Ceding the Stage.
From James Fellows:
“[Since leaving office former President George W. Bush has] behaved in a way that brings honor to him, his family, his office, and his country. By all reports he did what he could to smooth the transition to his successor, including dealing with the house-is-burning-down world financial crisis. Since leaving office he has — like most of his predecessors in their first years out of power — maintained a dignified distance from public controversies and let the new team have its chance. He has acted as if aware that there are national interests larger than his own possible interests in score-settling or reputational-repair.”
“The former vice president, Dick Cheney, has brought dishonor to himself, his office, and his country. I am not aware of a case of a former President or Vice President behaving as despicably as Cheney has done in the ten months since leaving power… (Aaron Burr might win the title, for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel, but Burr was a sitting Vice President at the time.)”
God damn it. He is right. And not about Dick Cheney (although he is and we all know Dick Cheney is a dishonorable disgrace and always has been). Mr. Bush has been gratefully gone from the public scene. It is what it is expected. Former Presidents are supposed to fade away to whatever projects they wish to spend their post Presidency on and let their successor have the spotlight. Carter did it for Reagan. Reagan did it for Bush. Bush did it for Clinton. Clinton did it for Bush. And now Bush is doing it for Obama. We have come to the point in our national politic where doing something expected is now honorable, for it is so unexpected.
This is not to say former Presidents must remain quiet as to their opinions. Former President Bush the elder let his opinions known later in the Clinton years during impeachment. As did former President Clinton during Bush’s second term. But, at the outset, the junior Bush has ceded the stage and he does deserve credit for that.
No wonder it is raining.
It is too bad that President Obama can’t return the favor. Nixon didn’t spend every other speech talking about the mess Johnson left for him with Nam, inflation, and out of control entitlements.
I think it is interesting that they lie on, name call, and attack Bush-Cheney but it is dispicable for the former VP to defend his ideas and the nation he so loves. Gore was critical of Bush in 2002. Mondale wasn’t given the time of day.
Even last night it bugged me that he just couldn’t leave it alone. It was his own Sec Def who delayed the troop build up in Afghanistan. He had a good reason, the troops needed a few months from the Iraq build up to recover. Cheney is part of the loyal opposition. He helped put spine in the Republican house and senate leadership because he was not afraid to take on the President when he was riding in the 60’s. He is not running for office. He is just a patriotic American standing for what he believes is best.
Oh, well I guess that takes care of this moment of bipartisanship.
Bush could work for the rest of his days in the most wretched Calcutta orphanage imaginable and he could not honor back to himself or his family.
Sorry. Wrong again DD. You know how I know it is not simply my opinion, but a verifiable fact? David (who is wrong about everything) agrees with you. Q.E.D.
I know David doesn’t like the be reminded that Bush was a terrible president. It undermines their alternate reality that all problems started on January 20, 2009. Also I would like to hear David agree that Cheney has behaved dishonorably.
Shutting up is the best thing Bush could do for his legacy, IMO.
So when is Bush leaving for his place in Paraguay? Or is that just “indictment insurance?”
Indictment insurance.
David, historically this is not a two way street. Reagan blamed Carter for the 82-83 Recession. Roosevelt obviously blamed Hoover for the depression. Bush, your patron saint, and all Republicans, blamed Clinton for the 2001-02 recession and for the 9/11 attacks. Clinton blamed Bush for the deficits he had to bring down and for the recession of 92.
Please stop pretending otherwise and please stop lying to everyone about who is to blame for the Great Recession and for the sorry state of the Afghan War and for our large deficits.
DD feel free to provide a post election quote where President Bush blames anything on President Clinton.
during the whole campaign, Bush claimed he would restore “honor and dignity” to the office.. apparently blaming Clinton for sticking his business in young jewish girls instead of right up America’s economy. you really arent doing justice to your name J, you must have forgotten this show http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-25-2004/headlines—blame
When you juxtapose his actions to Cheyney sure he looks like a noble warrior. Bush is a priest that got moved from one parish to another. He is just hanging low and doing his thing where no one sees him right now.
I don’t care how old I am, I will never put honor and any Bush in the same sentence.
He’s just not as big an ahole as Cheyney.
spot on DV. Bush’s actions as president can never be forgiven. I think what this IS showing is how little he was actually in control. Notice the front man is gone but the REAL power behind the throne continues to spout his lunacy. I’m not convinced Bush was never the evil super villain, but the big dumb idiot puppet.
I don’t even buy his exit from the public eye as his idea. Notice conservatives throw him under the bus while continuing to propagate the same stupid ideas. They needed to get rid of that 27% approval rating millstone before they could… i dunno put up their new puppet… this time it has legs and a wink.
“this time it has legs and a wink”….hahahaha and watch them all fall for it !
UI definitely has it right here — David and his teabaggers are incredibly unhappy that anyone would remind them that what we’ve just lived through is the direct result of conservative policies utterly crashing the economy. Obama is trying to clean some of that up — but instead of trying to help clean it up, David and his ilk are pouting that they keep getting reminded of their complicity in this mess. A mess that does nothing but point to the failure of the conservative project.
“Mr. Bush has been gratefully gone from the public scene.”
We should only be so lucky that it stays this way – but I have a feeling that somewhere somehow along the line he will unfortunatly break his silence. I can already see the book….
We shall saviour the days that he shuts up.
That said – is anybody going to buy the book “Going Rouge: Sarah Palin – An American Nightmare”? Gotta love the write-up on the publishers website (http://orbooks.com/)
So, what would you say about former President Carter and his continual criticism of President Bush?
I would say President Carter is right. Bush sucked.
I would say President Carter is right. Bush sucked.2
Besides, by the time that BushCo came to office, Carter had been out of office the 30 years. Carter spent his time out of office working on and promoting good works via Habitat for Humanity and the democracy building work he did worldwide. After 30 years, Carter was more of a trusted elder statesman –something I’d bet GWB never achieves.
“Let’s Get Motivated!”
’nuff said.
Funny, you never took this position with regard to Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, or Al Gore during the Bush years.
I personally think that it is entirely appropriate for Dick Cheney to emulate Al Gore in his tone of contempt for the administration that followed the one he served in — and hope that George W. Bush begins to follow the example set by Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
You’re right I’ve never taken that position because I think it’s dumb. I think an ex-president should say what they want to say. I don’t think Bush isn’t talking out of an abundance of class, I think he’s hoping being quiet will improve his popularity.