From Hank in NY:

“Great Leaders/Great Words”

As I think about the past seven years with George W. Bush, it occurs to me that this President will go down in history as the most disinterested, anti-intellectual and inarticulate leader America has ever had. These thoughts bring to mind the inspiring words of past presidents like Abraham Lincoln’s “this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people”, Thomas Jefferson’s, “We the People in order to form a more perfect Union…….”, FDR’s, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”, and, “this is a day that will live in infamy”, John Kennedy’s, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”, Ronald Reagan’s, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that Wall”, and George H.W. Bush’s, “Read my lips, no new taxes”.

Then we come to the Bush 43 years, which have been peppered with statements that grate like chalk on a blackboard. The list is endless, but a few of my favorites are; “Saddam Hussein has sought to purchase quantities of uranium from Africa”, major combat operations in Iraq are over”, our enemies stay awake 24 hours a day, seven days a week thinking of new ways to harm us, and so do we”, “those weapons of mass destruction must be around here somewhere” (looking under a table while speaking at a national journalists dinner), “Brownie, you’re doing a great job”, “We will do whatever it takes to restore the Gulf Coast” (speaking in Jackson Square in New Orleans after Katrina), “I’m the decider, and I decide what’s best for the country, and right now Don Rumsfeld’s the best Defense Secretary for America” (speaking ten days before he fired Rumsfeld).

As I travel around the world it is stunning to see the reaction of our friends and enemies to the presidency of George W. Bush. As I write this there are (thankfully) 397 days left before Bush leaves office and the world breathes a collective sigh of relief. I suppose the only people who will truly miss Mr. Bush are Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and the other talk show hosts who have counted on the President’s remarks as the mainstay of their monologues.