So far, these are the only things I can remember on which I felt Bush got it right:
1) Immigration Reform: At least he tried. If Bush had actually gotten his legislation through the GOP-blocked Congress, I think we would at least be in a better place than we are now. He didn't really get it "right," but it was one of the few issues where I didn't hate his position, and thought would have worked out okay if not great.
2) Dubai Ports Deal: Congress - including many Democrats - behaved shamefully in their racist and Islamaphobic attacks on the deal that would have put US ports under the control of a Dubai-owned security company. I don't love the idea of our security being outsourced, but it's happening anyway. No one said "Don't outsource this to a private company"; they said "Don't outsource it to Arabs." As much as he played the whole "radical Islamic terrorists" card, Bush did a decent job of showing that Islam is not inherently bad - despite, of course, the horrible wars and policies of torture he inflicted on many Muslims. It seems ridiculous that I would have to put this down as a "good position" - what? not all Muslims are evil? for real? - but we live in ridiculous times.
3) The Transition: You have to hand it to him: Bush seemed to put the country first during the transition, trying to work with the president-elect. He went against his party and his general ideological stances to move the economy in the direction he knew Obama would take it, rather than trying to steer the economy in his own direction only to have a mid-January change of course. Maybe it's just that I am happy to see him go, but I think he did a decent job.
And that's all I can think of. Well done, Dubbya.
