"The end of George W. Bush's presidency is hours away and for many Americans, it can't come fast enough.

It's not just the reckless policies he helped further that contributed to the worst economic crisis in 80 years, and the unwarranted and hugely expensive war in Iraq that make us shudder. It's also the missed opportunities that have come to define the 43rd president's administration as a disappointment.

As we've watched the extended farewell tour of interviews and speeches given by George Bush, it's difficult not to feel a little sorry for him and the alarming post- 9/11 world he found himself dealing with, and that he was somewhat confounded by.

At the same time, it's maddening to wonder how the 9/11 attacks happened on his watch — the missed warning signs, the Aug. 6, 2001, memo spelling out Osama bin Laden's intentions — and to contemplate how he squandered the ensuing global goodwill with anguishing prisoner interrogation and detention policies. "

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Editorial: Reign of Bush II ends in whimper (The Denver Post 1/19)