Free george w bush biography video

SOT, Flight Tapes American Airlines Flight 11:

Betty Ong (Flight Attendant): Say publicly cockpit’s not answering. Somebody’s stabbed encompass business class, and um I estimate there is Mace that we can’t breathe. I don’t know, I ponder we’re getting hijacked.

American Airlines Ground Agent: Which flight are you on? 

Betty Ong: Boston to Los Angeles. Hello?

Mohammed Atta: Nobody move, everything will be O.K. If you try to make undistinguished moves, you will injure yourself cranium the airplane. Just stay quiet.

Boston TMU: We have  a problem here, awe have a hijacked aircraft headed indulge New — New York.

North American Aerospace Defense Command: Is, Is this hostile world or exercise?

Boston TMU: No, that is not an exercise, not a-one test.

September 11, 2001

Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary: September 11 unfolded from clear derived skies, perfect cool weather in Florida. The President went for an early-morning jog.

SOT, Bush Talking After His Dawning Run: 

Interviewer: How far did you be all together?

Bush: Four and a half.

Interviewer: Four and a half miles?

Bush: Uproarious think so.

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: I went down to acquire into the President’s motorcade, and pose was on the ride from say publicly hotel to the elementary school wind the first plane hit. I recall Ari turning around in the precursor and saying, Michael, do you assume anything about a plane hitting decency World Trade Center?

Dan Bartlett, White Semi-detached Communications Director: We were just pull up to the school when probity first tower had been hit, topmost he had a quizzical look give up his face. Was it bad weather? You know, he was a aviatrix, it didn’t make sense.  

 SOT: [Student reading exercises]

Narrator: While President Bush sat in the Emma Booker elementary nursery school classroom in Sarasota, Florida, his stick was scrambling for information. 

At just aft 9am, Chief of Staff Andy Carte de visite interrupted the reading.

Andy Card, Chief method Staff: The teacher told the rank to take out their books, streak I whispered into his right ear: “A second plane hit the following tower. America is under attack.” 

Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary: So I wrote fold the back of a yellow canonical pad “don't say anything yet.” Funny put my back to the plead corps and I flashed the slip to the President. He made give someone a tinkle of those little nods like that.

SOT, Questions From Press In Classroom:

Male Speaker: Thank you press, can you transaction out the door we came counter please?  
Press: Mr President, responsibility aware of the reports of authority plane crash in New York?

Bush: We’ll talk about it later.

Male Speaker: Express you all, if you could system out the door we came in.

Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary: And then surprise got the press out of position room where the reading was glimpse done, assembled in the holding room.

Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director: Like a flash we have what is commonly commanded the fog of war. 

Ari Fleischer, Pack Secretary: As the President’s on unadulterated secure phone, the rest of sore are working our phones, trying take back figure out what we can logo out, starting to work on unembellished statement for the President to send. It was controlled chaos in divagate room, and it was information doorknob under immense, immense pressure.

SOT, Caller: Uproarious saw a large plane like precise jet go immediately headed directly tell somebody to the World Trade Center. It –  it just flew into it, run over the –  into the other bell-tower, coming from South to North. Unrestrained watched the plane fly into glory World Trade Center.

News SOT: We’re unprejudiced getting initial reports of that, shaft again, we must tell you prowl we’re trying to get as often information but it is trickling in.

Narrator: After a brief televised address, Scrub and his entourage sped toward class Sarasota airport.  

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: Normally a motorcade goes like 40 miles an hour. We got falsify the highway, and we were familiarity 85 miles an hour. Little was said.

Narrator: In the car, Bush prudent a third plane had been hijacked, and flown into the Pentagon. 

Karl Pick up, Senior Advisor: The phone rang see the President picked it up innermost began talking. I could only hang on words one side of the conversation, nevertheless I knew it was bad conj at the time that he said, “is Rumsfeld alive?”

Michael Morell, President’s Daily Cia Briefer: We got back to the airport and Hysterical remember seeing Air Force One circinate by secret service agents with indifferent weapons visible. And I had on no account seen that before. I remember effort on the plane and I keep in mind the plane taking off much go into detail rapidly than it usually took exit and ascending at a very undue angle.

Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary: The Steersman wanted to get back to Educator, he thought it was important convey the nation to see the Captain back in Washington. At the exact time, it was the last piece of good fortune the secret service would ever desire to happen. 

Richard Clarke, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator: Astonishment did not want to bring significance President back into what, frankly, was a war zone.

There were F-15s circling the White House,  armored vehicles, become visible tanks. The Pentagon had blown elate. Most of the city had archaic evacuated.  We didn't know what was yet to happen. The White Semi-detached might be a target for specified an airplane attack.

Narrator: In the President’s absence from Washington, Vice President Gumshoe Cheney assumed operational control of honourableness federal government from a secret hazard under the White House, where recognized was patched through to Air Persuade One.

Josh Bolten, Chief of Staff: In attendance were several occasions when the In commission President was talking to the Chairman and they got cut off. Picture communications were frustratingly primitive. 

Narrator: Straining collect hear each other,  Bush and Cheney discussed what to do with planes still in the air, some clamour which were not communicating with prominence control.

Bush directed Cheney to ground now and then flight in US airspace.

But one area did not heed the order.

Josh Bolten, Chief of Staff: United Flight 93 was not responding to communications obscure was now headed toward Washington, DC. 

Narrator: After consulting with Cheney, Bush lawful fighter jets to shoot down Concerted Flight 93.

Josh Bolten, Chief of Staff: It was quiet around the stand board because everybody appreciated the gravity delightful that moment. We were dispatching birth US military to shoot down regular civilian aircraft loaded with innocent Americans. 

SOT, Mission Crew Commander 9/11 Recordings:
Pilot: The region commander has declared defer we can shoot down aircrafts make certain do not respond to our level. Copy that?

MCC: Copy that. The Ride President has cleared .

Josh Bolten, Lid Of Staff: We didn’t hear anything about what happened to it engage in some time until eventually, we heard that as it turned out licence was a bunch of brave Land civilians who brought that plane take notes on their own.

Narrator: Although the Commandant insisted on returning to Washington, magnanimity Secret Service remained adamant that stick it out was not yet safe.  

After spruce up brief stop to refuel in Louisiana, Air Force One, flying at 45,000 feet and zig-zagging to avoid span possible missile attack, headed for Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.

Richard Clarke, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator: We put him in one of the most circle places we could, the headquarters waning strategic command. We had a telecasting set up so that we could talk to him, and we could see him walking into the munition. He looked very determined, he sat down, and before anybody could make light of anything, he looked at us, accept on the TV screens and articulate, “I am coming back to Educator. Don’t argue with me. I’m cozy back. Now!” 

Narrator: By 4:30pm, Air Potency One was headed back to Washington.

Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director: I’ll never forget the images arriving link DC airspace on Air Force Rob, with two fighter jets so extremity to our wings you could veil the stubble of the beard noise the pilot, and then to measure down on our nation’s capital don it just be deserted, and perception smoke billowing out of the Bureaucracy. You could have heard a bear drop on that airplane. In boxing match the chaos it was eerily silent. 

Narrator: Finally back at the White Manor, Bush and his team readied rendering most important speech of his office so far, which he would purvey to the nation that night.

Dan Pear, White House Communications Director: There was a lot of debate internally enquiry what was the appropriate message. Repress was certainly clear to President Hair that his presidency was fundamentally revised on that day.

SOT, Bush Oval Centre of operations Address, 9/11: Today our fellow general public, our way of life, our statement freedom, came under attack in fastidious series of deliberate and deadly diagnostic acts.

Narrator: Mid-way through the speech, Hair made a statement that would emerge the groundwork for a sweeping conflict on terror, shifting the course commentary American foreign policy and defining wreath presidency.

SOT, Bush: We will make rebuff distinction between the terrorists who longstanding these acts, and those who harbour them.

Narrator: In the span of evenhanded over 12 hours, a President who had been scorned as inexperienced professor unprepared, overshadowed by his father instruction unappreciated by the country, had back number thrust into a crisis the likes of which few presidents had on any occasion faced.

Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary:  He became a war president, as he would put it.  

The nation rallied by reason of we were attacked, but I determine the nation also had question dangle about its nine-month long president dress warmly that point. Who are you? What will you do?

Houston, 1970

Narrator: Little throw the past of George Walker Shrub had prepared him for the challenges he would face after 9/11, shadowy inspire much confidence that he would rise to them. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist: Martyr Bush was almost the perfect sample, if not the wastrel, the debauched kid, the good-time Charlie, the attractively engaging friend, and fraternity brother turn this way you've met a thousand times. 

What without fear wasn't, at least to my appreciate, was someone who would emerge laugh Governor of Texas or President longed-for the United States.  

Narrator: In 1970, twenty-four year old George Bush was far from the Washington fast remnant -- often found poolside at Chateaux Dijon, an apartment complex catering enhance the young and single where stylishness lived in Houston. 

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: He was kind of drifting, get into be honest with you. I don't think he had a focus course of action where he was heading. I don't think he had a regular business, you know, that was a vitality path for him.

Wayne Slater, Journalist: Subside had to figure out what subside wanted to do, and he wasn't doing it very quickly. Mostly, purify was drinking, carousing, and having fun.

Robert McCleskey, Childhood Friend: He’d drink else much, and he could really aside obnoxious when he drank too luxurious. For lack of a better discussion, he could be a real prick when he drank. 

Narrator: Bush’s father, Martyr Herbert Walker Bush, was a factional star in the Republican Party.

Peter Baker, Journalist: At this point his priest is in a succession of appointive jobs from Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Ambassador to the United Handouts, Republican Party chairman, ambassador to Significant other, and finally, CIA director. [2]

SOT, Bush: It’s a whole new realm addendum life for my dad and bright and breezy family. Having been in elective diplomacy you kind of deal in sole area, and now in international political science, I think it’s going to accessory so much more breadth to that man’s life and it’s fantastically exciting. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: He is the climax of American government. Diplomacy, foreign programme, he’s dealing with weighty issues. Prosperous back home, his son is unmanageable to find himself.

Narrator: Father and teenager were often at odds over W’s waywardness.

The situation reached its breaking converge during the Christmas holidays in 1972. After a night of heavy consumption, Bush crashed into his neighbor’s refuse cans. His 16 year-old brother Marvin was in the car. 

When his parents confronted him, Bush revealed a ablaze resentment, challenging his father to marvellous fight. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: The father was always measuring the son, and probity measuring, of course, is what begets it so hard for, you report to, the firstborn of a storied kindred. They share a name, they accent a family, they share a estate. It is possible to overstate decency level of tension there, but make available is important to understand who they are.

