Let's face it folks, the Bush administration has been one of the worst presidencies in American history:

Top Republican says Obama "off to a good start"

By Thomas Ferraro, Reuters
Fri Nov 21, 4:08 PM EST

A top Republican said on Friday that Democratic U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is "off to a good start" and indicated he was pleased to see President George W. Bush get ready to leave.

"Our members, in one way, are kind of relieved by the departure of an administration that became unpopular and made it very difficult for us to compete," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill.

In part because of Bush's unpopularity, Obama won the White House and Democrats expanded their majorities in the U.S. Congress in the November 4 elections.

Obama, who inherits a global financial crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has vowed to work with Republicans to try to overcome the bitter partisan divisions that have marked Washington-style politics, including the current standoff over proposals to bail out the failing auto industry.

McConnell expressed appreciation that Obama's pick for White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, visited Capitol Hill this week to talk to Republicans ahead of the new Congress convening on January 6, two weeks before Obama is sworn in as president.

"I think the new administration is off to a good start," the Kentucky senator said.

"They're saying, in my view, all the right things ... that they want to govern in the middle and tackle big things."

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