George W. Bush in Courage and Consequence

On Abortion: 2001: First president to give speech on bioethical issue

In 2007, it was possible to create stem cells functionally identical to those taken from human embryos. This was an extraordinary breakthrough, precisely the kind of alternative Bush encouraged. He helped steer scientific research in the direction of discovering exciting new frontiers while avoiding the morally troubling burden that industrial cloning and wholesale destruction of human embryos would carry.

On Crime: Post-9-11: Terrorism no longer just a law enforcement matter

Second, Bush was telling state sponsors of terror that they would be held accountable. Afghanistan and other countries that supported or tolerated terrorists within their borders were now on notice that the United States would no longer tolerate their support of those who attacked the West.

On Drugs: Avoided DUI publicity to keep daughters from their own DUI

At a hastily-called news conference on Nov. 2, 2000, Bush admitted everything, saying, "It's an accurate story. I'm no proud of that. I regretted that it happened. I learned my lesson."

So why did Bush not talk about it publicly? As he explained after the arrest was revealed, "I made the decision that as a dad I didn't want my girls doing the kinds of things I did.

On Drugs: 2000 election eve DUI revelation got campaign off-message

The timing of the DUI disclosure--4 days before Election Day, with the candidates tied in the polls--was suspicious.

Did this last-minute revelation of Bush's decades-old DUI hurt? Yes, a lot. First, it knocked us off at a critical time. The campaign was swamped with questions about Bush's past drinking, if there had been other arrests, whether he had bee truthful with reporters before, even if he was drinking again now. This was not a good note on which to close a nearly two-year bid for the presidency.

Second, we had made a big issue of Gore's credibility and now we had a problem with Bush's. Many Americans had been drawn by his pledge to restore integrity to the Oval Office and now he had surprised them with a DUI.

A large number of voters--especially evangelicals and social conservatives--decided not to vote, taking votes away from Bush.

On Education: Use federal government as lever for local reform

NCLB is one of the great modern domestic policy successes. Because of NCLB, reading scores for 9-year-olds have improved more in the last nine years than in the previous twenty-eight years combined, and math scores have reached record highs.

NCLB also changed the conversation about education. There's less talk now about money and more about how children are doing; less talk about feel-good pedagogy and more about what works, such as phonics.

But the education establishment continues to look down on NCLB. Many complain that the law forces educators to "teach to the test." Well, if it is a

On Environment: $6.5B to erase national parks' repair backlog

On Homeland Security: Bush Doctrine: you're with us or you're with the terrorists

"We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make," he said. "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the US as a hostile regime."

The president's point was it didn't matter why terrorists were able to operate within your borders. If terrorists were active in your country, you either had to help crush them or we would do so, even if it required treating you as a hostile regime.

On Homeland Security: 9-11: Never said "go shopping"; but "participate in economy"

It was not Bush but Frank Pellegrini, a "Time" writer, who said it as he praised Bush's Sept. 20 speech. When Bush said, "I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy," Pellegrini wrote that what the president meant was: "And for God's sake, keep shopping."

But Bush never actually said to "go shopping." The closest he ever came was in a Nov. 8 speech in which he said, "This great nation will never be intimidated. People are going about their daily lives, working and shopping and playing, worshipping at churches and synagogues and mosques, going to movies and baseball games." To take this one brief reference and then pretend Bush's words can be reduced to simply urging people to shop is intellectually dishonest.

On Homeland Security: Enhanced interrogation never crossed line into torture

So, are EITs torture? It's a ferocious debate that can be broken into two parts. The first is political. Democrats opposed EITs retroactively to score points.

The second part is the more central one: Do these techniques cross the line into torture? Some critics assume many of these techniques, waterboarding in particular, are violations of the Geneva Conventions. But there is a problem with that assumption: They weren't.

The president never authorized torture. He did just the opposite by making sure the EITs did not cross the legal line into torture. What's more, EITs did help our intelligence agents gather critical information to thwart future attacks.

On Principles & Values: FL recount strategy: Follow law as it stood on Election Day

On Election Day, these instructions were printed for voters to see: "After voting, check your ballot card to be sure your voting selections are clearly and cleanly punched and there are no chips left hanging on the back of the card."

The law said that any ballot with a hanging chip, or "Chad" to use the media's favorite term, was not a legal vote. The question was if that law would be followed or if election boards would throw it out and use different standards at different times--or different standards at the same time in the same room--to determine voter intent.

On Principles & Values: 2000 OpEd: By any count, Bush would have won Florida

On Tax Reform: 2001: Enough is enough; American people deserve tax relief

In 2001, the economy was lurching into recession and the federal government was taking a bigger share of the US economy in taxes than in any year since 1944. Adjusting for inflation, Washington collected twice as much income tax revenue in 2001 as it did in 1981. Bush summed up his view this way: "Enough is enough. The American people deserve tax relief." In response, Congress approved a tax relief package of $1.3 trillion.

