George Walker Bush (1946)/Biography

George Walker Bush (born, ) is the forty-third and current , originally inaugurated on ,. Bush was first elected in the, and reelected for a second term in the. He previously served as the forty-sixth from 1995 to 2000, and is the eldest son of former United States President.

Following college, Bush worked in his family's oil businesses before making an unsuccessful run for the in 1978. He later co-owned the  team before returning to politics in a campaign for Governor of Texas. He defeated and was elected Governor of Texas in 1994. Bush won the presidency in 2000 as the candidate in a, in which he lost the nationwide popular vote, but won the.

As president, Bush signed into law a $1.35 trillion program in 2001, and in 2002 the. In October 2001, after the, Bush announced a global  and ordered an to overthrow the , destroy , and to capture. In March 2003, Bush ordered the, asserting that Iraq was in violation of and that the war was necessary for the protection of the United States.

Running as a self-described "war president" in the midst of the, Bush was on , ; his  against   was successful despite controversy over Bush's prosecution of the Iraq War and domestic issues. After his re-election, Bush received increasingly heated. His domestic has declined from 90 percent (the highest ever recorded by ) immediately after the  to a low of 24 percent, the lowest level for any sitting president in 35 years.

Childhood to mid-life
Born in, on , , Bush was the first child of  and. Bush was raised in and, with his four siblings, , , , and. Another younger sister,, died in 1953 at the age of three from. Bush's grandfather,, was a from Connecticut, and his father served as U.S. President from 1989 to 1993. He is also distantly related to President and several other presidents.

Bush attended in, where he played baseball, and was the head cheerleader at the all-boys school during his senior year. Following in his father's footsteps, Bush attended, where he received a in history in 1968. As a college senior, Bush became a member of the secretive society. By his own characterization, Bush was an average student.

In May 1968, at the height of the ongoing, Bush was accepted into the Texas despite only scoring in the 25th percentile  on the written pilot's aptitude test, which was the lowest acceptable passing grade. This was at a time when more than ten thousand Air National Guard personnel, many fighter pilots, had been called to active duty to serve both in Vietnam, and in support of operations there. After training, he was assigned to duty in, flying  out of. that Bush was favorably treated during his time of service due to his father's political standing and that he was irregular in attendance. The has released all of the records of Bush's Texas Air National Guard service which it says remain in its official archives. In 1970 Bush applied to the and was rejected. Bush took a transfer to the Air National Guard in 1972 to work on a Republican senate campaign, and in October 1973 he was discharged for the Texas Air National Guard almost eight months early to attend  and completed his six-year service obligation in the inactive reserve.

There are a number of and otherwise disorderly conduct by Bush from this time. Bush has admitted to drinking "too much" in those years and described this period of his life as his "nomadic" period of "irresponsible youth". On, , at the age of 30, Bush was arrested for of alcohol near his family's summer home in ,. He pled guilty, was fined $150, and had his suspended in Maine until 1978.

After obtaining an from, Bush entered the  in Texas. In 1977, he was introduced by friends to, a schoolteacher and librarian. They married and settled in. Bush left his family's Church to join his wife's.

In 1978, Bush ran for the from the. His opponent portrayed Bush as being out of touch with rural Texans; Bush lost by 6,000 votes. Bush returned to the oil industry, becoming a senior partner or chief executive officer of several ventures, such as, , and, later,. These ventures suffered from the general decline of oil prices in the 1980s that had affected the industry and the regional economy. Additionally, questions of possible involving Harken have arisen, though the 's (SEC) investigation of Bush concluded that he did not have enough insider information before his stock sale to warrant a case.

Bush moved with his family to, in 1988, to work on his father's campaign for the U.S. presidency. Returning to Texas after the campaign, Bush purchased a share in the baseball franchise in April 1989, where he served as managing general partner for five years. During this time, the team traded away, who would go on to be a popular and prodigious home run hitter for the. Bush actively led the team's projects and regularly attended its games, often choosing to sit in the open stands with fans. The sale of Bush's share in the Rangers brought him over $15 million from his initial $800,000 investment.