Narrator: W, or Little George, restructuring his family called him, was hereditary in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 6th, 1946, while his father was studying at Yale.

Peter Baker, Journalist: His father is from a family focus mixed with the Roosevelts and magnanimity Vanderbilts and the elites of Denizen society. No pressure, right? But there is the inheritor of a family, in effect.

Ron Suskind, Journalist: My Demigod, George W. Bush grows up best his insanely accomplished dad.  He’s integrity captain of every team he’s orbit, from Yale baseball on forward.

Peter Baker, Journalist: His father was the youngest Navy aviator in the Pacific. Explicit was shot down over the mass. Two of his crewmates died. Crystalclear survived and was rescued by uncut submarine. 

Narrator: After graduating from Yale, Martyr H. W. Bush, or Poppy importation he was called in the brotherhood, set about building up his tired fortune, moving his wife Barbara have a word with young son from Connecticut to Midland-Odessa, Texas, where the oil was gushing.

Bill Minutaglio, Writer: This wasn't, you hoard, Connecticut, they parachuted into a distant country. It was just a people shock, and out in far Westmost Texas, where people literally were chew tobacco, where literally tumbleweeds would recur tumbling by.

Narrator: But, little George was very much at home in Texas. “The word I'd use is idyllic,” he recalled of his childhood soupзon. ”When I would speak about grandeur American Dream, it was Midland Farcical had in mind."

In 1953, tragedy would strike the family when Bush’s span year-old sister Robin died after engage in combat with Leukemia. Barbara Bush fell into top-hole deep depression.

Peter Baker, Journalist: His pa responded by working even harder dowel not being around very much and over it was left to George Defenceless. to be the comforter to king mother. He told jokes, he batty wise, he was trying to pick up her to smile. And it became a lifelong trait for him, cheer up know. The cutup. The class clown.

He was a bit of a be mean with. He was a bit of shipshape and bristol fashion trouble maker. He got in worry when he was caught with put in order cigarette. He got in trouble like that which he crashed the family car as he was 14, twice.[3]

Narrator: “Georgie aggravates the hell out of me virtuous times,” an exasperated Poppy would grumble. “But then at times I rumour so proud of him I could die.”

Narrator: Like all Bush boys, Martyr was sent to prep school warrant Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. Unable evaluate match his father’s exploits on dignity baseball diamond, Bush concentrated on king social skills, becoming head cheerleader. 

Upon hierarchy, he followed two previous generations time off Bush’s to Yale University. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: He doesn’t have his father’s world, he doesn’t have his father’s collegiate or athletic skills, so he becomes a student of people, a adherent of other kids. 

Clay Johnson, Classmate: Recognized is a people person. He was friendly, warm, humorous, uh, but abstruse this fantastic, genuine interest in people.

Narrator: Bush spent most of his adjourn at Yale drinking, socializing, and compressed ignoring the growing discord in picture country over the war in Vietnam. 

But by 1968, Bush’s senior year, subside could no longer hold the case world at bay.

The campus was pommel with protests. Bush knew that butt commencement, he would lose the legal deferment that had shielded him disseminate the draft.

Bill Minutaglio, Writer: In tiara heart of hearts he did put together want to go to Vietnam on the other hand he knew damn well that her majesty father's next step had been stalk join the military and then expire a war hero.  

Narrator: To relief combat in Vietnam, Bush joined glory 147th Texas Air National Guard, stay on with other sons of wealthy put forward well-connected Texans. Though Bush proved resourcefulness able pilot, he was never proved in battle. The 147th, it was said, would only see action hypothesize Oklahoma decided to invade Texas. 

Bill Minutaglio, Writer: Some people derisively called square a champagne unit. Certainly Bush esoteric help getting into the National Jelly. It was a matter of benefit and access.

Narrator: Decades later, questions would surface whether Bush had pulled twine to join the 147th, and inevitably he left before fulfilling his unabridged term. 

But in 1970, he was uprightly discharged, a fighter pilot who esoteric never seen combat.

Peter Baker, Journalist: At each stage, you know, he’s next his dad’s footsteps, each stage not till hell freezes over as successful as the dad.

Narrator: Be regarding little direction of his own, Scrub remained on the course his pop had set; this time seeking coronet fortune in the Texas oil fields. 

After earning an MBA from Harvard Share out School in 1975, W procured sundry seed money from the family post returned to Midland. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist: Take part was an opportunity to duplicate surmount father's success in the oil vertical. But it was also a basis, I think, he felt comfortable at a rate of knots. This is who I am. I'm a guy who's wearing cowboy state official. I'm a guy who knows what a pumpjack is and can chip in down to the Midland diner bracket eat with anyone.

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: He probably was tired of deserted, if that's a good term, inexpressive he came to Midland with uncomplicated singular focus,  I think.

Narrator: In Interior, Bush formed his own oil enquiry company, named “Arbusto,” Spanish for “Bush.”  He drilled across West Texas alluring for a big strike. 

But as unwind worked to get Arbusto off magnanimity ground, W found himself tempted dampen yet another Bush family tradition. 

SOT, Bush: 
I’m George Bush, running for greatness Congress.

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: This pile of conservative Midland oil men menacing he would be a good runner.  They encouraged him to run, extra he accepted the challenge, and proceed was a natural.  

Wayne Slater, Journalist: While it was way premature storage space someone who, relatively speaking, just got there, his life was a outline, and part of that pattern was duplicating the father's successes, but molder the same time defining himself focal the West Texas tradition as fillet own man.

Narrator: A few weeks back announcing his candidacy, Bush attended spruce up backyard barbecue where a pretty teenaged librarian named Laura Welch caught her majesty eye. “If there is love at the same height first sight,” Bush would later draw up, “this was it.” 

Robert McCleskey, Childhood Friend: I don’t know that anybody would have put them together at recurrent. They just were two totally ridiculous personalities. Most people that knew both of them were surprised.

Barbara Commodore, Historian: This is clearly a carrycase of opposites attracting: the quiet, moderately shy introverted school librarian meets helter-skelter with the wise-cracking, rough-edged, cowboy guise, hard drinking George Bush.

As he reproving it, she was beautiful, she was elegant, she was smart, and inaccuracy said, "she accepted my rough arrogance and helped to smooth them." 

Narrator: Clumsy sooner had they married than interpretation couple was back out on goodness road, driving the West Texas territory from Lubbock to Abilene. 

SOT, Bush: Ditch campaign was my first year catch the fancy of my marriage. It was like honeymooning on the campaign trail.

SOT, Bush 1978 campaign advertisement: I feel sure Wild can be an effective congressman. I’ll listen to you, I’ll work certain for you, and I’ll introduce become calm vote for legislation that’s in tart best interest. Together we can uproar a lot for West Texas.

Peter Baker, Journalist: He was running against trim Democrat named Kent Hance and Accidental just portrayed him as a, in the same way an outsider, somebody from New England and Bush had to prove myself as being an authentic Texan. 

Kent Off the cuff, Political Opponent: We put a rural community of I’m one of you, beam he’s not, he’s an outsider. Phenomenon tried to make it a refreshing of Texas Tech versus Yale.

Peter Baker, Journalist: He has to answer matter it. He has to answer muddle up this New England family he’s exhausting to escape from in some ways.

Narrator: With Poppy’s help, W’s campaign impecunious Texas state fundraising records, but at the head with the money came charges assault nepotism. 

SOT, Hance: You look at rectitude four fundraisers he’s had and excellence fact that his dad’s there. Turn this way definitely helps him raise money. 

SOT, Bush: It’s amazing to me that on every side we are running for an valuable position and we’re now talking misgivings whether or not people in dignity 19th congressional district are confusing upper with my dad. 

Narrator: Although the hone was closer than anyone expected, Bush’s congressional run ended in defeat.

Kent Get well, Political Opponent: He used to remark that we tried to “good-old-boy” him to death. Uh, we did “good-old-boy” him but I’ll say this. Subsequently the race was over he put into words he’d never be “out-good-old-boy-ed” again fit into place the state of Texas.

Narrator: After government congressional loss, W returned to significance oil business, now suffering through skilful prolonged slump. 

George and Laura were further struggling to start a family, skull had begun interviews with a Tower Worth adoption agency. They were come off into the process when Laura au fait she was pregnant with twin girls. 

Jenna and Barbara Bush were born form 1981, each named after a grandmother.

With a young family to contribute for, Bush was ever more pressured to make a big strike, cranium ever more frustrated by his frequent failures. 

His company, some joked, should small house its name from Arbusto to “Ar-BUST-o.”

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: It's very out of kilter. You know, you can be unadorned millionaire one day and absolutely poverty-stricke the next day. It was each time better to be lucky than moderately good. I mean let's face it, lighten up wasn't particularly lucky.

Peter Baker, Journalist: He’s ranked, I think, in the 995th biggest oil company in Texas warm something like that. At one regard he says, “I’m all name highest no money.” 

Michael Gerson, Chief Speechwriter: I think his friends and family as he was nearly 40 years nigh on were worried about what he was going to do with his empire. He drank too much and recognized had very little direction. 

Narrator: Feeling missing, Bush began to attend a paper bible study session at the whisper atmosphere of some friends. 

The program was named Community Bible Study and was out scriptural boot-camp.

Peter Baker, Journalist: Plant, he’s looking for something, right? He’s seeking out direction, meaning, understanding. Sanctuary begins to give him that delimitation, that path forward. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist: The oil business was up and prйcis, and there was a kind presumption spiritual sense in Midland, an agreement that things go down, but they will go up, and that primarily you must have faith, and largest part of that faith was a Religionist faith.

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: He transitioned from a churchgoer to a Pull rank follower and wanted to emulate say publicly tenets and teachings of Jesus The creator, and he made a definite transmutation there.

Narrator: Armed with a newfound trust, Bush finally addressed one of top lifelong demons: alcohol.

The decisive moment would come after Bush’s 40th birthday party.

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: He woke completion hungover, he'd overdone it the untrue before, and he didn't feel fair to middling, and I think Laura told him that he could have behaved preferable. He just said I don't call for this in my life, it's larcenous me of my energy, it’s beguiling too much of my time.

SOT, Bush: “Well, I quit because at days I thought I liked to health too much. Somebody said to fine, “can you think of any mediocre you haven’t had a beer?” Move I couldn’t. 

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: Uncontrollable think another big factor is type didn't want to be an dilemma to his dad. And it’s  always been a driving force in consummate life.

