Bush's Gracious and Cooperative Attitude Toward Obama
In the final days of his presidency, Bush's conciliatory attitude is a reminder of what might have been
Reader Comments
Presidential Protocol & Influence
Since President Carter is becoming aged, it seems logical to view the list of 3 living Presidents with a vision that there may soon be 3 of which Bush may be the only Republican, and the only one with long family ties to the Presidency since neither Clinton nor Obama arrived through family ties as Bush did.
As the sole Republican President of the 3, it could make for a Presidential history that unfairly advantages Democrats given the ages of the 3 Presidents living, and to the extent that former Presidents are called upon at all as cohesive factors in political parties, or in reviving Presidential politics, Republicans face a waning influence but for the Bushes.
That does not necessarily say that it is a bad thing, but one that must be taken into account in the public sphere as both an opportunity as well as a danger in public perception of importance.
If there were no living Presidents, there would be little personal experience to draw upon since the only thing available would be books, records, and films, and historic revisionism. That there are 3, and the ages are relatively young, suggests that all three will be around for some time to help to define American obligations, and American promise/vulnerabilities - but tied to their own experiences in the White House.
Such valuable commodities should not be wasted, especially in uncertain times.
A lasting legacy that will take years to straighten out
To a war monger president and his so called "veep" who's respect for the consitution "Hey I'm president and I can do what ever I want!" Is that not right DICK!
Mega tax cuts to the ultra rich and his oil buddies, and the deregulation of banks and other insitutions have now put this country into a death sprial!
A war that was him and his daddys top priorty that should have never been fought and lying to the American people about the WMD!
The famous "bring it on" attitude from him and his chicken hawks and the stupid looking stride of him acting like a top gun pilot in the backgroung of the banner Mission Accomplished which brought on more deaths and WIA!
HAIL TO THE CHIEF? I don't think so!
war crimes
My guess is that the outgoing administration is trying to make nice now for legacy's sake and perhaps also to reduce the slim chance of being charged in the U.S. with war crimes. Bush will probably need a blanket pardon sooner rather than later once more dirt starts pouring out.
GWB
The true test of a gentleman is when he has been viciously assailed relentlessly by the liberal media wonks and the Dems, despite all that, he offers un-equalled assistance to the incoming whatssname and his staff. I recall Clinton's wonks tearing keys off all the typewriters and keyboards, etc., not to mention theft of White House property by the Clintons.
Change in Role, not Attitude
It's not a change in attitude, but a change in role. He has always stood firm on principle, whether tax cuts, standards in education, pro-life policy, proactive policy against terrorism, privatization. But he has also reached far towards the left in education funding, medicare drug relief, income redistribution to the working poor, immigration reform, increasing efficiency standards, and agressive Government intervention to save the banking system. In every areas above, he went beyond what any president before him has done. Nevertheless, every time he offered something to the left many angrily replied that he should have moved faster and farther.
In preparing Obama for office he is simply continuing in his pattern of going further than any president before him to do what he believes is best for this country. Although he has not always been right on policy, He has usually been more right than the congressman on either side of the aisle. More importantly, his continuing gracious attitude toward those who hate him, and his support of those of their priorities that don't compromise his principles are worthy of respect.
GWB
The media has always been harsh and unfair in judging president Bush, but he as performed as well or better than anyone else may have performed in his situation. President Bush inherited the mess of previous administrtations and he addressed them while the media made him the culprit issues like Low interest rate housing bubble were not started during his term,the security lapses from a lackadaisical attitude leading to the war on terror and a new chines threat from espionage and theft from previous administration were just a few things the president tried to address, 2 wars were necessary for our national security and having a half -witted ally like pakistan involved in one dosen't help,GWB was blamed for everything from natural disaters like katrina to the econmoy but a lot of these were things he inherited. GWB did a good job in what was most important at the time he kept the country safe.
George Bush's attitude
Excuse me, but what is this nonsense about President Bush reaching out to Mr. Obama and how long overdue President Bush's behavior.
I haven't heard one kind thing said about George W. Bush since he first became president.
How can you reach out to people who HATE you and make no bones about it.
The comments that have been made on the senate floor by many senators, including Senator Kennedy, have been the most shameful that I have ever heard come out of anyone in congress.
The news media, also, spewed hatred day after day. Shame on them, too.
It is actualy amazing to me that President Bush has conducted himself as well as he has with all this hatred swirling around him.
President Bush did the most important thing in my lifetime as well as anyone else who is alive today.
He kept the terrorists from attacking us here in the United States for the rest of his time in office.
I would like to say, "Thank You President Bush for keeping this country safe."
I hope I am going to be able to say the same thing after the time our President-Elect is through with his time in the white
house.
G'bye W
George W Bush deliberately and with great resolve drove this country into the ditch. The economy is a mess, there's a whole generation of radical Muslims that he created by invading Iraq, the environment has been greatly harmed, and the Constitution has been shredded.
Everyone with a brain could see that he was screwing up one thing after another, and now it's time to blame the liberals and media for not getting on board?
He had everything his own way and made a complete mess of it, and he was a dismissive, arrogant jerk about it the whole miserable eight years. January 20 can't come fast enough.
Bush
He is a good decent, honest man who had the courage to do the things that Billy was too afraid to do. He kept our country safe. If people had not listened to the hatred of the left he would still be considered a good man and he is and was very capable.
Things will not change with Obama - the news media was give him a short time then will start attacking him just as they did Bush. And people like you will be influenced by them and will start to hate again.
Maybe he is being nice to everyone because he always has been it just take people of intelligence to recognize.
Dubya is OK
President Bush is - and has always been - very polite. He also had gone to great lengths at certain times to get the liberals aboard with his ideas [some of which I don't agree with]. Some liberals after Bush WON the 2000 election never recognized him as president. Many of the liberal posters here and elsewhere chide Bush as closed-minded and unwilling to work together, etc. but I think they are confusing 'give-or-take' with 'giving in' to all the liberals ideas - which would have been disasterous. One point of criticism the liberals like to bring up is Bush's "subversion" of parts of the Constitution. However, if we want to get into the conversation of who has subverted the Constitution, we probably should not start with Bush because just about every President has done it from 1933 forward. Unfortunately, it will probably continue -- the government will take real commercial, state, and individual rights away as it give the people false ones promoting immorality.
