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- Mar 10, 2005
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I had an essay assigned to me last week for my English class. The topic was "Presidential campaign songs and how they relate to the candidate".
I get my grade tonight, I think it'll be a good one (I hope...lol).
Although I'm biased, I think it's pretty good reading, so I thought I'd share it with everyone.
Enjoy!
I get my grade tonight, I think it'll be a good one (I hope...lol).
Although I'm biased, I think it's pretty good reading, so I thought I'd share it with everyone.
Enjoy!
George W. Bush has had many campaign songs during his run for President in 2000 and during his re-election campaign in 2004, which included "We the People" (Billy Ray Cyrus), "Right Now" (Van Halen) and perhaps the most fitting (and controversial) song which included a song performed by Tom Petty appropriately named I Wont Back Down. The only problem with him using this song during his 2000 campaign is not that its not in line with President Bushs actions since taking office, but that he was not given permission to use it for his Campaign; and was subsequently served with a cease-and-desist letter from publisher Randall Wixen, at the request of Tom Petty. Although compliant with the order, counsel for President Bushs campaign was quoted as saying "We do not agree that the mere playing or use of a particular song at a campaign event connotes any impression, either intentional or unintentional, of endorsement" in their response. This, as you will see, is one of the rare times that President Bush has backed down.
The first verse of I wont back down tells us Well I won't back down, no I won't back down. You could stand me up at the gates of hell but I won't back down, followed by the final 2 verses of Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around and I'll keep this world from draggin' me down, gonna stand my ground and I won't back down and Well I know what's right, I got just one life in a world that keeps on pushin' me round but I'll stand my ground and I won't back down. Its no wonder that President Bushs campaign selected this as one of their songs, as it fits his demeanour perfectly. No matter how the American Public and his colleagues try to drag him down, he will definitely stand his ground and wont back down from a decision he has made.
President Bush didnt exercise his veto power until the 5th year of his Presidency, but between 2006 and the present; he has since vetoed 5 more bills, bringing the total to 6. His first veto was to ban a bill that allowed continued federal funding for stem cell research. The total number of President Bushs vetoes will soon increase to 7, as he already has made plans to veto a bill recently passed that would ban waterboarding, which is an interrogation method that puts the detainee in fear of drowning. When asked if President Bush would be considered as a president that favored torture as a means of interrogation, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino answered -- "The president does not favor torture. The president favors making sure we do all these programs within the law," adding that "all the interrogations that have taken place in this country have been done in a legal way." I do believe that President Bush plans to keep these methods within the law, but its easy for him to do, simply by making sure that such a bill that would make these acts illegal will never become law. It also needs to be known that waterboarding has already been condemned as torture by rights groups and many governments; but still, President Bush wont back down and is gonna stand his ground.
President Bush has really stood his ground when it comes to the topic of bringing troops home from Iraq. Even though a great percentage of the public and lawmakers support this, President Bush obviously does not. So far, two bills that called for the start of a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq was vetoed by President Bush. Ironically enough, the date he vetoed the first bill (May 1, 2007) was exactly 4 years to the day that he had announced that major combat operations in Iraq were over. Both of these bills, HR 2956, and HR 1591, had set a firm deadline of withdrawing our troops from Iraq. The first bill, HR 1591, has already been vetoed by President Bush, and he has already stated that he will veto any bill that calls for our withdrawal from Iraq.
I have to give credit to President Bush for being consistent. No matter how the public or his colleagues feel about a situation, nor how much they voice their objections, he has always held his ground. Apparently, his mentality is Its either my way, or the highway, and has proven this time and time again.
President Bushs approval rating further strengthens the fact that the American public is best seen, but not heard. It has been steadily declining from a spike during the 9/11 crisis to an amazing 90%, and is presently bottoming out at around 30%. One has to wonder why in the world President Bush would care about our welfare anymore. Once out of office, not only will the problems that he has helped to create be dumped on the new President, he also has a great retirement package to look forward to. Not only will now President Bush receive a lifetime pension of $191,300, he will immediately receive a payout for transition expenses, so that he can go back to living a normal life. President Bush requested, and received authorization for $7.7 million in transition expenses in the event that he was not successful in his bid for re-election in 2004. Ultimately, one really has to ponder the question of whether or not President Bush will ever back down. My answer is a solid no.