Posted on 11/05/2010 9:20:31 PM PDT by luvie
The rise of the Tea Party movement shows "democracy works ," former President George W. Bush says in an interview to air Tuesday night on Fox News' "Hannity."
"Here's what I see. I see democracy working. People are expressing a level of frustration or concern and they're getting involved in the process," Bush told Sean Hannity in advance of the release Tuesday of his memoir, "Decision Points."
"And the truth of the matter is, democracy works in America," Bush said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
And, as an aside, the vilest, most wretched posts I have ever read on FR have been by so-called 'conservatives' against Laura Bush.
She was perhaps the finest First Lady in my lifetime.
Um, no.
"W" may sound like dubya because of Texas, and he might even be hated by liberals because they associate him with the Independence and Free Spirit of the Lone Star State. But Texas was Texas long before dubya showed up.
Texas, Our Texas! all hail the mighty State! Texas, Our Texas! so wonderful so great! Boldest and grandest, withstanding ev'ry test O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest. (chorus) Texas, O Texas! your freeborn single star, Sends out its radiance to nations near and far, Emblem of Freedom! it set our hearts aglow, With thoughts of San Jacinto and glorious Alamo. (chorus) Texas, dear Texas! from tyrant grip now free, Shines forth in splendor, your star of destiny! Mother of heroes, we come your children true, Proclaiming our allegiance, our faith, our love for you. Chorus: God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong, That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long. God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong, That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.
I should have phrased that better. Texas is politically what Texas is now because of W. If he hadn’t taken out Ann Richards, God Knows what we’d be living now, probably like some banana/sand republic oil-rich third world hellhole, or even Michigan.
He won with 52 percent against Richards’ 47 percent.
Ma Richards was an old school Dem. Not an Obama, Bill White crony Dem.
Dems would’ve fizzled out in Texas with or without W.
Yes, they accused her of murder and every vile thing imaginable.
“She was perhaps the finest First Lady in my lifetime”
Owf, here’s my ranking of First Lady’s starting with Jackie Kennedy. I start there bc she’s the first I was well aware of, and bc she was a modern FL unlike women such as Mamie Eisenhower and Bess Truman who were from another era. I posted this once on another thread and I’ll share it here:
Barbara Bush (a real “character”; strong personality yet “never put a wrong foot forward”)
Laura Bush (The perfect prototype for a First Lady)
Jackie Kennedy (Personified grace, style and class at home and abroad; original “modern” First Lady)
Lady Bird Johnson (Became famous for her personal cause of beautifying the land; a down-to-earth woman, but also a lady who had to balance her extremely earthy, profane, low-class husband)
Pat Nixon (Made it through Watergate, resignation and all the rest with grit and poise - what she must have suffered!)
Nancy Reagan (would rate her higher except some others needed to come first...if we rated only on love, loyalty and support to her husband she was A-1)
Betty Ford (Someone who was overwhelmed by demands on her life she wasn’t able to fulfill due to personal troubles - sympathetic figure but spoke out of turn too many times and unfortunately wore it as a badge)
Hillary Clinton (have little use for her co-presidency with Bill, but don’t think she was as bad as the last two)
Rosalyn Carter (the worst until the Obama’s came to town)
Michelle Obama (enough said)
Oops, “First Lady’s” should be “First Ladies”.
Given that YOU made the assertion, it’s up to YOU to defend it — with VALID research.
FYI 1: President Bush actually tried to reform Social Security (Reagan did not). He also inserted free market forces into the Medicare system (Reagan did not). The former was a first and the latter was even applauded (belatedly) by the Heritage Foundation. [Pssst: Just so you know, entitlements grew under President Reagan.]
FYI 2: With No Child Left Behind, President Bush actually introduced ACCOUNTABILITY into the educational system — a first (and also the reason the NEA despises him). [Pssst: Just so you know, President Reagan GREW the federal education system under the tenure of Bill Bennett.]
You do understand that the pseudo-cons of his day attacked and belittled President Reagan just as much as their contemporary counterparts attack President GW Bush today. Welcome to a very petty and misguided club.
If the drivel you are posting to me is an indication of what you consider valid research, we’ve set the bar pretty low.
George W. Bush had a Republican congress for the first 6 years of his presidency. Ronald Reagan had a Democrat House for all of his administration and a Dem senate for most of it.
