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The Current Crisis
Memoirs Are Made of This
WASHINGTON -- My agents report that President George W. Bush is even now contemplating a memoir. When it comes to writing a memoir, I humbly submit that even a commander in chief should take counsel from an editor in chief, especially if the editor in chief is an admirer.
As the retiring president heads back to Texas, he might bear in mind that his presidency was unusually turbulent. His memoir will be the record of a president whose time in office began and ended with two stupendous crises that only Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan experienced in modern times, though the chronological order of their crises was more orderly. They moved from financial crisis to geopolitical crisis. Mr. Bush's first crisis came in his first year with 9/11, a contemporary Pearl Harbor more treacherous than the first Pearl Harbor. His second came in his last year, the subprime mortgage day of reckoning, the credit freeze, ultimately the worst financial crisis in a century.
In recent interviews Mr. Bush has sounded glum. As an editor I advise him to review the facts and take heart. Both of his crises originated in his predecessor's administration. His memoir must make this clear. In fact, it is his duty to set the record straight. Gentleman that he is, Mr. Bush is going to have to find the right tone in laying out these facts. He must not appear to be defensive or to be scapegoating. After all, he arrived at the White House after America's foolish Holiday From History. It is perfectly appropriate that in the holiday's aftermath its revelers be held accountable.
There is not much he can say about the subprime reckoning, except that his 2002 budget was critical of the excesses of Fannie and Freddie. In 2003 his secretary of treasury was equally critical and called for regulation. To which Congressman Barney Frank retorted: "I do not think we are facing any kind of a crisis."
On the other hand, the 43rd president should have a lot to say about his response to 9/11, the war on terror, and the toppling of Saddam Hussein. This was the major undertaking of his administration, but given his apparent glum humor I am not sure he will address these matters with the requisite confidence. Early this month he told ABC News that his "biggest regret" as president was his handling of intelligence estimates of Saddam weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Bush, the post 9/11 world was a world that demanded from you "action this day," and you passed the test.
After 9/11 no one knew where or when the next attack might come. Saddam, our longtime antagonist, actually applauded the attacks, an indiscretion duplicated by no other international figure, save Osama bin Laden. Moreover, Saddam purposely duped his military and world leaders into believing that he had weapons of mass destruction. Now we know he did not have them ready to go, but we also know that he had them available on short notice. He could have in a matter of weeks sent chemical and biological weapons to terrorists or to his intelligence agents for attacks on American soil or almost anywhere else.
The evidence is available for anyone who wants to review it. Last summer the Associated Press reported that a "secret U.S. operation" had transferred 550 metric tons of "yellowcake," "the last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program," to Montreal for peaceful purposes. So contrary to what your opponents tell you, the strutting tyrant did have the makings for nuclear weapons. Withal, he had biological and chemical weapons available in a few weeks notice. That is a key finding of the Iraq Survey Group.
When the president gets back to Texas I encourage him to read a really splendid memoir, War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism, by his under secretary of defense for policy, Douglas J. Feith. It convincingly explains the justification for war with Saddam. Quoting the Duelfer Report on the findings from the Iraq Survey Group, Feith records that at the time of our invasion, "Iraq still possessed small but significant dual-use facilities capable of conversion to small-scale BW agent production." Small-scale, but such agents are enormously dangerous. The report continues, such dual-use facilities "could be converted for BW agent production within 4 to 5 weeks…." "In sum," Feith writes, "the Iraq Survey Group confirmed Saddam's intention and capability to produce biological and chemical weapons."
Though stockpiles of such lethal weaponry were never found, we have plenty of evidence that Saddam had the facilities, the material, the personnel, the capability, and the intent to create biological weapons. Feith writes that when Saddam had rid himself of sanctions the evidence is he would have revitalized his WMD programs. Nothing would stop him but war.
In preparation for the Bush presidential memoir, I suggest Mr. Bush read the Feith memoir. Finally, Mr. President, in the spirit of the season, this politically correct editor in chief wishes you Merry … and Happy ….
Bob Tyrrell is founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. His books include the New York Times bestseller Boy Clinton: the Political Biography; The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton; The Liberal Crack-Up; The Conservative Crack-Up; Public Nuisances; The Future that Doesn't Work: Social Democracy's Failure in Britain; Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House; and The Clinton Crack-Up.