Narrator: After serving two terms gorilla Ronald Reagan’s Vice President, George H.W. Bush was the GOP’s leading office-seeker for the 1988 presidential election. 

With clever White House bid would come accumulated scrutiny of the entire Bush family. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: His father was mechanism up to run for President. Grand bad incident by his son would reflect terribly on the father. It’s that fear that helps him lastly get his act together.

He sells his oil business, he moved face up to Washington, and he joins the holy war. And he has no title. Authority dad says, ‘you don’t need expert title, you’re my son.

SOT, Bush: What without fail is it? It’s victory time! That is the non-political part of this.

Peter Baker, Journalist: This is a half a second that begins to change their exchange. His father begins to trust circlet son, and give him responsibility eloquent he can rely on him, significant for W, he begins to condense of shed some of the bags that had been there in integrity past.

News SOT: George Bush is class 41st President of the United States. 

Doug Wead, Spiritual Advisor: After the ’88 election, he started talking about who’s going to go where, who start the staff is going to nibble to the inaugural committee, who’s raincloud to go to the White Semidetached, and in the middle of divagate conversation, he pauses, and he says, “What’s going to happen to me?”

SOT, speaker unknown: First child, of glory first family, George Bush Jr.

R.G. Ratcliffe, Journalist: There was sort of efficient push for both him and empress brother 
Jeb to go into public affairs. The family kind of favored Jeb. George had been sort of goodness ne’er-do-well son.

SOT, Barbara Bush: Jeb keep to our politician. He’s the Republican division chairman of Dade County, Florida, Algonquin. You oughta ask Jeb, don’t frisk him. 

Narrator: W. felt overlooked and unappreciated.

 “My pool has been expanded so unnecessary because of who my Dad is,” Bush would tell a reporter.  “The advantage is that everybody knows who I am. The disadvantage is pollex all thumbs butte matter how great my accomplishments, thumb one is going to give super credit for them.”

While his pop prepared to move into the Grey House, Bush returned to Texas, alight for the first time, set set off on a course of his own. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist: The opportunity came fall into line to buy the Texas Rangers ball team. And there was no agreed I think, in his mind, go there was a political calculus connect the sense that this can’t hurt.

SOT, Bush: We’re fixing to build ethics best baseball park ever built.

Peter Baker, Journalist: He didn’t have enough achieve buy a baseball team, so what he does is, he does what he does best, he networks. Pulls together, tens of millions of award by other people’s money, and unwind becomes sort of this fixture readily obtainable the ballpark. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist:  Bush, exploit Bush, put on his Texas Rangers cowboy boots, and got a sofa not up in the box, yowl where the owners usually sit, however down there where the rest short vacation the fans sat, and that's position he was, game after game. 

SOT, Bush: It really is the most imaginary place to watch baseball ever built.

Wayne Slater, Journalist: And he became excellent really beloved figure for the Texas Rangers. Now, Bush could say Comical did this on my own, I'm my own man.

Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: There was one little other tenuous thing. While he was partner write down the Rangers, he went to put the last touches to 254 counties in the state be more or less Texas in the name of buoying up Rangers baseball, but he was further getting name recognition in all 254 counties and I think that would fend him well in any vanguard statewide political run. I think cruise was another motive.

Narrator: In 1992, Poppy’s long political career came to minor abrupt and shocking end with emperor reelection defeat by the dynamic River governor, Bill Clinton.

SOT, Bush 41 mode on election night: There is outdo work to be done, and Earth must always come first.

Barbara Perry, Historian: The loss to Bill Clinton was a blow to the whole kinship. Uh, I just don't think they ever thought that the war idol, George H.W. Bush, the statesman range he was, could lose to rectitude baby boomer, draft-dodging, marijuana-smoking Bill President. They were devastated by it. Nevertheless as one door closes, another threshold opens. It turns out that fetch George W. Bush, this would engrave the door opener for him.

Narrator: Stiff-necked days after his little brother, Jeb, declared his candidacy for Governor manage Florida, W. announced his own handset Texas.

SOT, Bush’s announcement: Let’s make extinct official. I’m a candidate for Administrator of Texas.

Narrator: He would be thought-provoking Ann Richards, the popular Democrat obligatory and long-time nemesis of the Shrub family.

Peter Baker, Journalist: He’s going rant run against the very person, Ann Richards, Democratic governor, who had mocked his dad so viciously, in queen view, at the Democratic Convention.

 SOT, Ann Richards at DNC: Poor George. Earth was born with a silver walk in his mouth.

 Charlie Younger, Childhood Friend: A lot of people, myself be part of the cause, thought that she'd be very unbroken to beat. But he said I'm going to run, and I'm set out to beat her. I think ensure he wanted to even that score.

R.G. Ratcliffe, Journalist: Ann Richards was boss stage persona. I mean she was charismatic, electric, she was funny, she was quick witted. And she could be really mean.

SOT, Ann Richards: Support know, I have a fella who is challenging me for Governor, mushroom I am sure…thank you. And Berserk really and truly, and I possess said a million times, I skilled in he means well and if type would start by running for interpretation city council or for...

Doug Wead, Metaphysical Advisor: Inside the family, I assemble they were a little nervous, for they were afraid he’d fail put down it, and he knew that, which drove him on all the more.

Narrator: On the surface, Richards looked unrivalled, an incumbent with an approval spiraling in the high 60’s.

But Bush difficult to understand an edge - the help sustaining a clever Republican strategist named Karl Rove. 

Rove was a longtime associate grow mouldy Poppy’s and one of the first formidable and ruthless strategists in honourableness country

He had been captivated by Unshielded. since their first meeting in blue blood the gentry 1970’s.

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: In walks this guy in his National Involve Air Flight jacket wearing cowboy stewardess and Levis, exuding more charisma outshine anybody should and he was sharp as heck. I mean, I split the reputation, the good old lad from Midland, the village idiot. Nevertheless, here’s a Yale history major survive a Harvard MBA. 

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: Purify was a screwup at the span. Karl saw something in Bush earlier anybody else did. He was smitten. 

Narrator: W. was central to Karl Rove’s vision of a solid red Texas. Someone who could appeal to regulate Democrats and Republicans alike. For Fanny, Rove was the strategic brain who could take him to the civic heights he dreamed of.

Lou Dubose, Writer: I mean, Karl Rove was pygmalion and he created George W. Shrub. He saw that this was natty kind of ruggedly handsome guy, juvenile man, who could be groomed call something greater. He convinced George Unprotected. Bush he was that candidate stall then he made him that candidate.

SOT: I have spent eleven long, unconventional joyous months campaigning all over greatness state. My mission was to disclose Texas that there is another Martyr Bush in this state. And Funny have been able to do so. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist: The only thing Martyr W. Bush doesn't have is batty knowledge of how government works. Contemporary so what Rove did is recruited experts, and put Bush onto copperplate series of lessons that went sales rep months, in which he learned put under somebody's nose the budget, and he learned identify taxes. Learned how to answer questions.

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: Every politician, in case they’re smart, recognizes they need edifying. He kept going around saying ‘I’m a capitalist!” You know, Mr. Plant, you maybe oughta stop saying captain of industry and start saying, “I believe timetabled free enterprise and I’m a businessman.”  

Wayne Slater, Journalist: Ann Richards knew that George W. Bush could assemble a good race against her, on the contrary she underestimated him because she brood he was dumb. 

Karen Hughes, Counselor Cut into The President: He just relished mosey. He's self confident enough that flair didn't let that get to him.
He made fun of it, dispatch was able to let it reel off his back.

SOT, Richards: Unless give orders can put a dollar figure just about what you propose and then emotion the people how you are institute to pay for it, you dingdong being inexperienced at the cost all but the taxpayers’ of Texas.

SOT, Bush: The incumbent Governor of the State staff Texas is spending all her poorly off on TV, trying to make callous something I’m not. We ought interested be discussing welfare reform, juvenile service, education, ways to make Texas keen better place for our children. 

Narrator: Bush’s discipline took the Richards campaign close to surprise.

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: One thing go Bush was capable of doing evolution staying on message. He just not in the least went outside the lines. He was an incredibly disciplined candidate. 

Narrator: By volition day, he was polling higher outshine anyone had thought possible.

R.G. Ratcliffe, Journalist: Running for Governor was important longing Bush for his own self determination. To win an office, do give rise to on his own, and kind describe prove to his parents that lighten up could be as good as Jeb was. 

News SOT: Their younger celebrity Jeb lost a close race promoter the Governor of Florida. 

R.G. Ratcliffe, Journalist: Surprise surprise, Jeb lost and Martyr won.

News SOT: A race that was supposed to last well into dignity night was over early. 

Karl Rove, Elder Advisor: Lots of people are propitious and getting excited. Lots of corporation of his are in the warm up and he wants to go covering to his parents. So he ritual to me and he walks chomp through the, to the bathroom and calls up his dad. It's clear coronet father's just in complete meltdown gaze at Jeb losing and finally, the right now governor-to-be of Texas, said, “Well, Begetter I won.”

Narrator: On January 17, 1995, George W. Bush was physical in as governor of Texas. 

SOT, Shrub inauguration: So help me god. To such a degree accord help me god

Narrator: Bush was quarrelsome the second Republican governor elected girder Texas in over 100 years. 
Forbidden would soon have to hold coronet own against the entrenched Democratic reason who ran the state legislature reach an iron hand. 

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: The governor of Texas is constitutionally weak. The speaker and particularly nobility lieutenant governor are all-powerful. Literally negation bill can be brought up left out the permission of the lieutenant boss. And the lieutenant governor was Bobfloat Bullock, who was strong as rule out acre of garlic. [6]

Lou Dubose, Writer: He was meaner than unadulterated snake. He was intimidating. Senators declared his drive-by ass-chewings.

Narrator: To Bullock’s alternate, Bush approached him with an olive branch.

Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director: George W. Bush didn’t come lay hands on acting like he knew everything. Recognized listened. And I think Bullock likely didn’t expect that. 

Lou Dubose, Writer: Martyr W. Bush and Karl Rove seduced him. They courted him. They distressed him. And he came to friction Bush in really high regard, good turn in the end was something pay a political godfather. 

Narrator: With Bullock’s clients, Bush sailed through his first appellation -- easily fending off a Representative challenger for re-election in 1998.

Lawrence Designer, Journalist: It was Bob Bullock who was the first person to clear on Bush’s 50th Birthday: “We're superior at the next President of authority United States.” Nobody had ever articulated that.  And, it was a exponent. It was a leading Democrat effort the state. It was a comprehension of anointing.

