Matt Yglesias points to an article on RealClearPolitics by Ed Gillespie which purports to debunk a few “myths” from Bush’s presidency like the obvious “myth” that the “President’s ‘go it alone’ foreign policy ruined America’s standing in the world.” Anyway, this claim in particular rankles Matt.
And one last fact: Our homeland has not suffered another terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. That, too, is part of the real Bush record.
Matt argues this claim is absurd because it doesn’t account for the fact that September 11th occurred on Bush’s watch (remember the famously ignored “Bin Laden Determined to Strike US memo?). Indeed, this claim is like saying Bill Buckner was a clutch defender except for that one time Mookie Wilson hit a weak grounder through his legs and the Red Sox went on to lose the World Series. But it’s not the only reason it’s ridiculous.
It’s also ridiculous because there is no way to prove that the safety of American soil is a direct result of anything Bush accomplished or implemented. It’s quite possible that America would have witnessed the same number of terrorist attacks since 9/11 if a house cat were President.