He makes frequent appearance on national television and is a nationally syndicated columnist, whose articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, Washington Times, National Review, Harper's, Commentary, The (London) Spectator, Le Figaro (Paris), and elsewhere.
Bob is also an adjunct fellow of the Hudson Institute and a contributing editor to the New York Sun.
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Brenda| 12.11.08 @ 7:39AM
I love President Bush. I believe this country will and his critics will look back someday and realize that he did what he had to do, what was necessary.
Anthony| 12.11.08 @ 8:25AM
Mr. Tyrrell; As usual you are ahead of the curve. You have a better grasp of the facts concerning 9/11 and the specter of Saddam in control of WMD's with his huge supply of petro-dollars. The mystery to me has always been why the Bush administration believed, and allowed others to believe, that we would find football field size storage facilities full of ready to use ordinance. It was always about Saddam's portable labs, buried labs, and labs that had, as Feith says, dual-use. Saddam used WMD in the past, yet the MSM always glossed over that inconvenient fact. Mr Bush, like Colin Powell, has been so beaten down by his enemies, that he can't bring himself to acknowledge all the right reasons for going to war. May I suggest you offer yourself up to Mr. Bush and help him get his book off to a proper start, preferably without the first paragraph sounding in an apology.
Luonne Dumak| 12.11.08 @ 9:17AM
As a avid reader of current event books by investigative journalist I believe President Bush was right in what he did. I also hope that people take the time to call the White house hot line to thank President Bush for keeping us save these last eight years and pray that we are not attacked again now that the Dems are in power again.
Ned| 12.11.08 @ 9:37AM
I think we should have declared war the first time the sons-of-bitches shot at our planes enforcing the no -fly zones.
ncatty| 12.11.08 @ 10:18AM
NPR mentioned this morning that, since the election, President-Elect Obama has been receiving the same daily intellgence briefings as President Bush. I bet that is sobering. President Bush deserves credit for whatever his administration did, and we will never know all of what they did, to prevent another attack. However, President Bush did not "lead" the country because he did not clearly and repeatedly express why his measures were necessary. For example, naming the conflict a "war on terrorism" is mushy. We were attacked by human beings with a distinct ideology and goal, and who were backed by discrete nations and organizations. But to identify them as Saudis would offend the Saudis. To identify them as Wahabbist Muslims would offend all Muslims. To identify their goal as restoring the Caliphate and subjecting the world to their beliefs is too medieval. Therefore, we were left with a war on "terrorism", as if the attackers were 19th century Russian nihilists. I will leave President Bush's expansion of the federal government for another time. Oh yeah, I am a right wing life-long Republican but I do listen to NPR on my commute since the local news is dull.
Mary| 12.11.08 @ 1:24PM
Gentleman that he is, Mr. Bush is going to have to find the right tone in laying out these facts. He must not appear to be defensive or to be scapegoating. After all, he arrived at the White House after America's foolish Holiday From History. It is perfectly appropriate that in the holiday's aftermath its revelers be held accountable.
Well said, Mr. Tyrrell!
I have affection for President Bush, and I wish him good health. He understood that the first duty of the Commander-in-Chief is to keep his people and the Country safe.
I can still see his face, following the NYC attack: "I'm a loving guy," he said while tearing up. He felt it, as any true leader would.
R. Douthat (sp?) recently wrote something at the sullied-by-Sullivan Atlantic, and in that piece he wrote of the possible good opinion that history might bestow on Presdient Bush.
However, he seems to believe that such a good opinion will come from a loss of national memory. Nothing unremarkable in that, but he goes on to envision a successful Iraq and what that will bring to the region, and comes to the conclusion that "it would have happened anyway."
I don't agree. Morevoer, I think it's a facile assertion born of the ease of being perfumed because you've been protected.
It's good to remember that Britain flew the Union Jack at half-staff for Princess Diana and not Winston Churchill.
People do forget. From the Who and Eminence Front:
The news slows
People forget
The shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
ruth| 12.11.08 @ 1:54PM
One thing I will never forget: No terroist attacks on our soil since September 11, 2001. Thank you, Mr. President.
