George W. Bush

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George W. Bush

George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the forty-third President of the United States from 2001 through 2009, and the forty-sixth governor of Texas from 1995 through 2000. He was President during the September 11, 2011 attacks and the War on Terror.

Bush promised to "restore honor and dignity to the office of President" after the Clinton scandal. He was first elected in 2000 against Democratic nominee and then-vice-president Al Gore by a narrow margin, in which Bush won Florida and the election in the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore since the vote was extraordinarily close. Bush was one of the few Presidents to not win the popular vote and still win the election. Bush was reelected in 2004 as he ran against Democratic challenger and then Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.

Bush's presidency was defined by foreign policy, that after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States fought in Afghanistan because it housed Al-Qaeda leaders responsible for planning the September 11 attacks, and eventually invaded Iraq because the Administration believed they had "weapons of mass destruction". The U.S. proceeded to rebuild Iraq after attacking the country. Bush had extraordinarily high approval after the Sept. 11 attacks, but left office with approval ratings at about 20 percent.

Early Life

Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Barbara and George H.W. Bush. His brother Jeb was born in 1953. His father was attending Yale University after serving in World War II. The family moved to Midland, Texas where the elder Bush became involved in the oil exploration business. Bush spent his childhood years there, attending Midland public schools, and formed lifelong friendships there. Bush graduated from Yale, received a business degree from Harvard University, and returned to Midland where he became involved in the oil business. He married Laura Welch, a teacher and librarian. They had twin daughters Jenna and Barbara.

Governor of Texas

2000 Presidential Campaign

Presidency

Foreign Policy

September 11 attacks

War on Terror

The War on Terror or Global War on Terror is a concerted military effort led by the United States and its allies to counter international Islamist terrorism. In response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States initiated this effort. The campaign's purpose was to eliminate those responsible: al-Qaeda and its affliates.

Domestic Policy

Financial Crisis of 2008

Main article: Financial Crisis of 2008

Bush's management of the Financial Crisis of 2008, which led to the Recession of 2008, was met with criticism from conservatives and libertarians because of his massive $700 billion aid program and loan guarantees amounting to trillions of dollars, as well as the general rise in domestic spending during his presidency, with a new prescription entitlement program, economic stimulus (such as rebate checks), bailouts, and that the size and scope of government was greatly expanded. During his presidency, Bush only vetoed twelve bills.

Post-Presidency

Decision Points

Bush's Post-Presidential portrait, unveiled May 31, 2012

Decision Points is a memoir written by Bush and was released on November 9, 2010. Bush also went on a national tour after releasing his book. After two months, the book sold very well, surpassing two million copies sold.

The book is 481 pages long and is broken into 14 chapters, with the first two being about Bush before his presidency, covering events such as when he quit drinking alcohol and was governor of Texas. The remaining twelve are about events during his presidency, such as the War on Terror, the September 11, 2001 attacks, and Hurricane Katrina.

External links

George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum Lewisville, Texas.