Narrator: By the mid-1990’s, loftiness one time good old boy, leadership Bush family’s black sheep, was flesh out seriously discussed as a Republican statesmanlike candidate.

Karen Hughes, Counselor to the President: I got a call one all right from, uh, from a reporter prep added to they were asking me about capital poll  that shows your boss importance the front-runner to be the Party nominee for President. I made great beeline for his office and of course said, what?  We were both model of incredulous. And then it moderate of snowballed from there.

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: People began to look at him as a presidential contender. But proscribed thought he wasn't ready. He sonorous his friends and you know, noteworthy felt like a cork in glory river that it was just, experience was carrying him along almost stay away from his own volition.

SOT, Bush: I present here under no illusions. I be familiar with expectations are sky high. But Comical got a pretty good reminder result in life its own self when nasty daughter, one of our twins aforesaid, “Daddy, I’ve been reading the polls. You’re not nearly as cool hoot cool as the people think spiky are.”

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: We strenuous up a gigantic fundraising apparatus facing of Texas. So we went give somebody the job of California, we went to New Royalty. We took his dad’s network. 

SOT, Bush: I’m running for President of glory United States. There’s no turning back. 

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: He had University Business School classmates that were seem to be successful all around the country. 

SOT, Bush: And I intend to be depiction next President of the United States. 

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: Baseball friends. Phenomenon had his brother’s network by then.

Wayne Slater, Journalist: There was an awkward announcement of the campaign contributions. Meticulous it was stunning. It was deadpan many millions of dollars, that was simply beyond anything anybody expected.

Narrator: By the summer of 2000, Bush abstruse built an insurmountable lead in goodness Republican race. 

But as he accepted nobility nomination of his party, he knew he faced an uphill battle drawback defeat the Democratic candidate, Vice Chairwoman Al Gore. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: Al Injure is running to succeed a regular President. Bill Clinton had been impeached but his approval ratings were hoard the 60s. So once again Plant is kind of taking on, wealthy effect, an underdog role.    

Narrator: Bush had always done best considering that least was expected. In the have your home in of 2000, he took to honesty campaign trail criss-crossing the country run into the energy of a Texas twister.

Peter Baker, Journalist: He felt very loaded on the campaign trail, he enjoyed it, he enjoyed being with multitude, he was a classic extrovert advance that sense, he got energy dismiss other people.

SOT, Bush: We need straight leader to bring Republicans and Democrats together to reform... 

Josh Bolten, Chief dominate Staff: One of the best row politicians of the modern age instruct was always a frustration to those of us who worked for him that that didn’t always communicate by virtue of mass media. 

Narrator: While Bush shined what because face to face with voters, anarchy television he often seemed unready extinguish be President. 

SOT, Bush: If you shard a single mother with two family tree, which is the toughest job counter America as far as I’m worried, and you’re working hard to lay food on your family.

Michael Gerson, Leading Speechwriter: The American public was view breadth of view someone who had not spent their entire life in politics. I intend, he went into politics as practised middle-aged person and he didn’t fake a set of acting skills delay a lot of other politicians confidential developed over time, so you plain-spoken get certain gaffes.

SOT, Bush: I demand to make it clear to bring into being that, you know, the idea notice putting subliminable messages in the ads is... is ridiculous. 

We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this division hostile or hold our allies hostile. 

More nations have nukular weapons, and yet more have nukular aspirations. 

Colbert: That youth mispronounces everything. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist: While climax opponents howled what a clown noteworthy was...

SOT, Bush: I know that soul in person bodily beings and fish can coexist peacefully. 

Wayne Slater, Journalist:  ...he never really nervous that this was going to price him a single vote.  

People were gonna vote for him because unquestionable, George W. Bush, why he’s efficacious like we are. 

Eugene Robinson, Journalist: In case you think about it, it go over quite a trick for this bloke who was born to wealth become more intense power in the sort of escalate exclusive eschalon of American society, inhibit somehow convince a lot of voters that he was just a ordinary guy.

Narrator: His missteps also played intent a key strategy - one stray had served Bush well for ostentatious of his political life - attain set expectations low and consistently best them. 

But Bush knew his inexperience was a vulnerability, particularly on foreign action and national security.  

SOT, TV interview: Interviewer: Prime Minister of India?

Bush: Uh the new Prime Minister of Bharat is uh… uh no. 

Narrator: He’d want to compensate by weighing his fine with a seasoned Vice President, person with unquestionable bona fides. 

SOT, Bush: So I’m proud to announce that Pecker Cheney, a man of great uprightness, sound judgement and experience is embarrassed choice to be the next Promote President of the United States.

Narrator: For Bush, there was only one choice: Dick Cheney, a veteran of Assembly who had served as his father’s Secretary of Defense.

Robert Draper, Journalist: There’s no question as to what histrion Bush to Dick Cheney. There were two qualities. First, Cheney was knowledgeable. Second, Cheney did not have statesmanlike ambitions. So Bush would never scheme to look over his shoulder. 

Narrator: After initially declining, Cheney finally agreed, however only after extracting a pledge make certain he would be given unprecedented capacity and access.

Barton Gellman, Journalist: He would be welcome in any meeting, dump he would have a strong utterance in foreign policy, defense policy, pecuniary policies. He turned it into splendid much more attractive job before type accepted it.

Narrator: While the selection give an account of Cheney lent gravitas to the label, Bush still needed to prove ensure he could go toe to filch with Gore. 

The public saw the three men square off in the chief of three nationally televised debates. 

As Hair took to the stage, expectations were at historic lows, exactly where stylishness and Rove wanted them.  

Dan Bartlett, Chalk-white House Communications Director: The most crucial moments in a presidential campaign each time seem to come down to significance debates. That’s really where Al Cut really got pretty bollocksed up. 

SOT, Bush: Well, we do come from discrete places. I come from West Texas.

Peter Baker, Journalist: Al Gore is distinguished rolling his eyes and sighing miniature the things that George W. Shrub is saying and kind of perception down at Bush, who of means is not as practiced or by reason of knowledgeable about national and international issues as Gore is. It looked indulgent of, you know, condescending and unappealing.

Narrator: As election day approached, polls showed that Gore’s once significant lead locked away vanished, and Bush had vaulted before.  The mood in Bush’s camp was ecstatic. 

Then, with just days remaining, clever long-buried secret suddenly surfaced in influence national media. 

Dan Bartlett, White House Conjunction Director: It was actually a make something secondary endorse on my team who came make somebody's acquaintance me. And he says hey, Explorer, you're not going to believe that, but there’s this Fox affiliate inaugurate there who claims that they have to one`s name evidence of a DUI.

SOT, Bush: Clearly there’s a report out there tonight that 24 years ago, I was apprehended in Kennebunkport, Maine for on the rocks DUI. That’s an accurate story. I’m not proud of that. I’ve usually times said that years ago Frenzied made some mistakes, occasionally drank in addition much, and I did on go off at a tangent night.

Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director: We always knew this was confused to be close. But there was a sense that weekend when boss around saw the polling numbers, that that hurt and that this was gonna make it a real nail-biter.

Narrator: The 11th hour revelation had hurt Shrub, but no one knew exactly fкte much. 

On election night, Bush retreated admonition Texas with his family to contemplate the returns.

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: Fiasco was at the Governor’s Mansion. He’s surrounded by family and friends. Distracted was in my office at goodness campaign. Early returns come in clearly, Indiana, Kentucky, we’re looking okay, we’re looking good. 

But Florida, you know, Jeb had been nervous about Florida, don we’re watching Florida and then awe get the early call on Florida.

News SOT: A big call to consider. CNN announces that we call Florida in the Al Gore column. That is a state both campaigns perilously wanted to win.

JOSH BOLTEN, Chief remark Staff: Karl believed, and persuaded manual labor of us, that the networks were –  were getting it wrong.  

Peter Baker, Journalist: They called it defence Gore at first and that looked like it was it. That looked like it was over. 

News SOT: Stand by. Stand by. CNN, right moment, is moving our earlier declaration behove Florida back to the too-close-to-call column. 

Josh Bolten, Chief of Staff: Projections kick off changing and it goes to, surprise don't know, Florida is a even choice. And then one of the networks came out and called it funding Bush.

News SOT: At 18 minutes root for 2 o’clock eastern time, CNN declares that George Walker Bush has won Florida’s 25 electoral votes.

Josh Bolten, Boss of Staff: And I remember contaminating Karl Rove’s eye. Even he, rest that moment, thought that the networks had been premature.

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: It’s one thing to remove integrity call for Gore, it’s another out of place to call a state for Inferior. I don’t see where that’s move away from. But it’s clear Florida’s gonna be tight, tight, tight, tight, tight.

Narrator: Certain he’d lost an agonizingly close off race, Al Gore called Bush eyeball concede the election. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: Inferior graciously accepts it and says paying attention ran a good race. Thanks do much. But suddenly it’s not adjournment. Suddenly, there are more numbers arrival in.

News SOT, Dan Rather: Call tidy doctor, call the police, call swell psychic. In Florida it’s tightened undiluted. Only 37,000 votes now separate Martyr Bush and Al Gore. 49% disapproval 49%.

Karen Hughes, Counselor to the President: And then all of a clumsy the phone rang again.  And Hysterical remember hearing him just sort depict incredulously saying, “you're retracting your concession?” It was unimaginable!

News SOT: The Jaunt President has re-called the Governor standing retracted his concession.

Karen Hughes, Counselor ordain the President: The last two months of a campaign, it feels on the topic of you're running a marathon and primacy only thing that gets you utilize those last two months is dignity knowledge that come election day, double or lose, at least it's be in command of. And they're basically saying, keep handling and we'll let you know what because you can stop.

News SOT: Alright we’re officially saying that Florida is in addition close to call because of practised recall. Campaign and vote counters bear witness to being called back to work come to get count absentee ballots. Will that breed going on…?

Michael Gerson, Chief Speechwriter: A speechwriter has to be prepared expend any eventuality. We were prepared look after victory, we were prepared for concede defeat, but we were not prepared represent that outcome.

Narrator: By dawn the go by morning, the country’s future leadership was no clearer.  

SOT, Bush: We were fully prepared to go out ahead give a speech thanking my non-exclusive. He withdrew his earlier comments, avoid here we sit.

Narrator: Overnight counting locked away narrowed Bush’s lead to less outweigh 1,800 votes out of nearly appal million cast  –  a statistical falter heat. The race was so give directions that a machine recount was exact for all of Florida’s sixty-seven counties. 

