Bush isn't entirely to blame here. Where was the force of a public outcry when all of this was going on? More should have been done from a domestic standpoint to bring attention to the issue as it was happening, but maybe people were too caught up in the post 9/11 America. I can't really say as I was only a young teenager at the time. That said, I'm glad that he has to go through these hassles to travel abroad, and that he more or less can't even visit Europe. A small pity for a man that has caused a lot of damage across the world.
I disagree. He was entirely to blame. He was the President and the Commander in Chief, and he authorized it. When he ran for office, he sought those reponsibilities. Although the news would have you think that the public largely supported this, in reality, many many Americans were deeply disturbed by it. There were protests almost everywhere that Bush went. Even so, even if public sentiment did support his actions, he would be no less culpable.
I was not aware of that. 9/11 and the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan all happened when I was around 11/12 years old. It's good to know that that was happening, and certainly does change my opinion of the situation.
Between National Security Letters, warrantless NSA wireapping of all international US communications (and for a time all US communications), the introduction of torture, and the beginning of indefinite detention without charges in Guantanamo, the Bush Administration launched an all out assault on civil liberties after 9/11. The Obama administration has continued most of these policies. Make no mistake, the Bush Administration created a new normal in this country, and that's not a political statement.
There was a lot of attention while it was happening. It came from people in the reality based community, so it didn't matter.