As the United States prepares to inaugurate Barack Obama for a second term in office, many Republicans are still struggling to understand Gov. Mitt Romney's defeat.

Exit polls on Nov. 6, however, indicated that voters blamed former President George W. Bush for the country's economic troubles, and most believe that Obama's policies have helped the recovery.

Bush was such a poor president that conservatives no longer bother to defend the previous commander in chief, says New York attorney and political humorist Steven Sarshik.

"It has become conventional wisdom that Bush messed up so badly that pundits on both sides tend to gloss over the magnitude of his appalling legacy," says Sarshik, author of the satirical novel, "The Apology," (www.sarshik.com), a fantastical tale that begins on the day of Obama's second inauguration, when Bush gets himself into a jam in Europe.

"Conservatives won't go anywhere near Bush's eight years, except to tell liberals who blame him for the difficult recovery to stop living in the past. I mean ... the guy wasn't even invited to the Republican National Convention in Tampa," Sarshik says. "The Democrats mentioned him more at their convention."

Unfortunately, in political debate, reviewing Bush's record has become a non-starter, "but that doesn't mean his tenure didn't happen," Sarshik says.

He reviews some of the Bush policy flubs that directly contributed to Romney's defeat:

• A party of extremists: In order to compete with this season's Republican primary candidates and satisfy the hordes of Tea Party conservatives, "moderate Mitt" had to take a backseat in favor of pedal-to-the-metal, far-right Romney. The party took a dramatic shift to the far right as a result of Bush's expensive, fiscally irresponsible policies. After the primaries, "flip-flopper" didn't seem strong enough to describe Romney's shifting stances; his proposed policies became "Etch-a-Sketch," almost to the point of being Zen-like, Sarshik says. "Often, his answers to questions became exceedingly abstract, and I think the shifting discouraged independent and undecided voters."

• A clear and simple foreign policy narrative: A recent Vanity Fair exposé shows that Bush was given ample warning of the attacks on American soil before Sept. 11, 2001. While the 43rd president followed up with what still seems to many a non-sequitur war in Iraq, Obama oversaw the end of that protracted campaign and killed the man responsible for 9-11. Romney's foreign policy appeared to be a continuation of Bush's costly approach.

• FEMA and the "heck of a job, Brownie" gaffe: "Frankenstorm" Sandy hit the Northeast days before the Nov. 6 election, which could have devastated Obama's campaign had he handled it poorly. Instead, his cooperation with New Jersey Rep. Gov. Chris Christie was the perfect example of how to handle local and state-level emergencies. During debates, in an attempt to back up small-government rhetoric and explain away Bush's poor handling of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, Romney said the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be dismantled in favor of state control, and "even better," be privatized.

About Steven Sarshik

Steven Sarshik has been a New York City trial lawyer for more than 30 years, handling all sorts of politically charged cases - much like the fictitious one he paints in "The Apology." He is also the author of "Wrongful Death," a novel about an NYC police shooting.

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds are pleased to honor six police officers with the 2012 Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor.  Every day men and women in uniform quietly serve, sacrificing their safety to keep Iowa communities secure.  It is only appropriate the state take time to honor the officers and firefighters who go above and beyond the call of duty.  This year, Governor Branstad will honor professionals who risked their own personal safety to rescue passengers from the burning wreckage of a car crash.

WHAT:                  Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor Presentation

WHEN:                  Thursday, November 8, 2012

3:00 PM

WHERE:                State Capitol Rotunda

Des Moines, Iowa

WHO:                    Award Recipients: Iowa Peace Officers

Governor Terry E. Branstad

Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds

Commissioner K. Brian London, Department of Public Safety

Established in 1977, the Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor is awarded to peace officers and firefighters who, while serving in an official capacity, distinguished themselves by the performance of an heroic act in excess of normal demands of service where the person was fully aware of the threat to his/her personal safety.

To learn more about the heroic acts performed by this year's recipients, see below/visit this link: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/pib/Awards/valor.shtml

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On August 28, 2011, Sergeant Michael McTaggart, Officers Colin Boone, Aaron Cawthorne, Jeremy Sprague and Robin Swank; along with Reserve Officer John Carter, responded to a crash at the intersection of Southeast 14^th and Hartford streets.

Upon their arrival, officers observed a Ford Explorer had turned on its side and was fully ablaze.  The officers immediately assessed and secured the scene and began to take action to rescue the occupants of the vehicle.

Working in close proximity to the fire and knowing the vehicle could explode at any moment, the officers broke out a back window of the vehicle to rescue one of the victims.  Meanwhile, other officers climbed on top of the vehicle to pull the second victim out a side window.  Still others used fire extinguishers in an attempted to squelch the fire, repeatedly returning to fight the fire after retrieving additional extinguishers from the patrol cars on the scene.

After moving both victims clear of the intense flames, the officers continued to render aid until fire medics arrived on the scene.  Without their brave efforts, the two victims who were rescued could have sustained significant injuries or been fatally injured.  Unfortunately, one young woman perished in this incident.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision was subsequently convicted of Vehicular Homicide and sentenced to 25 years in prison.  In addition, he was convicted of four counts of Serious Injury by a Motor Vehicle and sentenced to five years for each count.

During the intense and dangerous incident, each officer's daring efforts contributed to freeing the victims from the blazing vehicle.  Without regard for their personal safety, each officer put themselves in harm's way and worked with each other as a team.

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I would like to introduce you to two women who are making a beautiful difference in Iowa...

