Posted on 02/26/2010 10:06:59 AM PST by STARWISE
For the first time, former President George W. Bush has said publicly that he approves of former Vice President Dick Cheney’s high-profile role in defending the past administration’s national security policies.
“I’m glad Cheney is out there,” Bush said Friday morning at a reunion breakfast that was the inaugural event for the Bush-Cheney Alumni Association.
The reception, held at a downtown Washington hotel, was closed to the press. Attendees supplied this account of the remarks.
Cheney originally had been scheduled to appear with Bush but did not come because he is recovering from a heart scare. Bush visited his former vice president in McLean on Thursday and said Cheney “is feeling well” and has “a fierce constitution.”
The former president started with a funny patter that several attendees related to stand-up. In announcing his book, he joshed: “This is going to come as quite a shock to people up here that I can write a book, much less read one.”
Turning serious, Bush said: “I don't want to be involved in politics, but I do in policy.” He talked about his own record, saying of his signature education reform: “No Child Left Behind was the most advanced civil rights legislation since the Voting Rights Act.”
Giving advice, he urged humility. “Don’t swagger.
Sometimes I got carried away rallying the country," he said. "I think the swagger criticism was fair. A lot of others weren't. I hope I conveyed a sense that I was a lowly sinner who found redemption. I'm not better than anyone else. What makes me different from others is that I realized I needed help.”
“I’m religious — I confess,” he continued. “One of the challenges in life is: Maintaining religious piety is harder when the pressure is off than when it is on. But now there is still a dependency in a greater grace.”
Bush made it clear he plans to continue to keep a low profile: “I have no desire to see myself on television. I don't want to be a panel of formers instructing the currents on what to do. I'm trying to regain a sense of anonymity. I didn't like it when a certain former president — and it wasn't 41 or 42 — made my life miserable.”
You've hit the nail on the head.
I love it! Thanks for the post.
No way are you alone!
Post 19
I will have to agree with you on that.
I remember Mary Matalin talking about her involvement in VP Bush’s campaign for President.
She attempted to warn VP Bush of Gov. Clinton’s dirty tricks and he wouldn’t even listen to her.
Many of Gov. Clintons dirty tricks were directed to people in VP Bushes campaign, yet he wouldn’t defend them nor his campaign against them. Guess W came by that honestly, but I still don’t understand it.
Put George W. Bush and Mike Huckabee next to each other. I think they would be similar presidents. If you think GWB was a great President, I think your candidate would be Huckabee.
That is the old definition of NeoCons.
Today's definition of NeoCon is anyone that subscribes to those positions found at the Project for a New American Century. For example: the US won the Cold War, is the last remaining superpower, so the US should exercise hegemony over the entire world.
Bush grew government. I am for small government. Therefore, I think he was a terrible president and I regret voting for him twice as well.
Exactly. Unwillingness to defend himself. Its very gracious, but its part of the reason we are suffering under tyranny now.
Correction, that was Pre. Bush’s campaign for re-election.
He made some mistakes and my biggest regret for his Presidency was his spending. When he signed those big spending bills, he signed away any republican claim to fiscal responsibility.
Even worse, his spending and resulting deficits make it easy for liberals to say tax cuts cause deficits instead of reliably producing economic benefit. We will pay dearly for that mistake.
Who is he talking about ? Carter ?
I do know that Cheney wanted Bush to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities before he left office, and Bush refused to.
I respect Cheney on that decision, not Bush.
I doubt if Cheney would have signed McCain-Feingold or No Child Left Behind, or the unpaid Prescription Benefit.
Obama makes a great point. George W. Bush created an unfunded mandate, why can’t I? Fair is Fair.
That’s the implication .. and rightfully
deserved slapdown.
As is this: btw, this is a common Christian experience with which most of us can identify.
You know that ?? Unless Cheney acknowledges that himself, you know nothing of the kind.
However, I know that you are a troll.
***
I was thinking that, while he was President, there were so many people praying for him, and I know he prayed daily for wisdom and guidance, that he felt buoyed up by that prayer.
And now that his life is "normal," it becomes more difficult to maintained a disciplined spiritual life.
It must be a huge adjustment.
Beat it, Noobie. Your crap has become tiresome.
Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, thanks. Heard it before.
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