It has been tradition since the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to grade new presidential administrations by what they have accomplished in their first 100 days in office. The media and the rest of the nation decided to follow that tradition, and for the most part, have given our 43rd president good marks. President George W. Bush’s approval ratings have gone up, and deservedly so, since he took the oath of office back in January.

Much of the nation felt a bit of unease when they heard that the governor of Texas had failed a pop quiz on world leaders. The fear was that if he could not call to mind who the president of the breakaway republic of Chechnya was, that there would be no way in which he could be expected to deal with international leaders in a meaningful and thoughtful manner.

The president has risen to the occasion as is customary of him. With a cool demeanor and steady hand, Bush negotiated the release of our 24 servicemen and women from their detention on Hainan Island.

When many across the country said that we should apologize to the Chinese when their jet ran into our slow-moving reconnaissance plane, the president knew that the prestige of the nation was at stake. The president knew better than to apologize for an accident caused by the foolish mistakes of a cocky Chinese jet fighter pilot.

Bush also knew that the Chinese had more to lose in this game of international chicken than did the United States. He knew that anti-American hard liners had to be appeased by the government of Jiang Zemin before the crew could be returned home. So the president stood his ground with all of the gravitas becoming of the leader of the free world.

Because of the president’s actions, the United States stands a bit taller in the eyes of the world, the Chinese know that they will not be able to bully this president and this country, and our 24 servicemen and women are safely back on American soil enjoying a well-deserved 30-day leave.

On the domestic front, these first 100 days have shown that the president is truly bringing a new tone to our capital. He is ushering in an era of bipartisanship. No longer is Washington, D.C. a place of gridlock and partisan wrangling, it is a place where solutions are found.

Quite soon, the president will be able to sign an economic stimulus package in which the American taxpayer will receive a $1.35 trillion tax cut over the next 11 years. With the support of many moderate Democrats, the administration will be able to push through the promised tax cut.

Admittedly, $1.35 trillion is not as much as the $1.6 trillion that the president initially proposed; however, one can hardly expect to get everything one wants in the world of politics. The $1.35 trillion, of course, is much more than the $600 billion that congressional Democrats proposed late last year. It is easy to see why the president can claim victory for the tax reductions that the American people will receive.

During campaign 2000, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore contended that a Bush tax cut would be risky for the country because it would cause our spending deficits and our national debt to rise. A tax cut would leave less revenue in the government’s coffers, he argued.

The president once again proved his opponents wrong. By reducing the rate of growth on the government’s spending from a gargantuan 8 percent a year to a lower and more acceptable rate of 4.9 percent, we as a nation will be able to enjoy the benefits of a tax cut and not have to suffer greater increases in our deficit. Bush proved his leadership in this area by also bringing moderate Democrats to the negotiating table so that a bipartisan agreement could be reached. The agreement leaves all Americans better off than when they were overtaxed and their government was spending too much.

In addition to the tax cut, Congress is working on the president’s education reform package. Much like how the president negotiated his tax package, he is asking for help from members on the other side of the aisle, namely Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy. The legislation that will soon arrive on the president’s desk will include national testing for all students and flexibility for local districts as to how they spend their money. Both the testing and flexibility measures were proposed during the campaign by then- Gov. Bush and will soon become the law of the land. Both measures will allow for this great nation to leave “”no child behind”” and will allow for the American dream to become a reality for so many more students across this country.

These first 100 days of Bush’s administration have been a stunning success. We as a nation, under the president’s leadership, have gained in prestige around the world. In addition, a new day has arrived in our nation’s capital. This Republican president has shown that he can and he will work with Democratic leaders to find common ground so that our nation will be better off. We are well underway in getting out from under the overbearing taxes that are assessed to all Americans. We are also well underway in giving our teachers, parents, and educators the tools they need to make our classrooms places of learning once again.

All of this has occurred in a mere 100 days of the Bush presidency. It will be a wonder to see what is to come in the remaining 1,360 days.