Bush's support for tax cuts was grounded in three premises. First, he understood that money collected from the people belonged to them, not the government. Second, Bush knew that while government cannot create wealth, it can affect the environment in which entrepreneurs flourish and jobs are created. Third, Bush saw that tax cuts would create new jobs and ease the financial burdens of average Americans.

On War & Peace: Reason for invading Iraq: Saddam was a threat

None of these theories is true. The reason we turned our attention to Iraq was much more straightforward: we believed Saddam Hussein posed a threat to America's national security. This view reflected a significant shift in the president's thinking after 9/11, and it was a view he repeatedly laid out in public speeches.

On War & Peace: Saddam posed unique threat post-9-11

In the wake of 9/11, these actions made Saddam Hussein a unique threat. This dangerous combination of factors--a post 9/11 world, Saddam Hussein in violation of a slew of U.N. resolutions, and the evil nature of his regime--made Iraq a unique threat in our eyes.

On Welfare & Poverty: By 2007, 11% of $20B in annual grants went to FBOs

He set up a White House office to promote these efforts and issued an executive order providing religious charities equal access to government grant monies. No longer could only secular nonprofits apply for the roughly $20 billion each year to confront addiction, homelessness, and domestic violence. By 2007, roughly 10.8% of these funds were going to faith-based charities. Bush's focus was not whether you were a sacred or secular organization, but whether your program changed lives.

We were accused of using the Faith-Based Initiative to channel money to evangelical groups as "patronage for its friends on the Christian right."

On Welfare & Poverty: 2002 National Service agenda: community & compassion abroad

The national service agenda had three priorities: responding to emergencies such as 9/11, strengthening communities, and extending American's compassion abroad. The president also announced that a new White House council, reporting directly to him, would coordinate these service efforts throughout the federal government. It was called USA Freedom Corps and it helped direct an extraordinary amount of good works to productive endeavors and ranks as one of the most successful service campaigns in our country's history. The results are there for all to see.

On Budget & Economy: 2001: Warned of problems with Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac

Our bill would have subjected Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the kinds of federal regulation that banks, credit unions, and savings loans have to comply with. No Democrat supported it. The economic danger didn't faze Fannie or Freddie's congressional allies, who ranted at Bush officials who testified on the need for reform.

When Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae collapsed at the end of 2008, after housing values had dropped 12.8% since 2006, they were the accelerant that turned a minor economic downturn into a worldwide calamity.

On Civil Rights: Coalition for governor: Juntos Podemos & Amigos de Bush

The Democratic mayor & the unlikely collection of amateur campaigners made Bush the first Republican gubernatorial candidate in history to carry El Paso.

On Civil Rights: 2003: Opposed MA decision legalizing gay marriage

While Bush supported same-sex partner rights such as hospital visits and health coverage, he did call for a constitutional amendment defending the institution of marriage. His concern was that state court decisions would undermine the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed by Congress and signed by Pres. Clinton in 1996, defining marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman and saying that states need not recognize a marriage from another state if it is between persons of the same sex.

The issue grew more intense, but Bush's rhetoric did not. [Bigotry accusations] made gay marriage the kind of issue most political candidates dread--not because they don't know where they stand, but because no one likes being branded a hater.

On Corporations: 2001 corporate tax cut to stimulate economy

The president had asked for proposals to stimulate the economy: cut the corporate tax by 20%; change tax laws to allow small businesses to take better advantage of tax write-offs; repeal the corporate minimum tax; and allow companies to write off current losses against past profits for a longer period.

Gephardt agreed that something needed to be done. But he suggested instead sending out rebate checks to low- & moderate-income households. Our team had considered rebates, but decided they would be used to pay down credit card debt, and not stimulate the economy.

We'd get less economic bang for our money and fewer jobs would be created, but the president wanted to signal to Gephardt he was willing to drop one of his positions in order to pick up one of Gephardt's. I thought Bush was being overly generous.

On Education: Education is the civil rights struggle of our time

Issues are also ways for people to understand a candidate's character and values. For example, when Bush said education was the civil rights struggle of our time or that the absence of an accountability system in our schools meant black, brown, poor, and rural children were getting left behind, it gave listeners important information about his respect and concern for every family and deepened the impression that he was a different kind of Republican whom suburban voters could be proud to support.

On Education: No Child Left Behind resonated with parents' natural desire

That's different from asking, What do I need to educate voters about? For example, in Bush's 2000 campaign, we targeted suburban couples with children. Many of these voters had defected to Clinton in 1992 or 1996; some had simply stayed home. Bush's focus on No Child Left Behind and education reform resonated with their natural desire to want the best for their children and the inclination of many of these voters to see a quality education for other children as a social good.