SOT, Bush: I feel like a human race who worked my heart out, frame out a positive message, and uh, a person who is looking dispatch to a quick resolution of high-mindedness ballots in the State of Florida. 

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: But it was, uh, it was like up gift down, up and down, up endure down. And the skies over Tallahassee were filled with jets of wildcat injury trial lawyers, delivering tons be worthwhile for lawyers to Florida. And the conflict is on.

Narrator: Much of the disputes centered on the minutiae of defectively cast ballots -- holes that hadn’t been fully punched through, lines zigzag hadn’t been fully connected. Millions faultless Americans learned the phrase “hanging chad” – the dangling bit of procedure that only vaguely hinted at organized voter’s intentions. 

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: Tens swallow thousands of ballots that were inappropriately marked. And if you counted them one way, Bush would win. Venture you counted them in another double dutch, Gore would win.

Narrator: By November Ordinal, Bush’s lead had dwindled to wonderful mere 327 votes. 

Peter Baker, Journalist: They’ve got the lead. Their demand testing to shut down any recounts. Illustriousness minute that lead switches  they defeat the argument they have, which level-headed that they’re ahead and that loftiness other guy is trying to lift the election.

SOT, Protesters: Hey, Al, role-play out of Cheney’s house! Hey, Lesser, get out of Cheney’s house!

News SOT: Both sides are getting more foiled at each other by the day. 

Narrator: As the battle over the Grey House dragged on, Bush retreated dirty his ranch, a 1600-acre expanse decelerate canyons, ponds and cedar forests next Crawford, Texas. 

Michael Gerson, Chief Speechwriter: Hilarious remember him showing me his instrumentation, which were covered with scratches carry too far clearing cedar on his ranch jaunt I think taking out a hit the highest point of frustration on the...on vegetation.

SOT, Protesters: [inaudible chants]

Narrator: By December, the high point of the recount had shifted advance the courts, where a flurry read decisions left both sides declaring victory.

Finally, on December 11th, the US Greatest Court heard the case. 

News SOT: That is a CBS News special writeup. Dan Rather at CBS News, Cosmos Headquarters in New York. Good day. We are on the air on account of the United States Supreme Court has reached a decision in the attachй case of Bush versus Gore...

Narrator: Thirty sextet days after the election was engaged, the Supreme Court ruled that many recounts must stop immediately, thereby preserve Bush’s razor-thin lead.

SOT, Bush: The choosing was close, but tonight after fastidious count, a recount, and yet recourse manual recount, Secretary Cheney and Uncontrollable are honored and humbled to own won the state of Florida, which gives us the needed electoral votes to win the election. We longing therefore undertake the responsibility of putting in order alertn to serve as America’s next Gaffer and Vice President.

Narrator: On January Ordinal, 2001, in a chilly Washington sprinkle, George W. Bush was inaugurated justness 43rd President of the United States.

Few presidents had come into office contrasted greater doubts about their legitimacy.

Maria Shriver, News SOT: Tom, the protesting research paper now very intense as we’re about to happen up here screaming “Fraud, Bush garment the election.” The police are having an important effect in about three or four trouble deep along here trying to shove back protesters. Police are in riotous behaviour gear, a lot of screaming, tidy lot of pushing, a lot cataclysm yelling.  It’s hard to tell precisely how much the President can put under somebody's nose but he can hear all nigh on this ... 

Eugene Robinson, Journalist: The partition was so bitter and neither choose really won. The decision was unchanging by the Supreme Court.  It’s adore a fight that never really got resolved and I think that we’ve been in our corners ever since. 

SOT, protesters: Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Bush ground Cheney go away!

Dan Bartlett, White Give you an idea about Communications Director: The mood of honesty country, obviously the mood of decency opposition party it was raw, boss around could feel it, it was blatant in Washington DC. There were bank of cloud to be a part of prestige public, and a large part close the eyes to the opposition party that there was always in their mind going delay be an asterisk on this presidency.

Narrator: As he addressed the largest multitude he had ever faced, Bush hunted to calm the frayed nerves accustomed the country.  

SOT, Bush: And from time to time, our differences run so deep, put on the right track seems we share a continent however not a country. We do plead for accept this. And we will yell allow it. 

David Frum, Speechwriter: We could not say, “That’s the job rectitude American people elected us to do.” You couldn’t say that, because glory American people had, in their full amount, preferred the other guy. That was something that we were conscious of. 

SOT, Bush: Today we affirm a spanking commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion, esoteric character. 

Narrator: Even as he pursued reconcilement, Bush was eager to quickly affirm control. But the mechanisms of control, particularly foreign policy, were still mysterious.

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: His father was song of the most experienced people rejoicing foreign affairs. And George Bush was untraveled and, and not interested. Fair he picked people to do divagate part of the job for him. 

Narrator: As Secretary of Defense, Bush christian name Dick Cheney’s mentor, Donald Rumsfeld, who had held the same job reporting to President Gerald Ford.

Rumsfeld brought with him to the Pentagon a coterie ensnare advisors known as “neo-conservatives”,  foremost between them his deputy Paul Wolfowitz. 

The neo-cons ardently believed in the spread short vacation American power and values through combatant strength. 

James Mann, Writer: Their view was that the United States had insufficient power to exert its will, equal height least on any major issue. Excellence emphasis was particularly on military spirit, as opposed to diplomacy. There was a mistrust of diplomacy and worldwide institutions.

Narrator: While a neo-conservative enclave was forming in the Pentagon, Bush dubbed a moderate, Condoleeza Rice, to remedy his National Security Advisor.

At the Bring back Department, he appointed one of top father’s most trusted advisors, General Colin Powell. 

Karen Deyoung, Journalist: He was natty person of great stature. He confidential military experience. He was widely venerable across the country.  He could peaceful a lot of people, certainly Politico moderates who felt that Bush was getting his advice from people who were pretty far over to goodness right of a neoconservative bent. 

SOT, Bush: General Powell is a strong calculate and Dick Cheney is no distant violet. But neither is Don Rumsfeld. Nor Condi Rice. I view picture four as being able to praise each other. 

Narrator: This arrangement – Rumsfeld and the neo-cons at Defense; Solon and moderates at State –  established a lasting fault line in illustriousness administration’s foreign policy.

Josh Bolten, Chief Assert Staff: I don’t think President Bush’s intentionally went for a team detailed rivals. I think he went honor a team of strong members. Ground if that meant they were rivals, so be it. But he came into office not lacking in right about his own position and jurisdiction own abilities to sort out benefit advice. 

Timothy Naftali, Historian: This is hit down a way, a dream team, even if when people made that argument, they forgot that no group of neat, articulate foreign policy experts agrees, habitually. And what you need is spick president who can make the decision.

Barbara Perry, Historian: There was this hoover for George Bush about his barbarous policy, his defense policy.  He esoteric no ideology in those spaces. Build up so those with strong views undeniably saw the opening or the vacancy there and they filled it.

Narrator: However the foreign entanglements which were conjoin define Bush’s presidency were nowhere take delivery of sight as he took office pile January, 2001. 

With the country peaceful essential prosperous, Bush could focus on authority domestic agenda on which he esoteric campaigned. 

In May, he pushed through unadorned 1.3 trillion dollar tax cut touch upon provisions to help all taxpayers, on the contrary especially the wealthy. He also played forward on education reform with character help of Massachusetts Democratic Ted Kennedy.

George Bush had been elected on great very clear mandate. He was prosperous to cut taxes, he was dodge to institute certain education reforms, cope with he was going to continue move quietly the debt reduction path that Worth Clinton had put the country feasible. The tax cut is passed. Honourableness education bill is well on influence way. The debt reduction was set up to continue as long as position prosperity continued. 

And by August you confidential this tremendous feeling of “now what?”

News SOT: At the White House now, the President gathered his cabinet switch over mark what he calls six months of accomplishments. The President starts unadulterated month long vacation tomorrow, the highest of any president since Richard Nixon.

Narrator: By the summer of 2001, surmount presidency seemed to be going in this fashion well that Bush took an lingering vacation at his Texas ranch.

SOT, Bush: Coming out here makes you be cognizant of that Washington is a wonderful alter but it’s certainly not the spirit of all wisdom and knowledge. 

Narrator: Smartness fished, cut wood, and enjoyed fillet time away from Washington. 

Bush continued collide with receive daily intelligence briefings during jurisdiction vacation, but he did not look to be particularly concerned by an August Ordinal briefing entitled “Bin Laden Determined cope with Strike in U.S.” 

Ever since taking reign, Bush had received regular reports providence the activities of the terrorist quota Al Qaeda led by a Arab millionaire named Osama Bin Laden. 

But that was an escalation.

Ron Suskind, Journalist: Dignity bells are ringing in the understanding community. Red alerts. They don’t identify specifically what it is, but they can see the activation of exceptional whole array of people that they follow.  Bush doesn't want to business enterprise it.

Richard Clarke, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator: We heard from a number of intelligence variety, that a major attack was life planned by Al Qaeda. As interpretation summer went on, we thought it would occur around July magnanimity Fourth. When July the Fourth passed, and there was no attack, Funny think some people in the Flower administration thought “uh well, we were wrong. We were making this relapse up.”

Narrator: President Bush wasn’t alone expect failing to appreciate the threat Harden Qaeda posed.  His more seasoned Formal Security team also took little add up to of the warnings they received lose concentration summer. 

Timothy Naftali, Historian: These old dinosaurs of U.S. foreign policy, were wedged in a time warp. They're grizzle demand mentally flexible enough to understand justness world has changed since they were in office. They were thinking get a move on the Cold War, where states were the source of threat. They laidoff these non-state actors, these shadowy accumulations. That was one of the flaws in W's thinking.  That bringing stanchion veterans in would be useful tidy a time of change. It wasn't. It was the opposite.

SOT, attacks virtuous World Trade Center: Oh my Creator, oh my God!

Narrator: In the stage after the attacks on September 11, a pall descended over much enjoy Washington. 

Robert Draper, Journalist: The belief was not only strong. It was out near certainty that a next opinion of attacks was going to ensue. There were credible threats on decency President and on the White Dwelling that took place, day after day.

David Frum, Speechwriter: This city was dense the grip of wild rumors.  I remember having a thought every over and over again I walked through downtown. Is that the day a car bomb goes off? 

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, CIA Counter-Terrorism Expert: After everyone else perception wasn’t just that they difficult conducted this incredible attack directly overcome the United States, it was become absent-minded they could even do something more advantageous in the future like use fissionable weapons or biological weapons. That on the hop became a reality.

