United States Presidents: The Best and The Worst - what’s the difference?

Upon the unveiling of his portrait at the private Union League Club in Philadelphia on Dec. 6, 2008 President Bush took the opportunity to compare himself to President Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln, of course, was the central figure of the Civil War and is regarded by many historians as not only the foremost of our presidents but also the greatest American of all time.

“I found it interesting that the League was founded in 1862, to support President Lincoln in a time when his leadership was deeply controversial,” Bush said. “I know how he felt.”

Really??  You think??  Let’s see if that could be even remotely possible.

Lincoln: With scant formal education, from a poor family, this frontier lawyer held the nation together through the worst crisis in its history.

Bush: With an Ivy-League education, from a wealthy oil family, this inept businessman took the nation from stability to the worst economic crisis in modern history.

Lincoln: Supported himself by manual labor until he was 21, when he settled in New Salem, Ill. There he continued his self-education while serving as storekeeper, militia captain in the Black Hawk War, and postmaster.

Bush: Suckled at the teat of his wealthy family until his college-age years and showed little interest in improving his education, even though he was given a “free-ride” to Yale.  Never really served his country, but did fly training fighter planes around the gulf coast while in the Texas Air National Guard (when he wasn’t too hung-over, that is).

Lincoln: Delivered what is regarded as the most famous Presidential Speech in history: “The Gettysburg Address”.

Bush: Has difficulty delivering a simple press conference without tripping over his own words.

Lincoln: Showed a sure grasp of foreign affairs, skillfully avoiding a war with Great Britain in the Trent Affair and winning European goodwill with his Emancipation Proclamation.

Bush: Instigated a baseless, near unilateral war on foreign soil - which took the US military away from fighting our enemies that attacked our homeland with an act of war on 9-11-01.

Lincoln: In domestic affairs, the Homestead Act of 1862 is the most notable achievement of his administration.

Bush: His administration will be remembered as the time where more homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure than any other.

Famous quote by Lincoln: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool then to speak up and remove all doubt."

Famous quote by Bush: “Fool me once, shame on…shame on you.  Fool me.…you can’t get fooled again!”

Bushie, do you still think you could possibly have the faintest clue as to what Lincoln may have felt - about anything???