George H W Bush lives in Houston, Texas, but he also has a home in Kennebunkport, Maine. He lives there with his wife Barbara.
Biographical Information
Former President Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton Massachusetts. He studied at Greenwich County Day in Greenwich, Connecticut.
His father Prescott Bush was a Senator. He excelled at school and held a number of high positions in class.
He also played a lot of baseball. He joined the Navy following the outbreak of World War II. After the war, Bush married Barbara and they settled in Texas. He got into the oil business and became a multimillionaire.
Political Career George H W Bush
In 1966 George H W Bush was elected as a member of the House of Representatives. He later became an ambassador to the UN during the Nixon administration. He also served as envoy to China and served as CIA director in 1976.
He failed in his bid for the presidency in 1980. However, he became the running mate of Ronald Reagan.
Under the Reagan administration, his main focus was on deregulation issues. In 1988 he ran for the Presidency again and won. He received 426 Electoral College votes and got 53% of the popular vote.
The Bush Presidency
The administration of President Bush was marked by his domestic and foreign policies. In his campaign, George H W Bush promised that under his administration he would not raise taxes. However, the country was faced with a huge budget deficit.
The Republicans wanted to spend their way out of the deficit. The Democrats maintained that raising taxes was the solution. In the end, Bush was forced to raise taxes. This led to a decrease in his popularity.
President Bush also enacted into law the American Disabilities Act of 1990. He also strengthened policies regarding technology and childcare. He also enacted the Clean Air Act. Under his administration laws for improving the country’s infrastructure were also enacted.
Foreign Policy
The foreign policies of President George H. W. Bush helped define his term. During his time the Berlin Wall had just fallen and the Soviet Union collapsed.
However, it was the Persian Gulf War in 1991 for which his foreign policy will be most remembered. In August 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait. In January 1991, the US and its allies attacked. After a month of bombing the ground assault was launched, liberating Kuwait.
He was criticized for not driving into Baghdad. In response, the US President said he didn’t want to increase the number of casualties.
He also said doing so would have led to an occupation of Iraq itself. His popularity ratings zoomed in after the war.
1992 Elections
Despite his popularity, he lost the election to William Clinton due to economic problems in the US. While the foreign policies of George H W Bush were well received, it was his reneging on his word not to raise taxes that cost him his reelection bid.
Since 1992, Bush has retired from politics and divides his time between Houston and Maine.
More About George H W Bush
George Bush Sr., also known as George Herbert Walker Bush, brought a strong commitment to traditional American values when he became the 41st President of the United States.
He was determined to lead the nation in a compassionate and considerate direction, often using the phrase “a kinder and gentler nation” to describe his vision. In his Inaugural Address, he promised to use American strength as a positive force in the world.
George Bush came from a family with a long history of public service. He was born in Milton, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1924. As a young student at Phillips Academy in Andover, he showed leadership qualities.
On his 18th birthday, he joined the armed forces. He became the youngest pilot in the Navy and flew 58 combat missions during World War II.
During one mission over the Pacific, his plane was shot down, but he was rescued by a U.S. submarine. His bravery earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, Bush focused on his education and starting a family. He married Barbara Pierce in January 1945, and they had six children. He excelled at Yale University in both sports and academics, serving as the captain of the baseball team and being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
He later entered the oil industry in West Texas, following in the footsteps of his father, Prescott Bush, who became a U.S. Senator.
George’s interest in public service and politics grew over the years. He served two terms as a Representative to Congress from Texas and held various high-level positions, including Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
In 1980, Bush ran for the Republican nomination for President but lost. He was later selected as the running mate for Ronald Reagan and served as Vice President.
During his time as Vice President, he had responsibilities in areas like deregulation and anti-drug programs. He also traveled extensively to foreign countries.
In 1988, George Bush secured the Republican nomination for President and, with Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate, won the general election against Michael Dukakis, becoming the 41st President of the United States.
George Bush Sr. faced a rapidly changing world during his presidency. The Cold War, a long-standing conflict, ended, leading to the breakup of the Communist empire and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Soviet Union dissolved, and the reformist leader, President Mikhail Gorbachev, resigned. While Bush celebrated the spread of democracy, he emphasized caution in how the United States approached these new nations.
In a different part of his foreign policy, President Bush made the decision to send American troops to Panama to remove the corrupt leader, General Manuel Noriega, who posed a threat to the security of the Panama Canal and the American residents there. Noriega was brought to the United States for trial on charges related to drug trafficking.
George Bush faced one of his most significant challenges when Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and threatened to move to Saudi Arabia.
Bush was determined to liberate Kuwait and unite the United Nations, the American people, and Congress to support his efforts.
He deployed 425,000 American troops, joined by 118,000 troops from allied nations. After weeks of air and missile strikes, a 100-hour ground battle known as Desert Storm defeated Iraq’s large army.
Even though President Bush enjoyed great popularity due to his success in the military and diplomatic aspects of this conflict, he struggled with issues at home.
These included a struggling economy, increased violence in inner cities, and ongoing high deficit spending. In 1992, he lost his reelection bid to Democrat William Clinton.
Conclusion
George Bush Sr.’s presidency was marked by significant historical events, including the end of the Cold War and the liberation of Kuwait. He was a dedicated public servant who held various roles, from being a Navy pilot in World War II to serving as a U.S. Congressman and holding diplomatic positions.
While his leadership during the Gulf War earned him popularity, domestic issues, including economic challenges, contributed to his defeat in the 1992 election. George Bush Sr. leaves a legacy of service and dedication to American values.