Bush is sometimes referred to informally as George Bush Jr. in order to distinguish him from his father. However, because the son's full name is not exactly the same as his father's (the younger is George Walker Bush as opposed to the elder George Herbert Walker Bush), the "Jr." is incorrect. He is also known by the "Dubya", playing on his Southern pronunciation of the letter W, his middle initial, and distinguishing him from his father George Bush. Since his election to the presidency, some commentators refer to him as "Bush 43" (the 43rd President of the United States) and his father as "Bush 41." He may also be referred to as Bush II, or George II, while his father is Bush I or George I.

Governor of Texas
Bush declared his candidacy for the 1994 Texas election as his brother,, sought the governorship of. Winning the Republican primary easily, Bush faced incumbent Governor, a popular Democrat who was considered the favorite.

Bush was aided by several political advisers, including, , and. The Bush campaign was criticized for allegedly using controversial methods to disparage Richards. Following an impressive performance in the debates, however, Bush's popularity grew. He won with 52 percent against Richards' 47 percent.

As governor, Bush successfully sponsored legislation for tort reform, increased education funding, set higher standards for schools, and reformed the system. Under his leadership, Texas executed a record 152 prisoners. Bush used a budget surplus to push through a $2 billion tax-cut plan, the largest in Texas history, which cemented Bush's credentials as a pro-business fiscal conservative.

Bush also pioneered by extending government funding and support for religious organizations that provide social services such as education, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, and reduction of domestic violence. He proclaimed to be  in, a day where he "urge[d] all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need."

In 1998, Bush won re-election in a with nearly 69 percent of the vote. Within a year, he had decided to seek the nomination for the presidency.

Primary
Bush's campaign was managed by Rove, Hughes and Allbaugh, as well as by other political associates from Texas. He was endorsed by a majority of Republicans in 38 state legislatures. After winning the, Bush lost to U.S. Senator of  in the. Bush then picked up eleven of the next sixteen primaries, effectively clinching the Republican nomination.

In the televised Republican presidential debate held in on , all of the participating candidates were asked "What political  or thinker do you most identify with and why?" Unlike most of the other candidates, who cited former presidents and other political figures, Bush responded, ", because he changed my heart". Bush's appeal to religious values seems to have aided him in the general election. In a those who said they "attend church weekly" gave him 56% of their vote in 2000, and 63% of their vote in 2004. During the election cycle, Bush labeled himself a "", and his promised to "restore honor and dignity to the ," a reference to the scandals and impeachment of his predecessor.

General election
On, Bush surprised some observers by asking  chief executive officer , a former ,  and , to be his Vice Presidential. Cheney was then serving as head of Bush's Vice-Presidential search committee.

While stressing his successful record as governor of Texas, Bush's campaign criticized the Democratic nominee, incumbent Vice President, over , the , and taxation.

Bush won the 2000 elections in a heated victory that saw the state of appearing in exit polls to go to Gore, then to Bush. Two initial counts went to Bush but that outcome was tied up in courts for a month until the stepped in. On, in the  case, it reversed a Florida Supreme Court ruling ordering a third count and stopped an ordered statewide hand recount based on the argument that the different standards that different counting procedures would have used violated the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. The machine recount stated that Bush had won the Florida vote by a margin of 537 votes out of 6 million cast. The famous episode pushed terms like into the popular lexicon.

Bush received 271 to Gore's 266 as a result of the Florida outcome. However, he lost the popular vote by more than half a million votes making him the first president elected without at least a of the popular vote since  in 1888.

2004 Presidential candidacy
Bush commanded broad support in the Republican Party and did not encounter a primary challenge. He appointed as campaign manager, with a political strategy devised by Rove. Bush outlined an agenda that included a strong commitment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a renewal of the, making earlier tax cuts permanent, cutting the budget deficit in half, promoting education, as well as reform in tort law, reforming Social Security, and creation of an.

