Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
President Bush: The Ultimate Exit Interview
Share:
by Rhonda J Mangus | January 12, 2009 at 02:41 pm
529 views | 57 Recommendations | 22 comments
Photos
Videos
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, gave his 47th and final news conference today in what he called "...the ultimate exit interview...".
A retiring President George W. Bush, delivering the final and most introspective press conference of his long presidency, acknowledged today the several "mistakes" and "disappointments'' of his tumultuous two terms in the Oval Office, yet voiced a defiant insistence that he made the choices necessary to defend the nation from threats that still persist today.
"This is the ultimate exit interview,'' said Bush, who summoned reporters last-minute to his 47th and final press show.
Bush, also acknowledging "the historic moment'' of the swearing-in of his successor, President-elect Barack Obama, next week as a signal of how far the nation has come in race relations, lavished the Democrat with best wishes and a prediction that he will find strength in the office from a loving family "a 45-second commute'' away from the Oval Office..
"I consider myself fortunate to have a front-row seat for what is going to be a historic moment,'' said Bush, who will hand off the presidency to Obama on Jan. 20. ""President-elect Obama's election does speak volumes about how far this country has come.''
And Bush, insisting that there can only be one leader "in the Klieg lights at one time,'' said that he will leave any eleventh-hour decisions this week on coping with the nation's economic crisis to his successor - refraining from acting on the second half of a $700-billion financial institution bailout that he hastily won from Congress at his term's end unless Obama asks him to act on it. (After the press conference, Obama indeed called on Bush to release the second $350 billion, and the president agreed.)
The President, in addition to discussing mistakes of his presidency, praised the media and believes that America's moral standing in the world has not been diminished as a result of his actions. President Bush did, however, refuse to discuss pre-emptive pardons for members of his administration.
The President and Lady Laura Bush will be at home in Crawford, Texas the day following president-elect Obama's Inauguration.
More at the link.
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
stvalentine
California, United States
Related Stories
Recommendations (57)
Blue Crush
Toronto, Canada
Sanjay Jha
New Delhi, India
nyctuber
New York, New York, United States
cassy82
Los Angeles, California, United States Minor Outlying Islands
Fripouille
Lyon, France
mudricky
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
antinsa
Guangzhou, Guandong, China
aelusive
Kapaa, Hawaii, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (22)
at 16:12 on January 12th, 2009
Thank you for a good report.
The bush presidency cannot be fairly evaluated now but in 20 years we can coolly look at facts and see how he stands on the all time list.
at 16:53 on January 12th, 2009
158, you are very welcome! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation. I think it will be interesting to see how the historians write history for this period. I would agree that a "fair evaluation" at this time is probably slim-to-none. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that the President has left the Nation in an extremely fractured state, and I don't foresee my opinion changing regardless of time elapsed.
at 19:35 on January 12th, 2009
In 20 years Iraq will be the major factor in the Bush ranking. If it becomes a stable, peaceful democracy Bush will be given credit, especially if other mid east countries move toward freedom.
If Iraq becomes an even worse mess Bush will be ranked as one of the worst ever.
at 18:40 on January 12th, 2009
There have been so many books and news pieces written detailing exactly how Bush/Cheney abused their power and transformed the Presidency into a virtual Monarchy, it's hard to imagine how anyone could give these war criminals a pass. Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side is a pretty amazing account of how Cheney and his lawyers Addington and Woo accomplished their goals through bullying and arrogance. Cheney still claims 'the US doesn't torture,' yet he and his lawyers CHANGED THE DEFINITION OF TORTURE. It makes your head spin doesn't it? Let's just write a law which says it's ok to use The Rack on enemy combatants in time of War. POOF, it's not torture!
at 19:16 on January 12th, 2009
Thanks very much for your Post. As he has admitted several mistakes in his oval office decisions, do you think he would ever explain to fellow American citizens why he pushed his war agenda's and how his follies created the unprecedented economic crisis.
at 19:41 on January 12th, 2009
Watching Bush get all friendly and humorous before the cameras recording his last ever ( we all sincerely hope ) press conference was for me a descent into the macabre.
There was something, oh so condescending and dismissive in his affiably forced facade which left me with a sinking feeling of foreboding !
at 19:50 on January 12th, 2009
Bye bye!
at 20:02 on January 12th, 2009
But the world really will miss him in certain way.
Bushism..!
Agent.
at 22:20 on January 12th, 2009
Had the gonads to go after the terrorists, unlike Clinton.
at 03:31 on January 13th, 2009
He is the terrorist.
at 20:19 on January 12th, 2009
Nice Freudian slip that intel briefings creates opportunities for the president.
He's a psychopath and a simpleton.
And I think all Americans should be alarmed that this man recieved any intelligence information.
Granted most of the time Cheney was reportedly pressuring the CIA to make connections to justify invasion.
This man has a clear love of power and an obsession with it due to the fact he's been rightfully viewed as incomeptant all of his life.
Also, while he's taking masked pot shots at Obama for being "on a beach" and claiming to be "Type A" we all know how much time this jacka@s spent on vacation. He viewed this job as one of a CEO who is always on vacation who took the golden parachute (intel opportunites) after he raided and destroyed our nations pensions.
at 20:27 on January 12th, 2009
hile he's taking masked pot shots at Obama for being "on a beach" and claiming to be "Type A" we all know how much time this jacka@s spent on vacation
at 20:39 on January 12th, 2009
A great American.
He will be missed!
at 21:15 on January 12th, 2009
I am reminded of how Nixon left office in disgrace. Yet when he passed away political leaders from both sides of the isle praised him for ending the war in Vietnam and for opening up relations with China amungst other accomplishments. Bush, by today's yardstick, was a disaster as a President, moreso fiscally than on foriegn policy in my opinion. Whether time is kind to him will depend on the situation in the Middle East and speed with which the US economy regains it's dominent position in the world. If neither are successful he will go down as on of the worst, if not the worst President in modern history. Although I dislike most of his policies (too far to the left fiscally) I hope I hope things turn around and his detractors are able to say that they hated him in the day but that his policies some how made America a safer, more prosperous place. In the mean time Obama you got a tough job to do and I wish you the best.
at 03:30 on January 13th, 2009
If the economy recovers I don't think it should reflect well on him. Fleecing America's tax money for his for profit war was wrong and unjustifiable. He lef the country in a depression and he's a reckless jerk and that's how he should be remembered.
at 22:19 on January 12th, 2009
Everyone here bags on Bush. With him gone who you gonna target next?
at 03:31 on January 13th, 2009
Anyone who is unethical. Bush is clearly a psychopath.
at 21:37 on January 13th, 2009
Target yourself trouble maker.
at 04:24 on January 13th, 2009
A sincere thank you to everyone who read, commented on, and/or recommended this story!
at 07:27 on January 13th, 2009
Hmmm, methinks George Bush's retirement may well be as turbulent as his Presidency if he ever gets tried.......
Thanks for posting this Rhonda.
at 16:28 on January 13th, 2009
Fripouille, you are very welcome! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!
at 18:37 on January 18th, 2009
You know the look on his face pretty much says it all! I think I dodged a financial Mess bullet, its Obamas problem now, I am going fishing with Daddums!