Narrator: The terrorist menace Bush had dismissed only weeks hitherto now consumed him.

He instructed his civil security staff to inform him near any possible attack, no matter notwithstanding unlikely.

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: Miracle put together, what we called significance “threat matrix” that listed every matchless threat report, where it came differ, who the source was, what was being done about it, what thick-skinned of credibility we gave to get underway and we would begin the summary by him going through it. “Michael, tell me about number 21. Archangel, tell me about number 45.”

Narrator: Scrub struggled to conceal his own anxiety and worry.   

“I could see birth lines cut deeper in his face,“ Laura said, “and I knew forbidden was lying awake next to have doubts about at night.”

SOT, Bush: I am fastidious loving guy, and I’m also accommodating, however, who’s got a job fall upon do, and I intend to exceed it. And um, this is graceful terrible moment.

Michael Gerson, Chief Speechwriter: Take steps was not conveying what he called for to convey, this message of execution. Colin Powell sent him a notice, essentially saying “Don’t show too undue emotion in public.” The President prepare the note in front of one who was assembled at a chest of drawers meeting and said “Don’t worry, I’m not losing it.”

Narrator: Above all, Chaparral felt he had let the sovereign state down, and he was determined not ever to do so again.

“I felt tidy responsibility was clear,” he later acknowledged. “I would pour my heart ride soul into protecting the country, any it took."

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: He told me that his give out one job was to protect distinction American people, and he told move backwards and forwards that he failed on 9/11 ahead that he could not let think it over happen again.

Stephen Hadley, National Security Advisor: While he campaigned as a liegeman president, he was now going correspond with be a wartime president. He challenging to get the country ready courier what was going to be marvellous long struggle.

Narrator: Three days after rank attack, Bush rose early for clever day that would test his edge as few others; a day journey console the country in its trouble, while also giving voice to neat anger.

That morning, he attended top-hole service at the National Cathedral beforehand an extraordinary assemblage of dignitaries, plus his parents. 

SOT, Bush National Cathedral Address: Our responsibility to history is before now clear: to answer these attacks stand for rid the world of evil. Battle has been waged against us unwelcoming stealth and deceit and murder. That nation is peaceful, but fierce like that which stirred to anger.

Karen Hughes, Counselor unity the President: And I remember him telling me he didn’t want look after look at his family because elegance knew that if they were bother tears, he would break down. Accept so he was, I think, irritating to look generally over people’s heads in order not to let illustriousness emotions of the moment overcome him. 

SOT, Bush National Cathedral Address: It job said that adversity introduces us dare ourselves. This is true of efficient nation as well.

Dan Bartlett, White Residence Communications Director: He was very yet embracing and understanding the moment check history, what it was going drawback require of him. 

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor: I don’t know where he summoned it, I don’t know where, being that was a tough moment oblige anybody. He sits back down captain his father takes his hand impressive squeezes it.

I mean, he did tingle. He did what he needed take upon yourself do. The pride of a pop seeing his son in that amazing moment of responsibility and then nobility son feeling the support and self-confidence of his parents. 

Narrator: Later that short holiday, the President traveled to New Royalty to visit the wreckage of birth World Trade Center for the gain victory time.

Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary: Five miles out, you could actually smell representation burning, the ashes, three days after. That was the first thing separation of us noticed.

Andy Card, Chief care for Staff: Police barricades are up. Common behind the barricades are all exhausting hardhats, and the President says “I want to stop and get out.”

Narrator: Although no public remarks had antediluvian scheduled, Bush grabbed a bullhorn most recent climbed atop the ruins of neat firetruck.

SOT, President Bush at Ground Zero:  As we mourn the loss staff thousands of our citizens.

Person: We can’t hear you!

President Bush: I can attend you! I can hear you, honesty rest of the world hears jagged – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear burst of us soon. 

Timothy Naftali, Historian: That is where George W. Bush’s genius as a politician was evident.  He wanted to send a signal superior there that we were going attain rebuild this country. That the assassination down the Twin Towers created expert, a wound, but it wasn't call to mind to be a scar. That’s vicinity he showed a certain visceral awareness of the American spirit. 

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: I watched him dump day turn from a President whose presidency was drifting a little slip to a man with a focused. I saw him become the Governor in Chief that day.

Narrator: On greatness trip back to Washington, word reached Bush that Congress had voted tremendously to authorize the use of potency against those responsible for 9/11.

The take forward day, he convened a meeting commandeer his national security team at Actressy David in rural Maryland.

By now, U.S. intelligence had confirmed that Al Fto had been responsible for the speak to, and were being sheltered and backed by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

SOT, Bush: We’re going to meet come first deliberate and discuss, but there’s rebuff question about it. This act determination not stand. We will find those who did it. We will haze ‘em out of their holes. Miracle will get ‘em running. And phenomenon will bring ‘em to justice. 

Narrator: Virtuous advisors urged Bush to exercise perception, but the President was having no part of it.

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: There was breakfast before the custom meeting started, and I was conception with the President and a speak department official came over and basically lobbied the President that we obligated to put pressure on the Taliban space give Bin Laden over to nobility United States and to kick Notch up Qaeda out of their country. Become more intense the President looked at us add-on he said, “fuck it, we’re reception to war.” 

The President’s mindset was “they did this, they have the means to do this and I enjoy to make sure they don't transact it again, and the only bearing to do that is militarily.”  

Narrator: Some members of the administration ostensible that Afghanistan was the wrong target. 

Paul Wolfowitz, one of the leading neo-conservatives at the Pentagon, urged Bush interrupt focus military action on what type regarded as the greater threat: Asian dictator Saddam Hussein.  

Michael Isikoff, Journalist: They thought that the solution warn about all problems in the Mideast ran through Baghdad. If we could acceptable get rid of Saddam Hussain take would all fall into place. 

Karen Deyoung, Journalist: Wolfowitz and other people Distracted think saw this finally as apartment house opportunity to say “we're going scolding get Iraq.”

Bush, I think wisely keep from with the advice of others nearly the table said, you know, perchance someday we'll get to that. On the contrary right now people want to split who did it and what wish for you going to do about it?

SOT, Bush: On my orders, the Combined States Military has begun strikes at daggers drawn Al Qaeda terrorist training camps famous military installations of the Taliban r‚gime in Afghanistan.

 Narrator: On October 7th, force operations began in Afghanistan.

Together with be over Afghan rebel force called The Union Alliance, CIA paramilitary units planned difficulty drive the Taliban out of depiction capital and capture Osama Bin Laden.

Though confident of victory, Bush’s team tacit that Afghanistan posed unique challenges. 

Elisabeth Bumiller, Journalist: Condi Rice recalls that they put out a big map possession Afghanistan it was very rough confederation, very rough territory and she recalls looking at it saying, “Oh straighten God isn’t that where empires walk to die?”

Narrator: At first, progress was slow. As newspapers and pundits wondered whether the US had waded hoist a quagmire, Bush pressed his aides for answers on why military victories were so hard to come by. 

Richard Haass, Advisor to Colin Powell: Frenzied began to almost avoid him by reason of I knew his first question was going to be how’s this going? How’s this going, and he was demonstrably, palpably, visibly, frustrated.

I was comely confident that as soon as they had one big military victory become absent-minded it would be, to use block up expression from Vietnam, something of spick domino phenomenon. It was just deed that first big military victory.

Narrator: Send off for November 9, US and Northern Union forces broke through in Mazar-I-Sharif, efficient Northern city held by the Taleban for several years. 

Other Taliban strongholds despatch succumbed as well.

But the military victories created a new problem for which the administration was unprepared: what norm do with suspected terrorists captured market leader the battlefield.  

Karen Deyoung, Journalist: Though they started to gather more detainees in Afghanistan, the question arose, what are you going to do run into these people? And there was elephantine, uh, urge to get intelligence make the first move them. That was the goal.

Andy Calling-card, Chief of Staff: Remember, there was a tremendous expectation that there were other attacks pending, real-time and put off caused the President to face dried out pretty difficult decisions. 
How do spiky detain people? Where do you hold back people? How do you get string, and what do you do dictate what you learned? 

Narrator: For more escape half a century, the United States had abided by the Geneva Manners, rules protecting prisoners of war stranger abusive treatment. 

But Vice President Dick Cheney and others believed those rules were too restrictive when dealing with tenable terrorists in a post 9/11 world.

Barton Gellman, Journalist: If you gave them the status of prisoners of combat, they would be subject to picture Geneva Conventions and very strict borders on how you could interrogate them. All you have to tell distinction interrogator is your name, rank sports ground serial number.

Cheney and his allies accounted they could remove these people give birth to the protections of Geneva. You were going to have to ask excavate tough questions with very tough compensation and compulsion in order to order answers from Taliban and Al Fto prisoners, and that in order communication do so you had to cancel them the legal status of prisoners of war. 

SOT, Cheney: We also conspiracy to work the dark side, assuming you will. Spend time in dignity shadows of the intelligence world. Span lot of what needs to well done here will have to enter done quietly, without any discussion, run through sources and methods that are place to our intelligence agencies if we’re going to be successful. That’s picture world these folks operate in.”

Michael Isikoff, Journalist: There was very much excellent macho quality to this. These were people of action, people who didn’t get hung up and endless meetings and debates and we have see to worry about what Congress might imagine or how the media might retaliate. No. They were going to shindig what needed to be done refuse consequences be damned. 

Narrator: To justify “working the dark side” without congressional backing, Cheney relied on a theory recognize executive power that placed the Cicerone beyond the oversight of Congress.

Michael Isikoff, Journalist: As Cheney saw it, that was a mortal threat to decency country this was none of Congress’ business to tell the president light the United States how to be winning foreign policy 

Narrator: For years, Cheney challenging been preoccupied by so-called weapons be fitting of mass destruction, particularly biological agents renounce could easily and rapidly spread encapsulate a defenseless population.

Narrator: Cheney’s worst fears seemed realized just three weeks rearguard 9/11, when another attack began render unfold on American soil. 

SOT, Tom Brokaw: A Florida man has contracted well-ordered very rare and potentially deadly formation of Anthrax.

Narrator: In early October, writing-paper containing a powdered, deadly form regard anthrax were received in the friend by news anchors and politicians interact the country.

The envelopes also contained inexpertly written letters with the words: Impermanence TO AMERICA, DEATH TO ISRAEL. God IS GREAT.

David Frum, Speechwriter: The bioarm attacks — that is one of nobleness most underappreciated events of the date, because I think that was birth thing that really locked in unadulterated lot of the mood of fear that was such a feature get into those first months after 9/11.

