I know it's fashionable, brother, for Democrats to paint themselves in heroic colours, while also attacking the Republicans as being the Evil Party (not you, by the way, but the rhetoric of the liberal left is generally spiteful and designed to restrict free expression), while also blaming the Republicans for the mess that their Democrat president a) had to clean up, or b) was unable to clean up because of the danged nasty Republicans.
Remember, while Bill Clinton was failing to even commit adultery properly, he presided over the most calamitous intelligence neglect that eventually gave us 9/11. Perhaps Bill was convinced by the whole End of History argument, and felt America was impregnable, or perhaps he was busy ruining Monica, but Bush inherited an intelligence agency in disarray, which set in motion an awful chain of events. Bush was an incompetent President, the wrong man at the wrong time, but history might be more favourable towards him than we expect right now.
By the way, Barack is still involved in the Middle East, but in a terrible hamfisted way. Not only has he alienated the only liberal democracy there, but he's actually been hostile towards them, while both encouraging and giving the means to their sworn enemy to develop nuclear power. He's weakened America's influence in the region, while allowing the Russians to bully their way in. He's been outplayed, out-thought, and out-fought by Vladimir Putin on the world stage, to the extent that the world is now a less safe place to be, since Barack Obama became president.
He didn't even manage to close Gitmo. :cover
As for the President v The House of Congress, I see a wisdom in the way the people voted there. Obviously, "Democracy" is a very narrow and loose term in America - you have two juggernauts backed by self-interest and big business, and nothing else. You vote for one career politician who's in the pocket of a global corporation - or you vote for the other. You don't get any choice otherwise. But in electing a Democrat president, and a Republican congress, the people were smart. They gave several very clear signals. Firstly, that the President's power isn't absolute, and nor should it be. There are limits to it, and he should respect that.
Secondly, the two sides should work together.
They didn't elect a Republican congress so that all the Democrats policies should be enacted. They elected a Republican congress because they wanted both. The best of both, actually. Now, for all his shadiness, and so forth, Bill Clinton could cross the floor with ease and work with the opposition, but it doesn't suit Obama. He's the Boy Wonder. He got a Nobel Peace Prize for just being Obama, and for nothing else. He's entitled, and arrogant, and people have even mistaken him for being a great orator. What's he need them Republicans for? They should do what he tells them.
Looking at it over the last few decades, who have the opposition put forward recently? Mitt Romney, John Kerry, John McCain. And other mediocrities. Maybe the best people are earning shedloads of dosh in big corporations - who needs the panto and farce of politics, as well as all the intrusiveness and security hassles? Little wonder Hillary has been selling herself so promiscuously on Wall Street...
:nono :angel: :dodgy: :cover