The Bush campaign advertised across the U.S. against Democratic candidates, including Bush's emerging opponent, Senator. Kerry and other Democrats attacked Bush on the war in Iraq, perceived excesses of the USA PATRIOT Act and for allegedly failing to stimulate the economy and job growth. The Bush campaign portrayed Kerry as a staunch who would raise taxes and increase the size of government. The Bush campaign continuously criticized Kerry's seemingly contradictory statements on the war in Iraq, and claimed Kerry lacked the decisiveness and vision necessary for success in the war on terrorism. Bush carried 31 of 50 states for a total of 286 votes.

Bush won an outright of the popular vote, the first president to do so since his father in 1988. In addition, Bush's re-election occurring along with the Republican Party maintaining its majorities in both houses of Congress was the first time this instance occurred since 's election in.

Economic policy
Facing opposition in Congress, Bush held town hall-style public meetings across the U.S. in 2001 to increase public support for his plan for a $1.35 trillion tax cut program—one of the largest tax cuts in U.S. history. Bush and his economic advisers argued that unspent government funds should be returned to taxpayers. With reports of the threat of recession from Federal Reserve Chairman, Bush argued that such a tax cut would stimulate the economy and create jobs. Others, including the Treasury Secretary at the time, were opposed to some of the tax cuts on the basis that they would contribute to budget deficits and undermine.

Under the Bush Administration, Real has grown at an average annual rate of 2.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has grown by about 30% since January 2001. rose from 4.2% in January 2001 to 6.3% in June 2003, dropping to its current rate of 4.5%. The on-budget deficit for 2006 was $434 billion, a change from an $86 billion surplus in 2000. Inflation-adjusted has been flat while the nation's poverty rate has increased. By August 23, 2007, the national debt had officially risen to $8.98 trillion dollars; the national debt has increased $3.25 trillion dollars since Bush took office.

While some argue that the Bush-era economy has mostly benefited the wealthy and not the majority of middle and lower-class citizens , and still others have claimed the exact opposite  ; information available suggests that the standard of living has increased on all rungs of the socio-economic strata -- with the bulk of income gains having gone to the top 1%, whose share of income has increased substantially.

Education and health
The aimed to measure and close the gap between rich and poor student performance, provide options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and target more federal funding to low-income. Critics argue that Bush has underfunded his own program, and Democratic Senator has claimed: "The tragedy is that these long-overdue reforms are finally in place, but the funds are not." Many educational experts have criticized these reforms, contending that NCLBA's focus on "high stakes testing" and quantitative outcomes is counterproductive. Bush increased funding for the and  in his first years of office, and created education programs to strengthen the grounding in science and mathematics for American high school students. However, funding for NIH failed to keep up with inflation in 2004 and 2005, and was actually cut in 2006, the first such cut in 36 years.

In 2007, Bush opposed and vetoed passed by Congress which would have provided federally-funded healthcare benefits and plans to children of some low-income families, and would have removed  from vaccines. It would have been funded by an increase in the cigarette tax.

