Thread: Passionate Bush defends legacy in final news conference

WASHINGTON (AFP) – George W. Bush Monday passionately denied his turbulent presidency had damaged America's moral standing in the world, in a defiant defense of his record in a farewell White House news conference.
The unpopular Republican president next week bequeaths Democrat Barack Obama a nation locked in two foreign wars, traumatized by the worst economic slump since the 1930s and with the budget deficit heading towards a trillion dollars.
But Bush, in a valedictory appearance in the White House briefing room, was largely unrepentant, arguing he had acted to keep America safe and to spread freedom -- without worrying about his rock-bottom approval ratings.
He lashed out at "elites" from Europe and elsewhere, who frowned on his policies and warned that "axis of evil" foes Iran and North Korea were still dangerous.
He said Obama would also face the grave threat of a terror attack on the US homeland and summed up his eight years in power as a "good, strong record.
Bush was most impassioned when confronted with claims he had tarnished America's global reputation.
"I strongly disagree with the assessment that our moral standing has been damaged," Bush said.
"It may be damaged amongst some of the elite -- but people still understand America stands for freedom; that America is a country that provides such great hope.
"You go to Africa, you ask Africans about America's generosity and compassion -- go to India ... go to China and ask."
Bush argued that he could have been popular in Europe for blaming Israel for all the problems in the Middle East, or by signing the Kyoto climate change accord, or by joining the International Criminal Court.
"I wouldn't worry about popularity. What I would worry about is the constitution of the United States and putting plans in place that make it easier to find out what the enemy is thinking."
Bush, who opponents argue insulated himself from a broad spectrum of advice, was also dismissive of critics who have savaged his presidency.
"I don't see how I can go back home in Texas and look in the mirror and be proud of what I see if I allowed the loud voices, the loud critics, to prevent me from doing what I though was necessary to protect the country."
The president also signalled a fight for his legacy in the years ahead.
"Thank you for giving me a chance to defend a record that I am going to continue to defend because I think it is a good, strong record."
Bush warned Obama will shoulder a heavy responsibility for US security.
"The most urgent threat that he'll have to deal with and other presidents after him will have to deal with is an attack on our homeland."

Bush said history should remember his unpopular Iraq war policy for the surge of troops he ordered when violence threatened to spill out of control.
"I decided to do something about it, and to send 30,000 troops in as opposed to withdrawing. That part of history is certain and the situation did change."
Bush warned Hamas it must halt rocket fire on Israel if there is to be a durable ceasefire in Gaza.
He also noted historians will examine the fact that the US economy slumped into recession at the end of his two terms and said he would be willing to ask Congress for a second 350 billion dollar tranche of a finance industry bailout package if Obama asked for it.
Bush also said he was looking to a "front row seat" during the inauguration at the moment in front of the US Capitol on January 20 that Obama becomes the first black US president.
"President-elect Obama's election does speak volumes about how far this country has come when it comes to racial relations."
"I wish him all the best .. it's not a throwaway line, the stakes are high, there is an enemy that still is out there."
Bush admitted to a series of mistakes in his presidency, including the decision to give a speech under a "Mission Accomplished" banner on a US aircraft carrier after the Iraq war.
He defended his decision not to land Air Force One in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a monster storm which saw his administration accused of deserting thousands of people in inundated New Orleans.
"Could things have been done better? Absolutely. Absolutely."
And with one week left in office, the famously fit president offered a glimpse of a vigorous retirement.
"I just can't envision myself, you know, with the big straw hat and a Hawaiian shirt sitting on some beach." "Particularly since I quit drinking."

Interesting speech though Bushs arguments regarding our reputation and Katrina were outrageous.

Passionate, interesting word. I saw him as defensive, out of touch, unrealistic, arrogant, smug, whiney, pouting and generally mentally a little unbalanced. I suppose you could call that passionate. He admitted to torture. I wanted to apoligize to the world for that man and our role in what he's done to the planet and apologize to our troops for that inept embarrassment of a CIC. He is pathetic.

"It may be damaged among some of the elite".... ???

WTF???

The "elite" being, anyone who travels anywhere in the world???

Boy, that clown is REALLY out of touch!

He needs to get out more, that boy.....

Yes. Pathetic. Good word.

"I wouldn't worry about popularity. What I would worry about is the constitution of the United States...

RFLMAO! Bush is so full of shit the he's just got to have brown eyes.

Bush has had a consistent foreign policy since 9/20/2001.

Right or wrong, popular or not, he has made defense of the homeland his goal.

History will judge his effectiveness.

Originally Posted by kmiller1610

History will judge his effectiveness.

The American public already have. He's got possibly the lowest approval rating of any president in US history.

Originally Posted by kmiller1610

Bush has had a consistent foreign policy since 9/20/2001.

Right or wrong, popular or not, he has made defense of the homeland his goal.

