The Bush family devised a simple, numerical means to distinguish between the presidencies of father and son: George H.W. Bush was called "41," and George W. Bush became "43." To mark the imminent - and merciful - end of 43's reign, here are 43 remembrances of the departing administration.
There were actions to pacify or mobilize the right-wing elements that brought Mr. Bush to power:
43. Restoring the so-called Mexico City policy prohibiting American aid to groups that provide abortion counseling in other countries.
42. Brokering an embryonic stem cell compromise by falsely claiming there were 60 viable cell lines (about five times the actual number).
41. Attorney General John Ashcroft's puritanical cloaking of the Justice Department's semi-nude "Spirit of Justice" statue.
40. Political adviser Karl Rove's use of gay marriage ballot measures to rally evangelicals for the 2004 election.
There were poor staffing choices and the willful ignoring of sound advice:
39. White House adviser Claude A. Allen's arrest for illegal merchandise exchanges at Target.
38. The Supreme Court nomination of Harriet E. Miers, whose sycophancy trumped her lack of qualifications for the bench.
37. Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill's puzzlement that the president could sit through an entire briefing without asking a single thoughtful question.
36. "Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job."
35. Rejecting Gen. Eric K. Shinseki's estimate that "several hundred thousand" American troops would be needed in Iraq.
34. Dumping Secretary of State Colin L. Powell even though he risked his reputation with the 2003 U.N. testimony about supposed Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which he later deemed the "lowest point" of his life.
33. The president's petulant refusal to consult with his actual father, who knew something about invading Iraq, in favor of war counsel from a "higher father."
There was a penchant for deception and secrecy:
32. A gay male escort, working under a pseudonym for a bogus news agency, was permitted access to White House press conferences.
31. The executive order rebuking the Presidential Records Act, sealing 41's vice presidential papers from public view.
30. The altering of a 2003 Environmental Protection Agency report showing evidence of global warming.
29. Hiding from Congress the Medicare prescription plan's internal cost estimate until the bill passed.