Social services and Social Security
Bush promoted increased deregulation and investment options in social services, leading Republican efforts to pass the, which added prescription drug coverage to Medicare and created , which would permit people to set aside a portion of their Medicare tax to build a "nest egg". The retired persons lobby group worked with the Bush Administration on the program and gave their endorsement. Bush said the law, estimated to cost $400 billion over the first 10 years, would give the elderly "better choices and more control over their health care". Bush began his second term by outlining a major initiative to reform Social Security, which was facing record deficit projections beginning in 2005. Bush made it the centerpiece of his agenda despite contrary beliefs in the media and in the U.S. Congress, which saw the program as the "," with the American public being suspicious of any attempt to change it. It was also widely believed to be the province of the Democratic Party, with Republicans in the past having been accused of efforts to dismantle or privatize it. In his, Bush discussed the allegedly impending bankruptcy of the program and attacked political inertia against reform. He proposed options to permit Americans to divert a portion of their Social Security tax (FICA) into secured investments, creating a "nest egg" that he claimed would enjoy steady growth. Despite emphasizing safeguards and remaining open to other plans, Bush's proposal was criticized for its high cost, and Democrats attacked it as an effort to partially privatize the system, and for leaving Americans open to the whims of the market. Bush embarked on a 60-day national tour, campaigning vigorously for his initiative in media events ("Conversations on Social Security") in a largely unsuccessful attempt to gain support from the general public. Despite energetic campaign by Bush to promote his Social Security reform plan, by May 2005 the public support for the Bush proposal declined substantially and the House GOP leadership decided not to put Social Security reform on the priority list for the remainder of their 2005 legislative agenda. The proposal's legislative prospects were further diminished by the political fallout from the in the fall of 2005. In the run-up to the 2006 congressional elections, the Republican leadership in Congress put the hot-button issue of the Social Security reform on the back burner. No substantive legislative action was taken on this issue in 2006. After the Democrats took over control of both houses of Congress as a result of the 2006 mid-term elections, the prospects of any further congressional action on the Bush proposal appeared to be dead for the remainder of his term in office.

Environmental policy and global warming
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Upon arriving in office in 2001, Bush withdrew United States support of the, an amendment to the Convention on Climate Change seeking to impose mandatory targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He did so after the Senate had voted 95–0 on a resolution expressing its disapproval in 1997. Bush asserted he would not support it because the treaty exempted 80% of the world's population, would have cost the economy tens of billions of dollars per year, and uncertainties about the science of climate change. The Bush Administration's stance on has remained controversial in the scientific and environmental communities during his presidency. In 2004, the Director of 's Goddard Institute,, publicly and harshly accused the Administration of misinforming the public by suppressing the scientific evidence of the dangers of greenhouse gases, saying the Bush Administration wanted to hear only scientific results that “fit predetermined, inflexible positions” and edited reports to make the dangers sound less threatening in what he asserted was "direct opposition to the most fundamental precepts of science." Bush had said that he has consistently noted that global warming is a serious problem, but asserted there is a "debate over whether it's manmade or naturally caused". In his, Bush renewed his pledge to work toward diminished reliance on foreign oil by reducing fossil fuel consumption and increasing alternative fuel production.

In 2002, Bush announced the, aimed at amending the to reduce air pollution through the use of  programs. Critics contended that it would have weakened the original legislation by allowing higher levels of pollutants than were permitted at that time. The initiative was introduced to Congress, but failed to make it out of committee.

In 2006, Bush declared the a national monument, creating the largest marine reserve to date. It comprises 84 million acres (340,000 km²) and is home to 7,000 species of fish, birds and other marine animals, many of which are specific to only those islands. The move was hailed by conservationists for "its foresight and leadership in protecting this incredible area."

Stem cell research and first use of veto power
Federal funding for medical research involving the creation or destruction of human embryos through the and the  has been forbidden by law since the  of 1995. Bush has asserted that he supports stem cell research, but only to the extent that human embryos are not destroyed in order to harvest additional. On, Bush signed an executive order lifting the ban on federal funding for the 71 existing "lines" of , but the ability of these existing lines to provide an adequate medium for testing has been questioned. Testing can only be done on 12 of the original lines, and all of the approved lines have been cultured in contact with mouse cells, which makes it highly unlikely would ever approve them for administration to humans. Mouse cells are often contaminated with viruses, and they feed cell surface antigens to the stem cells that prevent safe administration to humans.

On, Bush used his  power for the first time in his presidency to veto the , a bill that would have reversed the , permitting federal money to be used for research where stem cells are derived from the destruction of an embryo.