History will judge his effectiveness.

kmiller, history has ALREADY judged his effectiveness!

Look around! What do you see?

Are you any LESS scared today, of an "attack on our homeland", than you were last year? The year before that?

kmiller, WHY do people want to attack our homeland?

We haven't had an attack on our homeland since .... HITLER, and that was only a half-assed one, and then before that it was the Japs, and that was 1500 miles out in the Pacific!

No one has ever WANTED to attack our homeland, .... until NOW. And WHY is that? Well, gee.... we trample roughshod over peoples' rights in the name of OIL (thinly and hypocritically disguised as "national security"), and we expect people NOT to be pissed?

Dude, the Palestinians are mad at us because we FUND the people that steal their homes - we make their weapons too, and we train their soldiers.

The Iranians, hate our guts 'cause we gave 'em a leader who started TORTURING people to keep the dissidents down (again, thinly and hypocritically veiled as "national security"), and that organization was trained and funded by the CIA!

I mean, WTF - how brain-dead do you gotta be before it starts to HURT???

Look - political power is a RESPONSIBILITY. It's not an opportunity to send in your corporate minions to pillage the population! Georgie-boy has PISSED AWAY our status as a super-power, by bringing us down to the level of COMMON CROOKS like that guy Putin over there - he's already using his gas supply for EXTORTION, and that's the same damn thing Bushie's supporting over in Gaza.

These are bad, bad people, and they shouldn't be allowed to represent ANYONE!

I want these people brought to heel - BEFORE pot smokers, and BEFORE little old ladies with cancer, and BEFORE POLITICAL DISSIDENTS!!!

These Neo-Wing-Nuts have practically DESTROYED MY COUNTRY with their bullsh*t, and I'm not happy about it IN THE LEAST.

If history judges Bush, I hope it judges him straight into a JAIL CELL, 'cause that's where that torturin' lyin' thievin' CON ARTIST needs to be!

I want those damn minutes, kmiller. I want 'em, they're mine, I paid for 'em, they were done on my dime and my time.

I want those minutes, and there's gonna be all hell to pay if I don't get 'em.

We haven't been attacked since Hitler and the Japs? What about the original WTC attack? Was that Bush's fault too? Was 9/11 his fault? I call bullshit on that. It is due to years of American foreign policy, before Bush was in office. Now, have his foreign policy actions raised the chance of an attack on American ground? I'd say so with certainty. But to blame this all on him is utter nonsense. The US hasn't given a shit about anyone who couldn't help them since its conception. The US foreign policy has always been and will always be what's in America's best interests, not anyone elses. I can't say that the US should have been all that respected before Bush was in office, historically speaking anyways.

And I'd like to add that from my travels people don't dislike the US itself. They simply dislike the current leadership. And it is still the goal of millions to live the "American Dream".

Just my 2 cents

Originally Posted by Roshi

We haven't been attacked since Hitler and the Japs? What about the original WTC attack? Was that Bush's fault too? Was 9/11 his fault? I call bullshit on that. It is due to years of American foreign policy, before Bush was in office. Now, have his foreign policy actions raised the chance of an attack on American ground? I'd say so with certainty. But to blame this all on him is utter nonsense. The US hasn't given a shit about anyone who couldn't help them since its conception. The US foreign policy has always been and will always be what's in America's best interests, not anyone elses. I can't say that the US should have been all that respected before Bush was in office, historically speaking anyways.

And I'd like to add that from my travels people don't dislike the US itself. They simply dislike the current leadership. And it is still the goal of millions to live the "American Dream".

Just my 2 cents

US foreign policy, over the years, has oscillated between ENLIGHTENED self-interest, and the kind of "self-interest" that involves shooting off your nose to spite your face.

The first one I would characterize as broad-minded and visionary, and the second I would characterize as myopic and counterproductive.

My experience in traveling, has been that these last two years people have looked at me funny just 'cause I'm obviously an American, and that never used to happen before. There was always some kinda curiosity, like I was an oddity or something to be explored - now, I'm tainted goods, something to be regarded with extreme caution and skepticism. And I HAVEN'T CHANGED! Only, everyone out there, is wondering why "I" somehow supported this clown Bush enough to get him elected, and I have to EXPLAIN to them, that I'm not the one who supported him - and that seems to put SOME of them at ease a little, although SOME of them are still guarded after all that. Tokyo - the people are very polite there. You wanna know what's really goin' on, go down to the harbor, talk to the sailors and the fishermen. They'll spit on the ground right in front of you, they're not scared. They'll tell you the way they see it. So, the acid test is, if you're sippin' whisky with 'em an hour later, or, if you're running as fast as you can while they're throwin' sushi at you....

If Bush doesn't care what others think of him and his policies, why is he so fucking defensive when asked about these policies and how he has conducted his presidency? That's definitely the sign of a thin skinned man to me!