Wasn't Desert Shield (the first, not to be confused with Desert Shield 2 in 2006) a completely defensive initiative to protect Saudi Arabia from Iraqi invasion? If I remember right, once Iraq attempted to annex Kuwait, the wholly defensive Desert Shield was replaced with Desert Storm in order to help Kuwait. So while related, I believe they were two separate operations.
platitude is correct. Desert Shield involved placing troops in Saudi Arabia to defend against any further Iraqi aggression, to protect the oil fields there.
I think he came up with that at the end of his convention. but it was what he wanted to replace all government social programs with--starving people? Local churches, all those "points of light" can feed them better than Washington. Homeless vets? Again, let local do-gooders respond. Kids too hungry to learn in school? Let charities feed them. Lost your job, go to your local pastor for help (these were serious suggestions, as though everyone belonged to a church and churches had so much money they could support all the needy people in their cities). We started hearing charities and churches announcing they were out of money, out of food, overwhelmed....and we never heard Bush mention it again.
Because he made such a big deal out of it. He banned it from Air Force One and the White House kitchen, and made a statement something like, "I'm the President so I don't have to eat broccoli!" He liked pork rinds, though. I remember nutritionists at the time were trying to do damage control after his pronouncement.
I guess because it was such a big deal. I was a young child at the time but for some reason I remember the broccoli thing. And Dan Quayle's potato thing.
Statesmen. Pragmatist. Centrist. Reasonable guy. Can't really say that about any who followed since. I miss the old GOP. But Bush Sr. is far from my favorite Republican. That would have to be either Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt. Eisenhower was also good.
I know a lot has been about how Hillary is the "most qualified candidate in history," but, speaking purely in terms of credentials, I think it has to be George H.W. Bush: Navy aviator at age 18, service in World War II, Congressman, director of the CIA, self-made millionaire, Chief Liaison to China, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., eight years as vice president. That is a whole heap of experience across different concerns.
genius, graduated from William and Mary as a teenager, lawyer, abolitionist, plantation owner, prolific inventor, author- perhaps the most important American writer of the 18th century, library curator, multi-linguist, author of the Declaration of Independence, delegate to the Continental Congress and Founding Father, Virginia state legislator and then governor, Secretary of State under George Washington, US minister to France, Vice President under John Adams.
Jefferson was 33 when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. I am nearing that age myself. It makes me feel really bad about what I have accomplished (or not) in my life so far.
Prediction: someone at his funeral will praise Bush for being some of the the following things: intelligent, shrewd, cautious, statesmanlike, never brash, polite, kind, considered, educated, qualified, patriotic, measured, able to compromise, humble, committed to public service, a brave veteran, reasonable, mature, dignified, etc.
Prediction 2: everyone will interpret this as a direct attack on the current president.
On the other hand, the claim that Trump might be the *least* qualified major party candidate in history is probably true.
genius, graduated from William and Mary as a teenager, lawyer, abolitionist, plantation owner, prolific inventor, author- perhaps the most important American writer of the 18th century, library curator, multi-linguist, author of the Declaration of Independence, delegate to the Continental Congress and Founding Father, Virginia state legislator and then governor, Secretary of State under George Washington, US minister to France, Vice President under John Adams.
*That's* a resume!
Prediction 2: everyone will interpret this as a direct attack on the current president.