP: bush was no accident. It was very well planned form beginning to end.

And it just may prove to be that this presidency was too.

[ProSense]

3. George Bush must be smiling for screwing up the country?

"A president once dismissed as a lightweight, as an accidental president, clearly left his imprint on Washington."

He left his imprint on 8 million unemployed Americans too.

[mtnsnake]

4. Smiling? Somewhere in Texas a moron is laughing his ass off at us

because Democrats, the last people he expected, are doing their best to make the ignoramus look like a genius.

We are extending his horrific wars instead of ending them.

We are extending his obscene tax cuts right down to the very last penny.

IOW, we are extending the worst parts of George W Bush's right-wing Republican agenda to the point where we are legitimizing his pathetic presidency. Sad.

[sad sally]

5. Suspect this day is also a winner for the Cheney family...