1. George W. Bush

2. The Election of 2000 A.K.A. – Days of Our Lives
Vote differentials in several states are exceedingly close, with the Democratic and Republican candidates disputing many of those counts, leaving the final result inconclusive.
Gore wins the popular vote, but loses the electoral vote.
On December 12th , nearly 5 WEEKS after the election, in a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court stops the recount of votes in several contested Florida counties.
Republican George W. Bush vs. Democrat Al Gore

3. September 11, 2001
Terrorists hijack four commercial jets and crash them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the Pennsylvania countryside. It is the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.
Addressing the nation twelve hours after the attacks, President Bush vows to hunt down those responsible.

4. Operation Enduring Freedom October 07, 2001
President Bush announces the commencement of military action in Afghanistan, an operation code-named “Enduring Freedom.”
Taliban supported Osama bin Laden

5. In his State of the Union address, President Bush warns that the war against terrorism is only beginning. Specifically citing North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, Bush speaks of “an axis of evil” threatening world peace.

6. No Child Left Behind Act January 08, 2002
President Bush signs a landmark education reform bill into law. Known as the No Child Left Behind Act, it offers local authorities greater flexibility in spending federal dollars, but requires standardized math and reading tests.

7. Designed to allow the gov’t more power to fight the War on Terror, many feel that it gives the gov’t too much power to spy on the citizens.

8. The War in Iraq Begins SHOCK AND AWE! March 16, 2003
After months of debate in the United Nations Security Council, President Bush announces the U.S. intention to move against Iraq with its coalition of allies.
Bush issues an ultimatum for military action, giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons forty-eight hours to leave Iraq.

9. The weapons of mass destruction are never found.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence finds, after a five-year study, that President Bush and other officials greatly exaggerated the evidence showing that Saddam Hussein held weapons of mass destruction.

10. 12/30/2006 Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is hanged in…
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is hanged in Baghdad, Iraq, after being convicted of crimes against humanity dating back to December 30, 2006

11. Lionel Sosa, shown here in a 2014 ad, ran a Texas-based ad agency that helped G.W. Bush gain an estimated 40% of Latino voters in the 2004 election

12. 2004 Election Map Red=Bush Blue=John Kerry

13. US turns Iraq over to itself
US turns Iraq over to itself. An insurgency develops between competing groups

14. August 28, 2005
Hurricane Katrina strikes the southern coast of the United States with devastating effects. The storm breaches the levee system in New Orleans, causing massive flooding and destruction of property.
The Bush administration is harshly criticized for an inadequate response by the federal government to the storm’s destruction.

15. August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast as a Cat 3 Hurricane

16. The Storm Surge pushes into the Mississippi Gulf Coast

17. from the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain
A lot New Orleans lies at or below sea level and is protected by levees
from the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain

18. After the levees fail

20. The Financial Crisis of 2008
The Dow Jones industrial average closes at 14,164, its all-time high. Soon after, it begins a steep decline.
At the onset of financial crisis, President Bush signs a $700 billion bailout plan for failing bank assets, the largest in U.S. history.

21. November 25, 2008
The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve agree to provide another $800 billion in lending programs to buy debt insured by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and to provide more small loans to consumers.

22. December 19, 2008
President Bush issues a $17.4-billion auto bailout to General Motors and Chrysler to keep the two American automotive giants from going bankrupt.

23. Crash course….