A Faithful Leader

President George W. Bush faithfully carried out the Oath of Office he took eight years ago. The Oath states: I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and I will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

President Bush ran as a compassionate conservative in the election of 2000, where in one of the closest elections in our nation’s history, he defeated Vice President Al Gore. Upon taking office, Mr. Bush laid out a detailed plan to reform the school systems of the nation, but within 234 days he had a new goal, thrust upon him by world events, a goal that would forever change the direction of his administration and the direction of the country. On September 11, 2001, President Bush determined to never again allow another attack up the United States, while he was president. He fulfilled that goal.

Since 2001, the United States herself has not been attack, nor have her citizens abroad.
Throughout the 1990’s, the United States was repeatedly attack in different locations around the world, as well as in the same location the terrorist hit on 9/11. In 1993, the World Trade Center bombing took place, in 1996, the Federal Building in Oklahoma City was blown up killing some 200 people, in 1999 the U.S.S. Cole was bombed off the coast of Yemen, and this is not even the complete list of the attacks perpetrated against the United States.

These aggressions against the U.S. were culminated on September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was hit and flight 93 went down in a Pennsylvania field, with 2974 people killed. The attack of 9/11 was the greatest attack against the United States since Pearl Harbor, and the President as well as the nation took appropriate action to ensure that it did not happen again.

Since that date, there has not been further aggression against our nation. There have been plots, and plans to attack her, but the wise leadership of the Bush administration and the agencies that protect the nation at home and abroad have thwarted those plans.

President Bush has one of the lowest approval ratings of any president, but his legacy is forever established as one of honor, duty and service. Ignoring public opinion polls, and leading from an internal compass of doing what was right no matter the consequence, even the loss of his own popularity is a hallmark of his presidential style. On his watch, President Bush to the best of his ability (and that ability was great) preserved, protected and defended not only the Constitution of the United States, but the United States herself. He will be sadly missed as he leaves the office of the Presidency, but our nation will forever be better off because he filled that office.