I take issue with the conventional wisdom that President Bush, when all else is said, is a strong leader because of his decisiveness and strength of conviction. When Bush isn't actively trying to remold the world to fit his narrow interpretation of biblical verse, he is passively reacting to crises rather than anticipating them.

Andy card had to burn a CD montage of the mess in New Orleans and show it to the President six days after the hurricane passed to get him off his exercise bike and take notice. Only then did we get endless photo-op visits to the disaster area - his tardy intervention was worthless, pointless, and disruptive to the rescue process. The fact remains that the tragedy of 9-11 occurred on his watch; and almost 5 years later we still don't have bin Laden, secure borders, or improved port security. This hero of 9-11 was the same man that sat dumbfounded for 7 minutes in a schoolroom with a copy of "My Pet Goat" on his lap. When he finally leapt into action, he picked up a bullhorn and made threats. The next day he was already planning to invade Iraq.

Presidents inherit the problems left unaddressed by their predecessors: rising debt . . . energy shortage . . . terrorism. But, after five years of policies unchallenged by a Republican controlled Congress, it is past time to hold this President’s feet to the fire. Would 9-11 have happened with Al Gore as president? Could Bush have prevented 9-11 if he had acted proactively after reading his PDB warning of "bin Laden determined to attack in US"? We will never know. But doing nothing at all is a good way to make 9-11 inevitable, and that a President Gore would have never gone to war with Iraq as part of the “War on Terror.”

Bush sees himself as the Decider. Something bad happens, and he decides what to do about it. This usually involves a gesture to his neoconservative fundamentalist base, a political diversion, an empty promise, or a lie. In all cases, he doesn't decide until the crisis is upon us. In short, the Decider reacts. When it involves our dependence on Middle East oil; he is a oil-burning, coal-fire, biodiesel reacter. In the case of Iran or North Korea, he is a “nucular reacter.” Wouldn't it be nice, next time around, to vote for an Anticipator . . . a Thinker . . . a Statesman . . . a Leader?