Posted on 04/22/2013 6:32:25 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
George W. Bush: ‘No need to defend myself’ By Jonathan Easley - 04/22/13 07:51 AM ET
Former President George W. Bush said he feels “no need to defend himself” over the high-profile decisions that marked his two terms in office, saying he will leave those judgments to history.
“There's no need to defend myself,” Bush said in an interview with USA Today. “I did what I did and ultimately history will judge.”
Bush, along with President Obama and former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter, will be on hand to open the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas on Thursday.
Bush described the center as “a place to lay out the facts” behind his major policy decisions, including the decision to go to invade Iraq after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, not as a place that will explain or defend the actual policies.
Visitors to the library will be able to assess “the decisions that I had to make and the recommendations I received” at a “decision points theater,” according to Bush. In addition to the Iraq war and troop surge, the theater will focus on his handling of the 2008 financial collapse and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In an interview conducted before last Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings, Bush said terrorism should still be a primary concern for the federal government.
“It's apparent that time is quickly dimming our memories,” Bush said of 9/11. “Evil exists still in the form of people who murder innocent people to advance a point of view.”
“The lessons of 9/11 are as profound today as they were then,” he added.
Bush has taken up painting in his private time – a fact that became known after a hacker exposed some of his private emails. The former president said it helps to keep him “mellow,” and that he’s content in his new life outside of public view.
“I'm happy to be out of the limelight. I truly am,” he said. “My life is obviously much simpler than it was in the past, but in many ways the simplicity creates contentment.”
“Some people get confused about my desire not to have the klieg lights shining on me, but eight years is plenty to be in the lights,” he said.
In an interview last week, the former president also expressed hopes that his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) would run for president.
Asked if the nation was “ready for another Bush” in the Oval Office, he responded “That’s for Je to figure out.”
“I would hope that people would judge, if Jeb were to run, on his merits and his track record,” said Bush, adding “I hope he will run.”
His brother Jeb Bush has said he would weigh a 2016 GOP presidential bid and is seen as a prime contender for the nomination.
I assume that is Machiavelli?
While Bush was acting as though the facts will speak for themselves and truth will out, he was abandoning the tools of power. People want to believe in their leader and with encouragement from him and an explanation of why he has adopted the policies he has, they will support him. By keeping silent he let himself be perceived as powerless.
Meanwhile the left was following Saul Alinsky, who taught that power is not only what you have, but it is what your enemy believes you have. George Bush simply threw that power away and he continues to do so to this day.
LLS
The rise and fall of Gingrich in the primaries proves both of our points.
He did well initially because he was able to take on the liberal moderators and the media. His candidacy collapsed when it became apparent his greatest interest was still himself.
I'm not a fan of either George W. Bush or his father, however, they were both the best of bad choices. President Kerry? President Gore? Terrifying.
Bush's foreign policy was pretty good. Domestically? Not so much. And, he allowed the MSM to control the story too well. Conservatives will be years recovering from his media mistakes.
When compared to the current clown-in-chief, however, George W. Bush positively looks like a distinguished, articulate elder statesman. Heck, I'd take Hillary! over BO, every day of the week.
LLS
I miss having a President with a full set of balls!
That's part of the problem. It lead to this asshole we have there now.
Dubya shows he still has class. Unlike his successor who has none & thinks class warfare is a substitute.
History has judged. He went into Iraq without a plan for what would come afterwards. He thought that merely removing at tyrant would lead to stable free government.
I defended him at the time, not knowing that they had no plan. History revealed that they had no plan.
That was monumentally stupid.
Since he believes in the popular liberal shibboleths, GWB probably doesn’t see a need to defend himself. He probably agrees with the liberal criticisms of himself. But if a conservative questions him, watch out!
Wow, you said it more forcefully than I ever could. Our only difference is that I had little faith in GWB from the beginning, but I voted for him four times. GWB — grade F
Mrs. Coolidge — her father Mr. Goodhue was a big Democrat — said Calvin did not run in 1928 because he expected a depression and did not want to be in office under the certain scorn that would result.
Good start, but you left our John G. Roberts, Jr., or did I miss that? GWB’s overall grade = F (and that’s not grade inflation)
Fair to criticize Bush, but also let’s not forget the spineless Republican Congress who didn’t have Bush’s back when he needed it, regarding Social Security reform....They are all guilty.
I agree with you... he was better than the alternative but he was a fiscal disaster and we should have handled both Iraq and Afghanistan in entirely different ways than we did.
LLS
Yes, and the first Bush didn’t go to Lee Atwater’s funeral either! Went sailing instead
I don’t buy it. Coolidge handled a depression in the early 1920’s masterfully and discharged his responsibilities during his term. I think that if his father in law really said this he was covering for Franklin Roosevelt in a variant of the “Blame Bush” trope we have been hearing for years.
Well Bush...how about defending America from lefty commies? No...you have more important things to do like mountain hiking and hanging-out with slick willie.
And that I believe is what is called damning with faint praise.
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