-President George W. Bush has written a new book entitled, 41: A Portrait of my Father. This book isn't about himself or his presidency, but about his beloved father.
-I loved his first book, Decision Points, even more than I thought I would. So, I'm looking forward to reading this new book.
-On CBS Sunday Morning, Bob Schieffer interviewed Bush, below are the opening comments to the first part of the interview:
In all our history, we've had just two sets of father-and-son
Presidents . . . John and John Quincy Adams; and George H. W. and George
W. Bush. The younger George Bush (President # 43) has quite a bit to
say about his father (#41), and in an interview at his Presidential
Library in Texas, George W. Bush has much to tell our chief Washington
correspondent Bob Schieffer.
--It is called 41 on 41, because there are 41 storytellers that talk about the life of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush.
The 41 Storytellers:
1) Brent Scowcroft--former National Security Advisor for Bush 2) George W. Bush--43rd President of the U.S. 3) Jeb Bush--former Governor of Florida 4) Jeb Bush Jr.--grandson 5) Pierce Bush--grandson 6) Marvin Bush--son 7) Neil Bush--son 8) Roger Ailes--former campaign advisor to Bush 9) James A. Baker III--former Secretary of State for Bush 10) Susan Baker--wife of James Baker and longtime family friend 11) Jean Becker--post-presidential chief of staff for Bush 12) Tom Brokaw--news anchor for NBC 13) Billy Busch--fishing companion 14) Doro Bush Koch--daughter 15) Andrew Card--former White House Deputy chief of Staff for Bush 16) Buddy Carter--White House butler 17) Dana Carvey--comedian 18) Bill Clinton--42nd President of the U.S. 19) Barack Obama--44th President of the U.S. 20) Michael Dannenhauer--former personal aide to Bush 21) David McCullough--historian and author (my personal favorite) 22) David Demarest--former W.H. communications director for Bush 23) Mike Elliott--U.S. Army Golden Knight 24) Marlin Fitzwater--former W.H. press secretary for Bush 25) Dr. Robert Gates--former director of the CIA under Bush 26) Bruce Gelb--classmate of Bush's at Phillips Andover Academy 27) Boyden Gray--former W.H. legal counsel for Bush 28) Brit Hume--former W.H. correspondent for ABC news 29) Sarah Jackson--alumna of Bush School of Government and Public Service 30) John Magaw--former director of U.S. secret service 31) Mike Krzyzewski--Duke University men's basketball coach 32) John Major--former Prime Minister of the U.K. 33) Chip Miller--former commander of the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush 34) Jim Nantz--sports commentator 35) Arnold Palmer--Hall of Fame golfer 36) Colin Powell--former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Bush 37) Gabe Pressman--WNBC-TV correspondent 38) Dan Quayle--44th Vice President of the U.S. 39) Alan Simpson--former U.S. senator of Wyoming 40) Dr. Condoleezza Rice--former special assistant to Bush for national security 41) John Sununu--former W.H. chief of staff for Bush
--I have to say that I've never been overly impressed with Bush Sr. I have always thought that his son was a much better president. But I have to say that after watching this special, I do have a lot more respect for him as a man.
Things that impressed me: --How he treated all people. He knew all of the W.H. staff's names and their loved ones names. He showed a genuine interest in their lives. He often wrote handwritten notes to people from all walks of life. His grandson told of going through a tough time and when he went to his bedroom, there was a handwritten note from his grandfather encouraging him.
--Bruce Gelb, a classmate of Bush's at Phillips Andover Academy, tells a story about he was being bullied and Bush stood up for him. Gelb said that Bush became a hero for him from that day forth.
--George W. talked about how he constantly tested the unconditional part of his father's love, and yet, it never wavered.
--David McCullough shared a story about admiring a signed photograph of Bush with Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams in the Rose Garden, when he had visited the Presidential Library and Museum. After McCullough's visit, Bush mailed him the photograph. McCullough was in awe of the president's generosity and he said the photograph is one of his family's treasures.
--Barbara Bush looks at her husband with such admiration. She talks about how he is the greatest man and you can tell she means it. She is a strong woman who loves her husband. They have now been married longer than any other presidential couple.
The above video is Bush when he was on Leno last year, on November 19, 2013. I, of course, am just now getting around to watching it. I am struck by how funny both Bush and Leno are. I laughed so hard at what both of them said. I was impressed by how respectful Leno was of Bush as well.
Also, I am very impressed with Bush's painting abilities as well. As I watched this, it reminded me of how badly I want to visit George W. Bush's Presidential Museum.
"George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview" premieres this Sunday, August 28th, at 9:00 PM Central on the National Geographic Channel. Tune in to see the interview and never-before-seen photos and videos from the George W. Bush Presidential Library. The above video is a sneak peek of President Bush's personal account of his experience on September 11th, 2001.
The best word to describe last night's event is that it was AMAZING!!Rainy Day Books sponsored an interview with President George W. Bush at Unity Temple on the Plaza about his memoirs, Decision Points. Tickets for the event sold out last Monday, and the extra autographed copies sold out last Tuesday. Unity Temple was filled to capacity with over 1200 people. My friends and I arrived at 4:00 and were in the doors by 5:00. So, I missed the lame protesters, according to news media outlets, there were 18 of them.
As I was listening to Bush talk, and taking notes, I was struck by how he was even more real, down to earth, likable, charming and funny in person. He also exuded confidence, but was not arrogant, and the way he described his faith was inspiring! It was a very memorable experience. It is hard to imagine why anyone would hate him.
Below is a summary of my notes and observations of the event:
He was interviewed by Vivien Jennings, Founder & President of Rainy Day Books. He started off with some self-deprecating humor, by saying that most people didn't think he could read a book, let alone write one. He also said that Laura and Jenna had been invited by Rainy Day Books first, and now he finally got invited.
