‘ ‘ ‘ Two things will determine President George W. Bush’s legacy in American history: the… ‘ ‘ ‘ Two things will determine President George W. Bush’s legacy in American history: the current economic crisis and the outcome of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But in terms of the President’s lasting historical impact, the United States’ presence in the Middle East will play a much larger role than Bush’s economic policies in deciding his legacy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The candidates in this year’s election have been outspoken about their differing views on Bush’s policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sen. John McCain has supported our presence in the Middle East from the outset and was one of the major supporters of the surge in 2006 when public support for the war was rapidly waning. McCain’s insistence on raising troop levels proved to be a prescient policy move ‘mdash; one that has brought greater stability to hostile regions in Iraq while lowering the rate of civilian casualties by significant levels. ‘ ‘ ‘ McCain has not been afraid to criticize the way the Bush administration has conducted the war, and he has shown that he formulates his views independently of the leadership of the present military command. He realizes the importance of establishing a political system that can govern Iraq and that can give the Iraqi people a level of freedom they could never have enjoyed under Saddam Hussein. ‘ ‘ ‘ Sen. Barack Obama has opposed the war since 2002, when Bush began considering the prospect of deposing Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Though he did not become a senator until 2005, Obama wrote in a New York Times op-ed that from the beginning of the conflict, he ‘believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban by invading a country that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Obama opposed the surge but favors an enlarged U.S. presence in Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda and the Taliban have reemerged as our military resources have increasingly been diverted from Afghanistan to Iraq. ‘ ‘ ‘ The difference between the two candidates’ views on the war has been stark, but McCain has been on the right side when it comes to strategic decisions like advocating for the surge. Obama correctly asserts that the Iraqi government needs to start assuming more responsibility for its own security and economic development, but when considering the legacy of the Bush administration, McCain’s succession as commander-in-chief would foster a continuation of Bush’s Iraq policy, which has grown more successful with succeeding years. ‘ ‘ ‘ The economic crisis that has enveloped world markets in the last year will determine Bush’s economic legacy, but the fact remains that Bush, McCain and Obama are all Keynesians when it comes to economics. They have each been adamant supporters of the federal government’s manipulation of the monetary system to finance Wall Street’s debt by using the Federal Reserve and a fiat currency, which can be enlarged as fast as printing presses can spew out more dollar bills. ‘ ‘ ‘ Bush has proven to be an unabashed sponsor of big government, evidenced by his profligate spending over the last eight years. But he will merely blend in with the other big government proponents in both parties during this period of American history. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. John Boehner gave bipartisan support to the No Child Left Behind Act, the economic stimulus checks from earlier this year and the recent bailouts of Wall Street. ‘ ‘ ‘ The current president is living proof that Democrats and many Republicans alike have no scruples with leaving future generations with massive government debt to account for. ‘ ‘ ‘ The same can be said for Obama and McCain, who both voted in favor of the stimulus package as well as being staunch proponents of the recent Wall Street bailouts. ‘ ‘ ‘ Bob Schieffer, the moderator of the debate on Oct. 15, summed it up nicely when he said that ‘the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ran the numbers on both of your [Obama and McCain’s] proposals, and they say the cost of your proposals, even with the savings you claim can be made, each will add more than $200 billion to the deficit.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The vast majority of politicians today, including Bush, Obama and McCain, fall into the same camp when it comes to tackling budget deficits and curbing federal government largesse. It is clear that neither potential candidate will do anything to halt the soaring government debt. ‘ ‘ ‘ But it has been the neoconservative tilt to Bush’s presidency that has distinguished it from administrations of the past. His preemptive routing of Saddam Hussein from power, as well as his war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, revealed Bush’s tendency to be an aggressive commander-in-chief who is determined to defend the United States from Islamic terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. We must hope that the next president can be as successful as Bush at providing security for the American people. E-mail Bart at [email protected].