By: Timothy Vallely
New Rochelle--Matt Lauer, NBC’s host of the Today Show interviewed George W. Bush in his first sit down conversation since leaving the Oval Office. President Bush talks about his memoir and the struggles that he endured during his eight-year term.
In his first one-on-one interview after leaving the White House, President George W. Bush expressed many regrets that he developed after leaving office. One can infer that Bush faced more difficult issues and tragedies than any other president. Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were the two tragedies that Bush focused on during his interview with Lauer. Unfortunately for President Bush, his reputation as the leader of the nation took a hit after how he handled both situations.
On May 1, 2003, Bush stood at the podium on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and made a speech that most Americans will never forget. He declared that America’s mission was accomplished and combat in Iraq had ended. Bush states in his memoir that he was caught up in an “exhilarating moment”, after Saddam Hussein was captured and his enormous statue in Iraq was brought down.
Lauer and Bush also discussed what triggered Bush’s premature celebration to the nation. Bush stayed away from the deep controversy of the WMD (weapons of mass destruction), but did comment on the subject. In his memoir he states, “No one was more shocked or angry than I was when we didn’t find the weapons. I had a sickening feeling every time I thought about it. I still do.” Lauer tried to dig deeper into the president’s statement when he asked, “Was there ever any consideration of apologizing to the American People?”
Bush answered how any president would have if they were in his position during the nations worst attack on American soil, with confidence. He stated that he wasn’t sorry because the threat was at an all-time high and he thought he made the right decision.
Hurricane Katrina and the issues surrounding rescue and clean up was another damper on Bush’s legacy. Many Americans blamed Bush for his lack of effort and response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The African American population was outraged at Bush following the disaster, which brought the president much regret.
The infamous photo of Bush looking out the window of Air Force One at the region damaged and covered in water was a topic Lauer decided to cover. Bush expressed his remorse and admitted that a fly over done in Air Force One was not the right thing to do. Bush explained the situation in two words, “detached and uncaring.”
Bush also discussed other personal events that he had encountered in his life before his presidency. He informed the nation about his prior drinking problem and the miscarriage of his unborn sibling. These personal issues did not relate to Bush as a president, but did give a sense that the so-called golden boy from Texas did experience adversity in his life.
Americans have the right to judge and make comments on George W. Bush. After Bush declared war and invaded Afghanistan in 2001, there has not been an attack on American soil. He stood his ground at a time where the nation was in panic and did the only thing he could do, counter. Unfortunately many American soldiers lost their lives in preventing the reoccurrence of terrorism. President Bush is a human being and made mistakes. History will tell how severe his mistakes were and also how America benefitted from his duties in office.
Bush on Oprah 11/9/2010
1 comments:
I thought the interview was really interesting and covered many important issues in-depth. While at times Bush was brutally honest, there were still a few instances where I thought he could have expanded on why he made the decisions that he did.
Really good article, you might just want to be careful at the very end of giving away what could be perceived as opinion.
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