Immigration
In 2006, Bush shifted focus somewhat to re-emphasize immediate and comprehensive immigration reform. Going beyond calls from Republicans and conservatives to secure the border, Bush demanded that Congress create a "temporary guest-worker program" to allow more than 12 million to obtain legal status. Bush continues to argue that the lack of legal status denies the protections of U.S. laws to millions of people who face dangers of poverty and exploitation, and penalizes employers despite a demand for immigrant labor. Bush urged to provide additional funding for border security, and committed to deploying 6,000  troops to the. In May-June 2007 Bush strongly supported the which was written by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators with the active participation of the Bush administration. The bill envisioned: a legalization program for undocumented immigrants, with an eventual path to citizenship; establishing a guest worker program; a series of border and worksite enforcement measures; a reform of the green card application process and the introduction of a point-based "merit" system for green cards; elimination of "chain migration" and of the diversity ; and other measures. A heated public debate followed, which resulted in a substantial rift within the Republican Party, with the majority of the conservative base opposing the bill because of its legalization or "amnesty" provisions. The bill was finally defeated in the Senate on June 28, 2007, when a cloture motion failed on a 46-53 vote, whereas 60 positive votes were needed for the motion to pass. . Bush was very disappointed in the bill's failure that also represented a defeat of one of his signature domestic initiatives. The Bush administration later proposed a series of immigration enforcement measures that do not require a change in law.

Civil liberties and treatment of detainees
Following the events of September 11, Bush issued an executive order authorizing the to monitor communications between suspected terrorists outside the U.S. and parties within the U.S. without obtaining a warrant pursuant to the, maintaining that the warrant requirements of FISA were implicitly superseded by the subsequent passage of the. The program proved to be, as critics of the administration, as well as organizations such as the , claimed it was illegal. In August 2006, a U.S. district court judge ruled that the was unconstitutional, though the decision was later dismissed. On January 17, 2007, Attorney General informed U.S. Senate leaders that the program would not be reauthorized by the president, but would be subjected to judicial oversight.

On, Bush signed into law the , a bill passed in the wake of the 's decision on  , which allows the U.S. government the ability to prosecute  by military commission rather than the standard trial. The bill also eliminates and, while barring torture of detainees, allows the president to determine what constitutes torture.

Hurricane Katrina
One of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history,, struck early in Bush’s second term. Katrina formed in late August during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and devastated much of the north-central of the United States, particularly.

Bush declared a state of emergency in on, and in Mississippi and Alabama on ;  he authorized the  (DHS) and  (FEMA) to manage the disaster, but his announcement failed to spur these agencies to action. The eye of the hurricane made landfall on, and New Orleans started to flood due to levee breaches; later that day, Bush declared that a major disaster existed in Louisiana, officially authorizing FEMA to start using federal funds to help with the recovery effort. On, Department of Homeland Security secretary declared it "an incident of national significance," triggering the first use of the newly created. However, Bush remained on an extended working vacation at his, rather than returning to the Capital. Three days later, on, National Guard troops first entered the city of New Orleans. The same day, Bush toured parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and declared that the success of the recovery effort up to that point was "not enough."

Due to mounting criticism as the disaster in New Orleans intensified, Bush claimed full responsibility for the failures on the part of the federal government in its response to the hurricane. Criticisms of Bush focused on three main issues. First, leaders from both parties attacked the president for having appointed incompetent leaders to positions of power at FEMA, most notably, who worked for the before commanding FEMA. Bush had praised the work of Brown just as weaknesses in the FEMA response were becoming obvious to the public. Second, many people argued that the inadequacy of the federal response was the result of the and the demands it placed on the armed forces and the federal budget. Third, in the days immediately following the disaster, Bush denied having received warnings about the possibility of floodwaters breaching the levees protecting New Orleans. However, the presidential videoconference briefing of shows  warning the president that overflowing the levees was "obviously a very, very grave concern." Critics claimed that the president was misrepresenting his administration's role in what they saw as a flawed response.

