George W. Bush Has A Few Things To Say About The Obama Presidency

George W. Bush is a 100% class act. There were things I didn't agree with that he did while in office, but there were other things that I think he was right on the money about – mainly over the response to 9/11 and the War on Terror. And he has such wonderful respect for our military.

In his post-Presidential life, Bush hasn't said a whole lot about the way Barack Obama has been conducting himself as president, instead opting to stay out of the limelight and let his successor do the job. In the past, Bush has said that it's not his place to criticize his successor and the presidency is a really tough job. And with all the crap that Obama and his cronies have said about Bush, I honestly think even more of "W" because he didn't sink to the level of the Obama "Blame Bush" crowd (I would TOTALLY be out hitting back against someone who kept telling everyone this mess was my fault – but that's me).

Well now, Bush has made a few comments critiquing Obama's presidency (which, I think six years in, it's warranted). According to this, the former president was in an off-the-record, no-notes meeting with donors in Las Vegas and he was asked what he thought of the job Obama's done. Here are some of the things he's said (quoting from the article) –

Harvey Weingarten, another attendee, said that Mr. Bush said the former first lady faced a predicament in determining whether to seek distance or continuity with the Obama administration for which she served as secretary of state.

 

“It’s going to be hard for her to defend or support” the president’s legacy, Mr. Weinstein recalled Mr. Bush saying.

[…]

 

He spoke dismissively of candidates who surrounded themselves with “sycophants” and bemoaned a culture built around a single person, or even a party. The goal, he stressed, should be about serving the national interest.

Speaking further –

He said he was skeptical about lifting sanctions against Iran at a time when its government seemed to be caving in, attendees said, and regretted the leverage the United States would lose as a result of lifting the sanctions. He questioned whether the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, under whom the current framework for a deal has been discussed, represents a new policy or a “new spokesman” for the old regime.

 Mr. Bush talked about how there is “no transparency in Iran,” because the supreme leader, and not the will of the people, picked the presidents.

 

And he was animated when speaking about the group calling itself the Islamic State, which he referred to as the “second act” of Al Qaeda.

 

Several attendees sensed a tacit critique of Mr. Obama and his failure to follow through on his threats to use force when Mr. Bush said “you gotta mean it” when talking tough, and that America’s allies and enemies needed to know where an American leader stood. He also discussed his own approach in Iraq, saying he changed course when it was warranted.

 

“You call in the military and say, ‘Here’s my goal. What’s your plan to help me achieve that goal?'” attendees quoted him as saying. He added that when asked what had to be done with terrorists bent on America’s destruction, the answer was “well, you kill ‘em,” several attendees recalled.

It's refreshing to see George W. Bush come out and speak up for himself and his policies while also critiquing what Obama's done (which, as far as terrorism goes, pretty much sucks all the way around).

I did have to laugh at a story Bush told about Vladimir Putin's dog, though –

And Mr. Bush also appeared to add a little humor in the post-presidency. He told how President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia made fun of his small dog, Barney, by telling the American president, “You want to see a real dog?”

 

Mr. Putin called over his large dog, which the Russian leader apparently described as larger and more powerful. Mr. Bush recounted that he later told the same story to the Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, who he said replied, “You’re lucky all he did was show you his dog.”

(h/t IJ Review)