George W. Bush PUSHED THROUGH and presided over the largest expansion of government since the Great Society. You can sugar coat it and try and run Ronald Reagan’s name through the mud by tying it to the socialist George W. Bush, but it won’t work. Everyone sees through it.
Ronald Reagan may not have been able to eliminate the DOE, but he damn well didn’t expand its power to make it ‘central planning’ for every school in the country. Ronald Reagan never pushed through a new entitlement like Medicare Part D.
Go argue your idiocy with someone else. You’re wasting my time.
I wouldn't put Jackie up so high because she, though personifying grace and style, wasn't really such a good human being. And I'm not sure I'd put Lady Bird above Pat Nixon. Pat didn't make much noise, but like Lady Bird, she certainly had to endure life with a difficult man and a very difficult time. Betty Ford did some good things, but overall I'd rank her pretty low as you did. It would be hard for me to rank Mamie because, even though I remember the Eisenhower years, Mamie was pretty much a non-figure. Eleanor Roosevelt was a pretty strong character too and was well known and active in her post-First Lady days. She did insist that Marion Anderson be able to perform at the Lincoln Memorial which was pretty cool. I don't know too much about Bess.
Hillary was a demon and Michelle defies description, as you've said.
At any rate, the two at the top both have the last name Bush, and it's pretty hard for any rational conservative to argue otherwise.
Oh......I forgot to include Roslyn. Icky, icky lady. Completely agree with your placement and assessment of her next-to-Michelle bottom of the barrel status.
Might I add that President Bush was the strongest pro-life President we've had, appointed TWO strong SCJustices (and no Sandra Day O'Connors), that he led us through the worst crisis in our lifetimes keeping us from financial collapse, that he never raised taxes as Reagan did.
If we're comparing character and leadership, I'd say they're pretty much equals, but as a pro-lifer, I place President Bush slightly above Reagan.
We should thank God daily for BOTH men.
/mega SARC
I'll shut up now. I'll just ... shut up.
After Jeffords jumped, Lott collapsed and shared power. President Reagan had a better ally in Tip ONeil than President Bush had in the weasel Lott.
In addition to that, the Republicans had no clue as to how to lead. The wimpy Republicans in Congress are responsible for a large share of the things you blame the President for.
If Hannity doesn't go into his usual laborious repetition of his talking points, it should be a good interview.
We live in a Republic with a Constitution. That works fabulously!! We liveD in a Republic with a Constitution. That workED fabulously!!
Fixed it for you :)
President Bush has class and is doing what the MAJORITY of past president's have done, and that is to not comment on a sitting President and his administration. The Clintons and 'Fraid-of-his-shadow Carter broke those unwritten rules and showed themselves to be classless pigs.
Thanks for the ping! I’m anxious to get my copy of his memoir next week!
If you check back, I’m not the one who referred to my opinions as ‘valid research’ or whatever such nonsense. I’m well aware of the difference between fact and opinion. This poster is using selective facts to form his opinion, which renders his opinions questionable.
Exactly what ‘research’ is one supposed to do here? Should I go back and spend hours pouring over the exact numbers that were spent in the DOE under Bennett? Should we pretend that it made a difference with the Democrats holding the purse strings for the entire 8 years?
There was nothing factually incorrect in what I posted. Technically, there wasn’t anything factually incorrect in what the other poster posted either that I’m aware of. However his presentation was dishonest in that it neglected to mention the difference in the makeup of congress during the terms of each respective president. There is a HUGE difference between entitlements expanding under a president who presides over a Democrat congress and a president who ushers through new entitlements. A person would have to be blind not to see that.
Both Reagan and Bush had their good and bad points. In my opinion, Bush’s bad points far outweigh the good. Bush certainly did do better with SC appointments, but only after an all-out revolt over Harriet Myers from his own side which together with his misguided push for amnesty, actually sowed the seeds for much of the anger that got the Republicans thrown out in 2006.
GWB seems like a nice man and he did have some good points for sure. But he ain’t no Reagan and he ain’t no conservative.
Republicans held the purse strings for 6 of Bush’s 8 years. You have to be kidding with this revisionist crap you’re pushing.
GWB led the charge for amnesty. He led the charge for Medicare Part D. He led the charge for NCLB. He tried to appoint Harriet Myers to the supreme court.
You can blame others all you want, but the facts are the facts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.