moving0target said:
Bush has a vengeful streak and he's autocratic. Right. I'd love to see some basis for those arguments. If you apply those monikers to Bush, then they pretty much apply to every US president.
I dont mean to be rude, but if you have to ask the question it really means you dont know the man. Bush is well known for his vindictiveness for slights real or imagined. No president (Democrat or Republican), has been as vengeful as Bush since Richard Nixon, and his victims have included fellow republicans that didnt toe the line. His father, wasn't a vindictive man, neither was Reagan. But boy, this guy just oozes nastiness and petty vindictiveness, a trait from his mother, which is why Nancy Reagan despised her.
Joe Wilson (outed his wife as a CIA agent, after Wilson caught Bush in a lie). A felony.
Scott Ritter (phoney child molester chargers after Ritter disproved Bush claims of WMD in early 2001).
The French (vilefied, and trashed because they refused to back Bush on Iraq, even though there are French troops with the US in Afganistan). Bush even said on ABC News in reference to Chirac 'I doubt he'll be coming to my ranch soon!" with that well known arrogent smirk. You can imagine Chirac's satisfaction at watching Bush beg him for aid after the fiasco unfolded in Iraq.
The Germans (ditto, but on a slighter lesser extent).
Democrats/Liberals Bush allowance to allow his followers to label the left as 'traitors' and 'unamerican' merely because they disagree. Allows his attack dogs to smear those democrats that prove particularily irksome.
Tony Sanchez: A Republican and personal friend to Bush who dared run against Rick Perry (Bush hand picked successor as Govornor). Bush was angered that Sanchez had challenged Bush decision so he let Perry use his own attack dogs that portrayed Sanchez as a Drug money launder responsible for the death of a DEA agent.
Tom Dashcle: Had a TV ad comparing Dashcle to Saddam because Dashcle had torpedoed the economic stimulous plan, which included a $1 Billion Dollar handout to Enron.
Jim Jeffords a Republican who dared vote a little too liberal for Bush's taste and was punished by removing various state aid packages. Jeffords got even. Moral of story, never double-cross a Vermoter.
All Campaign Opponents, Republican or Democrat. Not technically vengeful but illustrates how low this man will get to punish a political opponent, whether it be racists slurs on a baby, the sliming of a vietnam vet, and suggesting that Ann Richards and John McCain were Homosexuals.
Thats a bit of a pattern, and thats only a few. As for the other part I wont elaborate here, but lets just say hes redefined the term 'imperial presidency'.