Professor Robert Dallek called President George W. Bush “the least qualified man to be in the White House since Warren G. Harding” at a discussion yesterday, citing the way Bush has handled situations both foreign and domestic.

Despite Bush’s strong cabinet, Dallek said he had little confidence in the president.

“You always need someone at the helm to make a final judgment,” he said.

Bush’s actions at home and abroad were but one of the topics that Dallek and Linda Killian, both co-directors of the BU Washington Journalism Institute, debated during an hour-long discussion at the GSU. Other topics included potential problems in invading Iraq and the dilemmas confronting politicians in the upcoming congressional elections.

Invading Iraq and occupying the country would pose a variety of problems for the United States, Dallek and Killian said.

Dallek called the country a “lunatic asylum,” and later added, “It’s not as if Iraq’s concerns will disappear if Saddam Hussein goes away.”

According to Killian, the United States has a degree of responsibility if it invades Iraq.

“Once you’ve knocked down what’s there, you have to build something else up,” she said.

Dallek and Killian also spoke of the political struggles accompanying the war on terrorism.

“There’s a lot of jousting between the White House and Congress” over the war on terrorism and “over who is going to reap the political advantage over the potential war with Iraq,” Dallek said.

With this political combat, however, has come ambivalence from Democrats, according to Killian.

“The Democrats just don’t know what to do,” about the war on terrorism, Killian said, particularly when faced with a decision about a war with Iraq.

“I’m sure they want to do what’s best for the country,” Killian said. “There is some calculation about where the country [public opinion] is right now.”

Terrorism-related foreign policy dilemmas such as this contributed to an inefficient congressional session this year, according to Killian.

“This has been one of the most miserable sessions of Congress ever,” Killian said. No appropriations bills have passed, she said, because of Congress’ preoccupation with foreign policy proposals.

“Congress is simply not doing their business,” she said.

However, according to Dallek, congressmen want to leave behind foreign policy issues and address other problems facing the nation.

“What they’re trying to do is get the resolution over Iraq out of the way so they can turn to other issues [such as corporate corruption and the economy],” Dallek said.

“Democrats are so anxious to get this off the table … the background music is all about the congressional elections,” he said.

“This is hand-to-hand combat [over control of the Senate],” Killian said. “The Republicans and Democrats are just freaking out.”

Dallek emphasized the changeable nature of American politics.

“Two days before the election could transform what happens,” he said.

Killian and Dallek held the event to “let people know what we’re doing in Washington … and have a little stimulating discussion at the same time,” Killian said.

College of Arts and Sciences freshman Derek Haddad, a political science major and one of only five students who came to the discussion, said he attended because he is “very interested in what the professors had to say on the war on terrorism. I’m glad [Dallek] understands how horrible Bush is at public policy.”