Dean M. Vander Linde| 12.11.08 @ 2:33PM
It was always highly plausible that Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs. If some uneducated yahoo can make a batch of methamphetamine in his garage, then it is reasonable to assumed that trained scientists with the proper materials and facilities can make all sorts of witch's brews of chemical and biological weapons.
Bill.B Hill Billy With a Gun.| 12.11.08 @ 3:56PM
George W. Bush is the man the world want's to forget. America will host the biggest party to celebrate, in Washington. The Joy of the end of Bush term in office.
With his 25% rating I don't know who will be buying his book. The rest of the world don't want it. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Brent| 12.11.08 @ 4:25PM
Who know's what Bush has in store for the future, there is the FEMA Concentration Camps.
The Stock Market crash, there is the state of the economy, there is the Iraq war, looking for the invisible WMD. And 1.2 Million killed, and the 5.000 US service men and women, and the 3.000 killed on Sept 11th, he could not be bothered to investigate.
People in their right mind are really going to miss that imbecile.
ruth| 12.11.08 @ 5:29PM
I figured it was only a matter of time: Liberals crawling out from under their rocks to do what they do best, spew hatred. Go back to your swamps; your Obamassiah is already embroiled in a scandal and he won't even be inaugurated for a month. What a joke.
Mary| 12.11.08 @ 6:20PM
Ruth.
Bush was the best president ever lived, check this out on Google Time to flee America. Made me laugh.
IP Freely| 12.11.08 @ 6:22PM
Hey Tony, you're off message and have nothing to say too.. I bet you take it up the ass. Go back to the daily Kos where you scum belong.
Mary| 12.11.08 @ 6:44PM
Ruth -
In case I need to differentiate, the Mary who responded to you is not me. That is, the Mary you responded to on the Parker thread a few days ago.
bluecollarbytes| 12.11.08 @ 7:52PM
Nice to see another level-headed look at Pres. Bush's time in office. Only Pres. Bush had the prime responsibility to protect us after 9/11 seemed to wake everyone up from the relative luxury of 'safe borders'. Bush swore then to protect us above all else and he succeeded. Democratics will give him no credit ever. PopMedia may allow some credit but only as it's needed in order to allow Obama to continue Bush Policies.
Bill.B Hill Billy With a Gun| 12.11.08 @ 8:38PM
You guy's I have just looked at that Google youtube: How to stay out of the camps.
I've got to say it, it was interesting. Looks like Bush is going to clean up after he has gassed every body, him and his family will own most of America, him and his friends.
What is Obama going to do? when these people control the money, the way I see it it's over for most Americans. No job's no money, no where to live. I think the game is up for most of us, that guy selling Obama seat he knows money talks and B/S walks.
Bush made his bundle and he was trying to make his. Obama is just a puppet to finish off what Bush started, exterminate the people, there is no jobs for them and food is going to be the next problem for Americans.
Daphne Kenward| 12.11.08 @ 8:51PM
I can't imagine what this idiot could possibly write about. Well it would have to be a ghost writer.
It will perhaps what Karl Rove writes about. Rove would do well to go back to his days of the white sheet, he might look better.
Tripp| 12.11.08 @ 10:06PM
Impeach Obama! Bush may have been a poor handler of the federal budget (most expansion since LBJ, whoo!) but at least he isn't a crooked swindler from the modern Tammanay Hall that is the Chicago Daley machine. " I had no contact with the governor whatsoever...uhh, it's all Bush's fault."
Alan Brooks| 12.12.08 @ 12:29AM
Bush is tough. That's what counts. period.
stmichrick| 12.12.08 @ 1:24PM
As usual, Bob Tyrrell gives me my fix of clarity in the print media.
I think history will show that President Bush's biggest failing was his disinterest in ever taking on his critics. I agree that you need to pick your fights but unfortunately he allowed certain Big Lies to be the public narrative of his term in office.
Apparently history does not vindicate you until all the haters are dead. Witness the Frost/Nixon movie discussion.
Will someone throw a net over Bill B.Hill?
ruth| 12.12.08 @ 2:47PM
I think, perhaps, that after enough time has passed, even the lovely Daphne will thank President Bush for his courageous defense of our country.
ruth| 12.15.08 @ 12:31AM
Looks like we have a new fan!
jiner| 8.10.09 @ 11:42PM
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