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Introduction
The 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, was born on July 6, 1946, the oldest of 6 children to George and Barbara Bush in New Haven, Connecticut. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. His father, George H.W., was a businessman, foreign diplomat, and served as the Vice President under Reagan, and later became the 41st President of the U.S. George W spent most of his time growing up in Midland, Texas, where he became very athletic. -
Introduction Continued
He was accepted to Yale in 1964, where he was very popular. Before his graduation from Yale, he enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard in 1968, where he earned his Fighter Pilot Certification. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force Reserve on 11/21/1974. After that, he moved on and earned his Masters in Business from Harvard in 1975. -
George Bush and the Rangers
George W made many attempts to get into the political field, but he wanted to try his hand at business first. He and a few colleagues purchased the Texas Rangers, a baseball team, where he served as the general manager. After that, in 1994, he ran for Governor of Texas as a Republican. He won with 53% of the popular vote and served for 8 years. -
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Governor of Texas
George W. Bush ran for governor in Texas in 1994 and won for the 1995-1998 term, He then won the 1998 election and held the position for 2 years before resigning to run for the presidency. George helped many people as governor, he creasted policies for small business owners and advocated to privatize Texas's social services. During his term, he put education as his first priority, giving the state the power to regulate standards and curriculum. -
Election of 2000
George W almost lost the presidential election of 2000 because he barely won the Electoral College vote. Al Gore won the popular vote and because of ballotting problems in Florida, the Supreme Court decided the outcome. It was known as the "Most controversial election in American history."
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The 9/11 Attacks
On September 11, 2001, four U.S. commercial jets were hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists; three of which made it to their targets; The Pentagon, and the two World Trade towers in New York City. In response to these attacks, George W made an executive decision to transport and house any terrorists to Guantanamo Bay, where they would be subjected to advanced interrogation techniques without congressional approval. George 9/11 Speech -
The Invasion of Iraq
In response to a Weapons of Mass Destruction scare in Iraq, George W. Bush enacted an invasion by the U.S. military forces in early in 2003. Saddam Hussein was captured and then later in the same year, we engaged in war until 2011. This was not fully supported by the citizens of the U.S. (britannica.com). Audio Speech -
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Iraq War (Second Persian Gulf War)
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Life After Presidency
After returning to civilian life in Texas with his wife, Laura, he has enjoyed staying out of the limelight. His presidency was tarnished by the war in Iraq and critics claiming him for the country's financial misfortunes after he left office. He helped design his Presidential library and wrote his memoir, "Decision Points." He also led a private fundraiser with Bill Clinton after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti (Biography.com). -
Life after Presidency Cont'
His supporters credit him in reestablishing America's place as "the world's leader" (Biography.com).
