George W. Bush

From ArticleWorld

George W. Bush is the current president of the United States. He entered his second term in 2005. Previously, he was governor of Texas. He is known for his conservative domestic policies and for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Early years

George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut. His family moved to Texas when he was two, and Bush was raised in Midland and Houston.

Bush attended Phillips Academy, the same school as his father former President George H. Bush, in Andover, Massachusetts. Bush studied history at Yale University, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones society and graduated in 1968.

In May 1968, Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard. He was promoted to a First Lieutenant and was an F-102 pilot until 1972. He was released early out of six-year commitment to attend Harvard Business School.

After receiving an MBA from Harvard, Bush worked at Arbusto Energy, Spectrum 7, and Harken Energy Corporation. He also helped with his father’s political campaigns, include George H. Bush’s successful run for the White House in 1988.

In 1976, Bush was fined and ordered to do community service for driving while under the influence. The incident was highly publicized during his presidential campaigns and he blames it on an “irresponsible youth.”

In 1977, Bush married Laura Welch, a teacher. The couple had twin girls, Jenna and Barbra, in 1981.

In 1978, Bush unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.

In 1985, Bush sat down with evangelist Billy Graham. As a result, Bush became a born-again Christian and quit drinking. Raised an Episcopalian, Bush joined the United Methodist Church.

In 1989, Bush invested about $600,000 into the Texas Rangers baseball team.

In 1993, Bush sold his share of the Texas Rangers for millions of dollars. Bush also took over the governor’s office in his adopted state of Texas. As the forty-sixth governor of Texas, Bush was elected to two terms before running for president in 2000.

Bush’s Presidency

In the 2000 election, Bush narrowly defeated then-Vice President Al Gore for the presidency. While Bush lost the popular vote, he won the electoral vote, and the final result was decided upon by the Supreme Court.

His first term in office, the United States was devastated with the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Bush proclaimed a war on terrorism and the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

Bush calls himself a compassionate conservative, while his critics use the term neoconservative. Bush opposes abortion and the legalization of gay marriage. He supports the privatization of social security, the war in Iraq, and tax cuts.

His presidency is heavily influenced by Karl Rove, current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Karen Hughes, and Harriet Miers.

Bush has appointed two Supreme Court justices and established a prescription drug plan for those on Medicare. However, his presidency is also marred by events such as the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.