Bush v. Obama on Consulate Attacks

Liberals love to compare the Bush Administration to the Obama Administration, as if comparison and contrast justify wrong-doing from any President.

The increased spending spree under George W. Bush was wrong, along with the unfunded entitlement expansion of Medicare Part D. The 2005 Highway Transportation bill was filled with political, promotional pork, and everyone benefited.  Let us not forget how may Republicans went to jail for corruption in connection with the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Right and wrong from our leaders is not a function of political party, but the truth.

Now, let's  compare what happened during the Bush Administration with the Obama Administration regarding attacks on US Embassies and Consultants.

Yes, here is a comprehensive list of embassy attacks during the Bush Administration:


What is the difference between this set of attacks and Benghazi?

President Bush never minimized the losses of people. He never made excuses for standing up to terrorism around the world.

He did not blame their deaths on a video, nor did he direct one of his ambassadors to read from scrubbed talking points, or mislead the public for months (now years) on the incident.

He did not supervise a Secretary of State who shouted at a panel of US Senators: "What difference does it make?"

Other concerns give us more perspective on the Obama Presidency compared to the Bush Administration.

There were no successful, concerted attacks on American soil from Muslim terrorists during the Bush Administration after 9-11. How many attacks have we witnessed on American soil from Muslim terrorists since President Obama came to power?

Here are two to consider:

2009 -- Nidal Hasan, a psychiatrist and major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, is the only suspect in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 soldiers and civilians dead and more than two dozen others wounded on Nov. 5, 2009. Hasan is awaiting a military trial that could bring the death penalty. Prior to the shootings, the government intercepted at least 18 emails between Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born cleric tied to al-Qaida.

2013 -- The Tsarnaev Boston Bombers: (CNN) -- Federal prosecutors say they'll seek the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, arguing that he acted in "an especially heinous, cruel and depraved manner" and lacks remorse.

These and three other attacks suggest that Islamic terrorists do not find President Obama intimidating. Former House Rep and now US Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) delineated Obama's following counter-terrorism failure:

"I rise today to express grave doubts about the Obama administration’s counterterrorism policies and programs. ..." Cotton said. "In barely four years in office, five jihadists have reached their targets in the United States under Barack Obama: the Boston Marathon Bomber, the Underwear Bomber, the Times Square Bomber, the Fort Hood shooter, and, in my own state, the Little Rock recruiting office shooter. In over seven years after 9/11, under George W. Bush, how many terrorists reached their targets in the United States? Zero. We need to ask: Why is the Obama administration failing in its mission to stop terrorism before it reaches its targets in the United States?"

Yes, there were attacks on American consulates during the Bush Administration. However, Middle Eastern jihadists were on the run, not the attack. Libyan Dictator Muammar Ghaddafi gave up his weapons program. Stable governments remained in power throughout the Arab World, and their leaders were slowly expanding the voter franchise to their people. Allies of Israel were defending the country against Islamic attacks, as well.

The verdict? President Obama and his liberal supports cannot rebut their massive foreign policy/terrorism failures by pointing to the consulate attacks under the Bush Administration.