On Education: 2000: Targeted suburban couples with children via NCLB

That's different from asking, What do I need to educate voters about? For example, in Bush's 2000 campaign, we targeted suburban couples with children. Many of these voters had defected to Clinton in 1992 or 1996; some had simply stayed home. Bush's focus on No Child Left Behind and education reform resonated with their natural desire to want the best for their children and the inclination of many of these voters to see a quality education for other children as a social good.

On Education: As Texas Gov., made reading initiative a top priority

One happened after a meeting with the Texas Education Agency staff, who'd come to report that 33,000 children had failed the 3rd-grade minimum reading skills exam. This test was at the "see Spot run" level. When he asked what happened to the children, the bureaucrats told the governor that 29,000 of them had been passed to the 4th grade. It made Bush mad because he understood a child who doesn't learn to read by th 3rd grade cannot possibly succeed. The meeting helped convince him to make a reading initiative a top priority.

As he later traveled the state to whip up support for it, an elderly teacher lectured him that it would fail because, as she put it, "Governor, there are just some kids who can't learn to read." Her implication was that this was because their skin color was different. That just made Bush mad as hell. After that, nothing was going to stand in the way of getting this proposal done.

On Environment: For mountaintop mining in WV; for more water flows in MO

On Environment: Katrina: Posse Comitatus Act prevents feds from sending help

It seemed her big concern was public safety: she wanted the US military to restore order. But that was illegal. Since the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, the military cannot be used for law enforcement & only the president can command the US military, not state or local officials. Blanco didn't seem to get this.

Because we weren't getting clear information or specific requests from Blanco, our strong preference was to "federalize" the event. FEMA director Mike Brown asked Blanco to federalize the effort on Tuesday, the day after Katrina hit. She declined.

On Families & Children: Restore dignity and honor to the White House

On Foreign Policy: 9-11 insight: new struggle against global totalitarianism

Atop a crushed fire truck, amidst the rubble of shattered towers, Bush showed moral clarity and courage that were to prove vital to confronting totalitarianism. His critical insight was that Western ideas of freedom, democracy, and open markets provided a bulwark against this new tyranny. So in addition to routing the Taliban and destroying al-Qaeda, he sought to plant democracy firmly in Afghanistan and Iraq, the historic center of the Middle East. He saw that by promoting freedom, the US could give millions of Muslims a compelling reason to stand with us in this struggle. Such conviction is too rare in leaders: I am confident his actions will be judged by history as brave and right.

On Free Trade: Fast-track needed for US global economic leadership

The measure passed by a single vote, cast by Rep. Robin Hayes (R, NC), whose district was full of textile mills and voters who feared losing their jobs if trade barriers were lowered. A textile mill owner himself, Hayes voted on principle: he believed TPA was a power any president should have. But it was not an easy vote for him to make. After casting it, he sat down on the House floor and wept, believing he had ended his political career.

I made it a personal crusade to see him reelected. He won.

On Government Reform: If you want someone to tinker with the system, that's not me

He took a swipe at Richards: "Our leaders should be judged by results, not by entertaining personalities or clever sound bites." Richards cited rising SAT scores, a lower dropout rate, & 350,000 new jobs during her tenure. This didn't jibe with voters' growing concern about the quality of public schools, increasingly violent juvenile crime, and uneven economic progress. It also made it clear she was running on the past, not her vision for the future. That mind-set is always dangerous, but especially so in a rapidly growing state like Texas, where officeholders must introduce themselves to a lot of new people every few years.

Bush worked to establish his dominance on his four issues: education reform education, juvenile justice, welfare, and tort laws.

On Government Reform: 2004: Called for end to all independent group ads

By now, Bush could not dodge the controversy and, on Aug. 23, he responded to a reporter's question by calling for an end to all ads by independent groups. Democrats refused. The "Swifties" also dismissed the president's call, saying they would keep running ads. They ran seven new ones before the end of the campaign, spending about $19 million. They were easily the most effective independent ads of 2004.

Of course, I was blamed for Swift Board ads. I had no role in any of it, though the Swifties did a damned good job.

On Gun Control: Shot a protected bird species; confessed and paid $130 fine

His instincts kicked in. On the way to the airport, he called every reporter who'd been wit him to fess up to his crime. Because a politician owning up to a mistake is novel, the reporters treated him more gently than they otherwise would have. Bush handed a young press assistant a signed blank check and told him to find the guide and go pay th fine. $130, court costs included.

