Good job Mr. President

Today is President's Day, and so I thought I'd make a few comments regarding our current leader. I don’t always agree with his policy but there’s a lot to be said about what he’s been through. Regardless of one's personal opinion of Bush or one's own political leanings it would be hard to argue that with the exception of Lincoln, George W. Bush has had to endure perhaps the most difficult presidency in our history.

Consider:

--Bush won office in a controversial election that was controversial only in that it was close enough to allow his opponent and his followers to protest it to the fullest. Those protests were to no avail, and thus began the hatred of our current President by so many

--Bush inherited two major problems from his predecessor: 1) a plummeting economy 2) a growing Islamofascist threat that had virtually been ignored over the previous decade

--Bush stepped into the Presidency at a time when the Office had been degraded by the immoral behavior of his predecessor, and many citizens had lost faith in that Office

--Bush had to lead the country through the worst attack to ever occur on American soil

--As a result of that attack, and because of Bush's America-first foreign policy approach, he had to deal with much resistance from foreign governments who had grown accustomed to (and fond of) the soft, rollover, appeasement style of foreign policy seen under Clinton. This led to icy relations with multiple governments, including: China, France, UK, Russia and Canada; obviously making international cooperation an uphill climb

--Bush had to lead this country into an unprecedented war against an unprecedented foe, perhaps the most formidable enemy our nation has ever faced, all without the support of nearly half of his fellow countrymen and under constant criticism from those, both American and foreign, who desire to see his beloved country defeated in this conflict

--Bush has had to endure more criticism and baseless attacks and accusations from the mainstream media than any other President in history. He has been blamed for everything from global warming to the death of Cindy Sheehan's son, he has been accused of draft dodging and lying without any supporting facts, and he has endured all of this with grace and class.

--Bush has had to maintain an economy through major corporate scandals and 9/11

--Bush has had to lead this country through its worst natural disaster and the utter destruction of an entire major American city, which he was also blamed for

--Bush has been tasked with a dangerous and porous southern border that has also been ignored by his predecessors

--While other Presidents have had to deal with their own nutty foreign leaders, Bush has had multiple lunatics acquiring or actively seeking the most dangerous weapons known to man.

--Bush has had to deal with a United Nations that has become more anti-American than ever before

--Bush has had to deal with a Congress that, despite being majority Republican, is more hesitant to cooperate with his policy than any President in the past several decades

--No President since Kennedy has come under more scrutiny for his religion, even though those beliefs are shared by the majority of Americans

I don't mention these things in an effort to generate sympathy for President Bush, obviously the man can take care of himself. I do so simply to illustrate why I respect him so much. I don't always agree with him, and some of his actions (or lack thereof) have made me a little angry. But he is a class act and has done an incredible job considering the circumstances. He is honorable and a Commander-in-Chief worthy of the title. He is a take-no-BS Texan who believes in America first, and I thank God for that. He has delivered numerous speeches to the nation, yet tears still well-up in his eyes when he mentions the brave soldiers under his command. He loves and honors his wife and his God. That in itself is worthy of respect. Indeed, when I think about how close the election was in 2000, and what the alternative COULD have been, it makes me cringe.

Regardless of what happens in the next two years, his legacy will be one of a man who meant what he said...and said what he meant. If only there could be more in Washington with a similar character. So on this President's Day I say...Good job Mr. President. Keep up the fight and may God bless you, Sir!