NBC's Gregory Declares: Bush's 'Reputation of Incompetence' Has 'Stained' GOP

NewsBusters.org ^ | April 25, 2013 | Kyle Drennan

[Kaslin]

On the eve of the dedication of George W. Bush's presidential library, NBC's Meet the Press moderator David Gregory appeared on Wednesday's Nightly News to tear down the former president's legacy, beginning the report by remarking that it was "difficult to remember" Bush's popularity after the September 11th attacks. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Gregory described how Iraq War intelligence failures "formed the backdrop to criticism that the President underestimated the challenges he faced....And grew stubborn in the face of mounting setbacks." Gregory further proclaimed: "What grew into a reputation for incompetence stained the administration and the GOP brand after Hurricane Katrina."

NBC's Gregory Declares: Bush's 'Reputation of Incompetence' Has 'Stained' GOP

Historian Michael Beschloss followed by touting how "George W. Bush's name was barely mentioned" at the 2012 Republican National Convention as a result.

Gregory then promoted how successful the Obama White House and liberal press corps were at blaming Bush for the still struggling economy: "As the economy even now struggles to climb back from the near collapse of 2008, many Americans still blame President Bush, holding him even more accountable for the state of the economy than President Obama, according to last fall's election exit poll."

Gregory did briefly note: "These issues overshadow other accomplishments – the President's place in launching the school reform movement, his work to combat aids in Africa, even his willingness to tackle entitlement spending."

On Thursday's Today, Gregory began a similar report on the Bush legacy by announcing: "As he left Washington four years ago, the public sat in harsh judgment of George W. Bush, with roughly two thirds of the country disapproving of his job performance. The scars ran deep over multiple wars, the terror debate, and a collapsed economy."

Gregory also made sure to repeat the line about Bush's "incompetence" having "stained" the Republican Party.

However, unlike his Nightly News hit piece, Gregory did acknowledge Bush's rising approval rating: "Mr. Bush has made up ground in the public's mind and his record is viewed more charitably....As time passes and passions cool, Mr. Bush has grown more popular."

Here is a full transcript of Gregory's April 24 Nightly News report:

7:10PM ET

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Back in this country, the George W. Bush Presidential Library set to open tomorrow. This is a live picture of the scene on the campus of SMU in Dallas tonight. Tomorrow's dedication ceremony will be attended by the five people alive who know what it's like to sit in the Oval Office. President Barack Obama, both Bushes, 41 and 43, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter. We get our report tonight from NBC's David Gregory, who was our White House correspondent during the Bush 43 years.

DAVID GREGORY: It's difficult to remember just how popular President Bush was in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

GEORGE W. BUSH: I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

GREGORY: The fact that America was not attacked again during the Bush years is a lasting legacy. But so, too, is the bitter debate over whether the war on terror eroded civil liberties. Mr. Bush will always be viewed as a wartime leader. But it was the decision to invade Iraq that would prove the most divisive.

BUSH: It's a war of necessity. In my judgment we had no choice when we look at the intelligence I looked at that says the man was a threat.

GREGORY: The faulty intelligence, the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, formed the backdrop to criticism that the President underestimated the challenges he faced.

BUSH: In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

GREGORY: And grew stubborn in the face of mounting setbacks.

BUSH: I hear the voices and I read the front page and I know the speculation, but I'm the decider.

GREGORY: What grew into a reputation for incompetence stained the administration and the GOP brand after Hurricane Katrina.

MICHAEL BESCHLOSS [PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN]: This is a president who, in his own time, he would be the first to say is very unpopular. You look at the Republican convention last year. George W. Bush's name was barely mentioned.

GREGORY: As the economy even now struggles to climb back from the near collapse of 2008, many Americans still blame President Bush, holding him even more accountable for the state of the economy than President Obama, according to last fall's election exit poll. These issues overshadow other accomplishments – the President's place in launching the school reform movement, his work to combat aids in Africa, even his willingness to tackle entitlement spending.

MICHAEL GERSON [FORMER CHIEF BUSH SPEECHWRITER]: I think these are issues that over time will wear very well. They'll show that the President was forward-looking and knew where the country was headed.

GREGORY: And as I talked to advisers of President Bush's over the past several days, they think that's being borne out, that idea, with current events. Look, the Republican Party's moving back toward President Bush on immigration. And when it comes to the war on terrorism, they point out President Obama has continued many of President Bush's counter-terror policies. Brian.

