With time running short on his presidency — and on the eve of a trip to the Middle East — President Bush seems to have overcome his aversion to talking about his legacy and is now speaking fervently about how he expects to be remembered.
As it turns out, the president sees himself as quite the heroic figure.
“I can predict that the historians will say that George W. Bush recognized the threats of the 21st century, clearly defined them, and had great faith in the capacity of liberty to transform hopelessness to hope, and laid the foundation for peace by making some awfully difficult decisions,” Bush told Yonit Levi of Israel’s Channel 2 News. Bush held several interviews with Middle Eastern journalists last week in anticipation of his trip to the region, which starts tomorrow.
“When he needed to be tough, he acted strong, and when he needed to have vision he understood the power of freedom to be transformative,” Bush said of himself to Nahum Barnea and Shimon Shiffer of the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot.
As for the people of the Middle East, Bush told Hisham Bourar of al-Hurra Television: “I would hope that they would say President Bush respects my religion and has great love for the human — human being, and believes in human dignity.”
The Bush record, the president told Nadia Bilbassy-Charters of al-Arabiya Television, is one of liberation — “liberation, by the way, not only from dictatorship, but from disease around the world, like HIV/AIDS or malaria.”
On a personal basis, Bush told Bilbassy-Charters that he hopes that people would know “that he hurts when he sees poverty and hopelessness” and “that he’s a realistic guy.”
I just want to say that I hope he has years of robust good health after he’s out of the White House. I want him to live for many more years. I want him to live long enough to know his great-grandchildren. The longer, the better. I mean that. Because I don’t think that bubble is gonna last long once he’s out of office.
I hope he lives a long long long time too…but the world would sure be safer if a madman like him was kept behind bars where he could cause no more suffering.
History will not be any kinder to this man than he was to humanity unless he creates the company that will write history and has them write it now(somehow I wouldn’t put it past the dirt bag, he knows no low).I would hope history will record bush co for all they really are….CRIMINALS.I would hope the world can figure that out before it becomes history in time to seek some justice…
I think it would be fitting to suggest we rethink closing GITMO and consider using it to house the most dangerous criminals of our time…ones we could actually try and convict..the bushco boys are the perfect reason to have tax payers fund GITMO..lock them up and throw away the key…Hows that for a legacy?
I hope he lives long enough to hear people say “Who? Oh. Him.” Then change the subject, too embarrassed to entertain any discussion of him at all in polite circles.
Assuming Bush has many years left, my bet is he will continue to believe this stuff to his dying day, regardless of how much pain he has caused and continues to cause, and regardless of how the mood will have turned against him (much as it did for wunderkind Herbert Hoover). He has spent his entire life in delusion and knows nothing else.
Oh, brother!… Ego incarnate.
I just want him to live long enough to be tried in The Hague. I don’t give a shit whether or not he has a moment of half-assed, bathetic self-realization.
Bush’s self exalting reeks of Michael Gerson’s scent. I seriously doubt that Bush could cobble together all that fanciful bullshit by himself. Is there a parrot trainer on staff at the White House?
“and laid the foundation for peace by making some awfully difficult decisions” ….So, so, so, delusional.
When do we get to see the transfiguration of Bush?
OTOH, Cheney is unlikely to survive to face the judgement of history.
So it’s quite likely I’ll have the opportunity to apply the poetic advice
Lord Byron penned to travelers who visit Castlereagh’s grave.
Cheney has the money & the will to survive a looooooong time.
It has been my experience that sometimes the good die young, but the evil live on and on…so afraid they are of death… and wait might await them.
I meant “what”
WHAT might await them.
My advice to Mr. Bush regarding his legacy is this:
The next time you take a crap, watch the action in the bowl when you flush. That’s your legacy, have a nice day!
Unfortunately, this assumes he’s self aware enough to realize afterwards that his legacy is so much crap swirling in a toilet.
I want him to have zero power, completely bupkus, after his failed presidency is finally over. I do not want him to continue meddling wit things as his position and finances may well allow him to do afterwards.
Maha,
I just want to live long enough to spit/piss, on that Mother-f@&#er’s grave.
I went to Moscow and spit on the grave of Stalin, and in the tomb of Lenin (ok, spittled – it’s tough to get any saliva with guy’s who have Kalashnikov’s standing near you – but I managed it!!!).
I curse him, his clan, and any supporter’s, to death’s where everyone near one of their memorial’s will have to truly control themselves not to pull down their underwear and openly defecate on their graves – to the amusement of onlooker’s and soldier’s, who’ll look the other way.
I’ve never hated anyone as much as Bush and his enabler’s.
I want to stop hating. I want to forgive. But only when the guilty are adjudicated and incarcearated.
Maybe then I can begin to forgive – NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ooop’s! Didn’t mean to provide a link to “Motherblah-blah-blah,” that I didn’t know existed….