While I have some definite ideas about who should be the next President of the U.S., I see little need to post a message here that can be categorized as "Bush-bashing".

On the other hand, I feel that I must respond when some post equally narrow and unbalanced opinion complementing the current administration for doing a good job while in office.

I think maybe a reasonable way to assess what is really correct is to simply answer a few questions. Following may not be the most complete list of questions one might ask about the political leadership of the last eight years, but it might offer a good start.

• Does the American public feel good about their current situation and their future?
• Is there a general feeling of confidence in the leadership being provided by the President and the Congress?
• Is there broad support for remaining in the longest war in U.S. history?
• Does it now appear that the loss of more than 4,000 American lives and what now appears to be more than $1 trillion in U.S. treasure will result in resolution of the unsettled political and religious situation in the Middle East? Or has our involvement there made the situation worse?
• The current administration ran on a platform of high moral standards. Yet over 5% of the Congress--mostly from the President's own political party--have been indicted, convicted, or are currently under federal investigation. As recently as today, a member of the President's cabinet had to resign under the cloud of pending prosecution. That's the second member of the cabinet to join several other senior members of the executive branch in resigning in shame. Has the morality claimed as a platform by this President been upheld?
• In only eight years our country has become the greatest debtor nation in world history. The annual federal deficit has gone from a positive $400 billion to a negative $700 billion with a total deficit now nearing $1 trillion. Has this administration governed with a responsible fiscal policy?
• The number of Americans without access to healthcare has increased in eight years. Both the Social Security trust fund and particularly Medicare are now within a few years of insolvency. Has the administration lead responsibly on these subjects?
• The negative imbalance of our international trade with other countries continues to increase in spite of the fact that we have permitted the value of the U.S. dollar decline to the lowest level in history. We no longer actually manufacture any of the important products that our economy was previously known for. Our gross domestic product is now comprised of profits from financial trading, software, retail sales of imported goods and services. Our largest single export item is scrap metal. Has the administration provided economic leadership in the least eight years?
• Our children now rank below the top 25 countries in the world in standardized test scores at the high school level. U.S. employers regularly complain that they cannot find competent, trained people to fill their jobs. They move offshore to get competent employees at a reasonable price and are castigated for doing so. Who is really at fault for this problem?
• There is repeated and clear evidence that our elected representatives are willingly and enthusiastically beholden to special interest lobbyists. Yet no particular leadership has been provided to reverse the influence of special interests. Should we expect more from both the President and members of Congress?
• Anyone who has studied the operation of the U.S. government says that the polarity between the major political parties is worse than at any time in memory. Has any leadership been exhibited that would reduce this problem and permit governance to proceed under more statesmanlike conditions? Or have actions by this President actually made the problem worse?
• Our economy is almost certainly now in recession. When this President took office, economic growth and stability and consumer confidence were at decade-long highs. The economic decline from where we were at the beginning of the first term of the current President and where we are today is unprecedented. Should the President be complemented for his economic leadership?
• The reputation of the U.S. among the world of nations has declined to disappointing lows. Americans are so hated and disrespected in many parts of the world that it is unsafe for us to travel there. Almost all learned observers say that we have squandered our moral leadership in the world of nations. That was almost certainly not the case during the administration of the previous President. Can the situation be reversed with a new administration beginning in 2009?

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I hope this note isn't categorized as "Bush bashing". What I do hope is that people think about some of these issues--maybe even ALL of these issues--as they prepare to select the candidate they will support in the November Presidential Election.