It's All Bush's Fault

During the 2008 presidential election an interesting phenomenon occurred. John McCain and Joe Biden faded into the background as Barack Obama and Sarah Palin vied for every second of media attention. The line between which candidate was running for what became blurry, and coverage of the election seemed more like an episode of American Idol or a headline from the National Enquirer.

While watching the never-ending banter and debate surrounding the unknown governor from Alaska, it occurred to me how much fun it would be if her ticket actually won the election. That revelation prompted me to write "5 Reasons Why Liberal Democrats Should Vote for Sarah Palin" which included this point,

"How much fun is it going to be for liberal Democrats if Barack Obama is elected? When the honeymoon period is over, and George Bush is out of the way, who will the Daily Kos blame for all of the nation's woes? Sarah Palin would make a great scapegoat. Terrorist attacks? It's that woman's fault. Food shortages across the globe? Duh, it's because we put that woman in office. The possibilities are endless."

Obviously Sarah Palin didn't get the job, but I also missed the mark concerning George Bush being out of the way. I naturally assumed when a U.S. President moves on he is no longer responsible for the safety, financial stability, and general well-being of the United States. Apparently I was wrong.

Let's take a random walk down memory lane.

October 30, 2007 (CNN): President Bush blasted the Democratic-controlled Congress for having the worst record in 20 years. "Congress is not getting its work done," he said. Bush also criticized Congress for not being able to send a single appropriations bill to him. "They haven't seen a bill they could not solve without shoving a tax hike into it."

October 6, 2004 (MSNBC): Remember the bad loans and mortgage-backed securities created by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? How about in 2003 when the Bush administration attempted to increase regulation and oversight on Fannie and Freddie? Or in 2004 when Congress was warned that financial disaster was about to strike? Take a few minutes to watch this interesting video.

February 10, 2010 (CNN): Vice President Joe Biden told Larry King, "I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government."

January 20, 2010 (ABC): President Obama said in an interview with ABC News, "Here's my assessment of not just the vote in Massachusetts but the mood around the country: The same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office. People are angry and they are frustrated. Not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years but what's happened over the last eight years."

There you have it. Over a year into the Obama administration it's still Bush's fault. Not some of it, not most of it, but all of it. The Democratic-controlled Congress during the Bush years had nothing to do with it, and the current Democratic-controlled Congress has nothing to do with it. Bush did nothing right, but if he did, President Obama should get credit for it.

Next year at this time it will still be Bush's fault, and the year after, and the year after that. After all, our Democratic leaders inherited this mess.

George W. Bush is the official scapegoat of the Democratic party. The only event that might unseat George Bush from his lofty perch in the minds of Democrats would be the inauguration of a gun-loving, moose-eating, Bible-toting female from Alaska.

Sources:
Bush: Congress is Not Getting Its Work Done, CNN
Fannie Mae Accountant: I Warned CEO Raines, MSNBC News
Interview With Vice President Joe Biden, CNN Larry King Live
President Obama Says Voter Anger, Frustration Key to Republican Victory in Massachusetts Senate, ABC News