Foreign policy
The Bush administration withdrew U.S. support for several international agreements, including the (ABM) with. It pursued a which was previously barred by the ABM treaty and was never ratified by Congress. Bush also expressed U.S. support for the defense of following the stand-off in April 2001 with the  over the, when an  spy plane collided with a Chinese air force jet, leading to the detention of U.S. personnel. In 2003–2004, Bush authorized U.S. military intervention in and  to protect U.S. interests. Bush emphasized a careful approach to the conflict between and the s. Bush denounced  leader  for alleged support of violence. However, he sponsored dialogs between prime ministers and. Bush supported Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and lauded the democratic elections held in Palestine after Arafat's death.

In his in January 2003, Bush outlined a five-year strategy for global emergency  relief, the. Bush announced $15 billion for this effort—$3 billion per year for five years—but requested less in annual budgets.

Bush condemned the by militia forces on the people of, and denounced the killings in  as. Bush said that an international presence was critical in Darfur, but opposed referring the situation to the.

Bush began his second term with an emphasis on improving strained relations with an nations. He appointed long-time adviser to oversee a global public relations campaign. Bush lauded the pro-democracy struggles in and. In March 2006, Bush visited, leading to renewed ties between the two countries, particularly in areas of and counter-terrorism cooperation. Midway through Bush's second term, many analysts observed a retreat from his freedom and democracy agenda, highlighted in policy changes toward some oil-rich former Soviet republics in central Asia.

Bush has voiced his staunch support for the independence of. On, he met with Albanian Prime Minister  and became the first president to visit Albania. He repeated his support for Kosovo's independence: "At some point in time, sooner rather than later, you’ve got to say, ‘Enough is enough. Kosovo is independent."

September 11, 2001
The terrorist attacks were a major turning point in Bush's presidency. That evening, he addressed the U.S. from the, promising a strong response to the attacks but emphasizing the need for the nation to come together and comfort the families of the victims. On, he visited the , meeting with Mayor and firefighters, police officers and volunteers. Bush addressed the gathering via megaphone while standing on a heap of rubble: I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. In a  speech, Bush condemned  and, and issued the  regime in Afghanistan, where bin Laden was operating, an ultimatum to "hand over the terrorists, or … share in their fate." Bush announced a global, and after the Afghan Taliban regime was not forthcoming with Osama bin Laden, he ordered the to overthrow the Taliban regime.

War on Terror
After the on the United States by the  organization of  and the invasion of Afghanistan in response, Bush announced a global  in his    address and asserted that an "" consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq was "arming to threaten the peace of the world" and "pose[d] a grave and growing danger". The Bush Administration proceeded to assert a right and intention to engage in, also called , in response to perceived threats. This would form a basis for what became known as the. The broader "War on Terror", allegations of an "axis of evil", and, in particular, the doctrine of preemptive war, began to weaken the unprecedented levels of international and domestic support for Bush and United States action against al Qaeda following the attacks.

Some national leaders alleged abuse by U.S. troops and called for the U.S. to shut down detention centers in and elsewhere. Dissent from, and criticism of, Bush's leadership in the War on Terror increased as the war in Iraq expanded. In 2006, a expressed the combined opinion of the United States' own intelligence agencies, concluding that the Iraq War had become the " for ists" and that jihad movement was growing.

Afghanistan


On, , U.S. and British forces initiated bombing campaigns that led to the arrival on of  troops in. The main goals of the war were to defeat the, drive out of Afghanistan, and capture key al Qaeda leaders. By December 2001, the had installed the  chaired by. However, efforts to kill or capture al Qaeda leader failed as he escaped a battle in December 2001 in the mountainous region of, which escape the Bush Administration later acknowledged resulted from a failure to commit enough U.S. ground troops. Bin Laden and al Qaeda's number two leader,, as well as the leader of the Taliban, , remained at large as of July 2007.

Despite the initial success in driving the Taliban from power in Kabul, the war continued as by early 2003 the Taliban was regrouping, amassing new funds and recruits. In 2006 the appeared larger, fiercer, and better organized than expected, with large-scale allied offensives such as the  attaining limited success.

