美国总统41 乔治·沃克·布什（小布什）.docx

美国总统41乔治沃克布什（小布什）GeorgeW.Bush:WartimePresidentplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-11:17repeatByKellyJeanKelly24December,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.GeorgeW.Bushisonlythesecondsonofapresidenttobecomepresident.ThefirstpairwereJohnAdamsandJohnQuincyAdams.TodaywearetalkingaboutGeorgeWalkerBush.Hetookofficein2001asthe43rdpresident.Hehasasimilarnametoanotherpresident-hisfather,GeorgeHerbertWalkerBush.Tosimplifythings,AmericanssometimescalltheyoungerBush"43,"orsimply"W."HerewewilljustcallhimBush.BecauseBushisarecentpresident,historianshavenotreachedabroadagreementonhistimeasaleader.Buthewillsurelyberememberedforfacingoneofthebiggestchallengestoanypresident:theattacksagainsttheU.S.onSeptember11,2001.EarlylifeGeorgeBushwasborninthenortheaststateofConnecticut.ButhisparentssoonmovedtothesouthweststateofTexas.GeorgegrewupthereandconsideredTexashome.TheBushfamilyhadalongbackgroundinpolitics.Bush'sgrandfatherwasasenator.Hisfatherheldmanypublicoffices.Insomeways,Georgewaspreparedforacareerinpolitics,too.Hewenttothesameprivateboardingschoolashisfather.Then,likehisfatherandgrandfather,GeorgewenttoYaleforcollege.Healsoworkedonseveralpoliticalcampaigns.Buthesaidhedidnotconsiderpursuingpolitics.Instead,heearnedadegreeinbusinessatHarvardandtookajobinanoilcompanyinTexas.Intime,hefoundedhisownoilbusiness.AndhemarriedLauraWelch,whowasateacherandlibrarianintheirhometown.TheyhadtwindaughtersnamedBarbaraandJenna.Intheseyearsasayoungadult,Bushbegantomakesomechanges.HebeganattendingaChristianchurchregularly.Hedecidedtostopdrinkingalcoholbecauseitwascreatingproblemsinhispersonallife.Andheturnedhisattentiontopolitics.Bushlostthefirstelectioninwhichhecompeted,aracetobecomeamemberofCongress.So,forawhile,hefocusedonbusinessinvestmentsandhelpinghisfather'spoliticalcareer.Butin1992,hisfatherlostre-electiontothepresidency.AndtheyoungerBushsawachancetoenterpoliticshimselfagain.In1994,BushranforgovernorofTexas.Tomanypeople'ssurprise,hewon.Fouryearslater,hewasoverwhelminglyre-elected.Manyvoterslikedhisimageas,whathecalled,a"compassionateconservative."Inotherwords,hewantedtousetraditionalRepublicanideasaboutgovernmenttohelpsociety.The2000election,betweenGeorgeBush(left)andAlGorezwastheclosestracesince1876.Followingtwosuccessfultermsasgovernor,Bushturnedhisattentiontothepresidency.In2000,hecompetedagainstthevicepresidentatthetimezAlGore.Thewinnerwasnotannounceduntilmorethanamonthfollowingtheelection-usually,thewinnerisannouncedwithinhours.BothsidesdisputedtheprocessofcountingvotesinthestateofFlorida.Finally,theU.S.SupremeCourtruledontheprocess.TheCourtorderedstateofficialstostopre-countingvotes.Bush'sleadstood.PresidencyBushenteredofficeexpectingtobringmanyoftheideashepursuedinTexastotheentirenation.Forexample,aspresidenthepermittedreligiousgroupstoreceivegovernmentfunding,andsetnationalstandardsforpublicschools.Thesemoveswerepopularwithmanyvoters.ButtheyalsochallengedsomeAmericantraditions:theseparationofchurchandstate,andtheabilityofpublicschoolstogovernthemselves.Formanypresidents,thesepoliciesmighthavecreatedalegacy.ButearlyinBush'stermzhefacedacrisisthatdefinedmuchofhistimeinoffice.Hijackerslinkedtotheal-QaedagroupseizedfourairplanesonSeptemberllz2001.TheypurposelycrashedtwoplanesintothetwintowersoftheWorldTradeCenterinNewYorkCityzeventuallykillingmorethan2,700people.AnotherplanewasflownintothePentagon,thecountry'smilitaryheadquartersoutsideofWashington,DC.About200peoplediedthere.Thefourthplanewasaimedatanotherimportanttarget.Butpassengersfoughtthehijackers.TheplanelostcontrolandcrashedinafieldinPennsylvania.All44peopleonboarddiedthere.PresidentBushwasvisitinganelementaryschoolinFloridathatmorning.Helearnedabouttheattackswhilehewasreadingwiththechildren.ThesecondtoweroftheWorldTradeCenterburstsintoflamesafterbeinghitbyahijackedairplaneinNewYorkinthisSeptemberllz2001filephotograph.Attheendoftheday,Bushspoketothenation.HesaidtheU.S.wouldanswerboththeterroristgroupsandthecountriesthatpermittedterroristgroupstothrive.Overthenextyears,Bushtookanumberofactionstocreateanewnationalsecuritystrategy.TheyincludedcreatingaDepartmentofHomelandSecurity,makingchangestothecountry'sintelligenceoperations,andreformingtheU.S.military.HealsosentU.S.forcesintoAfghanistantodestroyterroristnetworksthere.BushwasespeciallytargetingthepersonwhohaddesignedtheSeptember11terroristattacks,OsamabinLaden.ThestruggleinAfghanistanwassuccessfulatfirst,butcontinuedthroughoutBush'stimeinoffice.AndbinLadenwasnotcapturedwhileBushwaspresident.In2003zBushopenedanotherfrontonwhatsomecalledthe"waronterror.,HeandothergovernmentofficialssaidtheleaderofIraqzSaddamHusseinzwasdevelopingweaponsthatcouldkillmanypeople.TheysaidHussein-andhisconnectionstoterroristgroups-threatenedAmericansandpeopleinothercountries.HusseindidnotagreetoleaveIraq.SoU.S.andBritishforceslaunchedbombsattargetsinthecountry'scapital.Additionaltroopsdestroyedwhatwasleftofthetargets.Husseinwasquicklyoverthrow