Jennings asked him what question would he liked to have been asked, that had not been asked so far. He joked that it would be, "Why did you trade Sammy Sosa?" He then went on to say, "Why did you spend tax money to help the people of Africa?" His answer was:
1) The enemy can only recruit when it has hopeless people 2) It is in the moral interests of a nation. He quoted the old adage, of whom much is given, much is required.
He talked about how important it is to have genuine friends. Harry Truman said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." According to Bush, a friend in Washington is one that you had, before, you came to Washington.
He gave a passionate monologue on how life is full of risks. He took a big risk to run for president. He risked either being called "a pathetic candidate" or if he got elected, "a pathetic president." Yet, he didn't want to be sitting in a corner as an old man drooling, saying he could've been a great president, but he never ran. He got huge applause after this, as he did after many of his lines.
He described himself as a "half-glass full guy" and someone who has a passion for history. As someone who would describe myself exactly the same way, it was music to my ears. He said it was fascinating to be making history and reading it, at the same time.
He talked about a time that he bragged about how Laura was the greatest first lady ever, and then realized he was mentioning this in front of his mother. That would be a unique problem no one has had to deal with, since John Quincy Adams. He also mentioned Laura being the first, first lady to give the Radio Address, where she spoke to the women of Afghanistan. I would have to imagine that meant something to quite a few women in Afghanistan, who had virtually no rights before the war.
He mentioned that he was upset with Jenna and her husband, because there are no grandchildren yet. She says she is young, but Bush says he isn't. There was another nice round of applause after this too.
He defended his pick of Dick Cheney as Vice-President. He said he wanted someone who was capable of becoming president and who had Washington and Foreign policy experience. He also didn't want someone who wanted to be his successor. I remember when I first heard that Cheney was his pick for VP, I was like who is Dick Cheney? Yet, I couldn't have been happier with Cheney as VP. I'm with Bush in that I think he was the perfect choice.
One thing Bush didn't understand was the endless, childish name calling, and he refused to engage in it. Many of us wished he would've defended himself more against those attacks, but he didn't want to lower the office of the presidency. He reminded us of the names that Lincoln was called. I remember being struck by that when I visited the Lincoln Museum. He was called a tyrant, a hick and a stupid baboon and yet, today he is regarded by most as our greatest president.
When asked about his faith, I was struck by how genuine and humble Bush was as he responded. He said prayer is key and success in your Christian walk is accepting your place with the risen Lord by surrendering, which is a continual process. The White House was joyous because of his relationship with the Lord. One of his favorite verses is Matthew 7:5-"...first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." He said its a good verse for all politicians.
Yet, he was quick to reiterate that what makes the United States great is the fact that we have freedom of religion. The contrast is that we face an enemy that kills you, if you don't believe in the right religion.
As I mentioned, it was so much more amazing to see him in person than on TV. I came away with even more admiration for him.
The media was only allowed to stay for a short amount of time. Below are links to their short coverage: --KSHB --Fox 4 --KC Star --KMBC
What: Former President George W. Bush will be in conversation with Vivien Jennings, Founder & President of Rainy Day Books, and discuss his new Book and his life. The program will last approximately one Hour.
When: Monday, November 22, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: A Rainy Day Books Author Event at Unity Temple on The Plaza, Sanctuary, 707 W 47th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
It was a good thing I bought my tickets right away, because it sold out yesterday. I purposely waited to buy a copy of his book hoping that he would come to KC, and the event includes an autographed copy of his book! Stay tuned for a post on the event!
"We admire Lincoln today as an American folk hero. During the Civil War, however, he was the most unpopular president the nation had ever known. His critics called him a tyrant, a hick, a stupid baboon who was unfit for office. As commander in chief of the armed forces, he was denounced as a bungling amateur who meddled in military affairs he knew nothing about."
Does the above quote sound familiar? I am currently reading, Lincoln A Photobiography by Russell Freedman. I was struck by the similar attacks that the critics expressed over 140 years ago about Lincoln to what Bush's critics accuse him of today. As Solomon said, "There is nothing new under the sun."
History has since regarded Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents and very few people remember what his critics had to say. I think history will view Bush in a much more favorable way than he is viewed now and his critics will be forgotten over time.
It is always important to be a student of history so we can see the big picture and realize that life is much more than what is talked about in the latest poll. Bush is a student of history and he realizes that. This is why he is willing to stand on principle and do what is right despite how much criticism he gets and no matter how low his poll numbers go. He sees beyond the latest poll to what is best for this country 40 years from now.
According to one of Clinton's own advisors, Clinton didn't deal with the terrorism problem while he was in office because he knew his poll numbers might suffer as a result. He cared more about his poll numbers than protecting this country. He was offered Bin Laden on a silver platter and turned it down because of fears of what public opinion might be. We should all be thank-ful that Bush cares more about protecting this country than about his poll numbers.
I am knee deep in my projects so no time to post. Check out Mike's excellent post on Bush's speech. As for the Democrats' response, D is for Defeat!! Gateway Pundit calls them whiny :-).
I only had a chance to check several blogs so if you've done a post on his speech let me know in the comments' section and I'll add it to my list below. Thanks!!
"We thank God that Liberty found such brave defenders."
"I want you to know that our nation appreciates your commitment and your sacrifice in the cause of peace and freedom."--President George W. Bush
I can't believe I didn't think to dig this up for Memorial Day. What made me think of it was when there was a clip of Bush's speech on Fox News from this video. This is on the Wow 2004 video, I cry every time I watch it. The song by Rebecca St.James is awesome and the clips of Bush's words and others are very moving.
It is such a great reminder of how important it is to pray for, appreciate and support our troops. I love you and thank-you American heroes!!
