George Bush

Scandal in the Interior

Donial Dastgir and Elizabeth Manapsal — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:28:20 -0400

This past week, a new scandal emerged from the Department of the Interior. Given how lurid the details to the scandal are, it is more than a little surprising that it has not had a more explosive effect, and it is disappointing that there has been little coverage of it on media outlets..

Bush Signs New Rules on Government Wiretapping

The Associated Press — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:55:02 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush signed a bill Thursday that overhauls rules about government eavesdropping and grants immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the U.S. spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases.

He called it "landmark legislation that is vital to the security of our people."

Bush signed the measure in a Rose Garden ceremony a day after the Senate sent it to him, following nearly a year of debate in the Democratic-led Congress over surveillance rules and the warrantless wiretapping program Bush initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was a battle that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks and Democrats' fears of being portrayed as weak when it comes to protecting the country.

Bush Administration Lifts North Korea Sanctions

The Associated Press — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:51:57 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Thursday lifted trade sanctions against North Korea and moved to remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist, a remarkable turnaround in policy toward the communist regime he once branded as part of an "axis of evil."

The announcement at the White House came after North Korea handed over a long-awaited accounting of its nuclear work to Chinese officials on Thursday, fulfilling a key step in the denuclearization process.

Former Aide: Bush Should Tell All on CIA Leak

The Associated Press — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:52:08 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former White House spokesman told Congress on Friday that President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney wanted him to say that Cheney's chief of staff wasn't involved in the leak of a CIA operative's identity, an assertion that turned out to be false.

Scott McClellan, Bush's spokesman from 2003-2006, said he had reservations about publicly clearing the name of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's chief of staff at the time. Later, Libby was convicted of obstructing the investigation of the leak of Valerie Plame's CIA identity.

McClellan told the House Judiciary Committee that he doesn't know if a crime was committed. But he had harsh words for the White House, suggesting that the administration is continuing to cover up.

Court Says Detainees Have Rights, Bucking Bush

The Associated Press — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:13:07 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a stinging rebuke to President Bush's anti-terror policies, a deeply divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign detainees held for years at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have the right to appeal to U.S. civilian courts to challenge their indefinite imprisonment without charges.

Bush said he strongly disagreed with the decision — the third time the court has repudiated him on the detainees — and suggested he might seek yet another law to keep terror suspects locked up at the prison camp, even as his presidency winds down.

Iranian Leader Calls President Bush a 'Wicked Man'

The Associated Press — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:10:36 -0400

SHAHR-E-KORD, Iran (AP) — Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called President Bush a "wicked man" Wednesday.

Addressing thousands of people in this central city, he said Bush had set out to damage Iran but failed to halt its nuclear program and would not succeed in his goal of attacking the Islamic republic.

"This wicked man desires to harm the Iranian nation. (Bush) made plans, moved into Afghanistan and then Iraq, and announced that Iran was the third target," Ahmadinejad said.

"I tell him ... your era has come to an end. With the grace of God, you won't be able to harm even one centimeter of the sacred land of Iran."

Bush Pays Tribute to Troops at Arlington

The Associated Press — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:12:51 -0400

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — President Bush paid tribute today to America’s fighting men and women who died in battle, saying national leaders must have “the courage and character to follow their lead” in preserving peace and freedom.

“On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am,” Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in the hallowed cemetery, he said, “They’re an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens.”

That provoked a standing ovation from the crowd in a marble amphitheater where Bush spoke. “Whoo-hoo!” shouted one woman, who couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.