Dr. Ida Johnson of Davenport, IA is the Founder of United Neighbors, Inc., an organization that helps others help themselves while building self-worth, and includes youth, education, housing, financial literacy and multicultural healthcare programs.  Sarah Cronk of Bettendorf, IA is the Founder of The Sparkle Effect, a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs.

Ida and Sarah are two of ten women chosen out of thousands of nominations to become Women of Worth honorees. The amazing Women of Worth program, which honors women making a difference in their communities, is launching their voting phase today to gain recognition for their incredibly inspiring honorees. This is the program's 7^th year, with each of the below 10 women being chosen out of thousands of nominations - they each get $10K for their organizations and whoever gets the most votes (starting today through the 21^st) from the public gets an additional $25K and is named the Women of Worth National Honoree.

When Dr. Ida Johnson moved to Iowa 38 years ago as a newly divorced mother, leaving behind an abusive ex-husband in search of a better life for her five children, she found a home in a low-income, inner city neighborhood and employment in a kitchen at St. Ambrose University. Fighting to keep her family safe, intact and fed, Ida began bringing neighborhood children into her home for games and learning activities.

Now, nearly 40 years later, with the mission of helping others help themselves while building self-worth, United Neighbors has helped to take children off the streets and into a safe place, with an after-school program bringing in tutors to assist with homework and teach computer skills. Kids in the program receive a home-cooked meal and participate in creative activities, then are safely driven home each evening. Additional programs include first-time homebuyer education, down payment assistance, a minimum code home repair program in partnership with the City of Davenport and a multicultural health initiative to provide health education seminars to nearly 400 underserved people in the area each year.

Sarah Cronk grew up watching her older brother, Charlie, struggle to make friends due to his disability and noticed that it wasn't until the popular swim team captain invited Charlie to sit at his lunch table that things began to turn around. He encouraged Charlie to join the team and Sarah watched her brother's confidence soar.

In 2008, Sarah created and coached the nation's first inclusive cheerleading squad at her high school. A year later, she established her nonprofit, The Sparkle Effect (TSE), a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs.

More than five million students with disabilities attend public schools in the United States, yet most school sports and activities are not designed to accommodate these students. As a result, students with disabilities are left sidelined - excluded from high school sports and the social opportunities they offer. Students participating on TSE teams are breaking down social barriers, replacing insecurity with confidence and joy, and demonstrating that when we open our minds and our hearts to people of all abilities, everyone benefits. Within the past year, TSE has grown from 25 to over 70 teams nationwide, directly including more than 1,200 students.

WOMEN OF WORTH PROGRAM

The Women of Worth initiative, now in its seventh year, is inspired by L'Oréal Paris' iconic brand philosophy, "Because You're Worth It." Since its inception, the program has recognized 70 women for their outstanding devotion to their causes, with honorees embodying the spirit of the L'Oréal Paris brand through their commitment to their communities, their selflessness and their drive to make a difference in the world.

Now in its seventh year, the Women of Worth program has recognized 70 incredible women to date for their amazing accomplishments, and this year's ten honorees continue to inspire through their dedication to philanthropy and their passion for improving the world. From young women who pioneered programs while still in high school to women who have been changing lives for decades, 2012's Women of Worth honorees are making an extraordinary difference in their communities.

RECOGNITION

Each of the incredible honorees has received $10,000 for her charitable cause and will be recognized at an awards ceremony and dinner hosted by L'Oréal Paris and Hearst Magazines on December 6^th in New York City. At the event, one National Honoree, chosen via a public online vote, will be announced, and she will receive an additional $25,000 for her charity.

VOTING

Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree is open from today through November 21^st on WomenofWorth.com. Visitors to the site can vote once per day for their favorite Woman of Worth, and the honoree with the most votes will be named National Honoree.

HONOREES

Setting the bar for extraordinary philanthropic efforts, this year's honorees support a wealth of important causes, from healthcare to education and everything in between.

·         Amy Paterson - Portland, OR; Co-founder of My Little Waiting Room, an organization that promotes the health and well-being of families by bringing drop-in child care to hospitals so that children can thrive as families heal.

·         Catherine Meek - Los Angeles, CA; Executive Director of School on Wheels, an organization that enhances educational opportunities for homeless children by providing homeless students with one-on-one volunteer tutors.

·         Dr. Ida Johnson - Davenport, IA; Founder of United Neighbors, Inc., an organization that helps others help themselves while building self-worth, and includes youth, education, housing, financial literacy and multicultural healthcare programs.

·         Kate Bialo - Larchmont, NY; Founder and Executive Director of Furniture Sharehouse, an organization that empowers underprivileged families by providing basic furniture to turn their house into a home.

·         Lorraine Kerwood - Eugene, OR; Founder of NextStep, an organization that focuses on people, the planet and education by providing community members with disabilities the tools they need to succeed academically and in the workplace.

·         Olivia Stinson - Charlotte, NC; Founder of Pen Pals Book Club and Support Group, an organization that strives to promote literacy and provide cultural and social activities for children with incarcerated parents.

·         Risa Vetri Ferman - Abington, PA; Co-founder of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, a non-profit that gives child abuse victims a voice and helps them heal.

·         Sandy Puc' - Littleton, CO; Co-founder of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, an organization that provides the gift of remembrance photography for parents suffering the loss of a baby. 

·         Sarah Cronk - Bettendorf, IA; Founder of The Sparkle Effect, a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs.