George H W Bush, 88, in Intensive Care

[WineKitty]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...man-says?lite=

Former President George H.W. Bush was battling an elevated fever Wednesday and was in "guarded condition" in a hospital intensive care unit, a family spokesman said.

"The President is alert and conversing with medical staff, and is surrounded by family," said a statement from family spokesman Jim McGrath. Bush, 88, was moved to the intensive care unit at The Methodist Hospital at the Texas Medical Center in Houston on Sunday, McGrath said.

Bush has been in the hospital since Nov. 29 for treatment of complications related to bronchitis.

Regardless of where you stand politically, this is sad news. While they are publicly saying he is expected to recover, I work in health care. Respiratory infections take out A LOT of elderly people. The fact he is in ICU also is a clue. I do hope he recovers; I don't wish ill health or loss on anyone. And I found his post-Presidency work with Clinton raising money for the tsunami victims very admirable. I also admire the fact that he knew when to get out of Iraq, unlike his son.

From WIKI: Bush made the decision to stop the offensive after a mere 100 hours. Critics labeled this decision premature, as hundreds of Iraqi forces were able to escape; Bush responded by saying that he wanted to minimize US casualties. Opponents further charged that Bush should have continued the attack, pushing Hussein's army back to Baghdad, then removing him from power. Bush explained that he did not give the order to overthrow the Iraqi government because it would have "incurred incalculable human and political costs.... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq."

[Anteros]

Poor guy... I hope he pulls through.

[WintersTale]

Really bad news.

I don't particularly like the man, or his family, but it's still sad.

[Ironman]

They mentioned pre-bronchitis cough.....and I get those periodically. The most uncomfortable breathing feeling. For elderly, it must be a bunch worse - I just take strong antibiotics for five days and it is gone.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...man-says?lite=



Regardless of where you stand politically, this is sad news. While they are publicly saying he is expected to recover, I work in health care. Respiratory infections take out A LOT of elderly people. The fact he is in ICU also is a clue. I do hope he recovers; I don't wish ill health or loss on anyone. And I found his post-Presidency work with Clinton raising money for the tsunami victims very admirable. I also admire the fact that he knew when to get out of Iraq, unlike his son.

From WIKI: Bush made the decision to stop the offensive after a mere 100 hours. Critics labeled this decision premature, as hundreds of Iraqi forces were able to escape; Bush responded by saying that he wanted to minimize US casualties. Opponents further charged that Bush should have continued the attack, pushing Hussein's army back to Baghdad, then removing him from power. Bush explained that he did not give the order to overthrow the Iraqi government because it would have "incurred incalculable human and political costs.... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq."

Which was the mistake. If we had gotten him then, there would likely not have been the second insurgence. That's what cost him a second term.

[WineKitty]

No, it wasn't a mistake. GH Bush had the clarity to see it would be a long, agonizing, costly process that in the end would have no real victory but would be an occupation. He was right, and I give him a lot of credit for that. He certainly had far more sense than his son. We should have NEVER went back to Iraq, there were no weapons of mass destruction, there was no reason for us to be there. George H. Bush lost re-election to Bill Clinton based on the famous "Read my Lips" broken campaign promise and fears of the economy. There was also the "Perot Effect" although historians seem to be at odds how much that affected the final outcome.

[T-Bone]

I can't really debate someone having a fever....but yea, get well Bush dude.

[Ironman]

It's giving me a panic attack every time someone posts in the thread.

[WineKitty]

He has improved quite a bit. It's serious when someone of that age group gets fevers, respiratory distress etc. I see a lot of that in my line of work.

[WintersTale]

I'm glad to hear that he's improved.

[UltraShy]

Getting old and sick or dying doesn't turn somebody into a saint. Back in the late 1980s as sitting president he questioned publicly if Atheists may be considered citizens. If he'd said that of blacks or any other minority he'd have been torn to ribbons (both figuratively & literally). When the SOB drops dead he can ask his god about us Atheists.