Farewell Mr. President
January 15As Inauguration Day draws ever (mercifully) closer, we at the Daily think it's time to look back on a nearly decade-long presidency that, in many ways, has defined our generation. George W. Bush said farewell to the nation in a nationally televised address last night; today, we at the Daily say farewell to him. President Bush's exemplary command of the English language and inspiringly insightful quotes such as, "Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people" and "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" will be sorely missed. His ability to empathize and endear himself to members of foreign cultures and to garner the genuine respect of multiple foreign powers were truly his greatest personal assets. He believed in the righteousness of America and that its voice should be heard above all others. The fact that the United States lost most of its credibility amongst other nations was entirely out of his control. Mr. Bush's dedication to his work was truly extraordinary. He refused to let even such major events as the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 interrupt his presidential story time — a true mark of his priorities. His commitment to truth and justice stands as an example for all nations of the developed world. He made sure that nothing stood in the way of the ability of his government to gain answers from the "terrorists" at Guantanamo Bay, not even the pesky laws of his own country that mandate due process of law, a trial by jury and explicitly prohibit "cruel and unusual punishment." He also understood, however, that the United States itself could never be held to the same standard of "truth" as other petty nations and therefore was unconcerned when the intelligence that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction turned out to be false. Mr. Bush's commitment to fairness was likewise admirable. Opposed to all forms of ill-gotten gains, his election in 2000 was wholly unprejudiced (and the fact that his brother appointed the state attorney general who ultimately determined the election was a matter of coincidence that held no bearing on the results). Mr. Bush chose as his vice president the stellar Richard Cheney, the only man whose dedication to fairness surpasses his own; Cheney did not even allow the fact that his daughter was a lesbian to sway him from his righteous anti-gay convictions. Next week, Mr. Bush will vacate the White House and leave the country in command of lesser men who lack his brilliance, and while all things must change and the old must always be supplanted by the new, there can be no doubt that Mr. Bush's skill, intellect and understanding will be missed.
