A recent poll reported that most Americans are glad that President Bush is retiring from the presidency. They wish him no ill will. They are just relieved that he is leaving office.

Any honest critique of the George W. Bush presidential years must give him a positive grade in two areas. First, he is a moral man. Unlike Bill Clinton, he has never blatantly lied to the American people. We may question his judgment and intellect. But we should never question his honesty and sincerity.

I give him credit for keeping us safe from terrorist attacks. During his eight years in office he has been able to protect us from all the radical groups which seek to do us harm. This, in my opinion, has been his greatest accomplishment.

His liabilities, however, outweigh his assets. This explains why he is one of the most unpopular presidents in recent history. Even his most faithful supporters now point out some of his mistakes.

A president is like a football coach. He can’t be blamed for all the problems he faces. However, as the man in charge, he must be held accountable for his actions in office. As President Truman put it so well, the buck does stop with the president. This is true of both Democrats and Republicans.

Under the Bush leadership, the stock market performed the worst since the Great Depression. Yes, it’s unfair to blame him alone for the economic collapse. However, since it happened on his watch, he must bear much of the blame.

Mr. Bush claims to be a fiscal conservative. However, as president he has worked with Congress to add trillions of dollars to our national debt. Most conservatives find this inexcusable. Even John McCain criticized Bush for his big spending.

When it comes to the debacle on Wall Street, President Bush decided to take a hands-off approach when it came to subprime loans. He and others believed so much in deregulation that they failed to step in and stop the irresponsible behavior of Wall Street greed. He then turned around and asked the tax payers -you and me- to bail out these crooks. Bush and Congress should be ashamed of themselves.

Mr. Bush’s view on foreign policy has been naïve. He has said repeatedly that his primary goal was to spread freedom throughout the world. Yes, that sounds like a good idea. However, we have neither the money nor the manpower to make that a reality. The fact is that most nations are not democratic. This includes the Middle East and some of our closest allies.

What will historians say about the George W. Bush presidency? I doubt that he will be remembered as our worst president. That infamous designation will go to Lyndon Johnson, a chronic liar who left the presidency in disgrace.

Like most Americans, I am glad that Bush is leaving the White House and going back to Texas. After eight years in office the man looks tired. I wish him the best.