Posted on 12/20/2008 11:31:23 AM PST by sickoflibs
President George W. Bush is leaving with one of the lowest approval ratings in the history of numbers. During his final months on the job, the controversial commander-in-chief has given several interviews that have revealed how he views his legacy. Here are some highlights...
Soul not for sale One of the president's most interesting sound bites came during his interview with FOX News. He said: "I didn't compromise my soul to be a popular guy." The quote is an acknowledgment that the president is well aware that he's about as popular as taxes and chicken pox. Bush went on to say that he would have liked to have been more popular, but he's proud that he didn't sacrifice his integrity. And that includes Detroit's bailout
What Bush regrets During a rather candid interview several weeks ago, folks heard something truly surprising from the president—an admission that he was wrong. Bush said that his "biggest regret" was that he and his team got the intelligence wrong in Iraq.
What he'll be thinking on his last day Anyone who has ever changed jobs knows that the mix of emotions can be quite strong. It's no different for presidents. Chief among Bush's thoughts before entering what he jokingly referred to as "forced retirement" will be well wishes for President-elect Barack Obama. Said Mr. Bush: "I'll be wishing President-elect Obama all the best, genuinely be wishing him all the best."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
One Party. Two Labels. ;)
From the article:
What Bush regrets During a rather candid interview several weeks ago, folks heard something truly surprising from the president—an admission that he was wrong. Bush said that his "biggest regret" was that he and his team got the intelligence wrong in Iraq.
Curious that with ONE month left to his term, Dubya admits his entire "team" got the intel wrong. Who lied and shouldn't they be dealt with? This is a BS page out of Bubba Clinton's book.
The bottomline is his team was sloppy, arrogant, and clearly didn't really care if the intel was correct or not; Just that it was enough with which to sucker us into waging an unnecessary and expensive war. THAT is egregious, is it not?
Huh?? "Imploding"?? Maybe you need a couple of aspirin.
Are you defining the mere discussion of facts and the truth of the matter and exposing lies and corruption aren't part and parcel of what Free Republic is all about?
;-)
That does it for me :~)
Johnny Walker Red meet Johnny Walker Black.
While we all pay the price of his misfeasance. This is the raw reality that undermines his smug "let history decide" and renders it an insulting slap in the face to the people at large. See you at the bill signing, W.
>> [kept the US safe] Arguably, but at what cost? $2 trillion between the war in Iraq, domestic security, and a sizable loss of freedom and privacy?
God forbid defense and research costs something. And, do you know the nature of the freedom and privacy you lost?
>> [Bush] destroyed the Republican Party, and cratered the economy, the public’s trust, the conservative movement, AND America’s moral and military prestige and clout.
Maybe Pro-life, SCOTUS, and tax cuts aren’t important to your brand of ‘conservatism’. The GOP destroyed itself, and not by one man, but by at least a gang if not both houses.
Your arguments are not on balance with the surroundings in which Bush had to operate. There are certainly a number of policy failures, but your generalizations are pinging the BDS meter.
PRESIDENT.
EVER.
So the object of our Personality Cult admits that he and the CIA (hardy ha!) got the intelligence wrong on Iraq. They got it from Dubya’s buddies, the Iraqi Muzzie manipulator emigres, eager to replace Saddam, remember (as alleged by some of ou7r Communist enemies!)? Can we have past quotes from our own Bushbot defenders of that intelligence? Can anyone here admit he was wrong? A seven year war for nothing!
Check out 28 and 89 for similar comments
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2151996/posts?page=89#89
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2151996/posts?page=28#28
Washingtonians all. Transcends party loyalty and national interest.
I guess Harriet Myers (Bush's pick for SCOTUS), Teddy Kennedy (No Drunken Senator Left Behind), and those big "Welcome, Illegals!" signs (Fast-Track Amnesty pushed hard by your man Dubya), Campaign Finance Reform (SCOTUS isn't gonna declare this Constitutional, so I'll sign it for my buddies on the Left), Senate's Nuclear Option Nuked (Gang of 14 "Bi-partisan" friends of Bush), Bailout By The Billions (another big "Welcome!" sign, only this time it's for his Skull and Bones cohorts from Wall Street and CFR) --and MUCH more--are part and parcel of your brand of 'conservatism'?
Count me in with F16Fighter. George W. Bush has done a great job...of leading those who have made The United States of America unrecognizable from what it was even 8 years ago when he took office. Who would have thought we would have a president who is so spineless that he calls Islam a "Religion of Peace"? (Bring out the "Welcome, Y'all!" signs again.) Who would have thought a once "Grand Old Party" would become what it is now, The BOHICA Party? The list is endless. Worst. President. Ever.
Other industries? AIG, insurance. Bush has paved the road for Obama's socialist advance.
>> [is all this failed policy] part and parcel of your brand of ‘conservatism’?
No.
Bush’s batting record is not zero, but maybe it’s cathartic for some FReepers to make it seem that way. Tell me you didn’t vote for Obama.