WILLIAMS: Our former White House correspondent David Gregory, these days moderator of Meet the Press. David, we'll check back in with you tomorrow night.

We want to let you know tomorrow morning on Today Matt Lauer will have an exclusive live interview with former President Bush. And we'll get the first tour through the new Bush Presidential Library.

[Texaspeptoman]

OK,if so, then David, your brains stain your shorts...

[marron]

Let your enemies write your story, and this is what you get.

I personally never turn on the DNC media anymore.

But conservatives and Repubs have for too long complained about the DNC hack media without doing anything about it.

I notice in the Boston story that the only real reporting is being done by the “new” media; the DNC “old” media is left reporting and spinning what is already out there and otherwise just repeating the official talking points once they figure out what they are. So now more than ever I see no reason to waste my time and limited bandwidth of brainspace on them.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Any deranged garbage that comes out of a Lefty's mouth must be accepted as Truth.

It's the law.

[Amagi]

OTOH, Obama's inexperience, ignorance, arrogance, murky past, serial lying, unaccountability, is cool with Davey while the nation spirals downward as a result of Obama's fundamental transforming.
Jeepers, I completely detest Gregory along with so many in the lame stream media.

[mountainlion]

I believe that it was Clinton that left a stain.

[JPG]

I understand that he also speaks French. Quite the prodigy.

[skeeter]

*snort*

post of the day.

[MomofMarine]

I absolutely loathe him...almost as much as his idol, Obama. My brother-in-law gets all his “news” from Gregory and takes every word as gospel. No matter what evidence I show him to the contrary, he always goes with whatever lies Gregory spews. (As you can surmise, we haven’t had much of a familial relationship since about 2002.)

[alloysteel]

Dittos. The Current Regime is either a bad caricature of the “Gang the couldn’t shoot straight”, or they are among the most malevolent people to ever come to high office in th United States. And I include the years FDR sat in the Oval Office, because he had at least SOME feelings that this was his native land.

The Won, not so much. Alienated almost from birth, with his genesis covered and swaddled in so many layers of enigma, and with a total redefinition of “transparency”, which now seems to mean that nobody, nowhere, shall ever be allowed to see the real actions of the players until long after everybody now living has passed away. Our history shall be even more muddled than that of the waning days of the Roman Empire.

And the vandals are at the gates.

[Mr. K]

geez this piece of $hit is in need of a good a$$ beating

Soviet-era propagandists could not have been as eagerly willing as out media brown-nosers

[Hot Tabasco]

Today it was revealed that Syria used chemical weapons.....Last year a Syrian general admitted that Hussein had shipped his own chemical weapons to Syria prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq..........

Coincidence? Looks like Bush didn't lie after all..........

[Mr. Jeeves]

As time passes and passions cool, Mr. Bush has grown more popular.

Uh, I feel like there's something missing from this analysis...nope, just can't figure out what it is. :)

[Sarah Barracuda]

Hey Dave I think the fact that under Obama, there has been terrorist attack after terrorist attack on American soil tells us that Obama’s Presidency has been an EPIC FAILURE..so suck on that Dave

[MomofMarine]

That’s what I always thought happened. Remember the reporting of caravans of vehicles racing out of Iraq into Syria early in the war? I hope I live to see the day the truth about WMD comes out and Dubya is vindicated.

[Gertie]

Dick Gregory is a sorry POS just like his cohort, Chuck Todd. The moment their picture or voice comes on my TV, I change channels. My only explanation for either one of them is God must have a sense of humor.

[onyx]

Some "stain", eh, David IGNORANT FOOL Gregory!



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Some "stain", eh, David IGNORANT FOOL Gregory!



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[Venturer]

Yes: What does he have to say about the brown stain in America’s underwear that occupies the White House now ..

President Skidmark.

[catnipman]

I could say the same thing about David Gregory and NBC, but it wouldn’t be true: NBC has no reputation to stain.

[capydick]

And yet, conservatives will continue to appear on his Sunday show and accept the straw men set up to make this crap believable.

I had alot of differences with W but there is no way in hell anyone with a quarter of a brain can honestly say our liberties are better off today than they were at the end of the Bush administration.

[353FMG]

Gregory may have a point — had it not been because of Bush’s, Cheney’s and McCain’s incompetence we would have never had Obama.