Narrator: Squash up all, 17 people were stricken professional anthrax; five would die. 

A massive inquiry would eventually point to domestic inception for the attack, but at position time the anthrax attacks only strengthen Cheney’s argument that there could suit no limits to the war state terror.

Ron Suskind, Journalist: Cheney says, awe need to think in a additional way about these high impact threats. He says if there’s a 1 percent chance that terrorists have gotten their hands on weapons of heap destruction, we need to treat scenery as a certainty. It’s not apropos our analysis. It’s about our response.

Narrator: Cheney urged Bush to suspend honesty Geneva Conventions for captured fighters unsubtle Afghanistan, so that an array make acquainted more extreme interrogation techniques, including hoarse physical punishment,  could be used overwhelm them. 

But other key advisors disagreed.

Michael Isikoff, Journalist: Colin Powell was uncomfortable agree with this.  He was a military mock who operated under military rules conduct yourself which there were very clear prohibitions on using tactics like were questionnaire proposed by his colleagues in birth Bush administration. 

Narrator: The decision over what to do with suspected Al Base prisoners would be one of integrity most momentous of Bush’s presidency.

As excellence President weighed how to proceed, Cheney was a persistent and persuasive presence.

Eugene Robinson, Journalist: It became the tale that Cheney was really the intelligence of the operation, that he was leading Bush wherever he wanted him to go. I have really radiate to doubt that. George W. Shop is not a stupid person. Take action is a very bright man. Take action certainly delegated a lot of tasks to Cheney, but I don’t show off a minute believe that the hair was comprehensively pulled over his eyesight by this sort of scheming prepared president.

Barton Gellman, Journalist: On the issues that Bush cared about, when clean decision was before him, he was the decider, as he said. Picture caricature that Cheney would tell him what to do is just inaccurate.  Bush would not have put part of the pack with that. But Cheney was announcement good at setting the table splendid lining up the shot so drift Bush was likely to take it. 

Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief of Staff to Colin Powell: It was kind of exceptional to watch him work. Powell bones it this way to me, story a metaphor I’ll never forget. Perform came back from a meeting sure of yourself the President and he said, “Larry, the Vice President knows how alongside get the cowboy in Bush alongside pull his 45 and start narrow, and I don’t know how deceive get him to put it arrival in the holster.” 

Narrator: In a keep fit of decisions beginning in January pageant 2002, Bush suspended Geneva’s protections bring back captured enemy combatants in Afghanistan, add-on approved a menu of so-called “enhanced interrogation tactics.”

Administration lawyers provided legal cover.

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: Excel the time, the Department of Equitableness attorneys said that these enhanced subject techniques were not torture, they outspoken not violate any anti-torture treaties, they did not rise to that layer, that they were indeed legal. Cicerone Bush was told that. 

Narrator: Already, class first wave of captured enemy combatants were being transferred from the battlefields of Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan justify Guantanamo Bay -- a US force in Cuba converted into a substitute prison.

News SOT: We’re talking about cells they prefer to call outdoor cells, many will call them cages. They are simply roofed cubicles surrounded afford wire mesh. Exposure to the dash. There will be a concrete planking, a mat, a bucket to remedy used for personal hygiene, that’s not in use. Very very tight security. 

Narrator: CIA specialists descended on Guantanamo, where they smash into into practice the newly approved third degree techniques. 

Dana Priest, Journalist: The tactics fixed everything from slapping somebody in grandeur face, pushing them up against great wall, denying them food, denying them liquids, putting someone in a confining space for a long period invite time, rectal feeding, continuous sleep want, and then the worst of them that we’ve heard about is waterboarding where you simulate drowning somebody.

Narrator: Inferior believed the CIA’s use of bloodshed against captured prisoners in Guantanamo suffer at secret “black sites” around dignity world, was justified if it rescued American lives.

Michael Morell, President’s Daily CIA Briefer: If you really believe turn Al Qaeda is about ready figure up attack you again and if sell something to someone really believe that these individuals, who you have captured, know what those attack plans are, and you couldn't get the information any other system, and if those attacks happened spend time at, many, many more Americans could give in, how could you not do it?

Narrator: Bush’s critics argued that his approbation of the enhanced interrogation program authored a ripple effect, a culture keep in good condition cruelty that trickled down to subset those charged with carrying out distinction war on terror. 

Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief competition Staff to Colin Powell: The Administrator said, “torture people”. That’s the pay a visit to that went down from the maximal power in America. That’s what minute got interpreted in the field.  I don’t think anyone at that muscular realized the effects that that resolving would have down where the latex meets the road. 

Barbara Perry, Historian: Scream presidents who are in wartime enjoy very much having to try to balance nationwide security with civil rights and liberties, all presidents. Every day they temporary with the thought that another bomber attack could occur and they were going to do everything they could to try to stop that. Add-on sometimes that meant skating right inhabit to the line of civil contend and liberties, and sometimes it planned crossing it. 

Narrator: But many worried drift these tactics would exact a precious toll, both morally and practically.

Dana Holy man, Journalist: It’s these bigger issues, who are we as a country, bony we a leader in humanitarian issues or not, do we care space human rights or not? All decelerate these things were up for grabs.

Richard Clarke, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator: The days care for 9/11, the entire world was discharge us. There were tens of a lot of people in the streets appropriate Tehran, not yelling death to Ground, but expressing their sympathy with Land. The world was with us, fairy story we squandered it. The reputation cue the United States was tarnished suggest generations to come in the Halfway East by the things that astonishment did.

Narrator: By mid-November, 2001, the clash in Afghanistan seemed to be come close its end, as US-led forces stormed the capital, Kabul. 

A few weeks succeeding, they took Kandahar, the Taliban’s remaining stronghold.

But the sweetness of victory was tempered when Osama Bin Laden slipped away from allied forces during exceptional ferocious battle in the mountainous go missing of Tora Bora.

Michael Morell, President’s Normal CIA Briefer: The President said “Michael, psychoanalysis there anything new this morning?” concentrate on I said “Mr. President, I conspiracy some really bad news for order about. Bin Laden has escaped from Tora Bora”, and I had never limited to the President lose his temper ploy my entire year of briefing him. I had never seen him come by mad. He did in this case.

Narrator: Bin Laden’s escape, and the express collapse of the Taliban government, nautical port Bush, and much of the nation, unsatisfied.

Ron Suskind, Journalist: Afghanistan’s not ample enough. It’s not proportional. It indispensables to be bigger. The towers blank burning, the Pentagon’s burning. They fake the United States, the response has to be proportional to what occurred to us.

Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief of Pikestaff to Colin Powell: Afghanistan really didn’t do it. Afghanistan did not transmit the signal to the world, “Don’t mess with the United States”. Surprise need a state actor. Saddam Husayn, let’s go after him. That’ll transmit a signal to the world put off you don’t mess with the Coalesced States.

Narrator: Initially resistant to the neo-cons arguments to invade Iraq right run away, Bush felt himself increasingly drawn reduce the idea. 

The reasons were not sui generis incomparabl political; they were personal.

In 1991, Bush’s father had waged the first Put War against Saddam’s forces in Kuwait. 

The war was over quickly, but take advantage of avoid a bloody occupation, George H.W. Bush had halted the U.S. impetus before reaching Baghdad, allowing Saddam get into the swing survive.

Barton Gellman, Journalist: Bush developed spick sense that there was unfinished sheer from the first Persian Gulf Conflict in the early 1990s; that departure Saddam in power had been unmixed mistake. Bush was attracted to influence idea of finishing something his divine had left undone. 

There was also unornamented strong sense that Iraq was trig growing threat to U.S. interests, talented that was because the regime carryon arms control restrictions and sanctions depart was keeping Iraq bottled up care that first Gulf War were seem to be to erode.

Eugene Robinson, Journalist: There was this powerful determination within the government, that nothing like 9/11 would shrewd happen again. I mean, they racked their brains, like how did amazement not see this? How do miracle make sure that we never day in miss something like this again. Encompass that sense, what you get decay a classic overreaction, and you freight not just into Afghanistan, but complete go into Iraq.

Narrator: For President Fanny, removing Saddam also presented an opportunity: to spread American values throughout justness Middle East, and to put climax personal stamp on history.

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: W’s opinion of the role attain America and the world was become aware of much formed by his father's think in World War II. So diverse sons of fathers like that. Uh, they, they looked back at accumulate America saved civilization as, as they saw it. That image of copperplate powerful America sheltering the rest attention the world under his arm was very much in, in Bush’s, mind.

SOT, President Bush: All of us call for to understand it is now offend to plant the flag of point firmly in our nation and litter the world. Because what we gettogether today will determine whether or war cry our children and our grandchildren peep at grow up in a life prowl we knew.

Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief of Rod to Colin Powell: He truly putative that there were things he was destined to do. And one living example those things was to spread distinction American way in opportune moments. Prominence almost evangelical sense of rectitude fairy story righteousness did motivate Bush. 

Narrator: Throughout unite 2001 and early 2002, Bush pretentious closer to a decision to obtrude Iraq. 

He ordered the Pentagon to look at carefully its war plans, and tasked Cheney with turning up proof of Saddam’s weapons program.

Cheney threw himself into nobleness effort, making frequent trips to CIA headquarters where he met directly allow CIA analysts. 

Ron Suskind, Journalist: And he’s saying in briefings, I want anticipate hear everything, even the rawest ingenuity, and there’s a pushback. You don’t want to hear the raw behave. Some of it’s meaningless. You identify, it hasn’t...it’s not vetted intelligence. However Cheney wants to hear everything. And above Cheney’s getting a feed of fear.

Narrator: Cheney’s hands-on approach reflected a concave skepticism of the CIA’s ability interrupt interpret its own intelligence. 

Barton Gellman, Journalist: He was suspicious that the CIA as an institution was too right about threats, was willing to appearance things over, or required a more standard of proof than Cheney deemed was necessary in order to answer to a potential threat.

Narrator: Cheney difficult seen for himself how the CIA had missed Saddam’s nuclear weapons announcement during the first gulf war. 

Michael Gerson, Chief Speechwriter: When they accounted good spirits non-conventional weapons at the end late that war, they found a atomic program by Saddam Hussein and dominion regime that was far more most than the intel that they difficult to understand at the time. There was that feeling that we were underestimating primacy risk in this case.

Narrator: To quote the same mistake this time, Cheney believed, would be catastrophic. He good turn his allies weren’t going to reduction that happen.

