“W Bush through Obama” Outline
I. 9/11 and Its Aftermath
a. What happened on September 11, 2001? (297)
i. Who masterminded this attack? (297)
1. Where was he living at the time and what government was sheltering him? (297)
ii. Did Bush know these attacks would happen?
IN EARLY 2001, THE GOVERNMENT’S HEAD OF COUNTER-TERRORISM, RICHARD CLARKE, WARNED BUSH’S ADMINISTRATION THAT BIN LADEN WOULD SOON STRIKE IN THE U.S. AND THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT NEEDED TO RE-DIRECT ITS RESOURCES TO STOPPING AL QAEDA. IN HIS BOOK AGAINST ALL ENEMIES CLARKE ACCUSED BUSH OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE FOR FAILING TO HIS WARNINGS SERIOUSLY. APPARENTLY BUSH WAS NOT FOCUSED ON AL QAEDA BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO BUSH’S SECRETARY OF TREASURY PAUL O’NEILL IN HIS BOOK THE PRICE OF LOYALTY, BUSH SOUGHT TO BUILD UP A CASE FOR INVADING IRAQ FROM THE DAY HE CAME INTO OFFICE.
iii. What did Bush declare after the attacks?
HE DECLARED A WAR ON TERRORISM.
1. What country did the U.S. then invade? (297)
a. Where did Osama bin Laden go because of this? (297)
iv. What group of people shaped Bush’s foreign policy? (297)
b. What did Bush state during his State of the Union address in January 2002? (297)
i. What did the United Nations do because of this?
THE UNITED NATIONS CONVINCED SADDAM HUSSEIN TO ALLOW WEAPONS INSPECTORS BACK INTO IRAQ TO CHECK OUT BUSH’S CLAIMS. THE INSPECTORS FOUND NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ANY OF BUSH’S CONTENTIONS, BUT WERE NOT SURE IF SADDAM WAS HIDING ANYTHING AND REQUESTED MORE TIME TO COMPLETE THER MISSION.
ii. What did Bush call for in his 2003 State of the Union address? (298)
1. What did the United States begin to plan for in spite of this? (298)
2. What was Bush’s “evidence” that Iraq was trying to build weapons of mass destruction? (298)
a. Who exposed Bush’s evidence as being a lie?
JOE WILSON, AN AMERICAN AMBASSADOR WHO HAD BEEN ASKED BY THE CIA TO CHECK INTO BUSH’S CLAIMS BEFORE HE MADE THEM.
i. What happened to his wife because of this?
JOE WILSON’S WIFE, VALERIE PLAME, WAS AN UNDERCOVER CIA AGENT AND AN OFFICIAL WITH THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION LEAKED HER NAME TO MEDIA TO GET BACK AT WILSON FOR PUBLICLY CALLING THE PRESIDENT A LIAR. BECAUSE OF THIS PLAME’S LIFE WAS ENDANGERED AND SHE LOST HER JOB WITH THE CIA.
iii. What did the U.S. and British launch on March 18, 2003? (298)
1. By when did the U.S. take Iraq’s capital, Baghdad? (298)
a. Did anyone ever find “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq? (298)
b. What happened in Iraq once Saddam fell from power? (298)
2. What were American soldiers caught doing to Iraqis at the Abu Ghraib prison? (299)
c. Who did the Democrats pick to challenge Bush in the 2004 elections? (299)
i. Why did this candidate have a difficult time challenging Bush? (299)
a. Who ultimately won the election? (299)
ii. What was Bush able to do about the tax code after his re-election? (300)
1. Why was he criticized for doing this? (300)
2. What happened to the federal deficit because of this? (300)
iii. What happened in 2006 due to public dissatisfaction with Bush? (301)
1. Who became the first female Speaker of the House because of this? (301)
iv. What new policy did Bush pursue in Iraq in 2007? (301)
1. Why was this considered a military success at the time? (301)
d. Who did the Democrats choose as their presidential nominee in 2008? (301)
i. Who did the Republicans choose as their presidential nominee? (301)
1. Why was this a historic election for both parties? (301)
ii. What was the economy going through by 2008? (301)
1. What did Congress do because of this? (301)
iii. Who ultimately won the presidential election? (301-302)
1. How was this a big victory for the Democratic Party? (302)
II. The Obama Presidency
a. What were the big issues Obama had to deal with when he became president? (302)
i. What did Obama do in Iraq?
HE BEGAN A GRADUAL WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN FORCES. AMERICAN TROOPS WERE COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN BY DECEMBER, 2011.
ii. What did Obama do in Afghanistan? (302)
iii. How did Obama try to save jobs and banks? (302)
1. Why did Republicans criticize this effort? (302)
iv. What was Obama’s major accomplishment in health care? (302)
1. Why is this bill controversial? (302)
v. What major movement developed to challenge the government during Obama’s presidency? (302)
1. What did they call for? (302)
vi. What happened in the 2010 mid-term elections? (303)
1. What did many observers fear because of this? (303)