Iraq
Beginning with his, State of the Union address, President Bush began publicly focusing attention on Iraq, which he labeled as part of an "" allied with terrorists and posing "a grave and growing danger" to U.S. interests through possession of "". In the latter half of 2002,  requested by the administration contained conflicting assertions on whether  was intent on reconstituting nuclear weapons programs, had not properly accounted for Iraqi  and, and that some Iraqi missiles had a range greater than allowed by the UN sanctions. The question of whether the Bush Administration manipulated or exaggerated the threat and evidence of Iraq's capabilities or attempted to create a tie between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda attacks would eventually become a major point of criticism and controversy for the president. In late 2002 and early 2003, President Bush urged the United Nations to enforce Iraqi mandates, precipitating a. In November 2002, Hans Blix and led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq, but were forced to depart Iraq four days prior to the U.S. invasion, despite their requests for more time to complete their tasks. The U.S. initially sought a resolution authorizing the use of military force but dropped the bid for UN approval due to vigorous opposition from several countries.



The war effort was joined by more than 20 other nations (most notably the ), designated the "". The invasion of Iraq commenced on, and the Iraqi military was quickly defeated. ,, as well as leaders of several nations made statements implying that the attack constituted a war crime. The capital,, fell on ,. On, , President Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. The initial success of U.S. operations had increased President Bush's popularity, but the U.S. and allied forces faced a growing insurgency led by sectarian groups. As the situation deteriorated, Bush's  "" speech would be criticized as premature. The Bush Administration was also criticized in subsequent months following the report of the, which did not find the large quantities of weapons that the regime was believed to possess. On, , Bush stated that "It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong." Bush nevertheless continued to assert the war had been worthwhile and confirmed he would have made the same decision if he had known more. Iraqi elections and a referendum to approve a constitution were held in January and December 2005. From 2004 through 2007, however, the situation in Iraq deteriorated further, with some observers arguing that the country was engaged in a full scale. Bush's policies regarding the war in Iraq met increasing criticism, with demands within the United States to set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq. In 2006 a asserted that the Iraq war had increased Islamic radicalism and worsened the terror threat. The 2006 report of the bipartisan led by, concluded that the situation in Iraq was "grave and deteriorating". While Bush admitted that there were strategic mistakes made in regards to the stability of Iraq, he maintained he would not change the overall Iraq strategy. On, Bush addressed the U.S. about the situation in Iraq. In he announced the, as well as a job program for Iraqis, more reconstruction proposals, and 1.2 billion dollars for these programs. On, , Bush used his for only the second time in his presidency, rejecting a congressional bill setting a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

North Korea
Bush publicly condemned of, naming North Korea one of three states in an "," and saying that "[t]he United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons." Within months, "both countries had walked away from their respective commitments under the ." North Korea's   of a nuclear device further complicated Bush's foreign policy, which centered for both terms of his presidency on "[preventing] the terrorists and regimes who seek chemical, biological or nuclear weapons from threatening the United States and the world." Bush condemned North Korea's claims, reaffirmed his commitment to "a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," and stated that "transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States," for which North Korea would be held accountable. On, , North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear reactors immediately pending the release of frozen funds held in a foreign bank account. This was a result of a series of three-way talks initiated by the and including China. On September 2, 2007, North Korea agreed to disclose and dismantle all of its nuclear programs by the end of 2007.

Assassination attempt
On, , while Bush was giving a speech in the Freedom Square in , a live was thrown by  towards the podium where he and   were seated. It landed in the crowd about 65 ft from the podium after hitting a girl; it did not detonate. Arutinian was arrested in July 2005, confessed, and was convicted and given a life sentence in January 2006.

Midterm dismissal of U.S. attorneys
During Bush's second term, controversy arose over the 's unprecedented midterm dismissal of seven s. The White House maintains the U.S. attorneys were fired due to performance issues. Gonzales would later resign over the issue, along with many other senior members of the Justice Department. Although Congressional investigations have focused on whether the and the  were using the U.S. Attorney positions for political advantage, no official findings have been released.

