Economist.com | American politics: "America's economic woes may not really be Bush's fault: blame that on the bubble built up in the Clinton years. But by cuddling up to industry lobbies and failing to keep any control on spending (and not just of the defence sort), the president has turned a huge budget surplus into a large deficit. In many eyes, he has needlessly trampled on civil liberties at home, made a hash of governing Iraq and the Middle East peace process, and, in the battle against terror, has wasted the goodwill towards America that foreigners used to feel�something that next week's huge demonstrations in London will underline. A man who came to office as a compassionate conservative has generally ruled as tough right-winger."