got geoint?

As we are writing this post, the thundering masses are gathering on the Mall in Washington, DC. Despite the cold weather, those attending seem energized and inspired by the changes happening to our great nation. During this time of transition, and as President Bush only has a few more hours in office, we wanted to pull together some recent editorials assessing his performance — especially when it comes to national security.

First up, Judith Miller from Fox News wrote this Op-Ed called “Give Bush for Keeping Us Safe.” Her argument, which is very sound, is that:

“The Bush national security legacy, as the outgoing president sees it, can be summed up in four words: ‘he kept us safe.’ There has not been another terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. But was that the result of a combination of “no-brainer” and extraordinary (and possibly illegal) responses to September 11? Or to the fact that Al Qaeda was never really capable of mounting a second catastrophic strike on American soil? To luck? Or to all of the above?”

Ms. Miller also notes that: “The president’s dwindling number of defenders should also acknowledge that the president waited until September 4, almost a year into his administration before holding a “principals” meeting of his most senior advisors on counterterrorism. He also demoted Richard Clarke, the civil servant who had been the single most ardent proponent of aggressive action against Al Qaeda.”

Here she discusses how 9/11 did happen when Bush was in office:

“In other words: September 11 happened on President Bush’s watch, and that, too was no accident. The bi-partisan 9/11 Commission found much wanting in the policies of both the Clinton and Bush administrations when it came to what Washington now calls “connecting the dots,” or in the case of 9/11, failing to do so.”

In a more unbiased piece, the American Daily ran this Op-Ed by Mary Mostert that compares Bush’s actions against terrorism with Obama’s promises. And, one line stood out: “If Obama delivers what he has promised, i.e. a smaller military and intelligence effort, it will probably follow that we may not be free on terrorist attacks in the future.”

What do you all think? Is the reason we have not had a terrorist attack on our soil because of Bush’s efforts? Will our national security efforts soften under Obama?

Tags: 9/11, Inauguration, National Security, Obama, President Bush