Truman - I don't think so!

The other day I had a post on historian Robert P. Watson's thoughts on the legacy of George W. Bush. Watson saw George W. down there with the bottom dwellers Harding and Buchanan.

Bush will likely be remembered much as is Warren Harding, who was disinterested in policy details, brought a group of corrupt cronies to the White House and stumbled through one mishap after the other. He is remembered as something of a jovial but incompetent puppet for corporate interests, and for setting the nation on a course to the Great Depression.

But it is James Buchanan, president from 1857-1861, who often earns the dubious title of "worst president" because he lost the Union to civil war on his watch, and failed to change course until it was too late.

Well dubya has compared himself to Harry S. Truman. Joe Gandelman points out that there is a serious flaw in this comparison.

Truman believed "The Buck Stops Here" and had a sign that said so in his office. Yours truly remembers during the 60s when HST had his own filmed television show how the peppery old President was blunt spoken and every word that came out of his mouth seemed like it came from his gut and his soul. Like him or not, what you saw was what you got — and he every centimeter of his being seemed to scream that out to you.

With George Bush, the buck stops everywhere except at his desk.

The difference of course is that Harry Truman was an adult and George W. Bush is a 60 year old adolescent.