Our troops wore MOP gear in the blazing Iraqi desert in March 2003 for sport, right? Or maybe it was because all the world's top intelligence services believed Saddam had WMDs and was prepared to use them. Hosni Mubarak, even though he opposed the liberation of Iraq, warned Gen. Franks that Saddam would use WMDs on our troops.
Saddam had every intention of re-starting his WMD program once the weakening sanctions program was lifted. He was in continuous violation of the 1991 ceasefire, especially with regard to cooperating with WMD inspectors.
Your statement that the intel was faked and trumped up by the Bush administration is a favorite lefty lie.
Next: Arguably, but at what cost? $2 trillion between the war in Iraq, domestic security, and a sizable loss of freedom and privacy?
You're lying when you say we've lost freedoms under President Bush. What freedom have we lost? I'm not aware of any. But I've seen the Bush administration support the Second Amendment like no presidency has in decades.
We give up more of our privacy to everyone in the course of our daily actions and transactions than what the government picks up in national security surveillance.
As for cost, 9/11 wiped a trillion dollars out of our economy.
Next: (President Bush) cratered the economy, the public's trust, the conservative movement, AND America's moral and military prestige and clout.
The economy: President Bush inherited a recession followed hard by 9/11. His administration prosecuted corrupt CEOs who got away with their corruption under Clinton. He turned the economy around and it stayed strong until this fall.
He pushed for energy independence but got backstabbed by the likes of John McCain. He tried to reform Fannie and Freddie and Social Security but got stymied by elements in his own party. He resisted a minimum wage increase until the 'Rats forced it on him to fund the war effort. He cut taxes and did not raise them once.
As far as the other things he 'cratered', no it was the left, whose lies you gleefully regurgitate, that has led to the cratering of "America's moral and military prestige and clout."
Most of that is BS. Canada, Germany, France and Italy elected pro-Bush governments in recent years, replacing anti-Bush governments.
The left has waged a relentless propaganda campaign, aided and abetted by the Democrats, to undermine and humiliate President Bush at home and abroad by smearing and lying about him--just like you're doing here.
Next: Dubya ran as a Conservative and reigned as a Democrat on Steroids. He's pretty much admitted his intel was BS, as are the reasons for the Iraq War.
Again with the lies about Iraq. Sheesh.
President Bush ran as a 'compassionate conservative', not a movement conservative. He tried to temper liberal government programs that aren't going away anytime soon with conservative ideals.
His two 'big government' programs were No Child Left Behind and the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Other than that he has been solidly pro-life, he has not encroached on the Second Amendment, he has cut taxes and not raised them, he has taken the fight to our terrorist enemies, he has promoted freedom around the world, he has held a light regulatory hand, he has appointed conservative judges and Supreme Court justices, he did not kow-tow to the unions, he slow-walked Kyoto and the environmental clap-trap, he opened up off-shore drilling and he's kept us safe since 9/11.
Al Gore is a Democrat on steroids. President Bush has been a center-right president whose administration has had more conservative success than Ronald Reagan's.
As for the border, our borders have always been open. President Bush has done more than any president in history with regard to the border and immigration. He had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do it, but do it he has. It is not enough for me, but I recognize the enormous change from previous administrations and that he responded to the will of the people after they furiously rejected his amnesty proposals.
I don't mind people criticizing President Bush. I mind the lying and smearing. He's a good man and doesn't deserve it.
HECK no, I didn't vote for that socialist Obama. I voted for Sarah Palin. But 5 out of 7 of my remaining siblings did vote for Zero. I was temporarily shunned by them for standing up for Sarah Palin.
So, are you implying that if I think George W. Bush sucked as a president I must be a liberal twit? Who do you think paved the way for The One anyway? Did you notice anything around, oh, 2006 or so, when Republicans lost the majority? Bush's "batting record" may not be zero, but we're headed to less-than-zero because of his lack of leadership. Now come back at me and say "But he showed great leadership right after 9/11!" I'll agree with you there, but now read his words in this very thread and tell me you aren't wearing blinders even about that.
It's hard to believe in someone and rally behind them and then have them disappoint you again and again, "bigtime". I still have bile in my throat caused by McCain's post-election-loss attitude. And I did believe George W. Bush was a good man if not a good president but he crossed my believability line when he defended the views of liberals much more than those of his own party. Unless another man or woman of Reagan's stature and fortitude rises from amidst this debacle we are now experiencing, we can expect the USA to become the USSA before the end of The Messiah's four-year term.
you speak the truth...
also bush never had a real majority in congress either...
you people forget he tried to privatize social security and it didn’t pass while he had a “majority”
granted of course he could have done more...but he never had a free reign to do whatever he wanted so he unfortunately began to compromise on things like no child left behind and put all his focus on the war on terror
I couldn’t agree with you more. He is will be one of the best US president in history.
Thank you Mr. President GWB. may God continually bless you and your family.
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