The chattering class initially thought this blunder would hurt Bush badly, but in fact it humanized him. Here was a candidate admitting he screwed up and, besides, how many Texas hunters had shot at the wrong bird?

On Health Care: 2000: market-based program for Medicare Rx drugs

Bush wanted to use free market forces to shape a Medicare prescription drug program that would be responsive to consumers, cost less than federal entitlements typically do, and provide seniors with a wide range of choices that would evolve over time to meet changing needs. He had run on creating a market-based--not government-run--program in the 2000 campaign.

But creating one was not a universally popular thing to do among Republicans. Some GOP members of Congress opposed the drug program because they believed it enlarged the welfare state.

On Immigration: Ended "catch-and-release" policy

On Principles & Values: Pioneers: each raises $100K in campaign donations

I believed that as the front-runner Bush had to win four "invisible primaries" before facing any of the real ones: Money, Establishment, Reassurance, and Substance. The first was the easiest to understand: Would Bush's fund-raising total be larger than everyone else's in the rest of the pack by a sizable amount?

On Principles & Values: Different kind of Republican, who attracted Hispanics

We didn't want there to be two Bushes--a primary/more conservative Bush; and a general election/more moderate Bush. We wanted to run from start to finish with the same candidate, emphasizing a consistent theme.

On Principles & Values: 1998: "Front Porch" campaign in pre-primary year

We began our own "Front Porch" campaign on June 8, 1998. At first the emphasis was on encouraging Bush's finance network to bring other fund-raisers from their state or region. They'd get into Austin in the morning in time for an early lunch. Governor Bush would break away from the Capitol, come to the Mansion, and join his guests, in groups up to 36, in th formal dining room.

While people ate, Bush stood at his table, held onto his chair, and held forth on his vision, the campaign he'd run, and the country's challenges. He'd take questions until his guests had to leave for planes or were exhausted.

On Principles & Values: 1999 Announcement speech: usher in the responsibility era

Bush surprised th press and delighted the crowd with a simple, straightforward statement: "I'm running for the president of the United States. There's no turning back. And I intend to be the next president." What followed was what for most Americans would constitute a polite show of enthusiasm; for Iowans, it was a roar of approval.

He said his goal was to help "usher in the responsibility era...that stands in stark contrast to the last few decades, when the culture has clearly said: If it feels good, do it." He talked about tax cuts, Social Security, and education reform, his faith-based initiative, and the need for increased defense spending. He was mildly criticized for being light on specifics. It didn't bother me; there was plenty of time for details later.

On Principles & Values: Christ as favorite philosopher reached ordinary churchgoers

It stunned the audience and made some in the press corps nearly apoplectic. Many in the media just didn't get it and saw it as a cynical and raw appeal to evangelical voters. But it struck lots of ordinary people who said grace before a meal, went to church on Sunday, and turned to their Maker in times of need as being sincere and revealing of who Bush really was. And that's what it really was. It was not the kind of answer you would draw up in advance.

On Principles & Values: 2000: Uninvolved with racist email attack on McCain in SC

It has since become an accepted myth that the Bush campaig was responsible for the e-mail attack. Some blamed me for a "Rove-orchestrated whispering campaign." But they're wrong. The Bush campaign & I had nothing to do with Hand's racially charged e-mail.

To hold him responsible, you would also have to believe that Bush, with his personal history of racial inclusion, would have sanctioned such an attack. Most South Carolina voters did not believe Bush would do such a thing. But the McCain campaign was convinced of it, and some reporters peddled the story.

On Social Security: Why be for reform if you can't talk about it?

On Social Security: Take on risky tasks to forestall worse later

Bush did what political leaders are constantly faulted for avoiding: taking on hard, politically risky tasks. He strove to make responsible changes now to forestall less wrenching ones later.

In his 2005 State of the Union speech, calling Social Security "a great moral success of the 20th century," Bush said, "we must honor its great purposes in this new century. The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security." As was his habit, Bush placed all his chips on the table. He called for private accounts for individual workers. Bush proposed giving younger workers the option of directing some of their Social Security tax payments into a personal account.

On Social Security: 2003: Progressive indexing would eliminate 2/3 of shortfall

On War & Peace: OpEd: Iraq war came from post-9-11 terrorism mindset

So, then, did Bush lie us into war? Absolutely not.

So why did President Bush choose to go after Saddam Hussein in the first place? Wasn't it a diversion from what should have been the real goal, which was to defeat al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan?

Part of the reason why the president felt strongly about Iraq has to do with how the attacks on 9/11 affected his mind-set and that of the administration, Congress, and the country. After 9/11, we believed Iraq represented a deeply dangerous threat--a rogue regime with WMD, no constraints on using them, and a record of support for terrorists.

On War & Peace: 2006: Deploy troops out of bases and into hotspots