I have no doubt that the impending release of George W. Bush’s memoir “Decision Points” was timed to immediately follow the midterm elections, when the Republicans would regain some of the political power that they lost mostly as a result of the disastrous outcomes of Bush’s eight-year reign as president. This would allow GWB to return to the public eye unscarred by the shrapnel of his imploding presidency. Surely the GOP regaining control of Congress is evidence that the American public is fickle, that whatever evil GWB wrought is easily forgotten, and that America may even be in the beginning throes of GWB nostalgia, to which I bay: TOO SOON. It’s all TOO SOON.It’s fun to speculate that the “Decision Points” title is self-effacingly acknowledging this infamous Bushism: “I’m the decider, and I decide what’s best. And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense.” GWB prided himself on being “the decider.” What an utterly low point in American political discourse. Not only was Bush defending Rumsfeld against an unprecedented military revolt against Rumsfeld’s abysmal planning and lack of strategic competence, but GWB was rebutting the concerns of eight retired generals and admirals with despotic, cocky ineloquence. Lest we forget…
One of the main purposes of a Presidential memoir is to help define a legacy. As if GWB’s legacy needed help! I have no intention of ever reading “Decision Points,” but I can’t stop reading the pre-release book reviews, which conveniently pick out the juiciest bits from the 481-paged tome.
- His response to hearing from Condi Rice that a third plane had crashed into the Pentagon: “My blood was boiling. We were going to find out who did this, and kick their ass (here).”
- On personally giving the CIA permission to waterboard to Khalid Sheik Mohammed in 2003: “Damn right.” (GWB still contends that simulated drowning is not torture.) (Here.)
- On Katrina: “The problem was not that I made the wrong decisions. It was that I took too long to decide (here).” The decider took too long to decide!
- On immigration: “The failure of immigration reform points out larger concerns about the direction of our politics. The blend of isolationism, protectionism, and nativism that affected the immigration debate also led Congress to block free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. I recognize the genuine anxiety that people feel about foreign competition. But our economy, our security, and our culture would all be weakened by an attempt to wall ourselves off from the world. Americans should never fear competition. Our country has always thrived when we’ve engaged the world with confidence in our values and ourselves (here).” (Wait, what was that? An informed, nuanced statement filled with empathy and pride that I kinda agree with? Who wrote that?)
- And this charming anecdote of a visit to Russia, when Putin showed him his black Labrador, Koni. “Bigger, stronger, and faster than Barney,” Putin bragged. GWB later recounted this to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who said “You’re lucky he only showed you his dog (here).” Ha ha ha. As Maureen Dowd quipped, if GWB keeps this up, I might have to vote for him.
