Daniel Ortega Wins Nicaragua: An Interesting Week in Bush Family History

What a week for the Bush family history. Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, separated by a decade of prosperity, each managed to lead a nation into two wars as president: H.W. into Kuwait and Somalia and W. into Afghanistan and Iraq. Each presided over a stalled economy. Each sought and took advice from Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney. Each viewed Saddam Hussein as a threat to American security. Each saw a soaring national debt and was unable to do anything about it. And now, in a strange twist of history, each will spend two years as president with Daniel Ortega leading Nicaragua.

On the same day that Saddam Hussein's death sentence was announced, 40-percent of Nicaraguans voted that Mr. Ortega, the once and future president, take the reins over what is said to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. When Mr. Ortega last ran Nicaragua, there was a protracted civil war between his ruling Sandinistas and the US-backed Contras.

H.W., then serving as President Ronald Reagan's vice-president, was linked to a secret (and illegal) operation wherein the US sold missiles and technology to Iran and used the money to fund the Contras. There were congressional hearings, accusations of an executive branch over-stepping its bounds and a deceived American people.

The revelation that there had been secret meetings between Iranian leaders and H.W. wherein the missile sale was promised for an agreement not to release 52 American hostages in Tehran until after the election led many Americans to question GOP election strategies. It also introduced "October surprise" into the political lexicon. The result of this deal led to untold deaths in Central America and prolonged the Iran-Iraq War.

W., serving as a lame duck president (especially if the Democrats have a maj ority in either house of Congress), will likely face congressional hearings on accusations of an executive branch overstepping its bounds and deceiving the American people.

Although Mr. Ortega's first election as president may have been less than legitimate, his presidency from the current vote cannot be. He collected 40-percent of the vote in a national election with multiple candidates and finished more than 5-percent ahead of the runner-up. In the run-up to the election, the US threatened to discontinue aid to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere if Ortega was elected.

This policy - if adopted - will create further suffering for people who have been through nearly 70 years of corrupt governments all of whom ignored human rights and killed those in the opposition. The US should meet with Ortega and promise continued aid for his promise of more progressive economic policies than his socialist past would indicate. They should make this offer loudly and repeatedly. If the old Ortega emerges, the US can wash its hands of the Central American country. If a new Ortega embraces progressive policies and ensures human rights then the old US policy of benevolence will bring a new generation of citizens who see the US as a beacon of freedom and a model of the power of self-governance.

It could be an historic event in the Bush family history. It could change the perception of this presidency from one of bullying failure to diplomatic victory. Two years is a long time for a president interested in his legacy. Or two years could be an eternity of suffering for the world.