pplpod Episode 83 traces George W. Bush’s path from Texas governor to a two-term presidency reshaped by September 11. We cover the disputed 2000 election and an initial domestic agenda—tax cuts, No Child Left Behind, faith-based initiatives—before the day that defined an era. From Ground Zero resolve to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we unpack the decisions, intelligence failures, and doctrines (preemption, freedom agenda) that redrew U.S. foreign policy—plus the wrenching debates over WMD, detainees, and surveillance. At home, we track Hurricane Katrina, Medicare Part D, the Roberts/Alito Court shifts, and the 2008 financial crisis that forced TARP and a handoff in emergency mode. We close with the quieter post-presidency—global health work, veterans’ initiatives, and painting as reflection—and a legacy still argued in headlines and history s ...