Domestic perceptions
Bush began his presidency with s near 50%; however, following the, Bush gained an approval rating of greater than 85%, maintaining 80–90% approval for four months after the attacks. Since then, his approval ratings and approval of handling of domestic and foreign policy issues have steadily dropped. Bush has received heavy criticism for his handling of the, his , his mixed positions on , and to the , , and  controversies. Additionally, critics have decried his frequent use of s, contending that they are unconstitutional. The decision of Rep. (D-MI) the House Judiciary Chair to hold hearings on Bush’s use of “”, has been hailed by the president’s critics as a step towards impeachment.

In the 2004 elections, 95–98% of the Republican electorate approved of him. This support waned, however, due mostly to Republicans' growing frustration with Bush on the issues of spending and illegal immigration. Some Republican leaders began criticizing Bush on his policies in Iraq, Iran and the Palestinian Territories. Bush's approval rating has been below the 50 percent mark in AP-Ipsos polling since December 2004.

Polls conducted in 2006 showed an average of 37% approval ratings for Bush; the lowest for any second term president in this point of term since Harry Truman in March 1951, when his approval rating was 28 percent, which contributed to what Bush called the "thumping" of the in the. In the average of major polls Bush's approval rating was, as of September 25, 33.8%. In a Newsweek poll of, , Bush received an approval rate of 26%, the lowest point of his presidency, and the second lowest of any president in the last thirty five years, second only to Richard Nixon's record low seven months before he resigned from office.

Calls for the impeachment of Bush have been made by various groups and individuals, with their reasons usually centering on the, the Bush administration's justification for the war in Iraq, and violations of the. Opinion polling has shown that about half of Americans would support impeaching Bush if it was found that he had lied about the reasons for the war in Iraq. In a July 2007 poll, a plurality of registered voters favored the House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Bush. However, the same poll shows that a plurality of all adults oppose such actions.

Bush's intellectual capacities have been questioned by the news media, as well as other politicians. Detractors tended to cite the various linguistic errors made by Bush during his public speeches (colloquially known as s).

Activist and filmmaker released  in 2004, making a plethora of accusations against Bush, most notably using public sentiments following 9/11 for political purposes, financial connections between the Bush family and the prominent Saudi Arabian families such as the royal family and the, and lying about the cause for war in Iraq. In 2000 and again in 2004,  magazine named George W. Bush as its, a title awarded to someone who, "for better or for worse, … has done the most to influence the events of the year." In 2006,  magazine featured an article by historian contending Bush is one of the worst presidents in American history.

Foreign perceptions
Bush has been widely criticized internationally; he was targeted by the global anti-war and anti-globalization campaigns, and criticized for his foreign policy in general. Bush's policies were also the subject of heated criticism in the and the. Bush was openly condemned by current and former international leaders such as, , , , , , and particularly. Later in Bush's presidency, tensions arose between himself and, which has led to a cooling of their relationship.

Bush has been described as having especially close personal relationships with and, although formal relations are sometimes strained.

In 2006, a majority of respondents in 18 of 21 countries surveyed around the world were found to hold an unfavorable opinion of Bush. Respondents indicated that they judged his administration as "negative" for world security. A poll conducted in Britain named Bush the second biggest "threat to world peace" after, beating n leader. According to a poll taken in November 2006, also believed that Bush was the biggest "threat to world peace" after. came in third in the poll and and  came joint fourth.

A March 2007 survey of Arab opinion conducted by Zogby International and the found that George W. Bush is the most disliked leader in the Arab world. More than three times as many respondents registered their dislike for Bush as for the second most unpopular leader,. According to a 2006 poll conducted by the Iraq Center for Research and Strategic studies, a majority of Iraqis believe that the U.S. has lost its global credibility as a result of Bush's foreign policies.

The 's 2007 Global Attitudes poll found that out of 47 countries, only respondents from and some sub-Saharan countries expressed "a lot" or "some" confidence in George W. Bush more than 50% of the time. Of European respondents surveyed, only and the  expressed 30% or greater confidence in Bush.