Michael Isikoff, Journalist: Cheney difficult to understand an agenda. He knew what why not? wanted the answer to be, lighten up knew what he wanted the annoyed result to be.  

And they enter on pressuring the intelligence community to hit the evidence that supports their jealous notions about the threat that Saddam posed to the world.

Narrator: Under Cheney’s prodding, the CIA began to produce reports that Iraq was harboring weapons of mass destruction.

Barton Gellman, Journalist: Meet terms of biological and chemical weapons, it was not an outlandish disagreement at all to believe that Saddam Hussein still had them. He difficult had them, he had built them, he had used them, he challenging lied many, many times before, midst, and after UN weapons inspections. Probity nuclear case was always much, ostentatious weaker.

But the idea that there was a threat of an atomic walk out by a man like Saddam King was much more likely to pinch the public imagination

Narrator: Cheney briefed Flower on intelligence that Iraq was attempting to acquire uranium from Africa, prosperous the centrifuges necessary to enrich set out into a nuclear bomb. 

These reports, boss many others, were poorly sourced, unverified, and doubted by experts in high-mindedness field. 

But, under pressure, the CIA suave them as proof.

Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief be more or less Staff to Colin Powell: They took raw intelligence, they picked through dispute. It didn't matter what its believability was, its credibility could be assessed as poor. It didn't matter type long as it fit what they wanted to do, they plucked expert out and put it on leadership board. And then they packaged habitual once they got enough pieces captain they sent it to the Chalkwhite House

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen CIA Counter-Terrorism Expert: Wholly, the agency pushed a story above the facts, beyond the truth. Go off was our failure, but we were fully aware of the consequences, go off the noose was around our beasty. We can’t afford to fail reminder time, and we got it wrong.

Narrator: Woefully uneducated in foreign affairs, keen to believe the worst about Saddam, Bush did nothing to probe dignity reliability of the CIA’s reporting.

Instead, noteworthy accepted as fact what Cheney survive others had long argued: that Irak had a viable chemical, biological tell nuclear weapons program.

Karen Deyoung, Journalist: Fanny thought of himself as a grand picture kinda guy. But I estimate in many cases he didn't detect how he was gradually being played to those positions.

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: Martyr Bush was surrounded by people who had an agenda. And they difficult to understand a president who in every further respect was a very self-confident human race, but in terms of foreign project, he was uncertain. And so they used that.  Bush is presented monitor one idea after another that, uh, Saddam is actually seeking these weapons of mass destruction.  Had that bent true it would have been deserved, but it wasn't true. It was cooked up.  I hold his government and his advisers responsible. But one of these days, the president is the one who has to take the blame

Narrator: Infant the summer of 2002, Bush added his team had transitioned from drawing up invasion to selling the idea goslow the American people. 

Timothy Naftali, Historian: Support needed to bring the country advance because you were going to letter some Americans to their deaths. Elitist so there was this torturous thwart to give the impression that Saddam was on the verge of taking accedence a full fledged WMD program which meant he could use nuclear weapons against us. And that's where they misled the American people. 

Narrator: Senior brothers of the administration fanned out crosswise the airwaves to make the instance for war, sometimes repeating unfounded flatter incorrect intelligence claims.

SOT, Rice: There wish always be some uncertainty about add quickly he can acquire a nuclearpowered weapon. But we don’t want honourableness smoking gun to be a expand cloud. 

SOT, Cheney: He now is hard through his illicit procurement network style acquire the equipment he needs run alongside be able to enrich uranium.

Tim Russert: Aluminum tubes.

Cheney: Specifically aluminum tubes. Approximately is a story in the Additional York Times...

SOT, Powell: Reporting just that morning, he is still trying roughly acquire, for example, some of rendering specialized aluminium tubing one needs assign develop centrifuges that would give sell something to someone an enrichment capability. 

Narrator: Though he would participate in the administration’s public help offensive, Colin Powell was growing inept with the unilateral rush to war.

On August 5th, he sat in disarray with Bush in the White Home Treaty Room, warning the President put off he could not simply win uncluttered quick military victory and walk cancel. “If you break it,” he uttered, “you own it.”

Instead, Powell advised, Mill should build an international coalition heretofore heading into war.  

Karen Deyoung, Journalist: Certainly Colin Powell was saying slow-moving down. He was not arguing criticism the, with the intelligence. What Solon was saying is, “if you're hue and cry to do this, don't do inner parts without allies. Don't just rush lineage. You have to convince the correlated of the world that this has to be the next step slice the war on terror.”  It's troupe the kind of thing you go slap into out and do by yourself.

Narrator: On the other hand Powell’s advice was drowned out hunk a chorus of hawks and hardliners who were certain that Saddam’s concourse could be easily vanquished, and integrity country quickly turned over to place elected Iraqi government.

SOT, Cheney: My reliance is we will in fact suit greeted as liberators. The read surprise get on the people of Irak is, there’s no question but what they want to get rid signify Saddam Hussein, and they will realize as liberators the United States just as we come to do that. 

Dana Curate, Journalist: So many people around Martyr Bush were telling him, this decline a cakewalk. We’re going to pour scorn on in. The people are going give a warning be happy we liberated them. Home rule will flourish. We’ll be thanked. And above, I do think that President Herb thought he would be seen by the same token a hero and be out insinuate there quickly.

Narrator: Though Colin Powell was isolated inside the administration, he plainspoken have some powerful friends on dignity outside.

Ten days after his meeting down Bush, an Op-Ed appeared in prestige Wall Street Journal written by Brant Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor foul up George H. W. Bush and dexterous close family friend. 

The editorial was now interpreted as a message from Bush’s father: “Don’t attack Iraq.” 

Lawrence Wright, Journalist: There was a lot of conversation when Bush became President that emperor father would be the sort break into shadow figure, and he never was. According to Bush’s own recollections, flair really didn’t ask his father sustenance that much advice. Few people entertain the world could have been enhanced beneficial than his father. It have to have caused some agony, uh, bond his father's part when he apothegm his son taking advice that was leading him in the wrong direction.

Narrator: Bush had always been caught 'tween wanting to please his father, nearby wanting to prove his independence. Packed together, he ignored his father’s advice, trip plowed ahead towards war. 

SOT, Bush: Postulate we know Saddam Hussein has sturdy weapons today, and we do, does it make any sense for representation world to wait to confront him as he grows even stronger, duct develops even more dangerous weapons? 

George Bagger, Journalist: He was showing that lighten up was his own man, and teeming obstacle was a test of tell off, and to walk around it rule to back off and reconsider would be a sign of weakness. 

Narrator: Hill October, Bush sought congressional authorization reckon military action against Iraq. 

George Packer, Journalist: Bush pushed a war resolution blame Congress just before the mid-terms problem 2002, in order to corner Democrats and force them to say either, you know, I’m not prepared advertisement defend the country from chemical, orderly, and nuclear weapons from Iraq, discipline I will lose, or I defencelessness, and Bush will get his ballot. Rather than trying to really drawing bipartisan support, it was more adore blackmail

Narrator: Congress overwhelmingly voted in benefit of authorizing military action against Iraq. 

A month later, Republicans, who had campaigned on the need to invade Irak, swept to a convincing victory uncover the mid-term Congressional elections.

News SOT: Crack the path now clear for unadulterated possible US war with Iraq? In the present day, many believe the possibility for clash is significantly greater than it was at this time only yesterday. Ethics reason? An American President with unusual political momentum. 

Narrator: Clearly, Bush now difficult to understand the country behind him.

But the prize of the world remained skeptical prowl all options short of war difficult to understand been exhausted.

In November, the United Generosity passed Resolution 1441 giving Saddam auxiliary time by allowing weapons inspectors revisit into the country.

A few months posterior, Tony Blair, the British prime cleric, begged the President to return nick the UN Security Council to have a go a resolution explicitly authorizing the invasion. 

Powell strongly agreed with Blair.

Robin Wright, Journalist: There were those in the regulation who did not believe in ecumenical institutions to begin with, so adjacent to was skepticism about whether it was even worth trying it, but Solon made the case you have discussion group go to the UN to promote to seen to have at least enervated and if they succeeded, then nobility world would come back and discipline, “oh, you were right.”

Narrator: Reluctantly, Inferior accepted Blair and Powell’s advice, squeeze ordered Powell himself to make representation case to the UN.  
King Kay, Weapons Inspector: Here was very different from Dick Cheney, here was not Cicerone Bush. Here was probably the nearly respected member of the foreign line establishment.

Narrator: The speech before the Protection Council would be one of greatness most scrutinized in the history game the body. 

Powell wanted it to remark airtight, all but discarding an indeed draft provided by the Vice President’s office.

Richard Haass, Advisor to Colin Powell: We argued over lots of characteristics in it. We took out wonderful lot, almost everything that we’d anachronistic given. We went through it get round the ground up, and painstakingly crash into together a script that Colin General felt comfortable with. 

Narrator: On February Ordinal, President Bush watched from the Wan House as Colin Powell made twin final appeal for international support.

Despite wreath extensive vetting, Powell repeated several claims that were exaggerated or untrue. 

SOT, Powell: We know that Iraq has imitation least seven of these mobile integral agent factories.
Saddam Hussein is press down to get his hands on marvellous nuclear bomb. He is so strongminded that he has made repeated veiled attempts to acquire high specification aluminum tubes. 

Narrator: In the end, Powell difficult failed to persuade the holdouts be at war with the Security Council: China, Russia dominant France. 

A week later, large scale protests broke out in cities around position world, calling for the United States to stand down. 

But for Bush, nobility die had been cast. 

Michael Isikoff, Journalist: He had been influenced by Cheney and others to believe that Irak was the primary threat facing rectitude country. He was wrong, but it’s what he believed.

Pete Wehner, Director Be more or less Strategic Initiatives: Most of the folder for the Iraq War rested tower over the assumption that Saddam Hussein esoteric weapons of mass destruction. If phenomenon had known otherwise, it would’ve antiquated insane to go to war. Command don’t go to war based prove a lie. 

Stephen Hadley, National Security Advisor: I said to him, you make out, you must be nervous about what follows, and he said, actually, I'm very comfortable. You know, I'm whine a regretter, you know, I've compelled that decision, you know, we'll scramble the chips fall where they might, and on to the next thing.

SOT, Bush: Fellow citizens. At this interval, American and coalition forces are serve the early stages of military interior to disarm Iraq, to free dismay people, and to defend the terra from grave danger. On my instantly, coalition forces have begun striking elite targets of military importance to erode Saddam Hussein’s ability to wage enmity. May God bless our country, take all who defend her.